In late August 2012, nine death row inmates were executed. On Sunday August 26, the Ministry of the Interior issued an official statement confirming the deaths of Dawda Bojang, Malang Sonko, Ex-Lieutenant Lamin Jarjou, Ex-Lieutenant Alieu Bah, Ex-Sergeant Lamin F Jammeh, Buba Yarboe, Lamin BS Darboe, Gebe Ba and Tabara Samb.

The government statement read: “Following the convictions and pronouncements of death sentences by the Gambian courts of competent jurisdiction and further to the exhaustion of their appeals, the Ministry of Interior wishes to inform the general public that the …convicts were executed by firing squad on Sunday 26th August, 2012.”

The executions were met by universal condemnation and resulted in the closure of The Standard newspaper for 18 months and Taranga FM station.

Although the government admitted the killings, the bodies were never returned to their families and accounts emerged from eyewitness accounts disputing the manner of the executions as reported by the government.

In this investigative series, The Standard has found out the truth as revealed by the very people who took part in the killings.

According to several members of Jammeh’s hit squad, the Junglers, now in the custody of the Gambian authorities, the killings in fact took place on the night of Thursday 23 to early morning of Friday 24 August at the GAF practice shooting range in the westerly outskirts of Brikama. And the inmates were not shot to death but suffocated and strangled to death.

Jungler Staff Sgt Amadou Badjie said he was picked up from Fajara Barracks at about 7pm on the day and teamed with the other Junglers at Sting Corner on the highway to Banjul from where they proceeded to the central prison at Mile 2.

Jungler Staff Sgt Lamin Badjie also in custody told the investigators that about 10pm to 11pm, they met former Interior minister Ousman Sonko, Gen Saul Badjie, Prison boss David Colley, Lt Col Solo Bojang, “a judge” or the then Justice minister (according to Jungler Staff Sgt Omar A Jallow) and others at the prisons with a piece of paper calling out the inmates.

Warrant Officer Lamin Sambou, a native of Foni Sintet and a Jungler said at first, two prisoners, a male and a female, were brought out with their hands and legs cuffed. He said the nine prisoners were put in two vehicles and he was in a vehicle with Warrant Officer Fansu Nyabally and Capt Michael Jatta. “When we departed from Mile 2 prison, we headed towards the Coastal Road. There, Michael Jatta parked the vehicle and Nyabally put out black plastic bags and covered the heads of [the shackled man and woman] and strapped it and asked me to hold their hands. That is how I hold it [sic] and they died in the vehicle and we went to the range with the dead bodies,” he narrated.

Junglers Staff Sgts Amadou and Lamin Badjie, Omar A Jallow, WO Sambou and others said the prisoners were not killed by firing squad but were executed by putting “double plastic bags” on their heads and suffocating them.

Amadou Badjie pointedly told the investigators: “They were killed by tying a rope around their necks by Rambo [Maj Modou Jarju – at large] and other officers strangled them to death whilst the others participated in holding their hands and legs during the process…”

Sambou said Gen Saul Badjie and Minister Sonko counted and confirmed the bodies before they were put on vehicles and taken to Foni.

Sambou explained: “When we got to a small village in Foni, Solo Bojang came back with one old man who he went with into the bush and later came back. Solo said there is a well where we are going to dispose these bodies. Each dead body was carried by two men to the well. These bodies were handed over to Solo Bojang who finally threw them in the old well after [some] recitation. I finally took these persons’ clothes and shoes from the car to Solo Bojang and Sulayman Badjie at the well. Then we were all asked to back to the vehicles. They were there for 30 minutes and when they came, all of us went back to Kanilai. During the briefing, we were told not to fear anything as it is a state matter. It was after the event I was instructed by Rambo Capt Jarju to watch his car during which I discover blood stains and human waste.”

Source: Standard Newspaper

President Adama Barrow of The Gambia has said that the former Interior Minister, Mai Ahmad Fatty was his childhood friend. The Gambian leader was speaking at a press conference held at the State House in Banjul.

The soft spoken leader who was reacting to allegations of nepotism said if he was only appointing people close to him, Mai Ahmad Fatty would not have been sacked because he was not only his personal lawyer but a childhood friend too.

“Mai Fatty was my childhood friend and personal lawyer,” President Adama Barrow told journalists.

“We are still communicating,” he added.

“Let us not see things on a narrow way but through wider perspective,” he said.

The former real estate dealer turned politician went further to reassure Gambians of his commitment to nation building and the general welfare of the people.

He said that he does not personally know many of the people appointed in his government, adding that among the five regional governors appointed he only knows the former Governor of West Coast, Ebrima Mballow who is the current Interior Minister.

“The new Governor of West Coast was introduced to me at the airport upon my return from an official visit in Nigeria,” he said.

President Barrow said people always complain about appointments of those allegedly close to him but remain silent on the appointment of others.

Meanwhile, the president reiterated his commitment to improve the health sector.

Part of the process for The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to grant television broadcasting licenses is to make a public announcement of received applications and invite the public to send opinions on whether the applicant should or should not be granted the license. As a registered civil society organization, the Supreme Islamic Council (SIC)  has every right to write to PURA to explain why they feel The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat should be denied a license to have a television station in The Gambia. Hard as it is to accept, this bigoted view is shared by many Gambians. Regardless of how we feel about their opinion, they’re entitled to it. Similarly, I am also entitled to have an opinion on their opinion. I say it’s bigoted and hypocritical. I say this behavior by the SIC is a threat to Islam and it’s Monkey Business. I say it matters and we should not ignore it.

Bigotry – To call their actions bigotry is not an insult. It’s simply a description. The dictionary defines “bigotry” as “Intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself”. The SIC is intolerant towards the Ahmadiyyas because they preach and practice a slightly different version of Islam, so they ask PURA to deny them the rights to free speech through a television license.  Like it or not, it’s the textbook definition of bigotry.

Hypocrisy – The Ahmadiyya Hospital has existed in The Gambia for several decades. Its doors have always been open to everyone – Muslims of all different sects, Christians and Gambians and non-Gambians alike. Nobody is asked for religious, tribal, racial or religious identification to receive treatment at the hospital. If the SIC were as concerned about religion as they want us to believe, how come we’ve never heard them calling for the hospital to be shut down? Instead, I am highly confident that many of the members and their families have gone to the Ahmadiyya hospital for treatment. The same argument can be made for two of the best high schools in the hospital – Nusrat and Tahir – both built by the Ahamdiyya, both indiscriminately accepting ALL deserving students that walk through their doors. Why has the SIC not advocated for shutting down the schools?

