If anything is keeping me up at night about Gambia, its how we’re completely out of touch with the realities affecting our lives, because we’ve simply been intellectually misplaced. We get preached daily that this world is only temporal and therefore, our focus and energy should be directed to the hereafter. Well this world is still here, and as may be temporal for individuals, it seems not to any viewer that looks through the broader view of the lineage of descendants. We must take part in efforts to make this world better place for us and posterity, and Prayer alone cannot facilitate this. We cannot just focus on the hereafter while outsourcing our thinking to others like the West to help us with solutions to our earthly problems.  Religion is a beautiful institution that aims to promote virtues of tolerance, love, peace, morality and integrity which are important cornerstones of any civilisation. They provide special effect that are stress reducing – control predictability, understanding causality, and the social support that comes with it. This convenience will no doubt resonate with Gambians, as is often demonstrated in our sense of reasoning, but it also promotes ineptitude, constricts our imagination, stifle creativity and innovation, and consequently solutions to our real life problems eludes us.

The reality is we live in an aggressively cruel universe – The one not only characterised by persistent poverty and pandemic disease but also, as revealed to us by our telescopes, a space that’s full of mayhem such as monstrous gamma-ray burst, matter crushing gravitational fields, deadly pulsars, matter hungry black holes, stars dying in supernova explosion, possibilities of asteroids and comets colliding with our planet. And ofcause those nearer to us such as earthquakes that bury us; microorganisms such as virus and bacteria that infects us; volcanos that incinerate us; cancers that eats us; tsunami etc. Our philosophy as Gambian is if prayer cannot protect us, let us be protected by coincidences.

While science is making tremendous strides in understanding the underlying principles of problems and providing solutions the for preservation of life and to better human experience, it is often deemed a competitor to our religious beliefs and treated with cynicism, scepticism and sometimes completely denounced by religion fanatics in our midst. The scepticism part is understandable as it is common amongst scientists themselves which is why the biggest bounty of praise and reward are accorded to scientists who’ve found flaws in established paradigms. The truth is religion and science have no common ground and the two are irreconcilable approaches to knowing. Because one employs experimental verification and study of objects and phenomena while the other is simply based on faith.  Religious scholars are yet to make prediction of events that has so far occurred. By prediction I mean precise statement about untested behaviour of objects and phenomena logged before it occurs. In science, we often here the weather forecasted, though not always accurate. Another approach employed by religious fanatics is to tweak the translation and interpretation of religious scripts in a language to conform to some scientific discoveries. Isaac Newton, the man hailed as one of the greatest intellect to ever lived, spent a significant chunk of his life trying to understand the nature of the universe using philosophies derived from religious scripts. It was a futile effort. Then came the wealthy billionaire Sir John Templeton who established the Templeton foundation that seeks out a myriad of widely published religious friendly scientists. The foundation’s pursuit is to establish harmony and consilience between science and religion awarding an annual cash price that exceeds that of a Nobel Price. No success is thus far registered. To me science is not a competitor to religion but a discipline established by the instructions of religion. God told “Igraa” to prophet Muhammed (PBUH) and made learning obligatory on us. Understanding cause and effect! That’s all science is doing. Religion should be confined to the service to God and the salvation of the soul, while science is supported by all to unravel the nature of this world to better human existence. Conflating the two, especially in a manner that seeks to discredit scientific discoveries is embracing ignorance and its self-limiting. However, a recent study in the US showed 40% of scientists in America belongs to one of the religions. This in reference to the finding that 90% of Americans belong to a religion, means either atheists somewhat gravitate to science, or science diminishes religious believes in people. Drawing a distinction between the two is the key.

In the past great minds will not hesitate to invoke God at the frontier of knowledge when dazzled in the sea of ignorance. Isaac Newton for example, when studying our solar system, was astonished, that the gravitational push and full between the sun and the the earth, and that of earth and other 6 planets cannot explain the stability of our solar system. He claimed God must once in a while jump in to get things in order. He said “The six planets are revolv’d about the sun, in circles concentric with the sun, and with motions directed towards the same plane… But it is not to be conceived that mere mechanical causes could give birth to so many regular motions… This beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful being”. Then came the new breed of scientists who would not settle for Issac’s premise. A French astronomer and mathematician Perre-Simon Laplace came up with his “perturbation theory” that subsequently led to the discovery of the 7^thplanet Neptune whose gravitation field compensated in stabilising our solar system and allaying Newton’s dilemma. Albert Einstein also came up with a theory of special relativity that changed Isaac’s description of gravity. It describes gravity as the curvature of the fabric of space and time. That matter dictates how space-time should curve, and in turn, space-times dictates how matter should move. This is the most remarkable feed of thinking about nature to come from a single mind. From this, Einstein generated the famous equation E=MC^2 (Where E means energy; M means mass; and C^2 mean speed of light). This consequently led to a change in the geopolitics, as it led to the development of atomic bombs. There is no reason why Gambia cannot produce the next Einstein.

