Soffie, our problem is deeper than Yahya. The relationship between the
ruler and the ruled in The Gambia is cemented by greed. Forget about how
adversely the welfare of a nation is impacted. Most in that country are out
for themselves and as dumb as Yahya and his cast of crocs are, they know
enough to feed the appetites of these women and many, many more. This
ravenous appetite transcends, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, or
geographical location. It is the blood that keeps our problem alive. The
cold treatment that most showed in all the atrocities committed by these
thugs is borne out of the conviction that turning the other way in the midst
of this mayhem may line their pockets some day. I was in Banjul around the
time Dumo and crew were arrested. Most people I talked to pretended as if
nothing out of the ordinary happened, and as long as it does not happen to
them, they thanked God for his deliverance. Unless we look for the common
good, our situation will never change, even after Jammeh. Your conclusion
on the action of these women is right on the money. Keep-up the pressure.
Jammeh will go, but a whole host people and attitudes will accompany him.
Joe Sambou
>From: Ceesay Soffie <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: What Goes Up Must Come Down
>Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 07:31:32 -0400
>
>I have been knee deep in paper work and will be 'til the FY officially
>closes. But, I simply could not get on without commenting on the action of
>these women. What's up with them? Hypocrisy?, misplaced loyalties?
>(definitely!!), hypocrisy?, self expediency?, misplaced priorities? - where
>were they when the butcher unleashed his gun toting, trigger happy killer
>zombies on our kids? Where were they when Ebrima Barry's mother was
>mourning the murder of HER son? Where were they when a young DAUGHTER of
>Gambia was raped and nothing came of it? Where were they when the mothers
>and wives of those held on trumped up charges of treason were calling for
>help? Where were they when Radio One FM, it's proprietor and workers were
>attacked with the clear intention to kill them? I can go on with the list
>of criminal acts by this criminal government that these women could have
>come out to protest.
>
>These women ought to be ashamed of themselves. What kind of development
>will KMC see when our children have no hope, no prospects, no
>opportunities,
>no freedoms? Here is another tired but 'will make it come true' cliché -
>what goes around comes around. The time that we have allowed the beasts of
>power to destroy Gambia has and should be instructive to all sober Gambians
>that never again will we allow these leeches to stick, much more burrow
>deep
>enough to wreak the kind of havoc we are witnessing.
>
>The struggle continues!! (thanks Ndey)
>
>Soffie
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: joe sambou [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2000 4:15 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: What Goes Up Must Come Down
>
> Folks, there is chaos in the house that Jammeh built.
>Culled from the
> Observer Newspaper:
>
> Wednesday, September 27, 2000
>
> KMC'S CONTEH SUSPENDED
>
> "Early Monday afternoon, the chairman of the Kanifing
>Municipal Council,
> Abdoulai Conteh, was given a terse three-sentence letter
>suspending him from
> office indefinitely.
>
> The reason for his indefinite suspension was not publicly
>announced but
> sources said the decision was provoked by differences
>between the KMC
> chairman and the secretary of state for Local Government
>over "certain
> projects" in the municipality.
>
> As a result, the president was said to have instructed the
>department of
> state for Local Government to write to Lt Col (Rtd)
>Conteh,
>ordering him to
> proceed on immediate indefinite leave. Following the
>spread
>of the news of
> Conteh's suspension, a group of women from the
>municipality
>and staff of the
> KMC yesterday afternoon boarded eight mini-vans and
>picketed
>State House to
> lobby the president to reinstate Abdoulai Conteh.
>
> Some of the protesters displayed banners reading, 'We Need
>Lai Conteh
> Because of His Dedication to the Development of KMC', 'We
>need Lai Conteh
> for his foresight in trying to make KMC a model which
>could
>be compared to
> any municipality in developing countries', 'We need Lai
>Conteh for his
> political maturity and love for his municipality', and so
>on. At 3.30pm,
> after three hours of camping outside State House, the
>president dispatched
> the commander of State Guard, Captain Lang Tombong Tamba,
>assistant
> secretary, Office of the President, Baba Jobe, and three
>other security
> personnel attached to the Close Protection Unit of the
>Presidential Guard,
> to meet the group.