Threat to Islam – In their petition, the SIC claims that granting of a propaganda tool (TV licence) to the Ahmadiyya is “a post existential threat to the Muslim Ummah.” Chapter 109, Suratul Kafirun, teaches Muslims to follow their religion and allow believers of other faiths to follow theirs too.
Chapter 2, verse 256 – Surat Al-Baqarah also states “There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong.”

I would contend that by trying to shut down people of a different faith, the SIC is the bigger threat to the Muslim Ummah because they’re directly contradicting the teachings of the Quran.

Monkey Business – Putting emotions and ideologies aside, I asked myself “what has this group, SIC and the Imam Ratib, contributed to improving the lives of Gambians?” In the relatively shorter period they’ve been in The Gambia, the Ahmadiyya have built at least 2 schools and a hospital. The benefits of both are immeasurable. Despite their “supremacy,” I cannot name one thing the SIC has contributed to anyone’s life. They’ve been known for receiving cash handouts from the former head of state in exchange for them turning a blind eye to his atrocities against the Gambian people, but what else have they been useful for? I guess that with the dictator gone, the SIC need to find a way to remain relevant in the country. There are better ways to it than targeting minority groups.

I once said that any monkey can destroy, but it’s a lot harder to build. The SIC, rather than try to build their own television station to preach their version of Islam, finds it much easier to sit back and try to hold others back. I suggest that the SIC and its supporters try to focus on building – schools, hospitals or television stations. It will contribute positively to the lives of Gambians. Perhaps more importantly to them, it will attract more Gambians to their version of Islam…or whatever it is they truly believe.

Why it matters – It has been rather encouraging to see so many Gambians condemn the SIC for this petition. I was tempted to not write this because enough has been said on it already. Then I saw one more “scholar” supporting the SIC. This reminded me that we can never have too much condemnation of bigotry, and that every voice matters. Today the SIC is trying to shut down the Ahmadiyya because they’re a different sect of the same Islam. What if the Christians apply for a TV license tomorrow? Some Christians teach that Christ is the son of God. One of the most unacceptable sins according to Islam  is “having associates to God.” How is that any more acceptable to Islam than the Ahmadiyya teachings? So, would the SIC also petition PURA to deny Christians the rights to own a television station? We have a lot of coverage of Church services on Sundays on the national television (GRTS). Can the SIC petition GRTS to stop that “propaganda” also? Where does it end?
With all that said, I still respect the rights of the SIC to state their opinion. I also call on PURA to file that petition under “N”for “noise” or “nonsense”.

‘The world is full of judgment days’, but the laws of nature overmasters our actions so that we are punished when we bend its rules. And when we take short cuts, we are made to suffer. To brush aside murders and other heinous crimes against fellow citizens under the guile of reconciliation is not only disingenuous but t is dangerous and sets a terrible precedent for the rule of law and how we value human life.

Neither scripture nor reasoning can supply substance to any pretext for reconciliation before justice takes its course. The empty idea can gain in decorum but never in principle or in substance. If the doctrine of forgiveness and reconciliation precede justice and is adopted as a blueprint for our way forward, it will not serve The Gambia aright. Politics and events can get in the way for a while but a heavy price will be paid for such gross injustice to the victims. It will be crooked passage in our journey and an unholy trajectory towards the fate of our nation.

Governing is a moral art. For a leader to be truly effective, he must be able to inspire faith and confidence. And to inspire the people, the leader has to be trusted and be respected, which comes about by moral elevation and a keen sense of justice. In other words, for citizens to make sacrifices, undismayed by struggles and privations, the leader must occupy a high moral ground and be just in his disposition. In essence, the fate of a nation depends largely on the moral beatitude of the leadership and the public’s faith in the dispensation of justice.

We do no justice to posterity and to ourselves if we decide that the wicket are to be forgiven and the poor victims can accept the delight gratification that they will have their compensation in the hereafter. There is an eminent fallacy in the idea that preeminent forgiveness and reconciliation can be a serious deterrent for arbitrary executions, rapes and other heinous crimes.

In any serious deliberation, equity must be the basic metrics from which to proceed and charter our new path forward. If we resort to expediency to preserve for a short time a semblance of peace and tranquility by subverting equity, we can be sure to pay direly with future crisis and vigilante justice.

When we depart from justice and attempt at securing reconciliation with half-measures that are good for the aggressors but injurious to their victims; fear and hate will forever build for us a natural partition. The victims will rightfully resent the inequity; the emptiness caused by their pain and suffering will be occupied by bitter indignation. The thugs that allowed themselves to used like hunting dogs by brutal tyrant will forever live in fear; fear is a great equalizer and an instructor of a rare sagacity. There is some rottenness wherever fear emerge and cannot be severed from crimes.

Is it fair and equitable to tell victims to wait and be patient in letting justice takes its course, but have many of the perpetrators of their suffrage and the enablers of a brutal regime become patrons of the new government?

What is the wisdom of having folks like Masaneh Kindeh in charge of our nation’s security, when the same people built their carriers in a cultist fashion around a personality?

If the government can forego the likes of Halifa, with his will, and also forego the likes of Mai Fatty, against his will; how do they explain why they cannot forego the likes of Kinteh and other enablers of the murderous regime in the upper echelon of our securities and defense services?

What type of reasoning or logic give this government the volition that keeping the same capricious ‘hyenas’ around the sheep they were preying on for 22 years – will suddenly evolve into becoming their protectors?

What is stellar in their characters, or what military or political genius do these folks have that would explain why these service ‘prostitutes’ under Jammeh have to be kept at critical positions in the new government?

It is quite disheartening to witness this class of unprincipled military commanders, being given positions of prominence in our new dispensation. Having this group of complicit and morally bankrupt ‘toy soldiers’ around the corridors of power for the second time around is inexcusable, but it is also a form of Russian roulette.

To expect these men to exercise prudence and make a switch from moral turpitude to moral rectitude is an affront to our collective intelligence and an insult to their victims. The deep wounds of so many of these victims hasn’t even begin to cicatrize. I can hardly imagine the hurt of some of these victims on hearing tacit proclamation of innocence by people like Kinteh – that his goons have done nothing wrong.

The APRC, arguably a criminal organization, and its leadership continued to show no remorse for abuses Gambians suffered under the leadership of their party. They still continue to support and celebrate a murderous rapist and a master thief. They still longed for his return and remain dismissive of his innumerable heinous crimes. In their ungratefulness, we are all witnessing their abuse of the new democratic space; something that their “dear leader” was torturing and killing people for.

