Hamjatta,
The points you raise here were the gist of my rejoinder to Cherno Baba
Jallow's original defense and challenge to Halifa. One of two things
happened during the transition and up to Korro's death: either Halifa Sallah
has been duped/seduced by the AFPRC (which is very unlikely,) or he has been
the cunning manipulator who has been using his superior intelligence to
pursue less than honorable ulterior motives (just like Robert McNamara did
with Lyndon Johnson here in the 60s.) Any way you look at it, it doesn't
look good for Halifa. It is very disturbing b/c here is a very highly
intelligent person, preying on a group of people, who at best are only of
average intelligence. Considering that no one in the defunct AFPRC had the
education, intelligence, or foresight to be running anything, the Council
members were taking their cues from resident intellectuals like Halifa.
Their strategy was basically putting out daily "feelers" trying to gauge the
direction of public sentiment through the public's reaction to stories in
the media
I have never been a supporter of formal Socialism. I think as Africans, we
already practice socialism in our blood relationships. When one person has
to support ten, thirty, or fifty people monthly, I call that the epitome of
socialism. This is a simplistic interpretation of the Socialist system, but
at the core, Socialism is all about communal/societal ownership/control of
economic resources. Whether it's direct distribution of resources, or the
trickle-down form I just alluded to makes no difference. And when you look
at the Gambia especially, to even think that Socialsim will work is utopian
or Quixotic. To be very blunt, Gambians are as corrupt as any corrupt people
on the face of the earth. And we are more hypocritical than we like to admit
- at all levels of our society. Every public enterprise (the total
monopolies we inherited at independence, and the ones formed by the first
Republic) have all been looted BY GAMBIANS: GPMB, GUC, GCDB, NTC etc etc. So
why should we nationalize resources only to have a few crooks loot them
again? That doesn't make any sense!
But despite my reservations, I was a supporter of PDOIS b/c I thought these
were a very decent, and honorable group of people. But since the coup, the
news from the PDOIS group has been very disappointing to say the least.
First, there was the flip-flop about the legitimacy of the coup itself. (
Ironically, when Ousainou Mbengue organized a petition to urge the AFPRC
junta to release the PDOIS trio, I was one of the first people to sign the
doc.) No regrets there. But, PDOIS was first against the coup, then they
were not. Or may be you have to be psychic to know what's going on at PDOIS
often times.
Overall, as the transition continued, it became abundantly clear to anyone
w/ eyes to see where the loyalties of the PDOIS group lied. For some reason,
they seem to have concluded that if they cannot win the elections (and they
can't,) then Yaya should rule. Their campaign for the doctored 1996
constitution is particularly disgraceful. How can any honest Gambian
subscribe to a document that gives a particular group of people the RIGHT to
do ANYTHING w/ impunity. And this particular group has been doing just that
since the elections. Talk to Shingle Nyassi, Waa Juwara or the thousands of
innocent Gambians who have been savagely brutalized by this regime. What
has Halifa in particular seen in that constitution that is redemptive of our
national values? Is Halifa now proud to have vigorously campaigned for this
document? Does he feel culpable for helping put in place such APRC carte
blanche' to commit unspeakable terrorism? To be specific, what was in the
constitution for Halifa b/c apparently, there's nothing there for the
Gambia. No TERM LIMITS, and a License to kill, maim, imprison, abduct and
torture wantonly. What a shame!
But, what was the last straw for me was the sorry excuse of an
"investigation" that PDOIS reported in their paper regarding Korro's murder.
Complete morons in the Gambia know how that man died! To have PDOIS tell
that ricidulous story about Korro is pathetic!
I can understand if they were trying to cool tempers. But even then, getting
the Ceesay family justice should matter. By spinning that spurrious story
about how Korro really died, PDOIS has irredeemably allienated many hitherto
sympathetic followers. We now know that there were several members of the
Council who were pushing Yaya to go after the culprits. A little push from
PDOIS could have catapulted him into action - for the better. But, it's been
five years now, and people are still asking the same questions. And if I
were a betting man, I'll tell you this: Korro Ceesay's death will haunt the
Yaya Jammeh inner circle to their graves. You cannot pacify the public w/
lies. To get closure, the truth has to come out so people can move on. When
that truth comes out, PDOIS will be one group of people held up for public
ridicule. And very deservedly! Again, I have to ask, what interest does
PDOIS have in concocting such a story for the Jammeh govt.?
And there were the degrees that banned every politician but themselves. I
was expecting a protest from PDOIS b/c I was under the illusion that they
belief in fair play. I can understand why the PPP should be banned. Frankly,
they (PPP) created the conditions that warranted the coup in the first
place. Not to talk about the corrupt Slime Balls who totally controlled that
party. But to ban Sherrif Dibba who exposed PPP corruption for twenty years
only b/c he "used" to be a member of the PPP? Where is PDOIS' sense of
fairness, or justice? This is the party that campaigned for the trial and
conviction of some police officers who tortured Momodou Jarju to death in
the late eighties. Jarju was a watchman at Jallow Pol's Brikama bakery. That
assertive stance was what endeared me to PDOIS. I even campaigned for Halifa
in S/K East while I was still in the Sixth Form in '87. What happened to
PDOIS?
PDOIS and Halifa in particular need to apologize for their behavior since
the coup. More and more Gambians are talking about the double standards, the
pro-'96 Constitution campaign, and the shameful "Korro Ceesay died in an
accident" non-seller. Apologizing would be better than this Clitonesque
arrogance coming from PDOIS: "I can make you people believe anything b/c I'm
so smart." Just remember these lines from Bob Marley Halifa:
"You can fool some people all the time
You can fool some of the people most of the time
But you cannot fool ALL the people all the time."
To continue to enjoy any measure of credibility, you need to own up to your
blunders/misdeeds! It's the only honorable thing to do.
Saul Saidykhan.
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