By Madi Jobarteh

Not long ago Pres. Barrow outraged the nation when he said he prefers death to losing the elections. Before that it was Minister Hamat Bah who described political opponents as rats. Then we heard the Defense Minister Sheikh Omar Faye insult the whole nation with his despicable ‘suck it up’ comment. The list continues…

Today Hon. Alagie S Darboe also has the audacity to release very inappropriate words on his campaign trail by saying that when UDP wins, it will be enjoyment time! According to the Fatu Network, he said this in Salikeni.

“This is the time to come [to join UDP]. Those struggling now for change will be the ones who would enjoy when enjoyment time comes. You do me, I do you is what is going to happen.

“You can sit there saying you will only come [join UDP] when enjoyment times comes. If you do not come now and you want to come during enjoyment time, we will close the door,” Mr Darboe said.

What enjoyment time? To enjoy what? Hon. Darboe needs to clarify this scary statement about I do you and you do me. That’s quid pro quo – the formula for corruption, nepotism, favoritism and maslaha.

Politics is not about enjoyment. ‘Quid pro quo’ should not find its way into our political parties and Government. Politicians and political parties should not speak about assuming state power in terms of enjoyment. When political parties win elections and assume office, they are expected to work very hard to salvage the country and change lives and improve livelihoods.

A ruling party has no business ‘enjoying’ other than working. Hence the comments by Hon. Darboe are indeed concerning. Let Hon. Darboe and UDP canvass for votes in any lawful way they could but they should not be spreading messages that give the impression that they will be sharing the national cake among those who support the party.

The national cake belongs to all Gambians regardless of party affiliation. No citizen is expected to support a party on the basis of enjoyment after winning the election. A party that wins presidential elections becomes the ruling Government and exerts control over public resources and public institutions. But public resources and institutions are not booty to be shared among some people on the basis of political support.

Hon. Alagie S Darboe, as the UDP Administrative Secretary should create appropriate language and messages to use in their campaign. Such messages as the one he used in Salikeni is inappropriate as it points to corruption and exclusion.

I call him to retract these unfortunate comments and henceforth commit himself and his party to using appropriate language. No amount of fanfare and exuberance can justify such comments.

Our political parties must set and uphold the highest values and standards of we are going to salvage this country of ours!

Fact-check and cross check politicians.

For The Gambia Our Homeland

By: Ousainou Mbenga

Those of us who had rural or semi-rural upbringing will recall the days of “Tulun Bayoo” – chasing fun from village to village after the popular local “Asiko” bands. I aptly liken the presidential elections campaigns to this once upon a time activity of the rural communi-ties in the Gambia, because of how the promise-blinded masses flock to these mean-ingless and dusty rallies since “flag independence” while the living conditions have de-scended into gutter level. Oddly enough, these same drummers and dancers that we chased after sometimes become the accompanying attractions for these unscrupulous politicians.

Does this futile exercise of voting and electioneering contain the real solutions to ourwretched living conditions? Elections are usually “a nonviolent contest between the rul-ing classes” but frequently takes a reactionary violent turn in Africa and other oppressed countries. It is during elections that the most toxic tribal and ethnic backwardness erupts among the downtrodden masses in defense of their most unreliable candidates who ha- bitually betray their aspirations for a decent living. It is these same candidates that shake hands when they meet each other but their supporters go at each other’s throats.

The sticking point questions are yet to be answered. Are these politicians worthy of the ultimate sacrifice of you losing your life? Who represents the real problem; the voters or the slimy politicians? This political rot clearly revolves around the willful ignorance of the voters and the despicable behavior of politicians whose livelihood means our misery.

There are no inspiring examples among these politicians that deserve the sacrifice of your lives. Equally undeserving of your sacrifice is the “impotent elite” who work hand-in-glove with the slimy politicians in the senseless land grabbing and sales to the Chi-nese, Indians and increasingly to Turkish. These colonialists in black faces will always betray you, therefore, cast your vote without being violent against the masses of our downtrodden Gambia. Always remember that there is life after the campaign, the same miserable life they have promised to change 56 years ago.

THE WAY YOU LIVE DETERMINES HOW YOU THINK

Until we change our living conditions of dilapidation, surrounded by trash and garbage, impassable roads, worst during the rainy seasons, we will forever think backwards.

True to fact; if you live in squalor and disease yet consider it as normal and or predes-tined, the way you think will only bear the fruits of rot and despair. The wretched social conditions that we have been relegated to must be vigorously overturned in order to break with old ideas and ancient ethnic affiliations that continue to elude us from na-tional and continental unity.

It’s been said that the citizens of a country behave and think exactly like the “leadership” of that country. Is it any wonder how African presidents, their designed National Assem-blies (cabinet) and the corruptible “civil service” repeatedly win elections to stay in power? These presidents, ministers and other elected officials didn’t drop from the skies, they rise from the citizens who think like them. These are the citizens that guaran-tee them their votes. This is truer in the Gambia like it is in all African countries. It is this same impotent elite, the “cart before the horse leadership” that build beautiful houses and buy expensive cars but driven on horrible and impassable roads. It is this same leadership that is surrounded by trash and unsightly garbage without any plan, with no relief in sight. This is the uninspiring “elite” that you have sacrificed your lives for 56 years, with nothing to show for but continuous suffering. The vast majority of our people have surrendered their brains to blind religiosity, slimy politicians and “tribe”. Therefore, some of our people would rather remain in poverty, misery and abject suffering as long as their “tribesman” remain in power as president, National Assembly Member (NAM) or a conman politician.

The worst lesson, we Africans learn from the “white man” (Europeans) was how to be and remain “tribalist”. Let us recall that the inhabitants of what we now know as Europe (white people) were the most tribalist in human history. The constant early wars among the English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Scandinavia and East European countries were the dress rehearsals to the First and second imperialist wars, commonly referred to as “world wars I & II”. The world was never at war, the tribalist European war mongers dragged the entire world into those two wars of rape, plunder and pillage. Subsequently, dividing the conquered loot amongst themselves. And finally, these tribalist Europeans weaned themselves from their ancient sentiments of tribe and ganged up against Africa and the rest us. Just as the European tribalist weaned themselves from ancient tribal af-filiations, so will we Africans. The African revolution will be a significant contributor in averting another European imperialist war to redivide, maintain and control the re-sources of Africa and the rest of us.

Just as we learn these backward tendencies from the waring tribes of Europe so can we unlearn them and UNITE Africa and African people the world over. Only a principled Af-rican unity can save us from the “beggardom” that colonialism and neocolonialism has made us into.

REVOLUTIONARY POLITICS IS THE SOLUTION!

After 56 years, the Gambia, like all other African countries have degenerated into squalor and misery across every aspect of our lives. Electrical power outages since 1977 is the order of the day. Water shuts with rationing adds insults to our deeply in-jured souls.

An incubator for disease and ultimately premature deaths, are foolishly ascribed to GOD. The COVID 19 rampage and the scandalous theft of funds to mitigate the chronic existing problems of the ruinous “health care system” is evidence that the Barrow re-gime is bent on the same path of personal enrichment and drown the country into “debt peonage”. The reckless increases of commodity prices with total disregard for the obvi-ous suffering of the vast majority of the downtrodden masses beg the question: to what end with the Barrow regime? How much longer will we accept this ineptitude and stagnation as normal to attain “development”?

With revolutionary politics, we ask the question: development for whom and for what?

We want development to change our living conditions for food, clothing and shelter not the whims of our illusive “partners in development”. A Nigerian taxi driver summed it best: “Nigerians think the brain is a spare Part”. I dare generalize that it’s not only Nigerians but most Africans “think the brain is a spare part”. We only have one brain and it’s meant to be used to our benefit from the cradle through our life span.

It’s quite an embarrassment and shameful for the Gambia government to be satisfied with mediocrity. Unappreciative of quality (“Bonn chi sa bopa”) is so pervasive in the “government” past and present that it numbs the desire for innovations. Take for exam-ple the national (state) television, Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS). Since its inception, the dull and poor reception quality of the television remains baffling. Even the “come lately” online television networks of The Fatou Network and Kerr Fatou pre-sent quality receptions let alone comparing GRTS to QTV. Equally disheartening is the poor performance of the national wireless and telecommunication services of GAMCEL in comparison to Africell, which openly brags about being the “Fastest and most reliable 4G internet service in the Gambia”. Those who consider the “brain as a spare part” will take this to be insignificant in the scheme of issues of national interest. Things of this matter are very important in the national psychology, it motivates and challenges our brains for innovations, creations and constant advancements.

