Right Mose,
I was about to say the same thing. Why can't some people be objective?
I remember reading something similar to Mr. Njie's criticisms when Dr. Saine
wrote an account of his experiences after a reasonable length of time of
stay in the country. The guy wrote about what he saw and experienced, and
did not need to lie about it. The same applies here with Dr. Touray, I'm
sure!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Musa Jeng" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 29 April, 2002 10:02 PM
Subject: Re: It wasn't me
> Mr. Njie
> I hate to disappoint you, but I was not able to reasonably deduce the same
conclusion you
> came up with, that the man is about to jump to anywhere.
>
> Gentlemen, it is so unfortunate that on the G-L one has to either echo the
agenda of the
> government,and be labeled as sycophants, or you have to belong to that
clique bent on a
> brutal campaign against the status quo. And when anyone dare to be
objective, constructive,
> or call as you see it, you are force to choose side. Remind me of
President Bush's
> ridiculous statement of either with us, or with the terrorist.
>
> Maybe some of us are very uncomfortable with both sides, and are driven by
the real truth.
>
> Musa Jeng
>
> Abdoul Njie wrote:
>
> > Dr. Touray,
> >
> > Without attempting to validate some of the developments you have pointed
on
> > my part, and since I do not believe that one has to be either for or
against
> > as I am an advocate of objectivity on this forum.
> >
> > I have to also say that one can reasonably read from some of the
statements
> > in your piece that you might be about to JUMP ship sooner or later to
the
> > APRC if the price is right.
> >
> > Best Regards,
> >
> > Ablie Njie-Lekbi
> >
> > >From: Dampha Kebba <[log in to unmask]>
> > >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> > ><[log in to unmask]>
> > >To: [log in to unmask]
> > >Subject: Re: It wasn't me
> > >Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 12:02:16 -0400
> > >
> > >Dr. Touray, I hope you are having a good time with your family and
friends
> > >you have not seen for a long time. Believe it or not, I understand the
very
> > >'difficult' situation you and people like Dr. Saine are in. You are
> > >basically decent people with a conscience. You are also human beings
that
> > >want to look after yourselves in your dealings with the Dictatorship.
This
> > >is NOT an easy thing to do in Gambia. HOWEVER in this WAR with the
> > >Dictatorship, one can either be for or against the defenseless masses.
You
> > >can be on the offense or on the defense, but NOT on the fence.
> > >
> > >When you narrated your 'pleasant surprise' upon arrival at the airport,
I
> > >was NOT surprised that you hasten to add that you were NOT 'an
apologist
> > >for
> > >the present government'. Just what made you think that some of us will
> > >construe your statement as a covert endorsement of the NIA and the
> > >Dictatorship? Does it have anything to do with the fact that
irrespective
> > >of
> > >your lame denial, you are in fact endorsing the Dictatorship?
> > >
> > >See, BEFORE some of you left to The Gambia, many people knew about your
> > >planned trip. Some knew through none other than Essa Sey. The mental
> > >midgets
> > >running our country might be the dumbest Gambians on the face of the
earth,
> > >BUT they sure know how to 'self-preserve'. The LAST thing the
Dictatorship
> > >would have done under the circumstances would be to 'arrest' you or Dr.
> > >Saine as soon as you set foot in the country. Essa Sey already warned
them
> > >against that. The fact that the NIA did NOT arrest you should NOT be a
> > >'pleasant surprise'. They have no business arresting you in the first
> > >place.
> > >For you people to fall for this gimmick and openly do the
AFPRC/APRC/NIA PR
> > >'job' for them, is grossly pathetic, to say the least.
> > >
> > >Why am I fussing about this seemingly benign revelation from you? The
> > >untrained eye that reads your 'endorsement' of the NIA would question
> > >him/herself: 'well Dr. Touray is a 'staunch critic' of the AFPRC/APRC
> > >regime
> > >and he was NOT arrested by the NIA, maybe the other 'critics' like Dumo
> > >that
> > >have been arrested did something criminal to necessitate their arrests?
> > >Just
> > >maybe the journalists that were abducted and tortured by the NIA did
> > >something to deserve their treatment or perhaps they were never
tortured by
> > >the NIA in the first place?' People read your stuff and think that Waa
> > >Juwara makes up the atrocities he has been reporting about AFPRC/APRC
> > >thugs.
> > >People read about your 'experience' (or lack thereof) and think that
OJ's
> > >passport was NOT seized or if it was seized, OJ must have done
something to
> > >deserve that.