Human being are endowed with five common-senses and these are limited in their range of sensitivity. Our eyes for example can only see with the wavelengths of the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. We’re completely blinded to other regions such as the gamma-rays, X-rays, ultraviolet, infrared, radio waves and micro waves. However, with our ingenuity we can create devices and technologies that can explore objects out of the reaches of our senses to generate date that our common senses can allow us to visualise, analyse and logically interpret in pursuit of understanding our interaction with this world. Scientist have created microscopes by bringing together a multitude of magnifying lenses in which one lenses magnifies the image of the other, and so-forth, thus allowing us to see microorganisms that cannot be seen by our naked eye, but can kill us in few hours. We have seen how medical advancements in the West facilitated by science resulted in prolonging the life expectancies of their citizens.

With our common senses and level of intelligence, human beings often arrogantly portray themselves as the most important creatures in the world. That everything revolves around us. This is also consistent with our intuitive observation of our environment. That our earth is flat and the sun, the moon, and other planets revolves around us. This perception held amongst many scientists in the past until the telescope were invented. It revealed to us billions of galaxies different from our milky-way galaxy that are in constant motion, spinning at 142 Kilometres per second, and comprising billions of stars that are being orbited by trillions of other planets. It showed a universe that is not only expanding, but in acceleration that is being driven by the mysterious dark energy. What’s also puzzling is the revelation that we’re in fact not in the centre of the universe. We’re not in the centre of our solar system, our solar system is not in centre of our galaxy, our galaxy is not in the centre of all galaxies. So would God create such vast universe with trillions of planets that are billions of light years apart for nothing? Are there intelligent lives existing elsewhere? If yes, how do they look like? If no, then why not? As in living people able to form governments and institutions. Will they invade us? Life as we know it is carbon based (made with carbon). Carbon is an element on the periodic table that is able to form multiple bonds with itself and other element to create large complex molecules. Another thing I found intriguing is the universality of our universe. That everything in this universe is made up of the same substances we see here on earth, that are made from the elements of our periodic table. Thus, if an intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe, it is conceivable that they may be also made of carbon and thus should. This should help narrow down on how they must look from the array of possibilities. There is currently an intense search for them. In addition to the approach of looking for bio-signatures that’d infer their existence, the radio wave of the electromagnetic spectrum is also being monitored as a mean of contact. The radio wave that we used to listen to radios, is the only component of the electromagnetic spectrum that transverse into space and travels across planets and if Aliens have a means of decoding the wave emanating from this planet, they ll be listening to our “mengbe-kering” shows. They probably have their opinion about us by now. If one has a rocket that travels through space with great speed with a radio, they will be able to follow and listen to the chronology of evens such as speeches starting from now to historical speeches such as the Martin Luther King speech in real time, as the rocket protrudes through the radio wave that escaped into space long time ago. There is currently an initiative monitoring 500 million radio signals in a pursuit to make or receive radio contact with exoplanetary species if they exits.

While scientific explanations such as the beginning of the universe “The Big Bag”, the beginning of life on earth remain speculations, a tremendous stride is made in understanding the nature of our universe using the physical laws of nature. Many benefits are already being enjoyed by the people in areas of communication, health, agriculture and economics; many more benefits to come some of which are in the prove of concept stage; the sequencing of the human genome that revealed, though the genetic code, the instructions of how we’re created and promises to provide cure for diseases that has plagued us for centuries such as cancer. We Africans should take part for our own benefit.

In our Republic the power to enforce the law falls on the justice delivery system first and foremost which comprises the police and the courts primarily. It is the police that has the authority to arrest anyone provided there was a crime committed or about to be or suspected to have been committed.  The police have the same authority to therefore detain and then impose charges on suspects for prosecution before the courts. It is the courts that have the sole authority to therefore declare the innocence or guilt of suspects who stand before it. Therefore, the police and the Court are indeed very powerful institutions.

The decisions that the Police and the Court make can have lasting impact on the life and future of persons with whom they come into contact. By arresting, detaining and prosecuting a person means a heavy burden is put on the liberty and reputation of that person. Similarly, by sentencing a person to jail time does not only significantly limit one’s liberty and dampen dreams but could as well irreparably injure one’s reputation and potentially end the life of that person.

In light of the above the Police and the Court therefore cannot afford to make mistakes or abuse their power for doing so means irreparable damage to the life of a human being. We have seen, for example in places like the US where people are jailed for decades and even sentenced to death only to discover years later that in fact, such persons never committed the crime for which they were jailed in the first place. A very sad episode is where you find many people who were jailed when they were young only to be released in their old age because they were wrongly arrested and tried and then unjustly sentenced. It is for this reason that we must closely check the Police and the Court as they perform their functions.

Indeed, the Police and the Court are hugely important and necessary institutions without which we cannot call a society a civilized society. This is because in the absence of the Police and the Court to dispense justice justly it means therefore citizens would have no choice but to take the law into their own hands in order to solve their grievances. But with the Police and the Courts present we are all restrained knowing full well that these institutions will protect us or repair the damage we have suffered due to a violation of our rights or property in any form. Hence the Police and Courts are utterly important, necessary and they deserve our full respect and support.