The December 2021 presidential elections / selection will be yet another turning point in the political history of the Gambia. The 2016 elections had all eyes on Gambia, notwith- standing the disingenuous unity among the “opposition parties” to kick Jammeh off the cliff. If the subsequent betrayal by the traitorous “coalition 2016” haven’t jolted the masses from its political slumber of trusting slimy politicians, I can’t imagine what else will. A coalition of such disrepute represented by the Barrow regime (National People’s Party) NPP, minus the renegade United Democratic Party (UDP) is the dagger plunged into our hearts. After this nightmarish experience of “from the frying pan (Jammeh) to the fire” (Barrow), who would jump into another “coalition” with potential traitors to the principles of a united Gambia?

# WILL GAMBIA DECIDE AGAIN IN 2021?

Any “decision” influenced by the “colonialists in black faces” against the vast majority of the Gambian masses will prolong our “suffering peacefully”. Let’s face the cruel politi-cal and economic realities (neocolonialism) that stare us in the face every day, from our homes into the streets. Hunger, horrible infrastructure, suffocating traffic with grossly in-discipline drivers, unemployment, under employment, chronic – acute diseases, penny-ante hawkers, mainly women, in your face corruption without remorse and a long list of other ills in our beloved Gambia. And you believe for a moment that this “impotent elite you call leadership will make a decision that would interrupt the privileges they enjoy at our miserable expense? It has become a common outrage from the African masses that the post-independence leadership is worse than the colonialists. Our misery is their privilege. And the more matters become chaotic the more they can wield and defend their authority to allow easy access of the out flux of resources and an influx of AID and crip-pling charity from our venerable partners in “development”.

Let the presidential election circus take its illogical conclusion but we must be ready to chart the revolutionary path to guide the masses into the proud future Gambian front of the African revolution, the only guarantee to our collective happiness.

JUBANTI GAMBIA: THE REVOLUTIONARY ALTERNATIVE!

By Madi Jobarteh

At the end of the day, the issue is about 12 million dalasi handled in a manner that is not ethical and lawful. It is about how the sweat and names of hardworking ordinary workers were used to obtain illegitimate wealth. Thus, regardless of what the law says, it comes down to who is doing what they are aiding or inhibiting the process of getting back these 12 million dalasi and punishing whoever is responsible.

In a normal country, citizens would have stormed KMC to demand accountability. They would have confronted the Mayor for how such gross misconduct could happen under his watch! In fact, in a normal country the CEO would have been arrested first, even if she would be released on bail so that investigations kick off to set the stage for prosecution. One cannot be responsible for the misappropriation of 12 million dalasi or 240,000 US dollars of public funds yet you are freely relaxing at home.

But in the Gambia, not only is the CEO allowed to go home with 12 million dalasi hanging over her head, but a State Minister would have the audacity to deploy armed police to escort back that CEO into the same office against the decision of the elected governors of that institution. Can there be a greater insult against the residents of KMC and all Gambians!

But this is all happening because this country has never been serious with itself. One needs to look at how we conducted ourselves since 2017 to realise that we are not ready for prime time, as my dear brother Salieu Taal would say! A State and society that condone, defend, protect and celebrate corruption and the corrupt is not a serious society.

The fingers on one’s hands are not enough to count all the many instances of corruption that have been uncovered in this country since 2017. Where is the audit report of 7 SOEs which exposed massive corruption in public enterprises? If you look at each and every contract of this Government, the prominent feature about them is bribery and corruption – Banjul road project, Semlex, EU fishing contract, the fishing agreement with Senegal not to mention the many stories of corruption reported in the media that the Government could never refute.

For example, Gainako reported the dubious police contract about number plates, while Malagen had reported multiple stories covering the mismanagement of COVID funds, as well as bribery cases in the fisheries and extractive industries sectors. Furthermore, Gambia Participates exposed the plunder of COVID millions which are still unaccounted for. In fact, the Minister of Health had stood on the floor of the National Assembly to expose corruption in his Ministry. Yet until today, Pres. Barrow, nor any other public institution has caused the arrest and prosecution of anyone for corruption in a country which has been rated as a highly corrupt society.

No one needs to do any investigation to establish the fact that corruption is the cause of the poverty and underdevelopment of this country. One only needs to look at the national budget which continues to rise in billions annually, yet poverty, deprivation and high cost of living also continues to rise. As the national budget increases year after year, we also see how the Government demands more funds through supplementary appropriation bills year after year. Furthermore, despite the high rate of taxes and loans that are imposed on citizens, basic social services are erratic, poor, expensive and not available to the majority of citizens. Therefore, where does the taxes and loans go to, including the huge amount of grants this country receives all the time?

Look at the terrible roads in every village, town and city in this country. Look at the public health facilities from ESFTH to Fatoto health centre, where basic tools like gloves are in short supply. Look at public schools and the general poor state of all public facilities and how dilapidated and wretched they are. Yet taxes, like loans and grants, are always so high. Where is the money? Still, ask yourself if the cost of living is reducing or getting unbearable daily?

Meantime, we continue to realise high expenditure on incentives such as cars, travels, per diems, presidential tours and general fanfare as hundreds of people are transported to State House for meaningless meetings that only consume more public resources. So, while we can sit here debating about who has which power in the law to suspend the CEO or not, don’t forget that 12 million dalasi is messed up!

Corruption is the cancer killing this country and we have a Government that is not only corrupt to the core, but it is not interested nor committed to combating corruption. There is absolutely no political will to fight corruption. This is why this Government is consistently ready to block individuals and frustrate any effort to fight corruption. If it is not protecting individuals who are corrupt, rest assured it is preventing those fighting to stamp out corruption.

This is what Minister Musa Drammeh is doing at KMC. He is frustrating the KMC from combating corruption while protecting those accused of corruption. It is like how Adama Barrow removed Muhammad Manjang from SSHFC just to allow corruption to flourish. It is how they have now forgotten the case of Fisheries PS Bamba Banja just as how they have manipulated investigations about gun importations and the fertilizer scandals just to cover up corruption.

Citizens must rise up in a massive series of protests from Banjul to Basse otherwise this country is being led to its grave by its political leaders in the Executive and the Legislature.

For The Gambia Our Homeland

By DA Jawo

Most Gambians had assumed that with the bad image that the police had acquired during the Jammeh regime and all the noise about Security Sector Reform, the police hierarchy would never again allow themselves to be used by those in authority for political expediency.

However, what we had seen at KMC this morning was a big disappointment to anyone who believed in the new national mantra; Never Again. It is indeed disappointing that IGP Abdoulie Sanyang would even contemplate let alone get the police involved in a matter that has absolutely nothing to do with them.

Now that the Local Govt minister has denied ever asking the police to be deployed at the KMC premises, the onus is now on IGP Sanyang to exonerate himself from blame for the incident.

By Musa VAL Banja

On Wednesday 04 August 2021, the two presidential candidates for the December 2021 election in The Gambia held a debate on live television. Hon. Halifa Sallah is the presidential candidate for the People’s Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) while Dr. Ismaila Ceesay is the presidential candidate for the Citizens’ Alliance Party. At the center of the debate was the breach of the agreement by the current president of the Gambia Adama Barrow to step down after three years. The journey to the debate began with an internet commentary by Dr. Ceesay on the collective failure of the coalition of parties (C2016) that won the 2016 election. Dr. Ceesay blamed the C2016 for doing nothing different and letting the Gambinas down after 22 years of dictatorship of Yahya Jammeh. Kexx Sanneh, a militant of the PDOIS quickly responded claiming that the failures of Adama Barrow were individual and they had nothing to do with the coalition. In response to the rebuttal, Dr. Ceesay invited Mr. Sanneh for an open debate. Ceesay later changed his mind and invited Hin. Halifa Sallah the presidential candidate and chief architect of the C2016 instead. This paper is a critique of the performance of the two presidential candidates during the debate on Wednesday.