> > >
> > >You people are NOT stupid. You read into your statements the very
things I
> > >read into them; which is why you hasten to add that you do NOT want to
be
> > >seen as apologists for the Dictatorship. That caveat is meaningless
after
> > >the deed has already been done. It is incumbent on some of us, after
> > >reading
> > >about your 'experiences' to put things in perspective and remind
Gambians
> > >that the same NIA that let you go (because of the intervention of
mental
> > >midgets like Essa Sey) are holding people like Dumo hostage. The same
> > >Dictatorship NEVER attempted to burn down Ousainou Darboe's house, but
they
> > >attempted to burn down Waa Juwara's house. Did we hear Ousainou Darboe
> > >describing as a 'pleasant surprise' the fact that his house was not
burnt
> > >and he is a 'critic' of the illegal outfit ruining our country? Darboe
> > >knows
> > >that if he does that, he stands the chance of being accused of mocking
Waa
> > >Juwara. Ignoring the plight of Gambians that are constantly being
harassed
> > >by the NIA and APRC thugs, and reporting 'stage-managed' (by Essa Sey)
> > >experiences that tacitly endorse the NIA, is a mockery to the numerous
> > >victims of that illegal outfit. Yes! You were NOT arrested. Neither was
Dr.
> > >Saine. Nor was Kabir or Sanusi. Allow us also to point out that the
> > >Dictatorship railroaded 'critics like Muhammed Sillah, Emmanuel Joof,
Waa
> > >Juwara, OJ, Alagie Mbye. This is just naming people that had encounters
> > >with
> > >the NIA that I know of within the past twelve months. I am NOT even
talking
> > >about Dumo et al that were abducted in broad daylight by the NIA and
> > >incarcerated incommunicado for crimes that they NEVER committed. It is
your
> > >prerogative to report 'pleasant surprises' with the NIA. It is also our
> > >prerogative to report UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCES our people are having with
the
> > >NIA. To people like Dumo, the NIA spells live and death situations. To
> > >those
> > >people, talking about the NIA is NOT a matter of hiding behind benign
words
> > >to send covert messages.
> > >
> > >Dr. Touray, I was NOT surprised that you have NOT been to the country
for
> > >this amount of years. With all due respect, people like you are prime
> > >candidates for the LIES AFPRC/APRC sycophants want to perpetuate here
on
> > >G_L
> > >and elsewhere, if you do NOT constructively engage reliable Gambians
living
> > >in that Hell Hole. A critical person before he sees 'developments' in
the
> > >country and start apportioning 'credit and commendation' would first of
all
> > >figure out the ownership of that 'development'. Take the TV for
instance.
> > >Commendation here, does it belong to the government that brought and
> > >nurtured Gamtel or to the government that brought a TV station that is
NOT
> > >sustainable and shamelessly allows itself to be used a tool for the
> > >Dictatorship? I do NOT even want to talk about the 'roads'. No amount
of
> > >wishful thinking can get those 'dust-bowls' paved. Since AFPRC/APRC is
> > >bereft of really positive things to talk about, they can be my guest
and
> > >dream about roads. They can even report that they 'plan' to put a
Gambian
> > >in
> > >Mars by year 2020. That is neither here nor there. The bottom-line is
that
> > >MOST of the good roads that are in that country were put there BEFORE
1994.
> > >After a bunch of thugs STOLE power from a democratically elected
> > >government,
> > >it is obvious that they would be the ones responsible for implementing
some
> > >of the projects that were conceived by the former regime. Ten-year-olds
> > >could have implemented these projects. To list these as 'major
> > >achievements'
> > >of this shameless regime, just goes to show us what we are dealing
with. We
> > >are dealing with a bunch of inept morons that CANNOT take the country
> > >forward.
> > >
> > >Allow me Dr. Touray to also disagree with your following observation
about
> > >the country: 'it's on the move, and very encouragingly, in what I [Dr.
> > >Touray] think is the right direction." Emphasis mine. Either you want
to
> > >misinform your readership or you are reading the situation totally
wrong.
> > >Our people are getting POORER by the day and you are saying that things
are
> > >moving in the 'right direction'? I beg your pardon. Don't be fooled by
> > >changing a few dollars and getting a bag-full of dalasis. That might be
a
> > >sign of 'good things' to you with the dollars. BUT think about the
> > >unemployed Gambian whose cost for a bag of rice has just gone up. We
still
> > >have a lot of ISSUES outstanding with this illegal government. You
> > >witnessed
> > >the 'elections' that chanced in the country. Does it look like a
Democracy
> > >to you? You think our 'democratic credentials' are pointing to the
'right
> > >direction'? You think the courts are serving people like Dumo and the
> > >victims of the Massacre of April 10 and 11, 2000? I do NOT even have
time
> > >to
> > >talk about our farmers, the teachers, the civil servants held under
hostage
> > >and the average Gambian that CANNOT afford three square meals a day,
like
> > >they used to. You CANNOT possibly be saying that the Gambian population
> > >that
> > >has grown POORER under AFPRC/APRC is 'moving in the right direction'.
