Recently, The Gambian First Lady, Zineb Zuma’s public relations machine has been bombarding Gambians with photo opportunities that show her interacting/mingling with the Gambian people. Since 1999 when The President Yaya Jammeh married Zineb, The First Lady according to many Gambians has not done anything worthy of notice in Gambia. “This woman does not respect Gambians because her husband does not respect his people. If Zineb Zuma is genuinely interested in the welfare of Gambians, we challenge her to tell her husband to stop harassing and intimidating our people” a source said. Many observers say that Zineb’s “change in attitude” towards Gambians manifested by photos on social media and videos of her visits to grassroots groups has more to do with trying to attract funding from International institutions to fund her various shopping trips and businesses overseas.
The latest public relations onslaught is allegedly attributed to Phatumata Ndure-Jobe, who was sponsored by Jammeh’s supposed scholarships to study in Taiwan for her first degree and masters. According to sources, friends of Phatumata Ndure-Jobe described her as an ambitious young lady. “She has been rewarded with an official car and fringe benefits for her new role as Zineb’s public relations staff”, said our source. “Zineb has no time for Facebook or twitter both pages are managed by Phatumata Ndure-Jobe and she is the one engineering her new image” added our source. Phatumata Ndure-Jobe is married to a nephew of Baba Jobe, Kajali Jobe, a man allegedly murdered by Yaya Jammeh’s junggles after Jammeh refused his release from prison following the completion of his prison sentence.
Many observers remarked that for more than 15years of marriage to Yaya Jammeh, Zineb Zuma has never shown any indication that she is interested in anything Gambian. Witnesses working at the State House said the first thing Zineb did when she moved to the State House was change all the support staff and replaced them with Morrocan staff and relatives, “Even her hairdresser is from Morocco” said the source. Zineb through her actions cost Gambian taxpayers millions of dollars with most of her support staff from Morroco paid in dollars and her famous shopping sprees worldwide especially in The USA accompanied always by a large entourage of guards, protocol and relatives. Observers are asking The First Lady that instead of the photos on social media, Zineb should help free Yusupha Lowe, the 13 year old minor arrested since 1st January 2014 after his father Bai Lowe was accused of involvement in the December 30 attacks on State House. Yusupha is detained at The NIA with his 19 year old cousin and have both missed school for almost three months. “How will Zineb feel if this had happened to Mariam or Muhammed?” The source asked. The public will appreciate Zineb’s positive actions towards changing Yaya Jammeh by making him respect the constitution and treat Gambians with respect, starting with releasing political prisoners and releasing those detained for more than 72hours as stipulated in the Gambian constitution. Alhaji Mamud Ceesay and Ebou Jobe, the two Americans missing in Gambia are still not traced for almost 2 years now after they travelled to The Gambia on a business trip. Their young families are in The USA waiting on word about the disappearance of their loved one in The Gambia. According to the wife of one of the imprisoned military officers currently serving a 20 year jail term at mile 2 central prisons, The First Lady should look into their plight too, as they are young women with very young children having their husbands taken away for this long is very traumatizing for them. “Life without the breadwinner of the family is tough, the children are constantly sent home for not paying school fees, we no longer can afford our basic needs and my children are constantly asking for their father” she disclosed. “As woman and a mother, Zineb knows at least how hurtful these things can be” she added, “thus seeing as Jammeh denied the special rapporteurs access into Mile 2 central prison, we hope Zineb can visit the prison, not just to pose for photos but to bring gifts for the prisoners and pressure her husband to improve conditions at the prison seeing as Jammeh is accountable to no one but Zineb and her children”. An observer asked Zineb to “Tell her husband to stop intimidating Gambia’s youth. Again, as a mother, wouldn’t you want your children to grow up to be assertive, self-sufficient, and self-confident? If you care about Gambians, you would have advised your husband to not harass and intimidate Amina Manneh and many others to the point where they had to flee from a country they love so much”. The woman went on to add that because of Yahya Jammeh’s tyranny, 22 year old Amina is in the care of family members instead of her mother who has nurtured and protected her since birth. She blamed The Gambian President for intimidating Gambians to a point that many are fleeing the country, all under Zineb’s watch, a woman who should have been there for Gambian women and children.
Photos of The Zineb using a hand sanitizer after visiting the maternity wing of The Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital was not a surprise to many Gambians who believe that Zineb never respected Gambians in the first place. Many believe that The First Lady could be looking for funding from international organizations reason why she has all of a sudden decided to be involved with Gambians from the grassroots. “I think she was really traumatized by the December 30 attacks on State House and decided to change her approach” another source hinted.
As The shopaholic First Lady continues with her new photo ops with Gambians, observers are watching how long this will last and if she will take time to talk to her husband, a dictator who is ruling The Gambia with an iron fist for over 20 years now. The First Lady does not have a single Gambian friend, her children do not associate with Gambians, in fact a source close to The Jammehs disclosed that even grandma Asombie Bojang is never allowed around the kids. “ I can see Zineb is trying really hard to give attention to Gambians, but its too late, we are no fools. She and her husband should do us a favor and leave, they are only interested in themselves and nobody else” said a close family source.