Dr. Ceesay came out as a speaker of facts. He did not just accuse the coalition of Adama Barrow of failure but he demonstrated his claim. He pointed out that the promise of the coalition and the president was new electoral and general reforms, constitutional reforms, the fight against corruption and freedom of the media (Gambian Talents TV 2021, Min. 138). The coalition had also promised that The Gambia would ensure that all the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Universal Bill of Rights would be availed to the Gambians. As a matter of fact, the December 2021 election will take place under the old electoral laws (Waan, 2021). The failure to introduce new changes has created the fears that Adama Barrrow intends to rig the elections as there are no checks and balances against the commission. In addition, it is true that there is no new constitution as the country goes into an election and five years after the deposition of Jammeh. Furthermore, the freedoms of the media and general human rights are still a matter of debate. Dr. Ceesay was therefore right in his assertion that the coalition had failed in collectivity.

Dr. Ceesay’s opening presentation was nothing but a narration and expansion of his displeasure with the C2016 to meet its pledges. He revisited the infamous memorandum of understanding among the coalition members that the coalition presidential candidate would resign from his party to vie in the name of the coalition (Gambian Talents TV 2021, Min. 74). The candidate would then rule for only three years before stepping down to allow for a free, fair and democratic election in which he would not participate. President Adama Barrow refused to step down in 2019 and he has declared that he will be running for the presidency in December 2021 under the National People’s Party (NPP). He also pointed out that the agreement of the coalition had not included any measures to force the candidate to step down after three years. Furthermore, he blamed the coalition of parties for failing to follow up the mater with the courts since the agreement had been signed and it was binding. Granted, all he said was factual. On the other hand, he did not introduce anything new to his complaint. His narration captured the state of affairs as is public knowledge. Subsequent opportunities also only revolved on the complaints against the coalition. The candidate did not address the myriad issues that face the endemic corruption, poor healthcare, lack of access to education and lack of clean drinking water, issues that are still a big problem in the Gambia (Toupane, Faye & Kane 2019). Dr. Ceesay therefore lost the opportunity to introduce a new and more meaningful debate as most Gambians have come to terms with Barrow’s refusal to step down.

On his part, Hon. Halifa Sallah also presented a respectful disposition throughout the debate. Despite qualifying to be Dr. Ceesay’s father, he did not use the age difference to demean his opponent. Instead, he always addressed him as Hon. Ceesay or Dr. Ceesay. The cordial and respectful tone in the discussion was commendable. It did not escape notice however that sometimes he adopted a patronizing tone even if it was only hardly noticeable (Gambian Talents TV 2021, Min. 81). He would raise his voice to put his point across, in a manner to suggest that what he was saying was obvious and that it should not invite debate. Such was the case especially in his first address.

On the other hand, Hon. Halifa Sallah’ spresentation focused on the history of the electoral process and in particular the last election in The Gambia. His first and subsequent presentations were historical, giving the context of the formation of the coalition. He narrated the rational of the coalition, the selection of Adama Barrow and the victory of the opposition coalition. Granted, the narratives were true. Hon. Salah however failed to address the accusations of Dr. Ceesay regarding the failure of the coalition in achieving the pledges it made to the people of the Gambia. Sallah kept emphasizing on the victory of the coalition and refused to discuss anything past the coalition. According to him, the failures of the current government are individual barrow failures that should not be blamed on the coalition (Gambian Talents TV 2021, Min 155). It is surprising therefore when he wants to share in the few successes of the coalition. The Hon. Salah needed to accept the principle of collective responsibility or to reject it completely. In his arguments, he only admitted it when it suited his arguments and rejected it whenever it was to his disadvantage. Hon. Sallah therefore failed to demonstrate leadership by admitting failures and successes.

In conclusion, the debate was a sharp departure from the traditional debates in Africa where the participants go personal instead of focusing on the issues at hand. Both candidates were very cordial to each other and listened to one another. On the other hand, both failed to articulate the many social issues that plague The Gambia. Their only focus was on the failure of the current president to respect the coalition agreement and the collectivity of the breach. Nevertheless, it was a first kind of debate in the Gambia and one can understand that they were unprepared and they did not understand the opportunity that the debate provided for them and for the people of the Gambia. It is hoped that the next debate will tackle many more issues that need address before the December 2021 election.

By Madi Jobarteh

The deployment of armed police to the KMC to forcefully install the CEO who has been put under suspension by the General Council for alleged corruption is a clear indication of abuse of power and dictatorship by the Executive. The Executive cannot dictate to the local governments how they should govern themselves especially when an area council is acting within its lawful powers.

All residents of KM, all citizens of the Gambia, CSOs, political parties and businesses should condemn this act of dictatorship by the Executive without delay. The National Assembly should summon the Minister of Lands and Regional Governments to tell him that he is overstepping his bounds.

The Executive should be told to uphold democracy and good governance principles by resorting to the Courts to address differences. But by sending the armed police to impose their will means the Executive has taken the law into its own hands in total disregard of the due process. This tantamount to dictatorship, abuse of power and interfering with local governments.

The KMC General Council has taken a decision which they think is lawful according to the Local Government Act. If the Executive thinks their action is unlawful according to the same law, the only place for the Executive to establish who is right or wrong is the Courts. But the Executive cannot determine on its own that it is right as if they are the Courts.

Hence a Government that is committed to democracy and good governance would have gone to the Courts first to get a declaration and an order in its favour to have the CEO installed, if it thinks it is right. If the Courts decide otherwise, then the Executive must also respect that decision as well.

The Gambia is not supposed to be a dictatorship. The Gambia is not a monarchy. Pes. Adama Barrow is not a king or emperor of the Gambia. Minister Musa Drammeh is not a sultan, duke or baron of the Gambia such that he thinks he has the powers to impose his will on public institutions such as KMC as if such institutions are his fiefdom or personal property. That Yaya Jammeh kind of thinking must be condemned, smashed and buried for good.

This action by the Executive is unconstitutional, illegal and contravenes every aim and objective of the national decentralisation agenda and the overall good governance of the Gambia.

I urge KMC to immediately take the Executive to Court to seek a declaration that the deployment of PIU into KMC is illegal and should be removed. I urge the National Assembly to convene an extra-ordinary session to discuss this matter and to pass a motion of censure on Minister Musa Drammeh to sack him from office for violation of the Constitution, abuse of office and gross misconduct. Musa Drammeh must be told that he does not own the Gambia.

For The Gambia Our Homeland

By Basidia M Drammeh

Veteran politician Halifa Sallah and political pundit Dr. Ismaila Ceesay must be commended for mustering courage and audacity to square off in a first-debate of its kind in Gambia’s history. The debate adds nuance to Gambia’s democratic dispensation and sets the tone for the 2021 presidential elections. Gambia’s politics has long been characterized by drum-beating, fanfare, empty promises and character assassination rather than focus on issues and policies to address socio-economic challenges in a country beset by abject poverty and bedevilled by endemic corruption and bureaucratic ineptitude for more than half a century since the country attained (in)dependence.

Since the debate was announced following Dr. Ceesay’s brazen challenge of members of the Coalition, there had been feverish anticipation for the debate involving two political luminaries. Dr. Ceesay accused all members of the Coalition of failing Gambians who reposed their trust in them to deliver the new Gambia after the uprooting of the former dictatorial regime of President Jammeh. Honourable Sallah, widely seen as the mastermind of the 2016 Coalition, wasted no time in accepting the challenge.

The two gentlemen have not only deliberated over the 2016 coalition, which was the genesis of the debate but they were also engaged in heated exchanges over policy and the way forward to pull the Gambia out of its economic woes and stagnation.

To me, both gentlemen have won by beating mediocre politics and raising the bar for other politicians in the country.

Veteran journalist Harona Drammeh deserves commendation for professionally moderating the program and raising all the relevant issues and pertinent questions. It goes without appreciating Kexx Sanneh for facilitating the debate.

I hope this momentum is maintained by extending invitations to all presidential aspirants to participate in presidential debates to highlight their policies and programs.

Politics of personal attacks, insults and character assassination must stop. Drum-beating politics should come to an end and make room for debating issues affecting the lives and the livelihoods of the masses.