That notwithstanding, the Police and the Courts are also known to have been one of the foremost instruments that have been used to harm citizens. For example, in the US the Police and the Courts have been used to criminalise Black People and then sentence them to jail time or death because of racism. In fact, in the US the police can literally shoot you to death if they fell like it and especially if you are Black and then claim self-defence! Similarly, we had seen during the Yaya Jammeh Tyranny how citizens were unlawfully arrested and then unjustly tried and sentenced to several years or death. This was why the terminology ‘Mercenary Judges’ emerged as Jammeh hired and paid foreign and local judges to do his bidding to silence anyone he did not like.

The current case of 37 citizens and non-citizens clearly manifests once again the impact of the decisions and actions of the Police and the Courts. The Gambia Police Force first arrested these people in questionable circumstances and then imposed life-impacting charges on them. Knowing full well that a Magistrates Court cannot decide charges that are considered capital offences still the Police went ahead to put them before the magistrate, unjustly and unlawfully. The Police already knew that a single decision of theirs could potentially deprive a human being of his liberty, reputation and wellbeing.

On its part the Magistrates Court also knew that the charge of arson is not an offense it has the mandate to address. Yet the Magistrate ignored the law but went ahead to decide the matter by sending 37 souls to prison on remand. For that matter it is now several weeks that these people are languishing in jail when there is no reason for them to be there other than a single, albeit unlawful decision by a magistrate.

Today the justice delivery system decided to withdraw the case against 30 of these detained young people because of the huge outcry against their arbitrary action. Why did they withdraw the case if indeed the Police were sure that indeed these young people committed the crimes of which they accused them? The Attorney General as the chief law enforcement officer in the Republic knows full well that indeed there is no case against these people. But by sheer abuse of power they deliberately arrested these people only to subject them to untold suffering. This is unacceptable.

Therefore, I wish to put it to law enforcement and judicial officers to always ensure that they are fully aware of the law and understand the law as their own name. They must ensure that in every decision or action they wish to take they must meticulously review all factors and sides just to ensure that their decision will be squarely lawful, right and just. They must bear in mind that any single mistake they make in their decision, advertently or inadvertently has the potential to destroy a life. Any law enforcement or judicial officer with conscience and committed to the cause of justice should completely avoid making another human being to suffer just because of your lack of due diligence or blatant abuse of power.

For that matter, ultimately the efficiency and accountability of our law enforcement and justice delivery officers and institutions rest with the citizens when they stand up to ensure adherence to the rule of law. We must check the Police and the Courts at all times with deep interest and concern just to ensure that they are acting within the law and the powers stipulated therein. This is for our own interest as well as the benefit of these police and court officers and society as a whole.

We cannot afford to have a justice delivery system in which the rights and dignity of citizens will be at the mercy of a single person just because he or she is a police officer or a magistrate or judge. We are a Republic in which the sovereignty of the Gambia resides in the people. Law enforcement and judicial offices like all other public servants derive their legitimacy and authority from the people and therefore perform their functions in our name and for our welfare.

For that matter we cannot and must not accept to have public servants such as police officers and magistrates and judges transform our authority given to them to harm us simply because of their failure to apply the rule of law or abuse their powers. That is a contradiction in terms that must not exist in a Republic. Therefore, let us insist that the Police and the Court apply the rule of law in full at all times knowing full well it is only when the rule of law is followed and adhered to will we have our rights fully respected and protected. Otherwise our rights hence our sovereignty don’t mean nada!

For the Gambia Our Homeland

It is indeed disappointing and outrageous that such national documents as diplomatic passports could be given to family members of ministers. That does not tell well at all! As the name and purpose imply a diplomatic passport is only for diplomats and persons performing diplomatic functions or conducting services for The Gambia in the international scene.

Diplomatic passports therefore cannot be for persons running their personal or family or business affairs. Hence it is unjustified to give the national diplomatic passport to any human being who is not a diplomat or performing functions for The Gambia Government in the international stage.

The important point however is that, family or no family, our diplomatic passports were and continue to be indiscriminately handed over to all sorts of undeserving citizens and non-citizens alike during the Jammeh era as well as under the Barrow Government! This only tantamount to bastardizing our sovereignty and dignity as a nation.

There cannot be any justification for giving diplomatic passports to people who don’t deserve it no matter how well intentioned and humanitarian the justification. Therefore, I have considered the Minister of Justice’s request letter and I appreciate that the reasons therein are purely humanitarian. As a son myself I would also want the same comforts for my mom. But the Minister is the legal advisor of the Government hence he should be the one to give advice to colleagues and public servants about the legality of issues, decisions and actions.