So why are we now surprised to see that some of Jammeh’s most notorious henchmen have the audacity to boldly enter the country through our main port of entry?

Do you wonder why Umpa, Jarju and Tamba would take such a bold step?

[email protected]

The Supreme Islamic Council poses a clear and present danger to the Gambia because of the bigoted belligerence they have consistently directed at a group of Gambians on account of their religious beliefs. The members of the Ahmadiyya community are Gambian citizens whose right to practice their faith is entrenched in our Constitution that all Gambians must respect and protect without reservation. Any position that damages human rights poses a direct threat to national security and a fertile ground for terrorism.

Section 25 subsection 1(C) clearly stipulates that every citizen has a right to practice any religion and to manifest such practice. In view of this provision, no individual or group in the Gambia has the power or authority to therefore deny any other group or person to practice and manifest his or her religion.

Furthermore Section 33 states clearly that all persons are equal before the law. It went further to state that no person shall be discriminated on account of his religion, colour, sex or political opinion among others. Hence by asking PURA not to grant a television license to the Ahmadiyya Jama’at on account of their religious belief is a clear affront to the Constitution by the Supreme Islamic Council.

Section 33 has categorically made it clear that no public officer shall discriminate against any person in the performance of his or her function. Hence when the Supreme Islamic Council asked PURA not to grant the Ahmadiyya Jama’at a television license because of their religious beliefs, it means the Supreme Islamic Council is therefore asking the Director General of PURA, who is a public officer to discriminate against citizens on account of their religious believe. I hope the Director General of PURA had immediately thrown that obnoxious letter of the Council into the dustbin of shame where it rightfully belongs!

It is utterly unfortunate and a matter of great concern that a legally registered organization such as the Supreme Islamic Council would ask a public authority to directly violate the Gambian Constitution by discriminating against fellow Gambians. The Supreme Islamic Council must understand that they are not elected representatives of the Gambia nor are they the Divine Custodians of Islam or any other religion in the Gambia. Rather the Supreme Islamic Council is a mere civil society organization like any other civil society organization in the Gambia. Hence the Council must limit itself to the promotion and practice of its religious beliefs and let others also concern themselves to the promotion and practice of their religious beliefs.

The action of the Supreme Islamic Council therefore constitutes violence because they are not only directly attacking the very freedom of religion of a body of citizens but they are also directly attacking the existence of this group. It is clear that if the Supreme Islamic Council has the powers in this country, they would certainly kill and uproot the Ahmadiyya community out of the Gambia.

For that matter the relevant authorities in the Gambia Government must summon the Supreme Islamic Council to put it to them that they cannot persecute other Gambians. The Council must be told that their continued attack on the Ahmadiyya community constitutes religious intolerance and discrimination hence pose a direct threat to national security. This unconstitutional action by the Council is indeed the very seeds that give birth to violent extremism or terrorism as we see in other parts of the world.

The Gambia Government and all Gambians must therefore stand up, before it is too late to demand that the Supreme Islamic Council withdraw their letter to PURA or they face prosecution for perpetrating a violation of the Constitution and the sovereign rights of citizens.

The determination of the faith of any person or group is not the function of the Supreme Islamic Council or any other person or authority in the Gambia. The laws of the Gambia guarantee that any Gambian has a right to belief or not belief in any religion of their choice. We must not therefore allow any person or group to arrogate to itself the power and the authority to determine who are believers or non-believers of any religion.

For the Gambia, Our Homeland.

I stand in solidarity with the SIC on its open objection to the issuance of TV license to the Ahmadiyya jamaat.  I have written and reproduced in the past many an evidence against this group, notably their hypocritical identity and well-orchestrated insidious plan to dilute our Islamic texts, sources and evidences to their advantage.  This action by the SIC is well commendable, and I urge all Muslims to add their voices to this genuine and noble call to purify our religion from such imposters.  The importance of all Muslims adding their voices to this sacrosanct call is liked to a group of people in a hall with sudden pitch darkness, a spontaneous touch light from one person would entreat others to turn theirs on.  Individually these lights will be insignificant in providing brightness to the hall but collectively it makes a big difference in providing the occupants the much-needed basic brightness through the exits.

There is no single acclaimed group that the Islamic Ummah has unanimously agreed upon as being out of the pale of Islam other than these hypocrites (Allah’s curse be on them).  Food for thought for those who still ignorantly consider this people as Muslims, is everyone with a Gambian ID card a bona fide national of The Gambia?  Don’t we have competent authority to vet and determine who is Gambian or not in the persons of the Immigration Department.  Is everyone who claims to belong to a political party in The Gambia truly a registered and recognized member?  Is the party not the competent authority to determine who is a registered member or not?  If we can accept these basic mundane facts, why is it so difficult for us to accept that the competent authority in our religion is the Quran, Sunnah and the understanding and interpretations of our rightly guided scholars?  With all due respect to the Presidential Adviser on Religion and Tradition and Minister of Agriculture, you both are not in any position to determine the faith of this group much less condemn our scholars for declaring them as non-Muslims.   Just like our scholars cannot come to your respective parties to decide for you who is a member or not, your position and utterances on this issue should be well scholarly informed and not politically or emotionally driven.  I will paraphrase a quote by late Oustaz Bun (RA) “that any Muslim that this Ahmadi’s convince is ignorant of his religion and should go seek more knowledge of his religion”.

The unfortunate menace with we Africans, especially Gambians is that we think we can be more so called democratic than the founders of the doctrine themselves.  As a result, we want to shelve every value, culture and base we have in governing our people to embrace an ideology that typically does not exist anywhere as a utopia.  Let’s not fool each other, there is no perfect democracy anywhere so what we should be striving for, the least is to implement of it to the extent applicable/consistent with our values, co-existence, cultures and religions.  Take it or leave it, the only two recognized religions in The Gambia since the early era of our forefathers are Islam and Christianity.  We can certainly accept another religion but not an imposter who hides behind your religion to spread his deviant ideology.

To PURA, I strongly advise against issuing TV license to this group whose main objective is to confuse Muslims and water down our religion.  Again, this is a license that would be used to propagate their disbelief, hypocrisy and lies which would ultimately jeopardise our already fragile security situation.  Like I said before, apply the principles of democracy to the extent they would not breach our peaceful co-existence.  We have precedence for this in the case of the Police Vs Occupy West field and the recent suspension of all political gatherings.  In fact I will be the first proponent of issuing this group a license if they openly accept and declare their true faith as Non-Muslims with their own sources and not imposters.  Let them leave our Quran and Sunnah alone and bring forth their own references and we will never have problems with them but until then we will continue to expose them and fight them with every fiber of blood flowing in our veins.  If you turn deaf years to our plea and call for denying this group TV license, we can assure you that we will pray against you all including the government on our pulpits, mosque, gatherings and solo moments.

