Jammeh's July 22 Anniversary Speech a Bravery Or Cowardice

The Independent
OPINION
August 12, 2002
Posted to the web August 13, 2002

By Sheriff Bojang Jnr
Banjul

On Tuesday July 23 The Independent carried my article entitled "The July 22
anniversary is there any cause for celebration?" The following day at
around 11:30am, this big fellow, a so-called pro-Jammeh who was not
satisfied with the issues I raised in the said article confronted me. He
arrogantly stopped me just by the gate of the National Museum in Banjul and
said to me "You Sheriff we know what you are up to but you won't succeed".
You convinced your boys to resign from Daily Observer and now you're used
by some foreign elements to criticize Jammeh for nothing. But tell your
foreign godfathers that in fighting against Jammeh you will be the loser.
Who are you to tell Jammeh what to do? What do you know about Koro Ceesay?"

This is the first time that I was ever confronted rudely by a respectable
or seemingly respectable person for merely expressing my views on a
national issue. Having heard the rude fellow's version, I tried to calm him
down and to put to him that I bear no evil or envy against either Jammeh or
his government contrary to his (rude fellow's) belief.

But he seemed to be too angry to listen to what I was trying to say. I was
so tired then and to avoid unnecessary confrontation, I boarded a vehicle
and went my way.

Well such things are not new to journalists.

Once you get what it takes to be a journalist, you are bound to welcome
threats, intimidation or even cold-blooded death. Thus, may I make it very
clear to the big fellow and his likes that I am prepared to ever remain a
journalist and in so doing I will exercise my rights and fulfill the
obligation I owe to the public to the best of my ability even if I am going
to lose my life at the end of the day. I hope the big fellow and Co. will
agree that I love this country at heart and I shall never be a puppet to
any foreign force as he claimed. Whether they agree or not, this is the
plain fact.

The Jammeh Factor

I wonder if people take notice of it. One glaring thing about President
Jammeh is that he is completely different from all other heads of states
both in outlook and way of thinking and reasoning. His fanatics believe he
is a great orator who deserves comparison with the likes of Nkrumah,
Lumumba and all other great Africans with the gift of oratory work.

To the Americans, when America sneezes the rest of the world catches cold.
If the Gambia should borrow the American leaf today, it will be like if
Yahya Jammeh speaks especially without the written text, shells are
cracked, the Gambia is opened to danger and dictatorial tendencies are
exposed. It is not only the words that matter.

But whenever Jammeh stands up and speaks up, one can always see the
aggressiveness and strictness in him. However, such characteristics are
associated with soldiers and he should remain a soldier.

It was another July 22 anniversary, Gambians turned out enmasse at the
glamorous Arch 22 to mark the occasion. Jammeh in his usual sultan attire
addressed the nation. He appeared like an angry lion, spoke like a little
despot and seemed to have classified himself among international
revolutionary thinkers.

His too wild a speech was received in some quarters as bravery while other
political observers observed "it was the worst speech delivery by any head
of state."

During the lengthy speech, Jammeh lashed at Gambian citizens, particularly
the youths for not holding on to their responsibilities. He blamed them for
leaving everything in the hands of the foreigners. Although it is President
Jammeh's right to blast the citizens of this beloved country for "not
leaving up to expectations", he should also put into consideration that his
claims are worldwide problems and not a Gambian one. We might be lazy in
our own country but according to those who traveled far and near, Gambians
are the most active people in foreign lands and despite being outside, they
have been contributing a lot towards the socio-economic development of the
nation.

Senegalese are more effective outside than inside Senegal. A South African
journalist told me that South Africans do well outside than inside the
region. So it is a worldwide phenomenon. Allah's prophets functioned well
at foreign lands than at their birthplaces.

Most importantly, I think Gambians are trying under all odd circumstances
to settle down here. For instance, they are today getting into the teaching
field, security services, petty trading and other areas than ever. This
shows that attitudinal changes are going on.

President Jammeh has been blasting us since he came to power and I think
enough is enough. What he should be doing now is to try to encourage us. As
my late grandmother used to tell me in my childhood days, "even if your
Muslim father drinks alcohol and hardly goes to mosque, call him Alhaji. In
the long run, that name will change him for the better."