>
> Narrating their grievances to Tamba and others, a
>spokeswoman for the group,
> said, "We are here today to express our utmost
>dissatisfaction with the
> handing of an indefinite suspension letter to Lai Conteh
>yesterday. We came
> to appeal to the president to rescind his decision, with
>due
>respect.
>
> We are all behind him and the APRC and shall remain so
>forever. But we want
> to explain to him that we have started a process with Lai
>Conteh and if he
> is removed from office especially with the coming local
>government election,
> those ends may not be met. Lai Conteh is very hard-working
>and we are not
> here to blow his trumpet but to give His Excellency a
>firsthand indication
> of our mutual feeling about this matter. We are here
>representing hundreds
> of others who feel exactly the same but cannot make it
>here
>due to other
> pressing engagements.
>
> We are not saying that Lai Conteh is indispensable, but
>replacing him means
> taking us back to square one." In response, Captain Tamba
>urged the group to
> remain calm and return home to re-direct their grievances
>"through peaceful
> channels. We know how you feel but please do take things
>easy. You are right
> to show your unhappiness but this you could have done with
>less commotion.
>
> Just go home and identify representatives who can have
>audience with the
> president on your behalf." Baba Jobe added, "We know you
>are
>all loyal to
> the president and the APRC, so let us treat this as an
>in-house matter if
> the opposition are not to say there is infighting within
>us.
>Your face,
> (referring to a woman with tears running down her cheeks)
>is
>familiar to me
> and I am certain that you will die for President Jammeh
>but
>as the commander
> has just told you, everything can be solved through
>appropriate channels.
>
> Take things easy to avoid worsening the situation."
>Following this
> statement, the sombre crowd dispersed, with a number of
>the
>protesters
> deigning to leave immediately. Others burst into tears as
>they slowly
> marched towards the Quadrangle. Both the municipal clerk
>of
>the KMC,
> Mustapha Njie, and the PRO, Aminata Hydara, declined to
>comment on the issue
> when they were contacted yesterday morning at their
>offices.
>
> Mr Njie referred our reporter to the department of state
>for
>Local
> Government and PRO Hydara said she was not officially
>notified about the
> suspension of the chairman. The secretary of state for
>local
>government,
> Momodou Nai Ceesay, and his permanent secretary both
>declined to comment on
> the issue, saying they were "very busy." Sources have
>reported that
> lobbyists, including SoS Yankuba Touray, Susan Waffa-Ogoo
>and Dr Sarja Taal
> met the president to plead for a reconsideration of Lai
>Conteh's suspension.
>
> Meanwhile, former police chief and commissioner of Western
>Division, Famara
> RI Jammeh, was tipped to replace Lai Conteh as KMC
>chairman.
>Up to press
> time, no official reason was given for Conteh's suspension
>and his official
> car, KMC 1, was seen parked in the KMC parking lot. Lai
>Conteh has been the
> KMC chairman since the change of government in 1994. Alieu
>Badara Ceesay,
> Lamin Sagnia, Augustus Mendy contributed to this story."
>
> Is this not the same Lie Conteh that Jammeh recently
>decorated for
> outstanding service and all that claptrap. In the company
>of crocs everyone
> is a potential meal. Well, Lie can now join the company
>of
>Dominic Mendy,
> Henry Baldeh, Musa Mbenga and a host of early retirees.
>Next!! On a more
> serious note, I am still puzzled why many intelligent
>brothers and sisters
> associate with this rabid dog called Jammeh, only to be
>infected, used,
> abused, and then jettisoned when they are most vulnerable.
>You know the
> remaining steaks for Jammeh's barbeque have already died
>several times
> within the day of this announcement, for they know their
>number could be up
> any minute. Lie and his predecessors did not see the
>missile that hit them,
> even though they saw it happen to the ones before them.
>Yahya is now tied
> with Caligula Caesar in the neurotic category. This guy
>is
>a star, the same
> door that enforcers Tombong Tamba (The Hyena) and Baba
>Skunk
>Jobe exited,
> whence came Pimps Yankuba, Susan, and Sarja. Talk about
>the
>parade of, for,
> and by idiots. The band plays on... Stay tuned, more
>roasts to come - ribs
> anyone!
>
> Joe Sambou
>
>
>
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