May Allah grant you the wisdom to do the right thing by standing in solidarity with the SIC on this matter and reject this TV license request.

BB SANNEH

By Musa Bah

It is with surprise and indignation that I read a statement from the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council (SIC) raising an objection addressed to Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) regarding television license application by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, The Gambia. The statement is advising PURA not to grant the Ahmadiyya Jama’at a license since it will be a powerful propaganda tool ‘to adulterate the minds of the Ummah…’

I thus deem it necessary to write and  expose the fellacy of the argument put forward by the Council and perhaps advise PURA on the right thing to do.There are two sides to this issue. One is the religious angle and the other is political. The first thing to look at is the fact that the Supreme Islamic Council has a right to object but they have no constitutional or moral right to silence any dissenting opinion, ideology, movement, faith or creed. Democracy thrives on pluralism of ideas and opinions [this include religious ideas].

The statement of the Council clearly shows that this objection is informed by their insatiable desire to suppress and exterminate dissenting ideologies and beliefs. This is not inline with the ethos of the New Gambia. The New Gambia exudes or projects a Gambia where divergence thrives and out of it will emerge a more equitable society.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at members are Gambians and have every right – like any other Gambian – to have these rights not only safeguarded but protected as well. The members of this community are law abiding [in fact I can say without fear of contradiction, that no one is more so]. We participate in everything that happens in this country and contribute immensely to the development of the country.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at runs some of the best junior and senior secondary schools in the country. It has also built a number of hospitals across the country which are offering excellent services to the people of the nation. No one objects to these or any other services by the Community. It is hypothetical to welcome schools and hospitals and object to the application to have a television license.

If therefore PURA is to reject the application of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, it most certainly cannot – should not – be based on this flimsy statement. In a country like ours, every individual or group has the constitutional right to exercise freedom of movement,  association, speech, and religion. Such a person or group also has the right to propagate whatever belief they subscribe to. The government is not only dutybound to safeguard these rights, they have the responsibility to protect them as well.

Thus, in the eyes of the Constitution of the Republic of the Gambia, this objection from the Supreme Islamic Council is irrelevant and cannot prevent government from issuing the license.. The Council have the inalienable right to propagate whatever beliefs they hold through any lawful means. Therefore, like the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, they may also apply for a license and counter whatever ‘adulteration’ the Jama’at may cause with their own views.

Looking at the track record of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at on broadcast, we will find that the radio programs that were conducted on various radio stations in the country were never done in a way that could cause problems. They were always ethical peaceful and moral. Furthermore, studying what goes on in other Democratic countries, we will see that different religions or religious sects own television stations each peacefully propagating their views. Senegal, Ghana, and Nigeria are just a few of the examples we can look at.

In comparison to the Supreme Islamic Council, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at is an organization that is always ready to contribute to the development of the Gambia. Indeed, having a television station is another milestone of development as many sons and daughters of the country will be employed to work there. Besides, the television will increase the level of awareness of Gambians on religion, politics, society and even economy. What is more beneficial than that?

PURA has to be very cautious and ensure that they make their decisions within the laws of the Republic of The Gambia. The premise of the objection raised by the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council is definitely not valid in light of the Constitution.

The Supreme Islamic Council, it has to be remembered, has caused more division in the country than any other organization. The issue of compelling everyone to say the Eid on the same day as Saudi Arabia is a case in point. This, readers will recall, caused a lot of hardships for many people in the country. Imams were arrested and incarcerated for a long time. The truth is, apart from Ramadan, Eid and a progress recorded by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, the Supreme Islamic Council is almost nonexistent in terms of engagement with the public. The only time you will hear the SIC is when one of the above three happens.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at was here long before the SIC. On the 18th of February 1965, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Badomali, the then Amir of the Jama’at was among the people who led the Muslim prayers. The Council came into existence long after that. So, how can they now tell PURA not to grant license to the Jama’at?

On the religious point, if we are to follow the example of the Holy Prophet (SAW), he allowed people belonging to differ religions to live in the Muslim society. He never compelled anyone to become a Muslim. He only preached and uses his persuasive skills to convert the people to Islam. He respected the rights of the minorities living in Madinah and guaranteed their freedom of religion and protection. (See the Madinah Pact).

The Holy Qur’an teaches that there should be no compulo in matters of faith. Everyone should have the right to profess any religion and propagate it as well. The truth is that, all the battles fought in early Islam were fought to establish and protect freedom of conscience. That was the stance of the Pride of Humankind and the Best of the Prophets Seyyidina Muhammad (thousands of blessings be upon him.

I urge the government therefore, through PURA, to look at the big picture and realize that this is a test of our democracy; and that it is not only about Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, but about other minorities and indeed the welfare of the whole country. I hope that they reason properly before doing something that has the potential to plunge the country in religious chaos. Let us build build an inclusive and equitable society.

Musa Bah

Nusrat Senior Secondary School

There is fear in the country (at least in some circles), that the security situation is not what it is supposed to be. Peace and stability are two of the most important ingredients of development. Without them, nothing can progress. It is only when there is peace that citizens can work for their welfare, which is also the welfare of the State. Thus everything should be done to ensure that there is peace and stability in the country.

We have given you and your government all the tools to guarantee our protection. You have been given the legal basis to put mechanisms in place to ensure that the territorial integrity of the country is safeguarded from every possible threat. These include that fact that the law has allowed you to have the entire security agencies at all entry points into the country. These include the various borders, the seaport and the airport.

The fact that three former officers of the Gambia National Army accused of a number of atrocious acts returned to the country unnoticed after having left with former president Yahya Jammeh indicate a monumental lapse in the nation’s security. This matter is so grave that suspending suspects alone is not enough. Proper and thorough investigations have to be conducted and if anyone is found wanting, they should be prosecuted. They should face the full force of the law in order for it to serve as a deterrent to anyone who has intentions to harbor any criminals in the future.

This goes to prove that leaving known allies and collaborators of the former president to work in your government is a huge miscalculation which can backfire, if it hasn’t already. Mr President, Yahya Jammeh was in power for twenty-two years and he had supporters and allies. He had people who depended on him. These people are loyal to him and may have a desire to have what they lost back.

So, it is advisable for your government to do a thorough purge of the government and weed out all people who are accused of having done something untoward during the previous government. Otherwise, we can never be sure when some unscrupulous individual will do something which can give way to people with bad intentions that chance to enter the country.

