Ladies and Gens, the hypocricy and greed continues.

Friday, September 29, 2000

LAI CONTEH BACK AT KMC THANKS PRESIDENT, SUPPORTERS

About 72 hours after an indefinite suspension order was slammed on him,
Abdoulai Conteh, the popular chairman of the Kanifing Municipal Council was
yesterday afternoon recalled to office.

A fax message from the Office of the President was received at the KMC
offices at 1pm yesterday revoking the suspension order of Lai Conteh with
immediate effect. The suspension of the populist KMC chairman had engendered
strong lobbying from powerful supporters including secretaries of state,
APRC bigwigs and constituents of the Kanifing municipality.

Shortly after the announcement, jubilating supporters including staff of the
KMC, boarded vehicles and drove to Lai Conteh's Bakoteh residence. They
returned with him driving in his private red 190 Merc, chanting, 'waa ji
nyew na!" (the guy has come). Talking to his supporters outside his office
soon afterwards, Lai Conteh thanked "everyone" for their show of solidarity,
particularly the president for his "understanding."

However, he condemned the dispersing of his supporters from the KMC grounds
Wednesday morning by municipal police. "This is a public place and no one
has the right to ask anyone out of the premises. This complex was built from
tax payers' money," he said. Ebou Cham, a vocal supporter of Conteh, said,
"President Jammeh is our choice and he will continue to have our support
because he is a man of his words. Jammeh says power belongs to the people
and this is what he has demonstrated by giving us back the man we want. Lai
Conteh is a model in the APRC party."

Awa Jasseh Jawneh said, "We are proud of President Jammeh because he has
rubbed the tears off our faces. We assure him of the fullest support of the
youths because he has not let us down." Pa Badjie, the secretary general of
the KMC fans club remarked, "We want to renew our loyalty to President
Jammeh.

We want to make it clear that we are here for the APRC and not for any
individual. We commend him for his leadership skills which he has manifested
by listening to our call for him to reinstate Lai." Contacted by the Daily
Observer later yesterday evening, Lai Conteh said, "I thank the president.
He is the one who decided that I should be back in office.

The letter was handed to me at my home by a messenger and I was asked to
sign in a book. So I am going back to work tomorrow." Asked what prompted
the groundswell public show of support for him, he replied, "I do not know,
I have been working with them." He said his return to office will "solidify
and unify the people behind President Jammeh and the APRC."

Meanwhile, the Daily Observer has reliably learnt that the president
summoned a meeting which lasted up to 10pm Wednesday to discuss Conteh's
suspension and related issues." Present at the meeting were Lai Conteh
himself, certain secretaries of state, service chiefs and the APRC national
women's mobiliser, Aji Fatou Sallah.

So, you see, Yahya is a part of a bigger problem - General Greed.  This
parasitic tendency is going to be the biggest obstacle for the opposition in
the comming elections.  You have willing buyers (the crocs) and willing
sellers (oppotunists abound).  Unless we do something about this ravenous
appetite, I see a sale.  As Soffie pointed out, Where Were They During And
After The Masacre?  Meanwhile, the hypocricy and greed continues.

Joe Sambou



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