Halifa,
allow me to extend my gratitude to you and your colleagues for
transmitting what at best represents what transpired on the 10th. April when
Yaya Jammeh's loutish trigger-happy philistines massacred school kids whose
crime happened to be to show solidarity with a slain colleague and a raped
sister. your postings did help alot in pushing to the back burners the
disinformations and pantomime nonsenses we have constantly been fed by Jammeh
lickspittles who have no shred of decency or scruple.
However, I was somewhat dismayed that you have now joined the few online
who have so far taken this gov't's latest bait in declaring it's intent on
the fair dispensation of justice. By this I mean your greeting of the
Attorney General's Press Release as a "consolation" after what had transpired
on the 10th. April, 2000. Calling that Press Release a "consolation" shifts
attention with what is really wrong with our country today; that of
leadership. I wouldn't waste your time here by publishing here this gov't's
catalogue of gross negligence and Josey Wales attitude towards social justice
and as such societal coexistence. From the victims of November 11 to Koro
Ceesay to the countless and forgotten and marginalised victims of Jammeh,
this gov't has shown it's tastelessness, ineptitude and insensitivity towards
the dispensation of social justice. Must it take the slaying of school kids
for this gov't to really learn an inherent principle of social and political
order; that of the rule of law and the need to see to it justice is blind to
political or social inclination? As you very well know, without these
principles, society whatever we perceive it to be, ceases to exist. For the
absence of these principles in a body polity or social collectivity, calls
for radical individualism where each is out for him/herself and social
Darwinianism takes set; a society where only the fittest and the strongest
survives. Society in it's classical form ceases to exist. With respect to the
realities of the Gambia, I might be exaggerating, at any rate, with this
moralising but we are not far from it when school kids can offer themselves
for martyrdom in order for a gov't/state to take up it's inherent
responsibilities very seriously. Must school kids be sacrificed before
natural justice takes it course or a gov't learn to respect it's tax payer?
what makes you so sure that we need to take up this gov't's declared
intent of pursuing all avenues of justice in this case when history teaches
us that this is a gov't notorious for breaking it's convenant with the
people? what makes you confident this time round different from the last time
it was challenged to translate words/promises into deeds on social justice,
the gov't would live up to expectation? what......? because we have a new SOS
for justice who is glib enough to catch our attention with flashy
merry-go-around jargons that wouldn't be translated into actions or if they
did would only be half-hearted and wouldn't go to the core of what is
currently wrong with the Gambia today.
the fact that in their inept press liaisons senior members of this gov't
could utter prejudicial statements that seek to exonerate them of any wrong
doing tells you that nothing has changed but the slogans and the endless
spins that are added to the story. for this gov't, the wrong doers are
already filling their cells. innocent Gambians languishing behind bars and
the real criminals prowling the corridors of society, whilst the gov't claim
justice will be dispense swiftly and fairly. in short this is a gov't that
has lost it's right to be trusted on virtually everything save the extent it
will go in entrenching the status-quo. the Jammeh administration is not to be
trusted with anything. it has lost that right.
what needs to be done at this stage is to intensify the pressure of the
non-partisan universal alliance of "Jammeh Must G". we must harden our
resolves and refuse any form of co-operation with this administration. save
until it is really ready to return power back to the Gambian people and in
the creation of that milieu. that is the only way to save the country.
anything sort of this would be akin to covering a festering wound with sand
expecting it to heal with luck. for the festering wound would doggedly come
to the fore when inevitable social collision grazes it again.
what is expected of local political forces on the ground is to reach out
to each other, leaving all moral and ideological conflicts on the respite
agenda, whilst the common enemy, Jammehism takes the fore. I know you have
your disagreements with most of the political players [especially the UDP]
but it is essentially there is a big umbrella opposition alliance to battle
the forces of Fascism that Jammeh represents. Fascism in whatever shape or
form it takes anywhere will never let the peaceful cohabitation of opposing
political philosophies or proclivities prevail. The system that prevails in
the Gambia is insidiously being supplanted by a vicious form of neo-Fascism.
it must be fought and not appeased. it must be fought now. there is no room
for procrastination and moral hagglings.
reach out to the other political players and form a grand "Sopi" alliance
[to mimic our Senegalese cousins] and start the battle against Jammeh's
Fascism. start speaking in one voice and you would see the difference it
would make on our political landscape. the unity of purpose of the Diaspora
needs to be matched equally with a unified political alliance that sees
Jammeh's Fascism as the chief enemy. anything short of this would only
lengthen our peoples silent but now reverberating traumas.
if liberals, socialists, nationalists and pan africanists of all shades
and at best ennemis freres, could stitch together a grand coalition to defeat
Joof's reactionary and decadent regime, technocratic politics suggests that
nothing can hold our determination to see to it that history does repeat
itself in the Gambia in a grand manner.
it is one thing for the Diaspora to arrange demos and fundraisers but it
will amount to zilch if it is not reciprocated with a local grand opposition
alliance that works with this universal movement in unison to dislodge
peacefully Jammeh's Fascism.
and another thing, it is all very well for you to continue to write this
endless letters to a gov't that has no sense of political or social
discourse. the tragedy however, is that it only goes to show how smart and
bright fellow you are and how you could shine anywhere you so desire to be.
it is time you show us you are more than a smart pen pusher and a brilliant
essayist. it is time you show to your critics you are more of pragmatic
problem solver than a mere smart fellow whose only forte is pen pushing and
loquaciousness.
I hope you rise up to this challenge and see it as something transcending
personality spats or disagreement you might have with other political
players. Young people of my generation are beginning to have faith that the
political process might be worthy of embrace after all and that Africa will
rise again from the ashes. Jammeh's Fascism must never be allowed the delight
of scuppering that faith from our grasp. we have a duty in defying the odds
and collectively wrestle the decadence that has engulfed the Gambia. As you
once memorably wrote, "LEADERSHIP MEANS FORESIGHT." Could I add here that
without flexibility such foresight would be meaningless? Halifa show your
flexibility and reach out to the other players in the Gambia's political
arena. Strike whilst the iron is still hot!
Anticipating your usual warm response.
Hamjatta Kanteh
hkanteh
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