By Madi Jobarteh

I have no congratulatory message for either Halifa Sallah or Ismaila Ceesay. Just to take part in a political debate does not deserve any commendation in a democratic republic. Rather they fulfilled their duty as politicians to speak to issues that concern our society. They have an obligation to tell me, as a citizen their political agenda in order to obtain my vote.

The fact that they took part in the debate serves their interest, first and foremost. For those politicians that may fail to debate can only harm their own political interests since I will not vote for a politician who fails to sell his or her agenda to me.

A political debate is significant but it is only one of many democratic avenues that politicians have to canvass for votes. We hope there will be more political debates which are usually organized by media, academia and civil society entities. Politicians who know better and have something to offer do participate to achieve their objectives. So there’s no need for congratulations.

In this debate, the topic was unfortunately sidestepped for which Halifa Sallah, Ismaila Ceesay, Harona Drammeh and the journalists present must be blamed. The whole purpose of the debate was to address the claim that Coalition 2016 was a failure by its leaders. Hence I expected to hear from Halifa how this was not the case and to hear from Ismaila how this failure was the case.

Unfortunately, Halifa did not respond to that issue but picks the story from the long distant GOFER issue in 2015 and electoral reforms. He went further to pontificate about the strategy and bravery of Coalition 2016 to the removal of the Tinpot Dictator. He made a clearcut distinction between the winning of the election and the reforms that were to be made as per the Coalition MoU and Manifesto. He either avoided or downplayed that aspect which is in fact the very subject of the debate.

The truth of the matter is that Coalition 2016 was about system change. Regime change was the first step which was to give birth to system change. Read the MoU and Manifesto of the Coalition and Candidate Barrow to see how clear and smart deliverables were listed to bring about system change. But as soon as they assumed power in which Coalition parties and politicians became the holders of key positions in both the Executive and Legislature, they failed to bring about system change until today! They abandoned the agenda.

Therefore Ismaila, who raised the allegations in the first place, also failed to go far enough to expose how Halifa and the Coalition leaders failed in bringing about system change.

For example, I expected Ismaila to raise several questions to Halifa such as why was the MoU not signed as alleged by Ousainou Darboe but countered by PDOIS leaders. I expected Ismaila to point to the drifting away from the MoU in terms of the formation of the Cabinet. Why was the Coalition Executive Committee not set up or become functional, not to mention the various Coalition committees that more or less also dissolved into thin air as soon as the election was won.

Furthermore, I expected Ismaila to challenge Halifa as to what did he do to ensure that these Coalition structures and processes were set up and adhered to. In other words, how did PDOIS and Halifa actively defend the Coalition from disintegration which was actively perpetrated by UDP and Ousainou Darboe and all other Coalition parties and leaders, especially Fatoumata Tambajang, Isatou Touray, OJ, Hamat Bah, Ahmad Mai Fatty and the rest.

This means I expected Halifa to be direct and open by stating what he did to ensure that the Coalition and Pres. Barrow stayed on track. In that case, I expected him to also name names as to which Coalition parties and politicians played what part to enhance or prevent the Coalition from succeeding and who defended or failed to defend the Coalition and how?

Even when he shunned a Cabinet position and went to the National Assembly, what did he and other NAMs from other Coalition parties do to bring about system change through constitutional and legal reforms? Apart from that, how did they ensure that the Executive is law abiding, transparent and accountable? What is apparent is that this National Assembly has been ineffective in disciplining the Executive, rather they have continuously overlooked the notoriety of the Executive in flouting the Constitution. The latest evidence is the SAB they passed last week.

To me, this debate is a platform for transparency and accountability to render account to citizens. As the chief convener of the Coalition, Halifa owes it to citizens to tell us who and what was responsible for the successes and failures, if there are. Thus I am disappointed that he refused to name names but rather sending innuendos and insinuations.

Then the moderator, Harona also failed to play the role of the true captain by ensuring that the debate did not drift into something else. Harona and the journalists should have focused on the Coalition MoU and Manifesto and take note of their performance since 2017 to date so that the right questions are asked.

At the end of the debate, there was no serious interrogation of the Coalition successes and failures beyond the election. That should have been the issue, in the first place. Surely Ismaila Ceesay knows that the Coalition won the presidential election, hence when he talked about the failure of the Coalition it was not about voting day. Rather it was about the implementation of the MoU and the Manifesto whose objectives were to bring about system change. The fact that the MoU calls for the presidential candidate to be an independent and serve 3 years indicates that the goal was system change which was explicitly outlined in both the MoU and the Manifesto.

Thus the moderator and the journalists present should not have allowed the debate to drift away into PDOIS and CA party programs especially about the economy. That was not the topic. That’s for another debate.

The moderator and the journalists should have pinned Ismaila down to express how and why the Coalition failed and also pin down Halifa to state how and why the Coalition was not a failure, but if so, what and who was responsible including the role PDOIS and Halifa played to ensure success and to defend the Coalition.

At the end of the day we are still in square one as to the successes and failures of the Coalition as far as the political leaders are concerned. To me, the Coalition is a classic failure and only its constituent parties and politicians reaped the benefits to the total detriment of the masses.

I am also ready to debate anyone on earth about that!

For The Gambia Our Homeland

By Sana Sarr

So…, the stage is set for a debate between presidential candidates Dr. Ismaila Ceesay of Citizens Alliance and Halifa Sallah of the PDOIS. To many, this is a most welcome development because it will be the first political debate between Presidential Candidates in modern Gambian history. It’s rather refreshing for voters to see aspiring presidents face each other and discuss matters of national interest in a civil, mature and productive manner. Personally, I love it! And I hope it’s the first of many such engagements.

As with everything else, there are critics, which is understandable, but I must admit that I found some of the comments rather sad and unfortunate especially given that they’re from entities I thought would know better. Here’s some of the gems I’ve seen online over the past couple of days.

“Halifa Sallah and Dr. Ceesay are doing this only to show off their education or elitism. It’s all talk for them.”

This argument is mostly from those who support leaders they do not trust to be able to hold their own on such a platform. Due to huge egos, a lack of ideas, a lack of the personality/charisma or other qualities required for a debate, some of the party leaders dread stepping on stage to discuss issues. They’d rather attend political rallies, preach to the choir and rely on identity politics and politics of benachin ak sabarr. How on earth is displaying your intelligence not a great thing for someone who wants to be trusted with the presidency??? If you want to win votes, we should be demanding that you win the voters over with your intelligence, strength, empathy, education and any other good qualities that can help make you a good president.

“Dr. Ceesay has bitten off more than he can chew. Halifa Sallah will embarrass him.”

This one is from those who have long held the belief that Halifa Sallah and the PDOIS are the only “educated” politicians. This is to Halifa’s credit because he consistently displayed a deep understanding of issues and is ever ready to explain them on any platform. As a result, his supporters admire him and his opponents are terrified to face him. Unfortunately, this challenge to a debate is hard to stomach by those from both camps. Fortunately for Gambia, this will be an awakening that nobody, not Halifa and certainly not Dr. Ceesay, has a monopoly on ideas, intelligence, education or eloquence. With adequate research and preparation, anyone can hold their own to defend their ideas. At the end of the day for this debate, we would have heard from both leaders, hopefully with convincing and productive ideas. They will go down in history as the pioneers of Presidential debates. The debate has grabbed the attention of the nation and millions will be watching around the world. Both leaders will have the opportunity to reassure many of their followers to keep supporting them. Both will also have the opportunity to win over one or two opponents or neutral voters to their side. They are all winners. The masses, especially the young, would also have been shown that we can engage each other in civil political discussions despite our differences. Therefore, Gambia WINS…and that’s way more important than any perceived wins/losses by the candidates.

“My party leader will not debate either of these candidates because they are at a higher level.”

This is another from those who don’t foresee their candidate doing well on a debate stage. I’m not sure whether it even makes sense in the thoughts of those who say it, ndah danj just degerr fitt! Dude, all these politicians are literally at the exact same level! They filled out the exact same forms at the IEC, collected the exact same number of signatures, paid the same amount and they are out canvassing for votes just like everyone else. If they are to be trusted enough to earn votes, we better pray they recognize that the office they’re vying for is to SERVE the people. We better pray that they have the basic understanding that appearing on a debate stage is not being done to please one’s opponents but to earn the trust of the Gambian voters who hold the ultimate power to elect them.