The people who were at the airport on the fateful day that these generals came into the country should be investigated and prosecuted if they are found to have done something bad.

You must handle this carefully and urgently.

Have a Good Day Mr President…

Tha Scribbler Bah

A Concerned Citizen

By Tahir Ahmad Touray

Leeds, United kingdom

I have once again read an interesting statement by the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council. This time it is an objection addressed to Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) regarding television license application by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at The Gambia. The statement is very interesting, amazing, disappointing and shocking.

I am not writing this to condemn their objection; they have the right to object but they have no constitutional or moral right to silence any dissenting opinion, ideology, movement, faith or creed. Unfortunately, their statement clearly shows that their objection is founded on their insatiable desire to suppress and exterminate dissenting ideologies and beliefs. That is the focus of my essay.

If PURA must reject the application of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, it most certainly cannot be based on this flimsy and morally deprived statement. Every person or group in the Gambia has the constitutional right to freedom of movement and association and religion and also the right to propagate whatever belief they hold. The objection that if Ahmadis have a television station in the Gambia, it will adulterate Islam as understood by the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council is a useless objection in the sight of the Constitution of the Republic of the Gambia. They, the Council, also have the inalienable right to propagate whatever beliefs they hold through any lawful means. The best they can do is, like the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, apply for a TV license and operate their own television channel so that they would counter the so-called adulteration of their understanding of Islam. I must note here that PURA has to be very careful and ensure that they make their decisions within the laws of the Republic of The Gambia. The premise of the objection raised by the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council is definitely not valid in light of the Constitution.

If this objection of the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council is upheld, it will mark the escalation of religious intolerance in the country. It will be Ahmadis today, then will follow other Muslim groups who have some differing views with the Council and non-Muslims will also be targeted. This is a test for PURA and history shall judge them based on the decision they make. A few years ago, the Council with the support of the Government stopped all programmes by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at on private radio stations and also on the national radio and television. It is this same Council that propounded the idea that Eid in The Gambia must be observed on the same day that it was observed in Saudi Arabia. This led to the arrest of a non-Ahmadi Muslim Imam who decided to not observe the Eid on the same day. This same Council played a role in the demolition of an Ahmadiyya mosque in Sare Ngai in the Central River Region and the imprisonment of some Ahmadi youth for their belief. They succeeded relatively in suppressing other views during the past regime. They are now testing the waters. The future of religious tolerance and respect for the constitutional provision that guarantees freedom of religion and practice and propagation of religion now lies before PURA. The ball is in thier court!

A part of the statement of the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council reads, “Television could be used as a powerful propaganda tool to adulterate the minds of the Ummah by a movement which has been classified by the organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to be outside the pale of Islam. The grant of such a propaganda tool to this organization is as much considered to pose an existential t[h]reat to the Muslim Ummah in the Gambia as well as the neighboring countries.”

One thing that must be noted is that whether or not Ahmadis are Muslims is immaterial as far as their application for a TV license is concerned. One does not have to be a Muslim in The Gambia in order to operate a television channel. Where does the statement that Ahmadis should not have the license because they are “outside the pale of Islam” leave the Christians and other non-Muslims in the country? The fact of the matter is that every individual or organization, including the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council, has the right to operate a television channel, within the laws of the land. No individual or organization has more rights than another individual or organization in the Gambia. No religion has more right than another religion in the Gambia. All are equal before the law. The Gambia is ruled by her laws not by anyone’s religion or faith or belief. Based on the Constitution, even people whose ‘religion’ is the negation of organized religion have the right to practice and propagate their ideologies in The Gambia as long as long as they do not break the law. And they can do that through the use of any media (including television). This is something the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council must know. They are no better than any individual or organization or group in The Gambia. They also have no constitutional or moral right to decide who belongs to what religion or who should/should not do what.

When the President of the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council, Imam Muhammad Lamin Touray, was writing and signing this statement, he probably either lost sight of the history of Prophets (peace and blessings be upon them) and religion or did not know this basic history. We learn from religious history that Prophets and the religious ideologies they preached were seen as “existential threat” to the false and weak and adulterated ideologies of their contemporaries. Despite the strength and opposition of the adversaries of the religious ideologies of the Prophets, the Prophets’ ideologies prevailed because they were unadulterated and strong and their link extended to Arsh (the Throne of the Creator of the heavens and the earth). If Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at is “outside the pale of Islam”, then from an Islamic philosophical perspective, it has a weak ideology like the ideologies of the opponents of the Prophets (peace and blessings be upon them). Prophets (peace and blessings be upon them) and their righteous followers have never entertained the belief that false ideologies “outside the pale of Islam” could threaten the existence of the truth they followed. In light of this, and based on the unequivocal statement of the Holy Qur’an that “Innal Baatila Kaana Zahuuqa”—Falsehood is surely bound to perish, why should the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council (GSIC) believe that the television will “pose an existential threat to the Muslim Ummah in the Gambia as well as the neighboring countries”? A possible answer could be that they have nothing to offer to satisfy the religious needs of the Muslim Ummah of The Gambia and the neighboring countries. If they are certain that they are the Muslims and Ahmadis are “outside the pale of Islam”, then they should not feel an existential threat. This clearly tells us where the GSIC belongs.

Another basic point I must bring to the attention of the GSIC is that groups with superior religious ideologies (in this case I mean righteous followers of the teachings of religion) never attempted to suppress the beliefs of their opponents. They also put across their beliefs against the beliefs of their opponents and people made the choice to follow whatever belief appealed to their hearts; and whoever was on the side of truth eventually got the upper hand because truth is always very appealing to the heart. That is why Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

“There shall be no compulsion in religion. Surely, right has become distinct from wrong; so whosoever refuses to be led by those who transgress, and believes in Allah, has surely grasped a strong handle which knows no breaking. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. Allah is the Friend of those who believe: He brings them out of every kind of darkness into light. And those who disbelieve, their friends are the transgressors who bring them out of light into every kind of darkness. These are the inmates of the Fire; therein shall they abide” (Surah Al-Baqarah: Verses 257-258)

If indeed they are sure of their position of being the Muslims and Ahmadis being “outside the pale of Islam”, why not have trust in these verses?

The Holy Qur’an is such a wonderful and beautiful Book. After these above quoted verses, it gives us the narrative of a discussion between a powerful disbeliever and Prophet Ibrahim (as). The disbeliever was confounded and had nothing to say because of the powerful argument of Prophet Ibrahim (as) which was absolutely based on truth. If Ahmadis are “outside the pale of Islam”, why not GSIC also bring those powerful arguments based on truth to silence the Ahmadis instead of making efforts to suppress the propagation of their views.

