Dear Mr. President:
There are times in history when change is the only alternative and nothing
but change will be enough. The birth of July 22nd in 1994 was not long ago
when almost all Gambia's joined you in celebrating with the hope that the
future is brighter. The wind for change blowing in that region of Africa
crossed the Atlantic Ocean to our small motherland who needed its breeze more
than any place else.
As the July 22nd comes again, I read with interest the commentaries and
critics on today's daily observer from different perspectives, I cannot, but
tell you that history always revels it self. History never guarantees either.
On the Friday morning of July 22nd 1994, Gambia's had this wonderful dreams
of hope and only to be dismissed so soon by the same regime is not only
unrealistically unimaginable, but there is a serious danger reading history
any other way but forward. It is one thing to say it is an opposition agenda,
but I think Gambia's have every single right to expect the best. You might
feel being in the position too long, but it is and will always be necessary
to listen. Growing too old too fast has its dangers too.
Mr. President Jammeh, unless you are ready to listen and not just open your
ears, I can assure you that the small nation of the Gambia can never improve
without her people. No country, and I mean no country is an exception to this
rule. I f the experiences of the longest thirty years of the Jawara regime
cannot be a lesson to you on this, I think the present stage of the nation
since 1994 will be a lecture. Unless you are able to confront the people and
tell them that enough is enough, open your arms to all, stop all the ignorant
acts of your followers, the fear of permanency and acceptance will not be
over come. The refusal to accept the reality may be the order of the day, but
for how long and at what expense. Arguing at it may give you more stamina to
keep going on, but that should instead be the tool to give you more reasons
to know that the small nation just like any big ones are nothing without her
people.
Yes, I am not qualified enough to be the one to tell you this, but your
relationship with the qualified may over qualify them. The seeds you are
sowing now are better off uprooting now than harvesting later. Confront the
situations from a different perspective with the eyes of the reality and you
shall be convinced.
Not very long any more and the earlier the better. The relationship between a
leader and the led is not to be separated. The longer and separated it takes,
just like when the former regime was deposed, its departures are not mourned
for. The mistrust between a leader and the led should always be avoided and
if any, should be narrow. Rolling tanks in the streets with heavy armed men
is just a seal, if you know what a seal means. The promisees of Freedom,
Democracy, what ever it might mean, Accountability and prosperity rings a
bell in every Gambia's mind today. Of Course it is easier to immunize oneself
from the people with heavy armed men and ruthless armed civilians, but at
what price?
The divide and rule theory of tribalism where one ethnic is used against the
other, one religion against the other, man against woman, white against black
have been used since colonial days to date in Africa, but there will always
be a serious hidden consciousness amongst the people that could give birth to
a more mobilized factor.
I wish the The Gambia and all her people a safe "July 22nd" and prosperity. I
wish my motherland the day she will wake up and find that the power belong to
her and not to only a group of people. As the days fly by, I look forward to
telling your kids and mine that collectively we all achieve more. Together
Everyone Achieves More(TEAM), and we are all counted and accounted for.
Long Live the Gambia.

Ousman Bojang.

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