Therefore, the idea that the Justice Minister would ask someone else’s opinion about such a legal issue is untenable. He should have known all by himself, by virtue of his position and function and knowledge of the law which kind of persons qualify for a diplomatic passport. If the Minister of Justice doesn’t know that then woe betide The Gambia! The Gambia has three kinds of passports – ordinary, service and diplomatic passports and who qualifies for what passport should be known to the Minister upfront!

If the justice Minister could therefore enjoy this privilege for his family what stops any other Minister from seeking the same? What about ambassadors or top government officials also seeking diplomatic passports for their families? What would all this mean for our country where some would even secure diplomatic passports for their local and foreign friends, not to mention boyfriends and girlfriends? Therefore, let us not rationalize this matter just because the Minister appeared to have followed due process! The idea should not have occurred to him in the first place.

What this episode exposes is that for years there have been several malpractices and unprofessional attitudes taking place in our public sector without accountability. We have come to normalize the abnormal to the point that no one understands the systems and procedures anymore. This has been the reason for lack of transparency and accountability hence the proliferation of corruption, injustice and inefficiency of public institutions!

But these malpractices have to stop otherwise there will be no system change. None more than the Minister of Justice should lead that system change at the Government level. He should be seen insisting on rule of law, transparency, accountability and probity. He cannot lower the bar!

The sanity or health of the public service lies entirely between the Minister of Justice and the Secretary General. They must not only ensure the prevalence and adherence to the rule of law but also ensure ethical conduct by all. Therefore, it was bad judgment on the part of the Minister of Justice and Secretary General to conceive of this idea much more to put it into writing and place it before the President.

I think the time is still not late to cleanse our public service system. This Government has woefully failed to do that necessary and urgent undertaking for three years now and this is why the issue of diplomatic passports is now a scandal. The Barrow Government just continued with the same approach as the previous regime and today our diplomatic passports are in the hands of imams, priests, NGO leaders, business leaders, private citizens, foreigners and criminals! This must stop and all diplomatic passports must now be recalled in order to account for them.

Therefore, let us demand that the foreign ministry publish all names of people who hold Gambian diplomatic passports from 1994 to 2019. All non-deserving holders must be revoked forthwith. Diplomatic passports are not a matter of confidentiality! They are public documents and anyone who has it must be deserving of it. Hence the Gambia Government should be in a position to disclose who holds our diplomatic passports and why!

Furthermore, this matter requires a national inquiry as it deals with national security and our international reputation directly. Where foreign criminals could obtain our national document, it means the reputation and image of our country is at risk. Who knows what these dubious individuals are engaged in hence putting the name of our country into disrepute!

But even family members could also undermine or threaten national security and national reputation for they could as well engage in criminal activity using diplomatic passports! This is why diplomatic passports must be very scare and difficult to obtain for anyone who holds it also carry the image and reputation of the Gambian nation in your hand!

A holder of our diplomatic passport, by his or her (mis)conduct, can potentially cause The Gambia to lose international standing and trust hence threaten national interests. This is why some governments do not recognize the diplomatic passports or even ordinary passports of other countries because of the dubious activities of holders of that passport.

The National Assembly must therefore institute an inquiry so that proper and hard sanctions are imposed on perpetrators. It is clear that The Gambia Government will not exercise accountable leadership by being transparent about this issue. They will rather misinform, mislead, distort and derail the matter as usual. So, let the National Assembly come to the salvation of the country. Now!

I hope our NAMs would not fail us this time around. This is because there have been numerous instances where the National Assembly could and should have stepped up to invoke their full constitutional powers to salvage the country yet failed to do so. By so doing they failed to hold the Government accountable and therefore allowed violations of the Constitution and abuse of rights and plunder of public resources to prevail unaddressed hence allow impunity to persist! I hope this time they will not hesitate and fail!

Time will tell.

For the Gambia Our Homeland

It is less than three years when we ended a Dictatorship notorious for violations without accountability hence impunity. For 22 years we had a regime in which the law enforcement and justice delivery institutions were used to abusing the rule of law by dumping Gambians in prison unjustly and illegally for which many came out scathed for life.

Three years on, today, we have 37 Gambians and non-Gambians similarly forced into prison by yet again the same law enforcement and justice delivery institutions as if we are still under Dictatorship. The Gambian Judiciary knows full well that its various courts have legal limitations as to what they can decide or not. Yet Kanifing Magistrates Court deliberately decided to send 37 youths to prison when that court knows it has no such powers to do so.

Similarly, the Gambia Police Force knows which court can decided which case. Knowing that magistrates’ court cannot decide cases that carry life imprisonment or death penalty still the Inspector General of Police decided to take such a case before that court in total disregard of the rule of law. This clearly shows that the police and the courts have decided to connive to kill the fundamental rights of Gambians as usual. Yet the Gambian Nation stands still, silent and calm!

Furthermore, the Gambia Prisons Services know that boys and men placed in remand cannot and must not be automatically shaven. Section 66 of the Prisons Act states that,

“All male prisoners on remand or awaiting trial who usually shave and are received shaven shall be shaved both while under detention and on the day of their appearance in court.”