The other point I wish to make is the insistence of the GSIC on always referring to a declaration by the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) that declares the Ahmadis outside the pale of Islam. When will they understand this simple truth that no individual or organization has the duty to define who belongs or not to Islam. If anyone had that right, it was the Holy Prophet Muhammad Khatamun Nabiyyeen (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He clearly stated that anyone who calls himself a Muslim must be counted among the Muslims. It is indeed a great shame that the GSIC prefer the words of a group of worldly people to the words of the best of creation Muhammad Rasoolullaah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Please, let them be truthful and whenever they make reference to this declaration, they should tell the readers the people behind the declaration. A prominent one among them was Idi Amin, former President of Uganda. Do they realise that they are implying that the verdict on Islamic affairs of people like Idi Amin is superior to the verdict of Muhammad Rasoolullaah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)? Let them tell the readers that in the OIC meeting in Pakistan in 1974, it was Idi Amin who in fact bloated the idea that Ahmadis should be declared outside the pale of Islam. So Idi Amin and people like him are their role models and mentors in Islam! They definitely need psychiatric review!! What an insult to Islam!! The words of these people are better than the words of our master Muhammad Rasoolullaah (saw)? It is indeed disheartening that such a view comes from a bunch of people who consider themselves the vanguards of Islam!

May Allah protect the Gambia from religious extremism. Aameen

The Fatu Network Wednesday morning had an exclusive interview at the State House in Banjul with the President of the republic of The Gambia, Mr Adama Barrow.This rare interview focused on issues ranging from the recent security threats in the country, his relationship with Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, to the sacking of Mai Ahmad Fatty, former Interior Minister among other issues.

President Barrow also spoke for the first time about the 52 pickup trucks given to National Assembly Members. He said the vehicles were donated by some philanthropists of Gambian and non Gambian origin who supported him during the last presidential campaign and during the political impasse, but declined to disclose their names.

“Nobody asked questions about the vehicles donated during the campaign to remove the former president and also the vehicles I was using during the impasse,” President Adama Barrow said.

“I asked them to help me with pickup trucks for the NAMs because they are politicians who cannot be asking for rides or joining ‘gele geles’ (local taxi) to attend sittings at the National Assembly,” he added.

Responding to those who criticize his silence on pressing national issues especially the recent attacks at his home village of Mankamang Kunda, Brikama and Busumbala including the security lapse at the Banjul International Airport, Barrow said the incidents are regrettable.

Adding that the president cannot be speaking on every issue like it used to be during the Jammeh administration, noting that things cannot be business as usual under the new democratic dispensation. He said matters like that should be handled by people delegated with those responsibilities.

“I do realize though that certain things that happened on the part of the security should not have happened,” he interjected.

“It is a mistake on the part of the security which they need to learn from to build their capacity,” he added.

President Barrow was asked whether the sacking of Mai Ahmad Fatty, former Minister of Interior was in line with the campaign promises to repeal executive directives used by the president to sack people without giving any reason.

“The constitution empowers the president to appoint and dismiss a minister,” President Barrow told The Fatu Network.

However, he went further to say that it is not a constitutional requirement for the president to give reason (s) to the appointment and/or dismissal of a minister.

“We are looking for people who are interested in nation building and our appointments are based on that principle,” he added.

The Gambian leader was questioned about his relationship with Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Leader of the United Democratic Party UDP.

“Our relationship is normal as before, nothing has changed,” he said

Barrow added that people are entitled to their opinion but his relationship with his former party leader is still the same, saying the two of them are focused on nation building.

When asked whether he has intention to form his own political party or return to former party UDP at the end of his term, the Gambian leader said he will discuss that issue when the time is right.

President Barrow denied reports that the Barrow Youth Movement is a replica of the ‘Green boys and girls’ under the former dictator Yahya Jammeh. He said they are a group of youths who are interested in youth development.

“They came to seek my support, I promised to empower them”. He said

When asked about his relationship with Honorable Halifa Sallah, one of the brains behind the coalition that ushered him into power, the president said they are not always in contact now like it used to be in the past.

“At times, people will see things from different perspectives, like it happens in our homes not everyone will agree on everything,” he asserted.

President Barrow commended Sallah’s dedication and service to the nation, saying it is his right to accept or reject cabinet positions. He also added that the press release issued against the former coalition spokesman’s comment on system change opened up a  healthy debate.

Talking about the possibilities of extraditing the former President Yahya Jammeh from Equatorial Guinea, the president said they are gathering evidence against him and once that is done, justice will take its course.

Here is a link to the interview conducted in Mandinka by The Fatu Network’s Lamin Sanyang:

Dear Editor,

This is an urgent message which I urge you to publish in the interest of national security.

The recent security lapse at the airport should not be taken lightly as the country’s stability is on a threshold. If you can recall, there are some weapons Jammeh or his henchmen stashed away just before he left for exile.

Some of those weapons are being used in recent sprees of armed robbery occurring around the country’s border towns like Farefenni and Basse.

With all the manpower on the ground (ECOMIG and the national security personnel), there remains a major shortcoming on the side of our intelligence.

Both SIS DG and Operations Director should be replaced henceforth. This department needs to undergo serious reforms for one reason only-: The situation compared to Jammeh era is different as then the NIA was used mainly as a political weapon.

In todays Gambia we may be free but our stability is still at risk given the nature of our transition last year from a military dictatorship.

At this point in time, intelligence must be a top priority to deter threats to national security and this requires a sophisticated intelligence branch not liable to get caught in amateurish situations like the recent Airport incident.

How can the SIS have such amateur agents on the ground who don’t bother to read flight manifests or are busy socializing with fugitives instead of detaining them amid a pending clearance from the Agency or the ministry of Interior.

People with high sense of security and foresight are needed in such strategic places not agents stationed there through nepotism.

I recall the days of the Special Branch were intelligence was never compromised. The likes of the late Kebba Ceesay and Daba Marenah and one Tijan Bah who is currently the DG of NDEA really understand the way intelligence work. It is people of that calibre that The Gambia needs at the moment not some clueless unit…

A concerned Gambian

Photo Credit: Standard Newspaper

A letter addressed to the director general of the Public Utilities Regulatory Body, (PURA) signed by the President of the Supreme Islamic Council, Imam Muhammad Lamin Touray has called on the body to not issue a TV license to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat.

The letter came following an advertisement on local newspapers on the subject of an application for TV license by the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. It highlighted that the TV could be used as a propaganda tool to adulterate the minds of the Ummah by a movement classified by the OIC as one that is outside of the pale of Islam.

