During the 2008 presidential election cycle in The United States, almost every African I know, Gambians included, were actively involved in the campaign of the then candidate Barack Obama.  I know of Gambians that held key positions during that campaign.  They volunteered regularly and many donated large sums of money.  In the early hours of November 5, 2008 what is now called Victory Day; the Obama campaign staff realized the fruits of their labor, and “Yes We Can” became “Yes We Did It”.  
Ladies and gentlemen, looking back, many of us were involved in the Obama campaign because we were tired of the status quo.  We had enough and did not like the direction the nation was heading. We had enough of the Bush administration and its blatant disregard for international law. We took matters into our own hands and joined a campaign that promised change.
One of the main issues during that election was the controversial interrogating technique known as water boarding. This method was widely used in extracting information from terrorism suspects.  Although it was largely believed that a majority of those water boarded had something to do with the terrorism, we also knew that it was morally troubling and in violation of the Geneva Convention. In essence even criminals have rights.  
Well folks, this is The Gambia’s version of what the United States went through in 2008. We are at a critical juncture and it is imperative that we make the right choice.  Many of us are sick of the status quo in Banjul.  Our economy is on a downward spiral and we all have to be concerned about the direction our nation is heading.  The future is extremely bleak.  
Our rights are being trampled daily, and we are essentially prisoners in our own country.  Any of us can be arrested and tortured for any or no reason.  We live in a state where anything and everything evolves around one man, Yahya A.J.J Jammeh. A friend said it best, “Thanks to the likes of Yahya Jammeh, Africa is still having conversation that the rest of the world held decades ago.”  
My fellow Gambians, when Yahya Jammeh and his thugs criminally overthrew a democratically elected government in 1994, a bag of high quality rice in the Gambia was less than D300.00. Today, a bag of a lesser quality rice will cost you over D900.00.  If you want the high grade rice “Jammeh Crop”, you will have to cough up at least D1000.00.  However if you are lucky to be from the President’s hometown of Kanilai or live there, you are among those privileged Gambians that can purchase a bag of rice at half the price that the rest of the population has to pay.  
Again under Jammeh, a cup of cooking oil has risen from D1.50 to D7.00 and he has not done a thing about it.  A bag of sugar that used to cost D500.00 when he took over power now cost D1500.00.  The cost of a loaf of bread has risen from D2.00 to D6.00 under Jammeh’s watch. And he wonders why the “Badibunkas” don’t like him.  
Ladies and Gentlemen, tell me; are the folks in Kanilai more deserving of a better life than the rest of the Gambians?  Ask yourselves, why should the rest of the country pay more for rice than those living in the president’s hometown of Kanilai?
The answer is a very simple one. Rice is cheaper in Kanilai because that is where Yahya Jammeh the Gambian dictator calls home. Yahya’s show of gratitude to the Gambian people for everything that they have done for him is to unfairly manipulate the price of the Gambian people’s main staple in favor of a very small segment of the society.  After seventeen years of support and working on his farms, supporting his businesses, the best he can do is treat the rest of the country as second class citizens. Think about it as I ask you again folks.  Are the folks in Kanilai better than the rest of us?  THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A MINUTE.
Under Jammeh, the cost of living in the Gambia has continued to rise. Just recently he was heard on national TV warning Gambians that there will come a time when we will not be able to purchase food items even if we had the cash to do so.  In other words, Jammeh is telling us that he has no plans to address our nation’s problems, instead he has taken up the habit of intimidating us and we continue to do nothing about it.  It is time Gambians understand that Jammeh does not have a plan to better our lives and nation.   
Beyond the basic commodities, in this day and age, the Gambia is still struggling to provide basic running water and electricity for its citizen.  Jammeh’s empty rhetoric to provide electricity for the entire nation has led nowhere.  To make it worse, some of the area councils (municipalities) are now charging residents for water.  
My friends, after 17 years, all Jammeh has to show for is the few cosmetic changes he calls development.  We have not seen a single new program implemented by this regime.  They are however quick to arrest anyone who challenges them.  
As we stand, the Gambia as a nation is over $500, 000,000.00 in debt.  The worst is that a large portion of these loads were used by Jammeh to fund his own businesses.  
My fellow Gambians, this Junta cum businessman needs a strong message from the Gambian people.  We need to tell him ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.  
Enough of seventeen years of forcing Gambians to work on his farm just for him to turn around and sell us back the crops we cultivated.  Enough of the senseless arrests, tortures, and killing of Gambian citizens.  Rather than wasting our national resources touring the country telling us what he did for the Gambians, Jammeh should answer our questions. 
Jammeh needs to tell us about death row inmate Mr Youseff Ezzideen alias Rambo, the Iranian prisoner released unconditionally while accusers languishes in jail.  Jammeh should tell us who killed Sergeant Ello Jallow.  Who killed Mr Sidia Sanyang, a UDP supporter? Who killed Mr Omar Barrow, a Journalist? Who killed Major Alpha Bah? Who ordered the April 11th Student massacre? What about Mr Tumbul Tamba, Mr Musa Jammeh, and the 44 Ghanaian nationals?  Only in the Gambia will a citizen be jailed for 14 years without trial.  Jammeh has questions to answer and the sooner he starts the better.  Jammeh is the only president I know that goes on national TV to insult and threaten his cabinet members. When are we going to tell Jammeh that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH?
My fellow citizens in less than 24 hour from now, the first votes to elect our next leader will be cast.  Before you cast your vote, I want you to put yourself in the shoes of our brother and sisters that are not fortunate enough to be with us here today.  Imagine what they went through and how they felt upon knowing that their lives were just about to be taken.  Now imagine these were your biological brothers and sisters. 
I want you to imagine a Gambia where you have protected rights to free speech, freedom of movement and freedom of assembly; A Gambia where you can openly discuss issues of national interest and petition the government for a better life for all citizens.  Imagine a Gambia where citizen are awarded jobs based solely on their ability, a Gambia that is ran by its citizen. Imagine a Gambia where you can live without fear of being arrested for simply being a member of the opposition party.  
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Gambia Mr Ousainou Darboe and the United Democratic Party (UDP) wants for every Gambian.  They have been fighting to restore these rights for the last seventeen years, and they are showing no signs of slowing down.  They have been beaten, jailed, insulted and some have paid the ultimate price so that we can all have the freedoms we’ve been denied for so long.
To demonstrate that these courageous brothers did not lose their lives in vain, we must all get involved and help elect Lawyer Ousainou Darboe of the UDP and take our country back.  Come Thursday, November 24, 2011 please make your vote a meaningful one and vote for UDP.  Once in the voting booth, take a good look at the ballot boxes and drop your ballot in the yellow box and don’t leave until you hear the ballot hit the bottom of the box. We must do for Lawyer Ousainou Darboe like we did for then candidate Obama. 
Long live The Gambia
Long live the UDP, GMC and PPP Coalition 
Down with oppression and the Jammeh regime.  

_________________________________________________________

GROWING OLD IS MANDATORY; BECOMING WISE IS OPTIONAL.
                         
                                                   

__________________________________________________________

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html

To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