Based on this provision, we now ask why did Mile 2 prison authorities shave Killa Ace by cutting his dreadlocks? It is clear that Killa Ace does not ‘usually shave’ his hair and he was not ‘received shaven’ yet the authorities at Mile 2 blatantly went ahead to shave the man. Why? This is nothing other than sheer abuse of power and direct violation of the fundamental rights and dignity of Killa Ace.

By violating the rights and dignity of one citizen it means the Police, Courts and Prison institutions of the Gambia have violated the dignity and sovereignty of all Gambians.  How long shall Gambians accept elected and appointed public officials to continue to behave like Masters and Lords over the very citizens who gave these officials their authority and legitimacy to serve in public institutions?

It is such a shame that a supposedly democratic government like this Government of Adama Barrow that succeeds a tyrannical regime like that of Yaya Jammeh would leave intact tyrannical practices to remain in a supposedly democratic society. This case reflects that indeed the Barrow Government is neither interested nor committed to transforming the Gambia from Dictatorship to Democracy. Rather the Barrow Government poses a clear and present danger to Gambian Citizens and the Gambian Republic.

This is attested to by the fact that since this case erupted there is no one single official or institution within the entire State that attempted, even slightly to correct the anomalies and malpractices that have been unfolding so far. From the President to the Chief Justice to the Minster of Justice to the IGP and the Director General of Prisons each and every one of these elected and appointed public officials blatantly washed their hands off as they sit by to watch violations and impunity take root in our country yet again.

Nothing is more dangerous than to have a Government led by elected and appointed officials who refuse to take responsibility and initiative to make things right but to sit by and allow abuse to flourish. By their failure to ensure that the rule of law is followed by the Police, the Courts and the Prisons this Government therefore poses a direct threat to the lives and rights of Gambians. Will our citizens allow this misconduct at the highest level to continue?

Let Gambians know that today 37 human beings are lying in horrible conditions at Mile 2 for no reason other than our complacency, indifference and silence. No one is saying that the police and the courts must not apprehend and prosecute criminals of any kind. Indeed, the police and the courts must ensure that the law is enforced. But in enforcing the law we must insist that the police and the courts also uphold and follow the rule of law.

If we allow the police and the courts to disregard the rule of law for one citizen rest assured all other citizens are also at risk sooner or later. We had seen this during the Jammeh Tyranny how even Ministers, Secretary Generals, police and military generals were all sent to prison without any due process simply because we allowed the culture of disregard of the rule of law to prevail. Are we repeating the same today? Time will tell.

For the Gambia Our Homeland

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Former S.G and International Speaker Momodou Sabally has lamented government’s over-concentration on football to the detriment of other sports. “At this rate, we might just as well rename our Ministry of Youth and Sports to ‘Ministry of Football’.”

Sabally made these remarks, Sunday August 25th as he addressed students and guests at the graduation ceremony of the Sci Kungfu Contact martial arts academy at Buffer Zone, Talinding. “We must redirect our resources towards other sports including athletics, basketball, wrestling and martial arts.” Sabally asserted.

He took the opportunity to commend the instructors and patrons of the martial arts schools in the country for their dedication and patriotism in supporting what he called “one of the most noble sports that anyone could be engaged in.”

He then advised the graduates at the ceremony: “martial arts is supposed to instil in you that discipline and focus that is indispensable to outstanding achievement in any field. So you should take your training as a tool to channel your energy into positive productive endeavours in the greater arena of life.”

Sabally concluded by encouraging parents to enrol their female children into the study of martial arts given the spate of violence against women, saying “Martial arts is not about promoting violence, instead it is a way to instil discipline and a very effective tool for self-defence. If only we could enrol more of our youths into this discipline, we would be dealing with less violence and unnecessary agitation in our streets.”

But Yankuba is yet to be indicted for any direct involvement in human right abuses. And if the law of the land is anything to go by, then people are supposed to be deemed innocent until they are proven guilty. We must also realise that this is the fourth appointment to this post in less than 3 years. With our current security challenges, one can assume that President Barrow made this appointment out of frustration and his desperate desire to restore security in this country. That still doesn’t obviate the concerns of the critics.

But what I know is that Yankuba Sonko spent his life in the police. During my tenure as Secretary General, I had the opportunity to work closely with him and I bear witness that when certain directives came from the President that were going to land people in jail, he collaborated with me to thwart such matters thereby saving dozens of people. One particular case that I remember was the incarceration of several men in a land-related matter where the victims were sent to Mile 2 Prison without trial. When a lawyer brought this to my attention, I asked Yankuba what had happened and when he explained that it was a directive from the President I asked him to release them, which he did. I still don’t know how Yankuba and I survived this one but I acted on instinct and he took the risk to free these people.

When journalist Sanna Camara (currently part of the Presidential media and PR Team) was arrested and detained by police, allegedly due to directives from the top, I was out of the country on an official mission. Upon return, Sanna’s boss at the time, called me to report the matter and seek my intervention. I called then IGP Sonko and asked him to release the journalist immediately, which he did without hesitation. 