“One must be arrogant / ungrateful if they are challenging a member of Coalition 2016 and asking them to own up to the collective failures. The coalition got rid of the dictator and that should outweigh any failures.”

If I didn’t know better, i would call this one hypocritical, because I’m seeing it from the same individuals who never miss an opportunity to criticize President Barrow, the flag bearer of the Coalition 2016. The contradiction is unmissable, but is it hard to understand? Absolutely NOT! One does not need to look far to see that Coalition 2016 has succeeded in getting rid of the dictator, but it has fallen well short of the promises it made to Gambians. We can give due credit for getting rid of the dictator while still pointing out the failure to fulfill their promises. Tantang kosso ning juu gnanyaa buka taa, but we can walk and chew gum at the same time. The two are not mutually exclusive. We recognize where the argument is coming from. It’s from those who support leaders who were a part of Coalition 2016 who are willing to call out Barrow and Darboe’s failures, but want to whitewash their candidate of choice’s role in the collective failure. They’d rather brush it under the carpet except when it’s weaponized to crucify Barrow and Darboe. (No, I did not forget Hamat and Henry, they’re simply not worth my time).
The other problem I have with this argument is just how shortsighted it sounds. It’s the same chest-thumping our clueless Barrow goes on when he claims that he single-handedly got rid of the dictator. Remember the soldiers who took the risk to burn those ballots that the dictator meant to use to steal the elections? Remember the thousands of Gambian women and men who obtained voters cards to vote for the coalition? Remember Solo Sendeng who gave his life to demand electoral reforms? Yea, the same reforms these same coalition leaders and the parliament have failed to work on? Remember the thousands of diaspora Gambians who sent their meager earnings to fund Coalition 2016? Remember Alieu Momar Njie who put his life on the line to announce that the dictator had lost? Remember Reverend Hannah Faal who walked into State House and spoke truth to the brute? Remember…? How dare you act as if Coalition 2016 were just a bunch of superheroes who, all by themselves, flew in to save poor wretched Gambians who were on their last breath? Yes, we give credit to the leadership for having done a great job leading, but it is unconscionable to pretend as if Gambians from all walks of life did not contribute immensely to the change of government. Therefore, pointing out the failures of the same leadership in order to demand better for Gambians is not only prudent, it should be a national duty for all and should be commended. Gambians deserve better and we must demand better!

“The debate is futile because the topic is whether Coalition 2016 was a failure. It’s useless to discuss the past. Instead, the candidates should discuss the future.”

This one has to be the most disappointing not least because of the people I’ve seen it from. Coalition 2016 is arguably the most significant event in the history of the nation. People and nations around the world celebrated and admired The Gambia for what we were able to achieve – getting rid of a brutal dictator through the ballot box. There was overwhelming goodwill from all quarters and any door we knocked on would open. Rather than ride the wave and set ourselves on the path to everlasting prosperity, we squandered the opportunity in epic fashion. Selfishness, greed, lack of foresight, ego, arrogance and ignorance blinded the people we trusted and one can argue that we were led backward rather than forward. How on earth does one think, even for one second, that delving deep into learning why and how the failures came about, is futile. How do you not see that it’s essential, nay, critical, for us to study it and study it again if we are to avoid spinning our wheels in the suufi salenj of political mediocrity? After all, it’s mostly THE SAME LEADERS we trusted in 2016 who are now coming back to ask us to trust them again. It would be irresponsible to give anyone our vote without asking and fully understanding exactly what happened and why we should trust them again. Nkijo leyka farra everytime i see some people talk about how futile it is to break down such an important subject.

Despite all the noise, the misinformation, the distortions and the distractions, I will reiterate my commendation to the Mr. Halifa Sallah and Dr. Ismaila Ceesay for leading the way in the politics of ideas. Halifa and the PDOIS have been at it for decades and it’s great that Dr. Ceesay and CA have stepped up to the podium. I pray that the rest of the field develop the courage to engage in more dialogue.

“Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument” – Desmond Tutu

The commander of Yundum Barracks Lt Col Pierre Mendy died on Monday aged 57, eight months after testifying before the TRRC.

Mendy was a great commander who served his nation with distinction, a man who even laid down his life to protect both President Jawara and President Jammeh.

He will however be remembered for his memorable appearance at the TRRC last year where he testified on how soldiers led by the no-nonsense Umpa Mendy stormed his house in March 2006 and arrested him. Umpa took him straight to Mile 2 prison where he told him he was instructed to take him there.

Pierre Mendy was accused of being part of Ndure Cham’s coup. Two days after he was taken to Mile 2, the junglers among them Malick Jatta and Sanna Manjang visited Mendy at Mile 2 and took him to the NIA. While he was being taken back to Mile 2, he alleged Malick Jatta hit him on his head with his rifle and blooding started pouring from his head.

Again on March 25, Mendy was taken back to the NIA but this time taken to the ‘torture arena’ where he was mercilessly tortured by the junglers.

“It [torture] went up to 30 to 35 minutes,” he told the TRRC last year.

Mendy actually knew about the coup but he said he took it as a joke because he was a commander and all commanders are invited to the army headquarters for a meeting if there is an operational issue.

The TRRC will submit its return to President Barrow on September 30. Lt Col Mendy will not be there when this is done. Gob bless the soldier.

By Madi Jobarteh

I am particularly concerned about the frequent and consistent empty, false and demeaning free talk that always comes out the mouth of the President. Not only are his comments irresponsible but more seriously, the President is notorious for releasing comments that are utterly false and disgracefully demeaning to the reputation and dignity of the Office of the President, and the nation as a whole.

The Office of the President is an embodiment of the collective dignity, will and power of the people of The Gambia. That office represents Gambians hence anyone who occupies that office must always demonstrate an attitude, in words and actions that manifests and strengthens our values, standards and honour. This is why one of the grounds of impeachment of the President is when he misconducts himself in a manner that, “brings or is likely to bring the office of President into contempt or disrepute.” This is why the President should check his words and actions before he acts.

Mere dictionary meaning of ‘disrepute’ is “the state of being held in low esteem by the public.” Contempt, on the other hand means the feeling that a person or a thing is worthless or beneath consideration. Embedded in these words are disrespect, disregard or neglect of sacred values, or abuse of the rule of law or disregard of the basic tenets of civilized behavior.

This is why, having recognized the dignity and sanctity of citizens and the Republic, the Constitution did not want the highest office of the land to be a place of disrespect and calumny. The Constitution does not want citizens and the rest of the world to look low upon our President and that high office. But this is precisely what Barrow has caused onto himself and the office he occupies! Look at how everyone is jeering at him!!!

Therefore the Office of the President is a position of honour and whoever occupies it should be a person of honour who should speak and act in an honourable manner with decency, truth, honesty and in line with the law at all times. The President should be a person who exhibits the highest and noblest Gambian and humanistic values and norms.

The President should serve as a standard and a role model for good behavior and patriotism to be emulated by our children and the rest of society. The President should always act and speak in a manner that generates respect, tolerance, justice and patriotism on the land and in the people.

Unfortunately, on many occasions, the President, Adama Barrow has spoken in ways that caricature political opponents, activists, intellectuals, journalists and ordinary citizens. He has used language that is divisive thus further polarizing the society. He has allowed his meetings and rallies to be platforms where his supporters would insult opponents and ridicule citizens who seek to hold him accountable.

Yet the President would neither stop his supporters from insulting others or dissociate himself and his party from those individuals and their nasty comments. In fact media platforms linked to the President would further share those nasty comments as if they do not realize the harm and the unGambian-ness of those comments.

Yes, many people belonging to other political parties or even not connected to any party do also engage in insults and political intolerance. We are yet to see any political party or leader call out a supporter for bad behavior and even sanction such perpetrators. Just like the President, many of our political parties and leaders are also notorious for not doing anything meaningful to confront politics of intolerance and insults.

But the President is the number one person who bears the primary obligation to ensure decent politics in the country. Pres. Barrow has  both a legal and political obligation to unify and pacify our society. This responsibility is founded in his oath of office and the Constitution and in our political system as a democratic republic. The oath says the President will defend the Constitution without favour or ill will hence to ensure freedom, equality and justice for all Gambians, regardless.