Again, Jammeh lamented that government projects such as the new airport
terminal were built by foreigners and he yet blamed Gambians for not
leaving up to expectation. Well, this issue is simple. It is not the
company owners or ordinary Gambians who award such contracts. We have very
successful indigenous companies that can do those jobs better. But if
contracts are awarded for foreigners, what does Jammeh expect our own
brothers to do?

Jammeh further called on the youths to go back to the farm. That was a
repetition of a popular request. He assured us that it will rain if we go
back to the farm and said it rains at his home village of Kanilai everyday
because people are working on his farm there.

He was not wrong in telling our youths to go back to the farm. Agriculture
plays a significant role in our economy and there is the need to go to the
farm. However, Jammeh should put into consideration that people don't go to
farm for the sake of going there. A farmer goes to the farm for economic
upliftment and better living standard.

We were all living witnesses of the trauma Gambian farmers went through
during the past few years. The government failed to buy their groundnuts
and the few ones who had their nuts sold couldn't receive their monies on
time. So with that gloomy experience, people will hardly have the guts and
confidence to go to the farm.

In think Jammeh should have done more than merely calling on the youths to
go back to the farm. Like the tractor issue, he should have also apologise
the farmers for the woeful groundnut trade seasons and assured them that
there would be no recurrence of that situation. This is where the
confidence will come in.

Chastising the west

As expected, Jammeh blasted and lambasted the west for what he described as
their inequalities, self-centredness and mass exploitation in the world
scene. He accused them of being responsible for the lack of unity and
oneness in the world and further abbreviated west as the Exploit and Steal
from Territories overseas.

The hypocrisy, arrogance and double standard of the west is open secret. We
have seen how they contributed to fall and demise of genuine and visionary
African leaders such as Patrick Lumumba and Kwame Krumah, we have seen how
they supported rebellions and rebels leaders in Africa, we have seen how
they contributed to instabilities and economic disasters in some parts of
the continent, we have seen them planting hypocrisy in some African
countries including Zimbabwe and worst, we have read about the enslavement
of Africans by the west.

They are the main players of double standards. I agree with Jammeh on his
points against the west. But the big question is what will he achieve by
lashing at the west? People from all works of life have been talking about
the west's injustices since time immemorial and the situation remains the
same. We have had enough of these attacks. Let us now focus on national
development issues, western powers had done their part and despite all
odds, we can hardly leave without them.

Jammeh must know that the world has now become a global village. He must
know that he is alone in his struggle. He must ultimately know that at the
end of his struggle, it will be labour loss, energy wasted, no work done.
Enough is enough!

NEPAD OR KEE-PAD?

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is an initiative of
Presidents Bouteflika of Algeria, Wade of Senegal, Mbeki of South Africa
and Obasanjo of Nigeria. It is supposed or said to be the master plan for
Africa's economic upliftment.

For President Jammeh, NEPAD is a programme through which Africa will bow
down to the west. Perhaps, borrowing New African writer, Stella Orakwue's
assertion, Jammeh described NEPAD as Knee-pad and said Africans will bend
on their knees before the west before they will be given aid.

Jammeh was not wrong to say that NEPAD is geared towards begging, that
Africa is bowing to the west, that Africa is not west's priority. Those are
facts. The fact that the west gave the whole of Africa $1 billion and gave
Russia and Israel many billions of dollars each is a clear manifestation
that Africa is not part of the west's agenda.

On the other side of the coin, I think NEPAD is a very serious engagement
with the west. Jammeh must know that Africa cannot achieve anything by
antagonizing the west. We now have to get very close to them, make them
feel superior, cajole them, recover what was exploited from us and then
stand on our feet. I think this is the main motive behind NEPAD. We might
hate the west but we need them so much as at now.

Well, if Jammeh does not agree with me on this, I think it is prudent he
lay down an alternative, his own strategy rather than making empty shots.

War! War! War!

Jammeh had publicly declared that the Gambia is ready for war. He said if
he is pushed far, he will teach somebody a lesson. He vowed to wipe out an
opponent from the world map.

Certainly, those were the worst statements Jammeh had ever made since he
came to power and they were totally uncalled for. The Gambia is a small
country and Gambians have inherited a culture of tranquility. We have been
living in peace with our neighbours and this trend must continue.

Jammeh might be capable of appearing and disappearing, but for the sake of
our mothers, children and handicapped, let him keep his shots.

The empty threats will not speak well of our relationship with our
neighbours, particularly Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, who we have had
misunderstandings with recently.

May God help The Gambia and let peace and justice guide our nation.

Peace!

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