Several weeks ago I shared with list members my observations of Mr Tamsir
Jasseh the deputy inspector general of Police. His is a case of a good man
guided primarily by strong convictions who wants to offer his services for
the good of his country. It is not to be, for Mr Jasseh found himself not in
a functioning government anchored on the rule of law. The Gambia government
today is a cesspool of criminals, liars and sycophants not the least
interested in the idea of a police force that would even remotely begin to
check their excesses. Yahya Jammeh and his cronies want a Police force that
would be an auxiliary mechanism at his beck and call used primarily to commit
crimes against the citizens funding them. Not only did Mr Jasseh abhor the
use of security forces to abuse innocent people, he was actively working to
purge the department of such entrenched evil. His biggest problem in his
desire to make changes was the lack of political support from higher-ups he
needed to vigorously pursue the necessary reforms. They simply would not let
him fix the Police department. Fearing that he would persist in his endeavors
anyway and through his public statements he is telling the nation about what
is rotten about their security forces, the president decided to fire him,
confident that once he is gone so would any talk of his nettlesome reforms. A
sullied Police department would now have to wobble under corrupt and
incompetent leadership as an integral part of the crime syndicate that is
this government. As for Mr Jasseh , he can take solace in the fact that while
the likes of Cheyasin Secka  and Sedat Jobe shamefully cherished the Faustian
bargain they have struck with this evil administration, he came in to try to
do what is right by the Gambian people. We would forever be grateful for the
efforts of a man who steadfastly refuse to partake in the persecution of his
fellow citizens. I am certain that Mr Jasseh would return to the Gambia
Police and fix it.
          We also learned today the chairman of the IEC was fired apparently
because the President was upset that the Commission dragged the gov't to
court in a bid to force it to pass the enabling legislation for the local
gov't elections which are over two years late. Firing the chairman pursuant
to it's litigation  points to the governments fervent desire to weaken and
ultimately get rid of the commission entirely , replacing it with a
government -run semi temporary agency. I have always contended that the IEC
already has the requisite authority to schedule and proceed with the local
gov't elections as affirmed by the the outside they themselves hired. The
supreme Courts verdict today reflected that exact same opinion. The IEC does
not need the House to pass the legislation  that the Attorney General refused
to pass on for enactment.The rest of the IEC should proceed with the
elections pronto. The IEC frankly looks like they are wont to adapting the
defeatist mantra of committing suicide to aviod an expected execution. They
should stand up and do the right thing and stop cuddling this criminal gov't
that is busy scheming ways of disenfranchising the Gambian people.
Karamba

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