In what seemed like an instant replay of an all too familiar movie, Yahya Jammeh has done it again – hoisting someone on a high horse only to force them to the ground employing his most humiliating snub. When Eumeu Sene defeated Bala Gaye in one of the most exciting wrestling duels in Senegalese history, fans in both Senegal and The Gambia were ecstatic! True to form, sensing the huge popularity wave that the new Champ from Dakar was riding on, Yahya tagged along by inviting Eumeu to Banjul. This was the same move he made when Bala Gaye defeated Yekinni in what was yet another combat for the history books.
Yahya is a typical dictator – they try to associate themselves with anyone who is enjoying popularity with the intention of stealing the show in an effort to make up for what they had already lost in public approval because of their brutal ways. He is therefore notorious for inviting celebrities to The Gambia, showering them with lots of dollars, taking pictures with them, and parading with them on national TV to boost his ratings. Unfortunately, these friendships with Yahya don’t last unbeknown to many of these unsuspecting celebs – once the popularity craze has waned, he dumps them for new up and coming ones. Such was the fate of poor Eumeu who would have saved himself the headache had he had a small chat with other Senegalese celebs like Kumba Gawlo, Aida Sama, Vivianne or Bala Gaye before getting into such an arrangement with this ungrateful leader.
Eumeu’s visit to Banjul during that trip was the talk of town. TV cameras followed him and his wife everywhere, grand galas were hosted in his honor, parades were held to celebrate his victory, speaker after speaker spoke of the special bond Eumeu had with Yahya. All of these culminated in the grand finale – the presentation of two brand new vehicles to both Eumeu and his wife, all from the benevolence of Yahya Jammeh, “the man who loves humanity” according to Eumeu at the time.
So it was a shocked to Sene when he decided to attend Yahya Jammeh’s birthday celebration, and this time, in an effort to return the favor and show his appreciation of his old friend, brought with him a white horse as a gift for the birthday boy. This would turn out to be a serious mistake – Yahya’s superstitious mind doesn’t allow him to see a “white horse” as just a mere gift, but rather a conning ploy for something more sinister, the results of which he believes, cannot be good news.
According to sources, when Yahya got news of the horse, he immediately directed his staff to keep Eumeu as far away from him as possible. Despite his repeated attempts, Eumeu was not able to even have a word of greeting with The Gambian Dictator. Yahya instead delegated his Secretary General, Lamin Nyabally as the go-to guy for Eumeu. The poor Senegalese wrestler went back home humiliated, dejected, and disrespected. Sources have confirmed to Faturadio that Eumeu was furious for the ill-treatment he received.
Observers have concluded that Eumeu Sene has no one to blame but himself since he was warned sufficiently about how Yahya Jammeh operates. But because Eumeu was too greedy to listen to wise counsel, he fell for what turned out to be what they (the observers) had suspected would be the fate of this relationship. They hope this will be a lesson for other Senegalese celebrities who are lining up to get a piece of Yahya’s “benevolence.”