A certain medical doctor from one of the most prominent families in this country would have been languishing in jail by the time Jammeh left office but I was able to save this guy with the help of Yankuba Sonko, again at great risk to Yankuba’s job. But the problem is that all these people that Yankuba and others helped during the former regime would rather remain silent or even join the mob in castigating him while these very people and their families were the ones that supported and financed Jammeh’s multiple re-elections as President. Things are too complicated in this country so while we go ahead in trying to hold one another accountable, let us proceed with honesty fairness and caution.

A people who appointed former Speaker Abdoulie Bojang to the glorious position of Ambasador, and this is the same Abdoulie Bojang who helped proclaim a state of emergence; at the time, potentially the most lethal tool in Yahya Jammeh’s attempt to subvert the will of the Gambian electorate, should be quite cautious in condemning the appointment of Yankuba Sonko.

A country that stayed mum when someone who was a prominent member of the former regime was appointed as counsel in one of the most critical commissions in this transition period should think twice before condemning any other appointment. And this counsel was adversely mentioned in some of the transactions that came out of this same commission but the so called activists and devotees of rule of law and due process remained mute.  Even where a key figure in that commission came out with a damning petition on alleged malpractices that included selective questioning of witnesses not even a mini-enquiry was set up. And yet we call for the lynching of someone who has not been indicted directly in any particular case?

We have a ex-con currently serving as Director of Investigation at just about the most critical transitional institution in this country but that man is deemed fit and proper by the loudest voices in this country, even when they knew that the same man would have to head investigations about the very people he took up guns against.

When the TRRC was being launched, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bom Bensouda was an invited gust of honour and the whole country glossed over this. Now please read the excerpt (below) as carefully and succinctly observed by journalists Mustapha K. Darboe and Thierry Cruvellier on the website www.justiceinfo.net:

ESSA FAAL’S CONVICTIONS AND PRUDENCE

When on January 28 this year Batch Samba Jallow testified publicly before the TRRC and implicated Fatou Bensouda, the Commission’s lead counsel, Essa Faal, seemed caught off guard and embarrassed. Essa Faal is the incisive, impeccably prepared and willingly implacable conductor of the TRRC public hearings that have, since January, made the Truth Commission in The Gambia a national event to which the public is riveted. He is a key contributor to the success of this justice process and the credibility of its investigations. He is also a former ephemeral member of the State Prosecutor’s Office of The Gambia in 1994. And more importantly he is a former colleague of Fatou Bensouda at the International Criminal Court. At the hearing, the dialogue between the victim and the lead counsel seemed to end in disagreement about the conclusions to be drawn from Jallow’s experience.

– “Who was the prosecutor in this case? asked Essa Faal.

– Fatou Bensouda. She was the mastermind, replied Jallow.

– Ah, she was the prosecutor.

– Yes, she was the mastermind of everything we went through.

– Ah… You would agree that Mrs Fatou Bensouda, if she was the prosecutor at all, would have come at the tail end of things, at the prosecution stage of things and therefore would not have participated in anything that happened before your prosecution. Correct?

– No, I don’t agree.”

It did not take much longer for the suspicions to arise that preferential treatment or protection may be given to the former personal legal adviser and minister of Justice of Yahya Jammeh…

So our fiery lead counsel of TRRC has been doing an amazing job and no one could fault him in the execution of his duties. But that track record is suspended when his former colleague/boss comes into the scheme of things. Was I wrong when I used the term “Animal Farm” when I once criticised the way we are proceeding in our so called New Gambia?

How can you embrace and celebrate Yahya Jammeh’s gun-toting interior Minister during the Transition period, and then come to condemn the cool and meek Yankuba Sonko? A former parliamentarian and long-serving APRC big wig together with the former ruling party’s chief fundraiser are  now executive members of one of the biggest opposition parties. This parliamentarian was in the National Assembly when Jammeh brought up a bill to indemnify those who perpetrated the murder of innocent students on April 10/11. So this man is fit and proper to serve your party and hopefully become a cabinet Minister should you win the election, but Yankuba Sonko should be sent to the gallows?

Let us be fair, what is good for the goose should certainly be good for the gander as well. 

My concern with Yankuba Sonko’s appointment is the views and sentiments of the victims whose cases happened during the time Sonko was IGP. President Barrow should do more in terms of helping the victims across the board. Those who sustained injuries and still in need of medical treatment should be supported as a matter of priority. It is unconscionable that certain victims with a few bruises have gone home with millions of Dalasis from the state treasury thanks to the total lack of scruple and prudence of our current attorney whose only motivation for action seems to be the number of decibels on social media rather than justice and due process. This, in the face of lack of medical treatment and support for those with severe injuries and even those who lost family members. 