You
> > >must have been fed a lot of LIES about what chanced before 1994. For
your
> > >information, before 1994, Gambians were living lot better than now.
This is
> > >NOT me talking. This is Famara Jatta talking. In this day and age,
Gambians
> > >NOT suffering from Ales should have expected the government to do lot
> > >better
> > >than the democratically elected government it stole power from.
Whichever
> > >way you slice it, this government (on its own admission) is taking us
> > >BACKWARDS. They say people are POORER under them. Why would anyone want
to
> > >read into that statement of the government that Gambians are 'moving in
the
> > >right direction'? Is becoming POORER the right direction for Gambians?
I do
> > >NOT think so.
> > >
> > >Finally Dr. Touray, I saw your 'appeal' to certain 'Diasporans' to
return
> > >and help in the development of the country. I think you genuinely mean
> > >this.
> > >But this again betrays some naivete in your part. If you really think
that
> > >one does not have to play ball with the APRC Dictatorship in order to
make
> > >a
> > >'meaningful development' in the country, then I have a bridge to sell
you.
> > >No person in this world can come to the Gambia and make a meaningful
> > >contribution without 'endorsing' the indefensible positions of the
> > >AFPRC/APRC. As I started above, in this WAR, one CANNOT be neutral. If
the
> > >AFPRC/APRC massacres innocent children and you stay mute, you are
> > >'endorsing' their position. If Yaya STEALS the proceeds of a 'Crude Oil
> > >Grant' given to the country and you stay mute, you are 'endorsing'
their
> > >position. You would undoubtedly be labeled an AFPRC/APRC apologist if
you
> > >stay mute about these vices, but are eager to 'give credit to or
commend'
> > >the government for 'projects' they CANNOT even claim ownership of.
> > >
> > >This is what the government 'FORCES' people to be if they want to
> > >'contribute meaningfully to the development of the country'. The
government
> > >wants you to ignore their vices and exaggerate their 'achievements'. To
me,
> > >this translates to being in 'cahoots' with the Dictatorship. Any
Gambian
> > >that partakes in this despicable behavior is an APRC apologist in my
book.
> > >Yes! Not every Gambian that is contributing to society partakes in this
> > >despicable behavior of ignoring the vices and exaggerating the
> > >achievements.
> > >The point is, those Gambians are NOT 'ALLOWED' by this illegal
government
> > >to
> > >contribute to the development of the country in a meaningful manner. It
> > >would be nice for accomplished scientists like Yusupha Jow to return
and
> > >contribute in the country instead of having mental midgets at Gamtel
that
> > >do
> > >NOT know A from B. But is it realistic to think that Jow would be
'allowed'
> > >to contribute to the development of Gamtel if the man has a conscience
and
> > >genuinely criticizes the government for heinous crimes like the
massacre of
> > >defenseless children? Of course we all know the answer. Let us say that
Jow
> > >wanted to go to the country and NOT work for Gamtel or other government
> > >institution. It would be a piece of cake to this illegal government to
ruin
> > >the man in a heartbeat because they believe he is 'unpatriotic'. To the
> > >morons, one is 'unpatriotic' if one criticizes them for stealing money
from
> > >us and killing our children. You (Dr. Touray) must know about what
happened
> > >to Alimenta in the country. This company used to bring over $20 million
in
> > >the country to buy the farmers' groundnuts cash down. No worthless
> > >promissory notes. When Baabaa Jobe wanted some dubious Libyans to take
> > >their
> > >place, the company was sent parking. This erratic move later costs our
> > >taxpayers $12 million in EU grants and continues to cost our farmers to
> > >this
> > >day. And mind you, Alimenta was NOT even 'criticizing' this government
as
> > >any decent Gambian should criticize them for holding the Gambian people
> > >hostage. Just like you (Dr. Touray) are entitled to read the situation
in a
> > >particular light and 'encourage' certain 'Diasporans' to park and go to
the
> > >Hell Hole, I would tell those people that they do NOT have to be in
Gambia
> > >to contribute to the development of that country. Matter of fact, being
in
> > >Gambia reduces ones chances for meaningful contribution. Nowadays when
> > >people go to the country, they jettison their principles in the
Diaspora
> > >and
> > >go to the country and run after crumbs from the Dictatorship. Flipping
> > >burgers in the Diaspora and earning enough to feed your family at home
and
> > >having the 'luxury' to be a HUMAN BEING that can say that murder of
> > >defenseless children is wrong and that murderers should NOT lead us, is
> > >BETTER than going to Gambia and kissing up to the Dictatorship in order
to
> > >make ends meet.
> > >KB
> > >
> > >
> > >_________________________________________________________________
> > >Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com
> > >
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