The recent comments by the President that he climbed a tree as tall as 500 metres and that he was part of individuals who placed charms under the head of corpses are indeed unbecoming of a President. These comments do not only show outright lies but are also criminal.

There’s no tree that is as tall as 500 metres. The tallest tree recorded so far on earth is 116 metres at most. Certainly there’s no tree in The Gambia that could be above even 50 metres simply because The Gambia does not have any virgin rainforests where such trees exist!

Secondly, for anyone to go to a cemetery to open graves in order to reach out to a buried corpse to place any material under its head is criminal. The laws of The Gambia criminalize desecration of cemeteries and therefore it is necessary that the IGP opens investigations into this matter since one of the perpetrators has openly confessed to the crime.

President Barrow must be advised, if not contained to realise that the Office of the President is the sole property of the people of The Gambia. No matter how much he wishes to occupy and remain in that office, he should not engage in words and actions that undermine the Constitution and the dignity and sovereignty of citizens. His advisors must tell him to be measured when he speaks publicly simply because he is the President.

The office he occupies is an honourable place and this is why he is referred to ‘His Excellency’. It is not that there is anything excellent in the person of Adama Barrow, rather it is that high office which is honoured with that title on behalf of the people. Even when he leaves office, the honour of ‘His Excellency’ goes with him since he once occupied the people’s highest office. So let Adama Barrow humble himself down and learn to respect that high office by speaking with decorum and in truth and sanity.

For The Gambia Our Homeland

The shameless report trending on social media lifted from some Gambian newspapers captioned  “7 UK MPS CALL FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRRC disappointed with Barrow’s broken promise” appears like an insult to Gambia’s political sovereignty and intellectual maturity.

For Gambian newspapers to be publishing such absurd criticisms from bunch of aimless jackasses in the British parliament merely reflects our indefinite mental enslavement to our former colonial masters.

It is not only a lame attempt to justify the agenda of a discredited TRRC whose report is yet to be completed for public appraisal but a failure to equally realized their partisanship for supporting the politically controversial notion that President Barrow should have stepped down after three years in office as “dictated in the Coalition party MOU” of 2016. One can sense the blockheads behind the lobby!

I don’t care if the so-called long Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn is part of or even the leader of these bunch of jackasses unwarrantedly attempting to interfere in what is quintessentially Gambia’s internal affairs that even the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has no business in, the whole nonsense left me wondering what these hypocrites have been saying or doing about the world’s recent exposure of the monumental atrocities committed against unarmed and defenseless Iraqis and Afghans by deployed British troops since 2001 now measured above the ICC’s threshold of “War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity”? (Oh, where is Boy Banjul, Essa Faal, our future president to spare us just one more crusade of obliterating these contemporary remnants of Neanderthals? Just leave Chairman Sise, Commissioner Samba and Imam Sey out on this one; and before I forget please don’t bring in Ex-convict Alagie Saidy Barrow as lead investigator either).

According to the investigation the British soldiers had executed innocent Iraqi and Afghan civilians and deliberately or illegally murdered fighters “who had surrendered and did not pose any threat” to anyone. The number? Only God Knows!

However the investigation further revealed that successive British government since 2001 “repeatedly interfered in the (British) criminal justice system, most blatantly by ministers shutting down criminal inquiries into UK forces committing those crimes.

In fact the current government of Boris Johnson is drafting laws before parliament “creating a presumption against prosecution” for alleged crimes committed by UK soldiers overseas more than five years ago.

Why can’t the Gambia government also do the same of passing a law to create a presumption against prosecution of alleged crimes committed during the Jammeh government under scrutiny more that five years ago? What the heck will the difference be other than to throw our useless activists or broke hustlers into a state of misery, demanding our former colonial masters to intervene forthwith?

No wonder the investigators concluded their report with emphasis on the habitual and long history of the failure of the British Empire to prosecute its nationals responsible for atrocities of the worst crimes committed against humanity including of course those against Gambians who were forced into slavery and into their two World-Wars of genocidal magnitude.

So please give us a break with these imbecilic remarks from idle British Parliamentarians dignified by our newspapers.

SAMSUDEEN SARR

BANJUL THE GAMBIA

By Hassoum Ceesay

Preamble

Forty years ago, The Gambia was rocked by a coup attempt against the PPP government of Alhaji Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara. The violence lasted 8 days, and 1000 Gambians were killed and property worth 5 million US Dollars was lost to looting and arson, dozens of women were raped. The Kukoi coup was unique in that it was led by a civilian, and the plotters led by Kukoi were mainly civilians including taxi drivers, fishers, and watchmen.

Fiddling while Rome burnt!

While President Jawara was away in London, UK, attending the marriage ceremony of Princess Di. and Prince Charles, Kukoi assisted by 11 men walked from their base in Tallinding to Bakau where they attacked the Field Force armoury and started the coup on 30 July 1981, a day before Eid. The first to die was Kikala Baldeh, the armoury commander. Thence the rebels took over Radio Gambia, Yundum Airport, and State House. At Radio Gambia, Kukoi made his first broadcast to Gambians announcing his coup, and composition of his new government called Supreme Council of the Revolution(SCR) which he chaired. At State House, Kukoi kidnapped the First Lady and the rest of the Jawara family and held them hostage, until they were freed by a special British force. Hostage taking was a disturbing peculiarity of the Kukoi coup hitherto unknown in coup making in Africa. Kukoi had other techniques at hand: he kidnapped notable Gambians and forced them at gunpoint to denounce Jawara over Radio Gambia. Sanjally Bojang, the respected chief and farmer was a good example. They were forced to denounce Jawara and to ask him not to return to The Gambia.

The writings were on the wall!

The writings were literally and figuratively on the wall. There was a looming disaster and all Gambians knew something terrible will befall our Republic. In 1979-1981 period, there was youth revolt led by the various anti government subterranean groups like Black Scorpions, Movement of Justice in Africa(MOJA), The Gambia Socialist Revolutionary Party of Pengu George etc. These groups organized youths into resistance mood, and there was arson such as the burning of President Jawara’s yatch, the MV Mansa Kila Kuta; the burning of markets, street graffiti and sustained insults on state leaders including Jawara and denigrating of state institutions like The Gambia Commercial and Development Bank. In November, the assassination of the Field Force(Paramilitary) Commander Eku Mahoney at Baku Barracks by a sentry, Mustapha Danso shocked. By the time Kukoi struck, the PPP government was under sustained attack and severely undermined. Kukoi’s coup was the coup de grace; a lot of damage had been inflicted on the state already. As a historian, based on the archival evidence I have seen, the coup could have been avoided if Jawara and his security services were more alert. Kukoi for example, was moving in and out of the country unchecked and also certain opposition members like Pengu George were openly calling for armed revolt against Jawara. Nobody arrested them.

Who was Kukoi?

Kukoi Samba Sanyang was a brilliant young man. Born in 1953, and died in Mali in 2013. He finished Saint Augustines High School in Banjul and entered the famous Ngasobil Seminary in Senegal to train to become a Catholic priest. After a few years, he was expelled and in 1977, he stood as an NCP candidate in the elections of that year. Kukoi had faith in the democratic process of our Republic; he lost the elections in the Foni East Constituency that year getting less than 800 votes, and became disillusioned. Between 1977 and July 1981, he travelled the world learning revolutionary ideas. He lived in Libya and became known to Colonel Gaddafi who is suspected gave him the support to overthrow the PPP government. Kukoi was a brilliant man who became a miserable revolutionary.

How was the coup crushed?

The coup was crushed when Jawara was advised by his loyal Ministers, then holed up at the Police HQ in Banjul ,that there was enough resistance by loyal forces of the Police to stop the coup. He invoked the 1965 Defence Pact with Senegal and asked his High Commissioner to Dakar to work on military support from Senegal army to restore democracy in the country. Senegal sent troops to Banjul on 1 August 1981 and they crushed the rebels and Kukoi fled to Bissau. Dozens of Senegal soldiers died in fighting including the passengers in a military chopper shot by the Kukoi rebels at Radio Syd which killed all 18 soldiers on board. Senegal sacrificed to restore democratic order in The Gambia.