But this is quite normal in this dispensation that is becoming quite emblematic of selective justice and selective behind-the-scenes reparations. It still beats my imagination how convicted security personnel can go home with millions (without following due process) in compensation while Solo Sandeng’s family continues to struggle for basic stuff and the April 10/11 victims continue to cry for medical support.

In view of all the foregoing premises and many others too sensitive to be discussed in the public glare I could give President Barrow a 65% mark for his appointment of Yankuba Sonko and the marks deducted are merely out of due sympathy for the views and sentiments of the #real victims (as opposed to those who are experts in using the victims as ways and means to score political and financial gains).

The Gambia is that country where one of the real estate moguls forcefully grabbed land from its rightful owners using Yahya Jammeh’s heavy hand with attendant serious human rights abuses; only for that same real estate mogul to be given a chunk of prime land by the current administration under murky circumstances and yet his name is not mentioned at private meetings of so called activists talk less of public forums. And this mogul is now regarded as an icon who wines and a dines with this government and he has a very insidious (yet covert) role in the decision making process of this government but no one is making noise about this.

Our beloved country is at a dangerous crossroad and all qualified hands are needed for the nation building process. The fact is that a lot of our fine hands and minds are out of the country working for international organisations at pay rates untenable back home. A lot of our experts and professionals living in this country have shifted to local- based international organisations because the pay scale of government is not competitive enough. The few new hands tried by this administration have not given us much to cheer for. Therefore we need all hands on deck.

The (jaundiced) pundits claim that the whole country is a crime scene and therefore no one should make noise about the appointment of conflicted individuals like Dr. Baba Galleh Jallow, Executive Secretary of the TRRC, and his friend, Alhagie Saidy Barrow; it would be Impossible to have anyone with a clean bill of health. So where do they expect Barrow to source  his appointees from, heaven? God is not about to open the gates of that sublime abode anytime soon because He knows that if he should send back to us his saints, we just might corrupt them.

Let us be sincere in our efforts to hold one another accountable; and let us be reasonable in our expectations given the realities that we all know about. Jesus Christ is indeed right, but do we listen to his words? “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone…”

This is my report card for the President with the required remarks on the sideline. Overall, he gets a pass in this Cabinet reshuffle but a credit is more desirable.  We hope he will work harder next term.

May Allah guide and protect our President.

God Bless The Gambia

Momodou Sabally

The Gambia’s Pen

Honestly I doubt the President did a good speech yesterday!

Of course he didn’t say anything untoward or despicable about Jawara or anyone. But the speech lacked the relevance and fire that the occasion deserved. This is particularly important given the intensely polarized and unhealthy nature of the politics and governance situation in the country for which he is in fact a leading protagonist.

Hence I had thought that his speech would use the legacy, ideals and vision of Kairaba to redirect the country. He could have used that speech to reach out to opponents and offer compromises and make appeals as well to the other side.

In that house yesterday all of the political parties were present but he didn’t mention any party or party leader. He didn’t speak to any of the issues prevailing in the country. He didn’t recognize the founding fathers as OJ did. So for me he was speaking in a vacuum.

Smart presidents in democracies always use such occasions to address prevailing issues and concerns by drawing from the life and ideals of the deceased. They use the life of the deceased to send messages of assurances and reconciliation and appeals. In celebrating the life and work of DK Jawara the President has plenty of examples about Kairaba to use as basis to further heal and unify his country! Barrow failed to do that yesterday.

Everyone who spoke about Jawara recognized and highlighted the democratic credentials of the man. They spoke of his strong and unflinching respect for human rights and unshakable adherence to the rule of law. They spoke about his deep sense of tolerance and peace and above all they celebrated his leadership and his vision for The Gambia.

These are the issues that are causing serious concerns and vibrations in the country. These are the issues that are agitating the country as it moves towards December with the fear of 3 Years Jotna protests.

Therefore was yesterday not the occasion for Barrow to turn things around by reaching out to political parties to come around a national building discussion table? He could have asked the 3 Years Jotna folks to come around a discussion table to address fundamental issues? He could have spoken to public institutions to deliver efficient and quality goods and services as a means to enhance living conditions. He could have spoken to security issues given the public perception of ECOMIG, etc.

We had protests in Brikama and Serre Kunda in which violence erupted. Some people have been arrested and sent to Mile 2. In Brikama scores of people were beaten and injured and arrested and now reporting to police.

Barrow could have spoken to that and ask that the police release people and drop charges in favour of tolerance and peace. He could have given assurance that there will be investigations in police brutality. He could have even announced that Gorgui Mboob would be compensated to rebuild his house. He could appeal to Gambians to respect human rights and abide by the rule of law.

This is what leadership requires in such moments. But Barrow failed unfortunately to take advantage of the moment and use Kairaba to remake and redirect the country. Sad.

I was really wondering how this speech came to be written in the first place. Who wrote it? Was there any consultation in the process of writing this speech? Did the speech writers ask Barrow what message he wanted to send? Did Barrow himself ever thought of this occasion and considered what he wanted to get out of it?

