“Musa…Musa – It is almost 6:30, are you going to work toady?” as his wife sleepily inquired. “Oh men, I am so tired”, as he glanced at the clock, “leave me alone it is just 5:30”, and he went back to sleep – back to the dream.

On a road from Kaur to Banjul:

Mr. Honorable Jeng, this was a very successful trip, and I can really see that the people of Saloum are really committed to you as their representative. Yea Saikou, it was indeed a good trip, but I am still torn by the fact that I have not represented them well. What are my responsibilities as a national assembly representative and a lawmaker?  How have I really contributed to bring an end to their poverty, or as a lawmaker, how have I protected their rights under the constitution? I was sworn in to uphold and protect the constitution of the Gambia, and as a lawmaker what have I really done in this regard? Clearly, for the last ten years the country has been heading in the wrong direction, recent events are clear testimony that something huge needs to be done to save our republic. Saikou, I am sure you have heard the events at the at the Central bank – one of the nerve centers of the economy, which really explained how our currency became a toilet paper vis a vis to other foreign currencies. The Babagate scandal, and this is one event that I am still trying to understand how a majority leader of the legislature could highjack our economy, and working with the president created fourth arm of the government. This was an impeachable offense, and as a lawmaker what am I doing about it? Just look, what is happening to our judiciary - the very pillar and foundation of our republic has become a mockery under the tutelage of the executive. I cannot fathom, how a leader of a political party – a man that has served our republic for the last thirty something years of his life was easily railroaded to prison, not even the Bar Association can save the judiciary, and seemed very helpless. If one judge - Paul, who is by everyone’s opinion, a political hag who is for all practical purposes has the power to be the savior of our judiciary, I thing we are damn as a nation.

As a lawmaker, what are my responsibilities? Is it enough to just criticize, and allow the very constitution I was sworn to protect to become a paper towel under the tutelage of one man? Sakou, I have really become a torn, angry, frustrated and guilty national assembly member, and I am really looking for practical solutions.  The people of Saloum elected me – but that representation is a sham because I really know where the real power lies. When a reputable man of the law – somebody who is a pillar to justice in this country, said that his attempted murder was state sponsored, here I am calling myself a lawmaker and cannot do a damn thing about it.  What business do I have for taking taxpayers money every month and still very impotent in protecting them. I was sworn in to protect the constitution, and when I failed to do just that, then by default I am culpable and have become part of the charade. As good old Lee iacco – the leader of Chrysler use to say, you lead, follow or get out of the way. Saikou, I have finally decided to change strategy in the way I have represented the people of Saloum as a lawmaker. The constitution has given me the power, and I am going to explore all the practical avenues to save the destruction of the Gambia. The alternatives to be considered: resign from the National Assembly, remake the Martin Luther King march in Selma – by calling all my supporters to march to the state house and demand answers from the President; immediately start the proceedings for the impeachment of the President. Obviously Saikou, I will have to get support from the other national assembly members – I know we do not have the numbers and that should not matter, but our commitment to send real messages has become an important tool. Now is the time to take our country back before it is too late.

“Musa…Musa, are you not going to work today?”Oh men I am already late. This was some dream. “And who is Halifa, Hamat and Sedia that you keep talking to in your dream?” These are really individuals that have so far contributed a lot in the Gambia struggle, but we as Gambians want them to reclaim our country back by sending real messages.

 See you honey, I gotta go to work if I am to pay the mortgage this month

Thanks
Musa Jeng

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~