Aftermath

Jawara handled the aftermath well. He refused to be vindictive or vengeful. No ethnic group or region was profiled for the coup.  Over 2000 people were detained but each was accounted for, and there were no missing prisoners. Any detained person was given an arrest warrant and their names gazetted. There was no impunity. The hybrid courts tried the accused, and many, including opposition leader S.M Dibba, were freed, others sentenced. No executions took place from the treason trials. Rule of law was maintained.  All the 3000 rifles let loose from the Bakau depot were recovered by end of August 1981 thanks to joint effort by Gambian and Senegal security. Also, Jawara dared the assassins and  Meet the Farmers Tour from August 18 to 27 1981 to explain to Gambians what happened, and to call for National unity and reconciliation. State institutions like Civil Service and Judiciary were soon back at work.

The media played a key role in the reconciliation process. Through the Radio Gambia flagship programmes like One Gambia, One Nation, Gambians quickly reconciled and started the recovery process. He further explained that ‘through the Looted Properties Commission led by Alh K. Conteh,  contrite Gambians returned over 70 per cent of looted goods back to their owners; through the Detainees Review Panel led by Sheikh Joof, many people who were wrongfully arrested were released even before the end of August 1981. Through the External Aid Commission led by Ambassador E.M. Taal, international support poured into the country and ordinary Gambians also contributed money, chicken, and cows to the Government recovery effort. The people of Bakau Wasulung donated D600.00! Japan, for example, donated so many vehicles that Government started allocating cars to Civil Servants, a practice which exists today.

The Kukoi Coup shattered briefly The Gambia’s great reputation as a peaceful and democratic country. But due to assiduous leadership, our Republic recovered from the shock and had another 13 years of solid democratic rule before the July 1994 coup. The ill-fated Senegambia Confederation, The Gambia National Army(1984) and the intelligence service(1987), NIA, all came out of aftermath of the coup.

Any lessons for today?

What are the lessons The Gambia of 2021 can learn from The Gambia of July 30 1981: Well, there was too much bile and bitterness and insults against our elected leaders and public institutions in the years leading to July 30 1981 catastrophe. Public confidence was severely eroded. There was angst. The opposition NCP started their ‘sosolaso’(a Mandingo war song) campaign promising not to spare the PPP, for example. Kukoi used this opportune moment to strike. So Gambians should be remembering this.

Hassoum Ceesay is a historian and regular contributor to this journal. His latest book The Gambia and Pan-Africanism: 1900-2020, a Study in the International Relations of a Small State has just come out.

By Madi Jobarteh

The decision of Mayor Bensouda to suspend his CEO and Director of Finance and report them to police for investigations for corruption has been recognised by anti-corruption campaigners to be the most effective means in combating corruption. That is, to fight corruption, it must be taken up at the highest level by bringing top officials to book. When senior officials are confronted it sends an unambiguous message to the rest that indeed there are no more sacred cows! Hence the decision by the Mayor is indeed in the right direction. It is a pragmatic deterrent.

One American CSO defined corruption as thus: “Corruption is the abuse of office for personal gain, and it takes many forms. It’s the politician taking a bribe before awarding a building contract to the briber. It’s the city council member paying for his family vacation with public funds. It’s the official demanding bribes from citizens in exchange for access to clean water.”

In this definition, we can clearly see this KMC saga in it in full. In fact, the Late Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General once said that “Corruption is a curse and an attack on the foundations of any civilized society. It undermines morality, democracy, good governance and the rule of law. It swallows resources needed for development. And it is an affront to people who bring high ethical standards to their work and dealings with their fellow human beings and who expect the same in return, in the time-honoured tradition of “do unto others. Corruption is evil and insidious, and must be opposed at every turn.”

The only reason the Gambia is so poor with citizens deprived of the most basic social services and necessary public infrastructure is simply and squarely due to corruption in the Government. When a government is corrupt, society itself becomes corrupt as citizens are forced to bribe in order to access basic services that they have already paid for with their taxes. To tell the truth, corruption is an epidemic in the Gambia thanks to the Government!

Corruption has thrived in this country because the governments we have since Independence are not interested in transparency and accountability. Corruption cannot be fought and defeated when there is no transparency and laws are not enforced to ensure accountability. The Gambia does not lack good laws to combat corruption, what it lacks is the political will to fully enforce those laws to prevent, detect and prosecute perpetrators. It is for this reason that Mayor Bensouda needs commendation and encouragement for showing that political will! Now, let us call the President, NAMs, Mayors, Chairpersons and Councillors to emulate him.

In fact, Kofi Annan said it best when he noted that if corruption is a disease, transparency is a central part of its treatment. The President of the World Bank Jim Yong Kim buttressed this point even better by saying that only radical and greater transparency should drive the prevention and uncovering of corruption.

In the world of human rights, the greatest threat is corruption. Every human right violation there is, at the core of it lies corruption. Perpetrators violate rights simply because they want to unduly access resources, illegally maintain power and enjoy privileges or cover up their excesses. Hence to ensure access and control and hide, perpetrators such as public officials bend laws and inflict pain on individuals in order to silence and exterminate anyone who would serve as an obstacle to their diabolical objective.

This is why, while we commend the Mayor, it is necessary we also urge him to go further to review the bylaws of KMC just to ensure that there is radical and greater transparency and then enforce those bylaws. To be transparent means he should also bring in the use of technology in the work of the Council so as to make financial management more effective, open and accessible to all stakeholders especially citizens.

In fact, the Local Government Finance and Audit Act has stipulated that the budget estimates of Area Councils should be pasted in every ward for public scrutiny. But how many times do citizens see the budget of the municipalities and area councils? To ensure effective transparency and accountability and combat corruption, it is necessary that area councils pursue participatory budgeting processes in order to bring citizens into the budget making process. The truth is there is so much corruption in the local councils and this is precisely why they are largely unable to address the basic needs of residents. This must stop.

Talking about laws, it is important to highlight the passing of the Access to Information Bill 2021 on the first day of this month. I hope the President will assent to it by July 30, marking the 30-day limit as required by the Constitution for him to do so. This is one of the best laws to create radical and greater transparency hence bring about accountability. This is why such laws are also called sunshine laws because sunshine is the best disinfectant.

While we commend the Mayor for this remarkable and necessary action, one wonders why Pres. Adama Barrow has never prosecuted any senior public official in his Government for corruption for almost five years in office. It is an open secret that his Government is notorious for corruption which has been exposed countless times by his own Government and by the media and citizens. In fact, some of these cases are now before the National Assembly Petitions Committee. Yet Pres. Barrow has never found it necessary to bring anyone to book. Why? Clearly the President is protecting corruption and its perpetrators for which the National Assembly also has a duty to act against that.

For The Gambia Our Homeland

By Madi Jobarteh

Today, APRC staged a so-called protest against the Gambia as they sought to unsuccessfully ridicule and block national efforts to heal and reconcile the country due to their 22-year misrule and mayhem. In their so-called petition which they were scared to issue out publicly even at the protest grounds, APRC’s Fabakary Tombong Jatta sought to damage the integrity and credibility of the TRRC with misleading interpretation of the Constitution.

Contrary to his false attempt to mislead, the TRRC is not a commission of inquiry as contemplated in Section 200 of the Constitution. TRRC was created by an act of the National Assembly under Section 101, hence not subject to Section 200. The structures and processes of the TRRC and the appointments and qualification of its Commissioners are spelt out in its Act.  APRC National Assembly Members were present and voted for the passing of the TRRC Bill in 2017 without objection.

Just because the noose is now tightening around the neck of perpetrators who are members and supporters of APRC and Yaya Jammeh, Fabakary therefore intends to derail this country once again as he and his APRC had done for 22 years. The testimonies of victims and perpetrators are a clear indictment and condemnation of Yaya Jammeh and his AFPRC and APRC regimes. TRRC Commissioners, lawyers, investigators and administrators did not commit the heinous crimes caused by AFPRC/APRC perpetrators. These crimes and their victims are largely public knowledge over the years well before the idea of a truth commission was born.

