Cherno Baba Jallow,

I was away for a week and since my return, on Monday, I was occupied with very urgent matters at work. I was going to find time this weekend to write on the proposed debate between Hamjatta and Halifa, as I have been following the discussion surrounding this issue, which has become so muddled that the essence is now unfortunately being lost.

I think this needed not merely be a debate between Halifa and Hamjatta. Hamjatta raised question concerning PDOIS' /Halifa’s contribution during the Transition period and after, on the one hand, on the other hand he raised questions on socialism in general. He wrote, “ The biggest surprise however came from the PDOIS/Foroyaa elites who wittingly and unwittingly have given this barbaric regime both comfort and allure to their poses. For reasons perhaps best known to themselves, they appointed themselves resident intellectuals of a so called transition process, continuously tossing about favourable feelers to Jammeh and even openly
calling upon him to stand for elections to legalise himself.” He went further, “ In the attempt to choreograph Leftists shameful complicity in repression in Africa, there are fundamental moral truths to be grasped by all:

1.All Utopias or attempts at implementing them as we have witnessed or learned in history are invariably achieved through only force and dictatorial mechanisms Persuasion and reason have no place in Socialism and other world Utopias..............
3. Moral and intellectual frustrations of Leftists have incredibly made them turn to despotic political orders, finding in them
surrogate ventilation outlets and conduits to hopelessly keep alive their bankrupt worldviews.
4. It goes without saying, that it is about time the enfeebling Socialist consensus on Africa is challenged and finally laid to rest.”

In a nutshell, I saw two dimensions, one was the PDOIS-Gambian situation dimension and the other constitutes the Socialism-African situation dimension.

Considering that we are all, in one way or the other, occupied with how to establish democracy and the rule of law in The Gambia, which has led people like Hamjatta to keep repeating that PDOIS should call for mass strikes in order to bring about change in The Gambia, I though that this would be a good opportunity for a broader discussion to be held to discuss these issues at length with a broader public. This was why I called for more people to participate in the discussion.

My intention to join the discussion, therefore, should be seen against this background. It was my wish to take part in the broader discussion and to see if Hamjatta or anyone else really has answers to convince me on the wrongdoings of PDOIS, the solution to our terrible situation and on a broader dimension, the solution to Africa’s problems. A credible, proactive critic will not only raise criticisms in fine words, but would go further to show that there is a viable alternative by assessing the possible consequences of the alternatives, and whether the conditions and the means to achieve the desired results are available. This is why I
am looking forward to Hamjatta’s response to the questions he was asked.

I still hope that the discussion will take place. For example, Halifa can deliberate on the situation at home and what he sees as the right approach to deal with our situation in particular and the African situation in general. Other participants can then ask questions and give their opinions on the situation, PDOIS’ role just after the coup and today, as well as on the general African situation. If Hamjatta is still interested in taking part, Momodou Olly-Mboge may even ask him to look for someone he trusts to conduct the discussion.

Let me now turn to your quotation and subtle allegation. In your usual quest to distort reality, here again, you deliberately and shamelessly try to take what I wrote out of context, by only taking the part which suits your imagination into consideration. You wrote: “Alpha Robinson, who myopically fanatically said in Halifa's defence, "Halifa, WHATEVER YOU DECIDE (emphasis mine), be rest assured that there are many Gambians and non-Gambians who treasure your role in our history....no one can turn us against you," is ready to travel from Germany to the UK for this debate.” The impression you are trying to create is that Alpha Robinson
takes WHATEVER Halifa decides and gulps it down only to regurgitate it afterwards; one of the programmed fanatics so to speak. “Halifa lo def bahna”

I will now quote the relevant portion of the mail you referred to and let everyone see through you.

“Honest human beings who know you will never doubt your integrity, sincerity, straightforwardness and the great sacrifices you have made your way of life. Sometimes, I feel that this world is not a place for people who are honest and just. The dilemma you seem to be faced with now is whether to continue doing the work of the people without blowing your trumpet loud or to clear the way once and for all, thereby inevitably trampling on certain people.

Halifa, whatever you decide, be rest assured that there are many Gambians and non-Gambians who treasure your role in our history. Today, tomorrow and the day after, there will be Gambians who will do everything necessary to straighten the records. No one can throw sand into our eyes any longer. No one can turn us against you. My personal opinion at this very moment is to clear the way ONCE AND FOREVER in a document which will be kept for anyone who comes up later with baseless accusations to access, and ONLY after reading such a document come back to challenge your stand before and after the coup. That way, you can focus on the more
important work of the people.”

The words you enthusiastically emphasised in an apparent mood of jubilation after exposing yet another “myopic, fanatic” (to borrow from you) follower of Halifa, referred to the DILEMMA mentioned in the previous paragraph; WHETHER TO STEP ON TOES OR NOT. So contrary to the open ticket “Halifa whatever you ever decide” “Halifa lo def bahna” I was saying, “Halifa whether you decide to step on toes or not your contribution will be treasured” “Halifa lo def chi nyarri jeff yi bahna”.

Let me repeat that the likes of Halifa enjoy a lot of respect and admiration from me, because of their selfless contribution and foresight. Everyday that respect and admiration becomes stronger, and this will remain so until such day that such people turn out to be sell outs and betray the will and aspiration of our people. Even then, I will still respect them for their positive contribution. I hope that is clear.  Cherno, you have called me all sorts of names before. Well, it’s your prerogative to see me anyway you wish to. That does not add or take anything from me. Time will judge all of us. But once again I refuse to go down so low,
to the level of trading insults or engaging in name-calling with you.

What I will do, though, is to remind you that you are on record. Listen to yourself again. After The ruling council’s attempt to ban FOROYAA in the aftermath of the coup, you wrote the following in the daily observer. “In my opinion, the ban placed on FOROYAA doesn't in all sincerity mean a deliberate violation of freedom of the press. The ban was just inevitable and circumstantial. In other words, it represents a clash between textbook reality and situational reality”

Left to your kind alone, we would have been where we are today long time ago. FOROYAA would have been banned. Anyone who dared raise a voice would have been put behind bars. Anyone with similar views would have suffered the same fate or worst, and you the great journalist would have continued singing “in all sincerity this is all not a violation of freedom. Just another clash between textbook reality and situational reality. Another inevitable and circumstantial reality.” By the time you realise what was happening it would have been too late, and you will start singing “mea culpa”.

A dose of food for thought from the late Ken Saro-Wiwa ( from one of his books, a month and a day) may do you some good brother. Listen to the voice of a sincere African writer who used the pen for liberation.
“Indeed, literature must serve society by steeping itself in politics, by intervention, and writers must not merely write to amuse or to take a bemused, critical look at society. They must play an interventionist role. My experience has been that African governments can ignore writers, taking comfort in the fact that only few can read and write, and that those who read find little time for luxury of literature consumption beyond the need to pass examinations based on set texts. Therefore the writer must be L’homme engagé: the intellectual man of action”

Alpha Robinson

PS I will respond to all those who sent private mails very soon. Please excuse the delay.

chernob jallow wrote:

> Hamjatta should not participate in this proposed debate with Halifa Sallah.
> Why? Two reasons are not in contest:

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