I hope in future occasions like this the President and his advisers will seriously consult and critically ponder over what message to send out. Yesterday was a hugely missed opportunity and indeed Kairaba deserved a better demonstration of leadership than what Barrow provided. The country could have gained immensely but Barrow failed us, once again!

With thousands of Gambians pouring out and mourning such a remarkable leader the only drawback yesterday was the substandard performance by Pres. Adama Barrow! We hope such poor leadership will not be repeated ever again!

Thank you OJ and Sidia for saving the day!

For The Gambia Our Homeland

I never had a close personal acquaintance with the first President of The Republic of The Gambia but I was close enough to have had the great fortune of enjoying the fragrance of Peace and love that his  persona gracefully manifested throughout his historic life.

I was friends with the children of his staff who lived in the residence adjoining State House. Together with Karlmen (now a catholic priest) and the other kids, we would go to pick his dog, Haiko, for a stroll on the beachside. When we had the occasional parties, we would borrow furniture from State House. That is how affable Sir Dawda and his household was. 

Growing up I became familiar with his peerless charming voice especially when he spoke the English Language to address the nation on official functions. And that is why in response to a request from a local journalist on how I would remember the former President, I said this:

 “The name Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara is synonymous with peace, that is what I will remember him for most. But of no less importance is Sir Dawda’s very charming, inspiring voice; that too, I shall never forget Inshaa Allah.”

When I became Presidential Affairs Minister, certain matters concerning him fell on my desk. With the help of businessman, Amadou Samba, the tough assignments were smoothened out with joy to be of service to a most worthy son of our soil.

The demise of the father of our nation is indeed a most heartfelt loss for all peace-loving, patriotic Gambians. To write a fitting eulogy for a distinguished statesman like Sir Dawda is a Herculean task for any mortal being. I make no pretence to be up to the task; but when a request came from a major international media outlet, I obliged with a few thoughts:

The passing of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, first President of the Republic of The Gambia, and co-founding father of (what is now) the African Union, represents the end of an era. 

Sir Dawda, carried with him the spirit and hope of his independence colleagues like Kwame Nkrumah. His demise is an important moment of reflection as we move forward as a continent, Independent, by flag, but with lots of work still outstanding to stand on our own [feet], united.

Known for his humility and respect for democracy and human rights that earned The Gambia the position of Headquarters of the African Commission for Human and People’s Rights, Sir Dawda inherited a colonial legacy of a small country whose viability as a nation was questioned by no less an authority than the Lords British Empire.

Within a quarter of a century, President Jawara proved to the world that The Gambia, though small and devoid of much natural resources, could thrive in peace and freedom and play an important role in the comity of nations. It was under his leadership as Chairman, that ECOWAS took the bold and unprecedented step of coming up with a multinational force (ECOMOG) to stop the carnage and re-establish peace in Liberia.

Sir Dawda passes on with a respectable legacy and joins his brothers, the Nkrumah’s on the other side. The question is: will my generation rise up to the occasion to complete the African Independence project with the cardinal principle of democracy and respect for the views of the opposing camps in peace and tranquility.

Let history be the ultimate judge. But the preliminary score on the Independence generation’s card, is quite promising.

Adieu, man of peace.

Having written the above piece, my mind still searched into my heart for more words  to honour Sir Dawda, and so my muse spoke:

Adieu Sir Dawda

I was not your biggest fan

Through youthful years of angst

Espousing a revolutionary stand

With age I came to understand

The warp and woof of this land

Appreciating the Kairaba stand

Peace and love, sun and sand

A voice for all in our homeland

Carrying a rose and olive branch

Peace in Liberia was your stance 

Not wavering for a single instance 

Spreading peace and forbearance

Adieu Sir Dawda Gambia’s father

God bless you further in Al-Jannah 

I was privileged to be an honoured guest in Gunjur, just a few days before Sir Dawda’s demise, where the young people of that great town and their partners embarked on a major tree planting exercise. During this programme, environmental activist, Kemo Fatty, of the Greenup Gambia movement, brought copies of Sir Dawda’s famous Banjul Declaration and asked all participants and guests to stand up and read it aloud; which we did in unison with a solemn disposition, thereby relaunching Sir Dawda’s sacred proclamation.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of that occasion in Gunjur I told journalists that the best way for Gambian youths to honour Sir Dawda would be to make sure we implement his vision as proclaimed in the Banjul Declaration.

Indeed the old man, Sir Dawda, has lived a great, fulfilled life and he has left us with remarkable lessons. The tree he has planted shall grow and his mission lives in the veins and minds of the next generation as clearly demonstrated in Gunjur.

May Allah forgive our former President for his shortcomings and admit him in Jannah. And for now and ever we shall be repeating the glorious words of Gambian artiste Jali Madi Kanuteh who took inspiration from his own late father to chant “Dawda Jawara abaraka!”

Momodou Sabally

Former Presidential Affairs Minister

Founder-President, Sabally Leadership Academy (SLA)