Below we produce the full letter:

Letter: Essa Bokar Sey’s Facebook page

We have a poorly funded, poorly equipped, and poorly trained police force. We have an outfit called the NIA which is distrusted by the population due to their dispicable track record during the reign of the previous government. We have an army that is battered and demoralized because it could not rescue the Gambian people from a recalcitrant government [thus the presence of an ECOMIG Force]. We have a Police Intervention Unit that, like its sister forces, is poorly funded, poorly paid and thus poorly motivated. All these [working together or not] could not even be aware of the fact that two of the most feared generals of the previous government came back to this country.

All these make it extremely strange if, out of the blue, citizens begin to hear about a new security outfit called State Intelligence Unit (SIU). Since this government took office, no one has heard of a bill in the National Assembly establishing a security unit called State Intelligence Unit. Is it a constitutional unit? If it were, certainly it should be done through the National Assembly. How can we have a security unit without it being passed through the house of representatives? It is reported that this outfit is formed from the presidency. Since when does a president have the powers to form such units arbitrarily?

The National Assembly should definitely demand an explanation for this pseudo security unit. If found to be inconsistent with the constitution [which most likely it will] it should be disbanded forthwith. This seems to  to be another example of the epic blunders your government is becoming synonymous with. Why create yet another security unit when the ones here are in the woefully inadequate state they are in? This is unacceptable and we demand an explanation immediately.

As I have said repeatedly before, the Gambia Police Force is poorly paid, poorly equipped, poorly trained and poorly motivated. Just look at the incident in Busumbala where they were expected to quell a huge chaos in their pickup trucks with no teargas, no protective gear and no armoured cars. Going to such a place in such circumstances would have been suicidal.

The people of the country have had enough of the constitutional violations. We have seen governments operate outside the law on so many occasions that we have had enough of it. It was for this very reason that we came together and expended efforts, blood, tears and sweat to ensure that we change our government and put you in office. We will not allow you or any other person to take us that road again. It is indeed disappointing for Gambians to witness the setting up of a unit outside the law, for that is what this looks like at the moment.

Instead of setting up of the State Intelligence Unit [I wonder whether it should be called State …], why can’t you fund the Police Force, give training to the Police Intervention Unit, revamp the NIA, restructure the Army and secure our borders. The security of the country is fragile at present but the solution is not in creating more units; rather, it is in strengthening the ones we have.

Have a Good Day Mr President…

Tha Scribbler Bah

A Concerned Citizen

Pa Ndure, commissioner of immigration at the Banjul International Airport, his assistant, ASP Omar Fofana, Chief Superintendent Buba Jersey, head of Police and Amadou Kinteh head of the State Intelligence Services (SIS) formerly of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) have all been suspended amid investigations into Sunday’s security snafu at the airport.

One Lamin Jatta, a security officer with the Civil Aviation Authority is also said to be suspended. Like SIS’ Kinteh, Lamin was also seen on CCTV footage shaking hands with both Generals Mendy and Tamba at the airport hall upon arrival.

Meanwhile, sources say both generals Mendy and Tamba  were picked up at the airport by an unidentified man dressed in black. They are said to have traveled with new passports

Both generals spent almost eight hours with family and friends before their arrest by military police.

Information reaching The Fatu Network has confirmed that President Adama Barrow has asked to see CCTV footage on the airport security lapse that occurred early Sunday morning.

The footage was viewed Monday by investigators at the Banjul International Airport as they try to make sense of what really happened when two Jammeh aides made their way to the country via the airport without hinderance.

President Barrow is said to have met with security chiefs on Monday in his quest to find answers to the security lapse. Sources say the President is very concern over the situation and made it clear that it is unacceptable.

Meanwhile, a security expert told this medium that President Barrow will need a security analyst to go through the video with him.

Senior civil servants from permanent secretaries, deputy permanent secretaries and directors among others have all renewed their pledge to the new administration at a meeting presided over by President Adama Barrow at State House in Banjul.

President Barrow in his statement told the country’s top officials that the meeting is a unique opportunity to discuss issues of concern, outline the expectations and chart the way forward for the development of our country.

“The timing of my very first engagement with you, the senior functionaries of the public service today is not by any means impulsive,” President Barrow said.

The Gambian leader said the meeting is part of planned activities marking the first anniversary of his administration, saying the theme for this milestone is reflection and soul-searching for inclusive national development.

After one year of engagements, observations and assessment of the public service from my vantage point at the presidency, it is reasonable for one to acquire some insight and be able to share some vision on the transformative agenda, he added.

President Barrow said the realization of national development goals and objectives as enshrined in the National Development Plan depends largely on the critical role played at both technical and management levels.

“It is an open secret that the public service itself became the first victim of the brutality of the past regime,” President Barrow asserted.

He posited that the civil service has been politicized, abused and rendered irrelevant as most operational and strategic decisions were surrendered to the Office of the President for one man to make them all.

The Gambian leader said there were many transformative agendas when people went to the polls to remove the former president from power, saying the expectations were and are still very high that they cannot afford to fail.

He calls for commitment, hard work and sincerity by all especially heads of departments and institutions. He expressed his lack of interest to interfere, saying there is a huge political will to pursue the path of reform and restoration of best practices.

“My first administrative orders as President were all aimed at revamping and sanitizing the public service,” he asserted.

President Barrow spoke about the setting up of a panel to orderly reinstate the officials who were wrongfully dismissed by the previous Government. He said they have decongested the Office of the President by re-assigning institutions and line departments to the purview of the ministries where they rightfully belong. He spoke about the validation of National Development Plan 2018 – 2021 to be fully implemented.

“Change need to happen and it need to happen now,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Barrow called for steadfastness and promised to start a quarterly review in April. He called on them to work in the spirit of unity.

What is this? Which law created this outfit. Where is its Act? Since January 2017 we have not seen or heard of any bill placed before the National Assembly entitled ‘a bill for the creation of the State Intelligence Unit’!

On 1st December 2016 about 60% of Gambian electorates decided to vote out the Yaya Jammeh Dictatorship. Out of this 60%, Barrow got 43% and Mama Kandeh got 17%. Hence this democracy that we have is the creation of Gambian citizens. Barrow has now served for one year. How well or not did he serve the Gambia? In other words has he met the expectation that as a new president he has expanded democracy and entrenched good governance within the wider framework of system change? How has this happened or has it not happened?

After one year, Barrow has sought well to connect with the rest of the world by embarking on massive foreign travels to states and organizations to re-establish Gambian’s erstwhile enviable position. However the uncontrolled and exorbitant cost of foreign travels remains a major challenge; not just for the per-diems but also because of absence of ministers and their officials from their desks to attend to urgent national issues at home.

