There’s a lot mixed-up troubling issues about in Gambia to worry about. Pick your own poison: The IEC pre-election injustice, the rise of Gambia from smiling coast to the Islamic State, the general malaise of our economy as a result of the burrowing owls hands on our nations coffers … but there will be a hundred reasons more to be worried about our country, if Yaya Jammeh is left to shoulder his way back to state house on December 2nd. Many of us long for the good old days of Gambia to rise again on December 2nd but as a first step first, the opposition need to come together to lift the veil of terror from our faces. Somewhat lost amid the hubbub of back-to-back national crisis which engulfed our nation, then came the disquieting news of a mercurial march past consisting of old naked men and women relaying message to Yaya Jammeh their idol is angry with him. Heaven knows what that means for us ordinary Gambians. Those are fears that we not only understand, but share as Gambians because Yaya Jammeh put their needs above us Gambians. This prompts a painful reminder of how one of us wound up sacrificed in the most gruesome way in the first place. It’s a difficult reckoning but what can we do as citizens other than vote this evil regime out because the military with carry his wishes in a blink out an eye.
Given how many grievance Gambians have with the regime, we share the frustration that many Gambians — especially those whose families are held by the regime and relatives of people who died trying to find closure. Despite the constant counsel from European union, many well-wishers, current presidents, respected world leaders and APRC party insider’s constantly urge him to adopt a decorous public persona, Yaya Jammeh continues to lash out at his critics, pushing back against calls to release the UDP executives and all those political prisoners incarcerated after April 14th event. Worst of all, he continues to insist our complex problems can be solved with little effort of sacrificing animals for a feast or using entertaining show-biz to temper down the frustrated citizens. But it remains stunning nonetheless that Yaya Jammeh imagines himself as wise as a tree full of owls that makes his thoughts supersedes the whole nation of Gambia but his efforts are long on glitz of dictatorship and short on substance for Gambia. Odd as it may sound, but the nation simply cannot afford more his trees.
In the meantime, twenty-two years of being in charge of the executive branch, Yaya Jammeh still operating his enormous authority with no coherent worldview besides — I alone can fix everything. As a result, he alone renegaded all of Gambia’s historic treaty commitments, continues increasing tensions in regions and putting our country in the same basket with other isolated nations. We shake our heads and wonder what is next he is going to put Gambia through. Our elders and religious beliefs taught us some words of wisdom yesterday and now, we are living witnesses of the consequences. It states “Terrible leaders can knock nations off course”. The man happily throws the Gambians into turmoil altogether by leaning a bit too hard on idoilistic dreams. After all, he broke up diplomatic ties with Taiwan, eagerly sacrificed Gambians student’s education dreams — when they refused his millions of money madness advances. Same goes for the commonwealth — when he abruptly withdraws us and hauling obscenities to the west. Now, our hospitals are without medication, civil servants aren’t paid on time or allowed 1 by 6 — advances and important development projects lost for nothing.
The presidency is an enormous task but Yaya Jammeh, spends all his time nominating families for torture to be videotaped for him, launching cultural problems by abandoning or redefining our traditions, abrogating international deals that will benefit Gambians, and continuing to destroy the frameworks of our country that has greatly enriched us as nation. Other African nations presidents — wake up every morning priotizing their citizen’s concerns, but the first thing Yaya Jammeh does is to ask about people on his open enemies list. He will go to the office with the ought most lack of enthusiasm by pulling out his lower lip above his nose — with the worst kind of temperament. Civil servants around his office would be so terrified that they have to — read on his mood swings — before reminding him of his duty — because of his mulishness, bullheadedness, obstinacy and stubbornness. It’s very sicken that — people Jobs depends on keeping him happy for that moment. But despite Yahya Jammeh’s insistence to be the president, he doesn’t now like doing what the job entails — such as being diplomatic with people, Collaboration with other nations to — solves problems and exercise patience on the weak citizens.
A pill of Wisdom for our Opposition leaders: This point must be made clearly
To the utter disbelief of many, the surprise uncertainty and slow reflexes of the opposition parties in quickly putting their emotes aside and in quickly coming together behind one formidable independent candidate, have characterized the fears of Gambians into category 9.9/10. We all know the urgency of coming together for this elections. Those surrogates must remember their influence on their party leaders might lead to a string of miscalculations — which we cannot afford for God’s sake again. Yaya Jammeh has cleverly exploited our weakness and hastily setting up shops of doubts in our heads amid the chaos. After all, the best case to intervene at this moment is a coalition. But the opposition leaders much remember — they will have the worst of both worlds. Gambia will in ruins, citizens will blame them throughout history for punting on this opportunist moment and they will be blamed for opening the door to 2017 for Yaya Jammeh to continue his terror on them. On the other hand, Gambia has to be nudge delicately toward order however modest and frustrating the coalitions efforts crawls along. Otherwise, some us may get this voicemail on our phones on December 2nd : Your wives have remarried; your homes are re-occupied by NIA as safe houses; your wealth is being redistributed and buy your grave elsewhere. Deep questions linger as to what exactly do the opposition leaders need to come together other than our support?
A pill of Wisdom for Yaya Jammeh: This point must be made clearly
Whatever grievance you have with your idols, Gambians people cannot be ambushed for your sacrificial ritual to resolve it nor is it the best way to further any cause. These things might have argued in your nefarious mind that there will be no resolution to your troubles without violent actions. Well, let me remind you of the story of river The Nile of Egypt today. Once, some people came to Omar (A companion of the prophet(SAW)) to complain that the Nile is used to something and cannot flow unless it is carried out. They narrated how they sacrifice a virgin girl from parents, similar to something you have ordered to be carried out. Immediately, Omar(RAD) reminded them that — the religion does not allow such evil practices. After a while, he received a letter that the Nile ceased flowing to their community. So he wrote on a piece of paper with the following words “From Omar the servant of GOD to the Nile, if you flow on your own initiative, then do not flow for we do not need you. But if you flow by the will and Command of GOD the subdue, then we asked GOD to make you flow. He gave the piece of letter to the people with instructions of them throwing it in the water. It is said that night, the water rose 16 cubits and to this day, that particular custom has ended. So brother Yaya, Gambians reels from the horror of these ghastly acts because it is not our custom nor it holds our country together. We shake our heads and wonder what is next you would do each day. Please save yourself — because you have spoiled these things such that one day, they may ask for your soul. What would you do? You must show Gambians — and yourself — you are better than that. Please, take a deep breath and move forward with your life and let us Gambian people rule our country with the blessings of GOD.
By habib ( A Concerned Gambian)