Therefore, much as the Government has protected the right of APRC to scramble, the reasonable thing for the Government to do next is to make a public statement to inform the general public that there is a legal and legitimate transitional justice process launched by the Government itself. It is important that the Government re-emphasize that TRRC is not a witch-hunt or a circus. Rather TRRC is a legal entity tasked with a noble mandate to unearth the truth about the AFPRC/APRC misrule which was characterised by the personalisation of the State and public wealth by Yaya Jammeh alone, gross human rights violations on his behalf, disregard of the rule of law and blatant abuse of office with impunity for his singular selfish interest. This is why TRRC is here.

Failure to do so means the Gambia Government is complicit in the blatant distortion perpetrated by APRC. In fact, the fact that APRC would have the audacity to deny the atrocities committed by and for Yaya Jammeh, and then have the temerity to caricature the entire national transitional justice process is simply because Pres. Barrow has provided them courage to do so. Thus, none is most responsible for the denial of dictatorship and the celebration of perpetrators over victims than the President himself. He is the one squarely responsible for giving fertile grounds to Yaya Jammeh and his Enablers to attack the soul and dignity of the Gambia with impunity. Thanks to Pres. Barrow, those who harmed this country yesterday and then created and imposed their narrative to silence everyone have today been given the loudhailer to once again seek to control the narrative. This is indeed a betrayal of the highest order perpetrator by Adama Barrow.

Therefore, as citizens, if we have conscience and faith in ourselves and love for our country, we must stand up to ensure that this transitional justice process runs its natural course. APRC and Yaya Jammeh have no power whatsoever to derail this process. They can rant and fret, but even their protest was so lonely and sombre, if not for the presence of the journalists. That shows that APRC is a dying horse and this mockery of a protest is nothing but a mere final huffing of a dying horse. Yaya Jammeh, Edward Singhateh and Sanna Sabally, just like Yankuba Touray, will also face justice sooner than later.

Thus, it is necessary for all our political parties, CSOs and indeed all Gambians to speak up to re-express our faith and commitment to the TRRC and the entire transitional justice process. We must speak out to defend the national healing process which includes reparations to victims, reconciliation between our communities, bringing perpetrators to justice and carrying out legal and institutional reforms. This is the transitional justice process that will restore the rights and dignity of citizens, and transform this country into a democracy, thriving on the principles of good governance, and finally prevent the recurrence of tyranny on our soil ever again.

Let us tell the APRC the truth that their protest is unpatriotic, cowardly and immoral. The fact that they could stage a protest against an agenda of a sitting government yet face no arrests, torture and death as they had done to others when they were in power shows that APRC is suffering from deliberate amnesia. Their so-called protest is a vindication of the transitional justice process that indeed this country underwent a brutal tyranny and needs healing. APRC has proven today that the Gambia under Yaya Jammeh and the Gambia of today are like night and day otherwise Fabakary Tombong Jatta and Dodou Jah would have faced what schoolchildren faced on April 10/11 and what Solo Sandeng and Compatriots faced on April 14 and what Ousainou Darboe and Compatriots faced on April 16 and many more. Arrest, torture and death.

For The Gambia Our Homeland

On this day 27 years ago, former president Jammeh and Edward Singhateh marched from Yundum Barracks to Banjul and seized State House. As they were marching with their loyal soldiers, former President Jawara managed to get on an American military ship in the sea behind State House. Jawara’s time as president after 30 years was definitely up. Jammeh, 29 years at the time, then ascended as Gambia’s new leader.

Jammeh oversaw a two-year transition as a military head of state and in 1996, elections were held where he ran as a civilian after retiring from the army. He won that election and then went on to win three other elections, in 2001, 2006 and 2011. While Jammeh had done well in terms of infrastructural and other developments such as the University of The Gambia and GRTS TV, the man had also committed some terrible things. He doesn’t have the best human rights record and the TRRC has confirmed he over 200 murders occurred during his 22 years rule. Soldiers from his so-called death squad have explained to the TRRC how they took orders from him and executed both citizens and non-citizens.

In 2016 Jammeh decided to seek re-election. It was going to be the fifth time. And while casting his vote, Jammeh looked confident, smiling all the time. But Jammeh dramatically lost election to Adama Barrow, his main challenger.  And silence fell on State House as the electoral commission chairman Alieu Momar Njai said Mr Barrow was Gambia’s new president.

Jammeh initially called President-elect Barrow and congrajuluted him. A week later, he went on State TV GRTS and said he was annulling the election because he was cheated. A bitter political impasse erupted but it ended in January 2017 with Jammeh leaving the country as ECOWAS troops entered the country seeking to remove him from power.

Jammeh’s rule will be remembered for him wanting to rule for one billion years only for that to end prematurely in 2016. Jammeh would have been in power today if fate had treated him kindly. He is now living in exile in Equatorial Guinea.

The concept of “Free Speech” does not exist, like the oxygen we breathe, because it has a value in and for itself. There are many societies, and many social situations, in which “Free Speech” has been considered to be a bad thing explicitly – or implicitly through social and cultural norms.

“Free Speech” In The Political Space Of A Democratic State

“Free Speech” is considered vital in a democratic state because it allows the citizens, the ultimate sovereigns in a democratic state, to make informed decisions about their government; informed decisions about those to whom the citizens will entrust state power between elections.

Reputation Of Others & Limitations On “Free Speech”

In Lombardo, the European Court of Human Rights held that it was “only in exceptional circumstances” can limits on free speech be justified to protect “the rights or reputations of others”.

In other words, Free Speech is a sacred cow in democratic societies and the courts will bend over backwards to protect it. The 2013 Defamation Act here in UK has extended that Free Speech protection, more so to journalists where public figures are involved. It is virtually impossible for a public figure in Lawyer Darboe’s position to win a libel/defamation case in UK: because reporting on Lawyer Darboe would be considered a matter of important public interest – because he is a politician and aims to obtain the publics’ trust to run the country.

Baba Jah’s Justification For His Actions

Baba Jah’s argument is that Lawyer Darboe is vying for public office. Baba says that he has known Lawyer Darboe for some twenty-six years and it is his, Baba’s, opinion that “Lawyer Darboe is not fit to be President”. Thus far Baba Jah’s opinion, with which the thousands of UDP supporters would disagree, is protected Free Speech. But …

Did Baba Jah Go Too Far?

Both in the interview with The Fatu Network and later with Freedomnewspaper, Baba Jah was careful NOT to divulge any information about the child who he referred to as “Lawyer Darboe’s Child”. Neither did Baba Jah divulge who the child’s mother is. To that extent, Baba Jah seems to have complied with privacy laws as they are in UK and USA. Of course, the same privacy laws cannot be invoked to protect a public figure – as both Boris and Trump found out when caught in the beds of women who are not their wives!

Prevention Of Disorder & Free Speech

The European Court of Human Rights has held, also in Lombardo, that “prevention of public disorder” is a “legitimate aim” allowing authorities’ interference with Free Speech. In Africa, we can think of “Radio Rwanda” broadcasts that led to the 1994 Genocide, and in South Africa last week Zuma Jnr’s tweet urging Zuma supporters to “Loot Responsibly”! The European Court of Human Rights has also denied the Prophet Muhammad Cartoons the protection of Free Speech – because the cartoons could lead to “public disorder”.

Would Baba Jah’s “Insult” of Lawyer Darboe Lead To “Public Disorder”?

From the reaction of Lawyer Darboe’s followers on-line, it is clear that such utterances could have led to “public disturbance” in The Gambia if Lawyer Darboe were President. But then if Lawyer Darboe is Head of State, there will be other laws to deal with “insults” to the Office of The President.

The Vital Importance Of Free Speech Generally

Clearly all governments will try to stifle Free Speech (Julius Assange is still rotting in a British jail without trial). Those in power, and the criminals and the corrupt, would want to stifle Free Speech and Press Freedom because “their business” thrives best in the dark. Publicity and day-light is bad for corruption and abuse of office … and that is why in The Gambia people like Deyda Hydara and Chief Manneh had to die and the Independent Newspaper has to be burnt down. Free Speech and Press Freedom is a continuum. and thus it has to protect even the likes of Baba Jah, however distasteful some may find his opinions and mode of delivery. Thus it is important for those in public office and for aspirants in public office to develop “thick skins” to withstands the slings and arrows that come with having Free Speech and a Free Press.

Dida Jallow-Halake,

Notting Hill, UK.