After one year, I see minimal effort in expanding democracy. For example, Barrow promised in his campaign that within six months of coming to power he would repeal all laws that infringe on democracy, human rights and limit people’s participation in the political process. Not only has Barrow failed to do that, but also the Supreme Court made it even worse by declaring the obnoxious Public Order Act as constitutional contrary to regional and international human rights norms and principles of democracy!

However Barrow has so far demonstrated decorum, humility and civility at the personal level to make the presidency an embodiment of respect contrary to the outrageous arrogance and stupidity characteristic of the Yaya Jammeh presidency. There have been some instances where the government accepted its errors and corrected itself such as in the first constitutional amendment on the age of the vice president and judges when it was noted that the process was unconstitutional. This means Barrow indeed listens to and accepts public opinion.

But it is concerning that Barrow has maintained or appointed the same Yaya Jammeh enablers in strategic and critical positions in our public and security institutions. Some of those people were not just enablers but were also accomplices in economic crimes against the Gambia as being exposed by the Janneh Commission. A lot of these institutions such as the NIA, Prisons and the Police including the PIU remain intact with more or less the same leadership and personnel.

One wonders why Barrow still keeps these people to run his government as if he did not realize that we voted for him to effect system change in our society. How can we have system change when abettors and aiders of tyranny still maintain their positions, power and influence in the state? For example I still cannot fathom how on earth could Barrow ignore the petition of the Legal Adviser of the NIA Mr. Badji who raised some serious issues of corruption, evidence tampering and lack of system change within the county’s topmost spy agency.

Barrow did well to set up the Janneh Commission and also create laws for the establishment of a truth commission, a human rights commission and a constitutional review commission. This is a step in the right direction even though these commissions could have come much earlier to better demonstrate the sense of urgency and seriousness of this government to fully democratize the Gambia.

After one year, my greatest concern is the emergence of political patronage, the use of executive directives and the general slow pace of system change by Barrow. For example the refusal of Barrow to disclose or declare the donation of houses by a Senegalese businessman and the subsequent donation of 57 vehicles by an unidentified person or entity are a direct threat to our democracy and good governance and a violation of the constitution.

Also the incidence of appointments into the public service on the basis of party affiliation, family or tribe and other sectarian considerations are a major cause for concern. Then you have the unexplained dismissal of former Minister Mai Ahmad Fatty and the arbitrary redeployment of Nani Juwara of NAWEC as well as the growing influence of so-called Ambassadors at-large and ‘Advisors’ at State House are indeed concerning. These are the acts of poor leadership perpetrated by Yaya Jammeh hence it is indeed frightening to see similar practices under Barrow.

Furthermore the creation of the Barrow Youth Movement is an undemocratic practice that is only perpetrated by dictators. In a democratic society, there are no such movements or organizations named after sitting presidents. And in the case of the Gambia it is even more concerning given the way and manner such practices have damaged our politics since independence.

After one year, Barrow has not done much to exert his full presence on the Gambian society as is expected of a president. The periodic press conferences by the Ministry of Information and the Director of Press are indeed good practices in the right direction. However it was important that Barrow had given more time to visit Gambian communities, give more press conferences and deliver more public statements more frequently in order to further stabilize and energize the country.

Given the polarized nature of our society due to the dictatorship and the dire social and economic conditions, the role of a president to provide assurances, direction and unify the people cannot be over-emphasized. The mere presence and visibility of Barrow would have also served to generate a greater sense of security as well as dilute the strength of negative forces seeking to sow seeds of tribalism, nepotism and other forms of sectarianism and division in our society.

One of the most severe damages Gambians suffered under Jammeh was the denial of social and economic rights by seizing people’s lands and other properties and closure of businesses. While many individuals and communities have recovered their lands and other properties, yet after one year Barrow has not dealt adequately with the Bakoteh dumpsite and especially with the Golden Lead factory in Gunjur that is now dumping more toxic waste in other communities further away.

Similarly the plight of the victims of APRC Tyranny continues to worsen daily without any tangible solution. From April 2000 to April 2016 and many more victims, there are lot of Gambians in physical and mental pain yet there is still no definite government program to provide urgent medical services to them. The demise of Solo Koroma, Lang Marong, Ebrima Ceesay and just now Femi Peters point to the urgency of the issue. In fact Barrow could only meet victims for the first time in December 2017 in the wake of the visit by the German President. Why?

Barrow must however be credited for fulfilling his negative obligation of not directly and blatantly interfering with civil liberties. Over the period Gambians have been able to express themselves as much as they could on various platforms without fear of reprisals. Not only does he maintain the supremacy of the constitution, but Barrow has also spoken in very clear terms of his commitment to human rights. The incidence of arbitrary and rampant dismissals of public officers or arrest and detention of citizens has been almost absent hence contributing to ensuring the stability of the government and country. This is indeed in the right direction in order to nurture democratic culture and constitutionality.

In light of the foregoing, Barrow’s one year did make significant contributions yet also leaves much to be desired. The pace and manner with which we envisage himself and his government to perform and conduct themselves could have been far better. While it is commendable that there is a more reasonable budget yet the 2018 budget contains some allocations that are unjustifiable and exorbitant such as Office of the President and Donations while others are provided pittance.

Fundamentally, system change has been largely minimal and his impact on the social and economic conditions of the population is low. Delivery of public services remains more or less at the same appalling state while public sector efficiency appears to have either remained at the same level as at December 2016 or even gone down. There have not been more deliberate and urgent steps to entrench efficiency, transparency and accountability of public institutions and officers.

Barrow must realize that the Gambia continues to be peaceful today and democracy is flourishing mainly because Gambians made it so. His job therefore is to expand that democracy by conducting himself along the principles of good governance and human rights and generating national unity. Barrow must realize that the verdict on December 1 was not primarily because of him, rather it was first and foremost a vote against Jammeh and Dictatorship and in favour of democracy and good governance.

Hence Barrow must realize that in order to vindicate that verdict and uphold the expectations of the people and make his legacy invaluable and historic he must be seen to demonstrate a better leadership. This means he must stand firm on the side of expanding and protecting the civil, political, economic and social rights of Gambians. He must ensure that bad laws are removed and good laws are created and enforced. He must ensure that the public service is transparent, accountable and efficient by appointing competent and clean professionals into strategic positions. A lot of these have not happened over the past year. We hope his second year will witness a change in style, leadership and performance.

For the Gambia, Our Homeland!