>From: Ebrima Ceesay <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: My Twenty Eighth Message To All Gambians >Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2001 20:25:15 +0000 > >My Fellow Gambians, > > >After seven years of Jammeh’s misrule, it is now fast approaching >decision >time. In one week’s time, eligible Gambian voters will be going to >the >polls to elect a President for the next five years. > >Indeed, the moment of truth has arrived: the time to take our >destiny into >our own hands has come: the time to do away with Jammeh’s awful >"leadership" is imminent: the time for us to try to rebuild our >Gambia from >the ruins left to us by Jammeh, is upon us. > >It is our duty to make our country a better place for all of us in >the >twenty-first century, and our job starts next Thursday, 18th >October, when >we shall go to the polls to rid our country of the criminal Jammeh, >and >install a person of integrity and vision into the Presidential role. > >This is a decisive moment in our history, and we have to do >everything >right, at the same time as avoiding doing anything wrong. > >Come October 18th, we have to make the right choice for our country >and its >people, or else we shall certainly live to regret it, and our >children and >posterity will indict us for having failed our country in its hour >of need. > >None of us Gambians need to be told who Yahya Jammeh is, nor what he >represents. We do not need any more reminders of what his rule has >brought >to our nation in the last seven years. > >None of us needs convincing that Jammeh lacks integrity, is a liar, >is >corrupt to his very core, is a brutal and vicious tyrant, is a >murderer of >young Gambians. We know this evil man: we know his ways: we know >how he >has brought our country and its people to their knees. > >It is important that we Gambians judge Jammeh and assess his rule on >the >yardsticks that he himself put forward when he seized power >illegally in >July 1994. Nobody put a gun to Jammeh’s head, and yet of his own >volition, >he made grandiose promises and outlined the criteria by which he >himself >wished to be judged in the future. > >Amongst his grievances were that senior officials of the former >regime >(including President Jawara) were rampantly corrupt; that they >travelled >endlessly; that they practised nepotism and favouritism; that they >lived in >the fashionably-exclusive areas in luxurious compounds paid for by >the >public purse; that they led flamboyant lifestyles; that they sent >their >children to the best Universities overseas; that they sent their >wives to >give birth in the best Western hospitals. > >Jammeh said that these grievances justified his military >intervention and >seizure of power, and that in the place of the former corrupt >regime, he >would oversee the installation of a government which would be >temporary, >accountable to the people, transparent in its dealings, and based on >probity >and integrity throughout. > >Jammeh looked into our very eyes and told us in clear language that >he was >not interested in politics; that politics was meant for the rogues, >the >drunkards and the liars. He said that he would never aspire to be a >politician because he could never lie, and did not ever want to lie. > >These statements by Jammeh have proved to be the greatest lies and >misrepresentations ever perpetrated on The Gambia and its people. >History >tells the true story of the last seven years in our country. > >In his seven years of misrule and mismanagement, not only did Jammeh >renege >on his pledges, he has also instituted a regime never before, in my >view, >encountered in our Gambia. Jammeh’s government has been brutal; his >regime >is the essence of corruption; innocent people have been viciously >and >violently killed; many people have been arrested illegally and >detained >arbitrarily and without the rule of law; hundreds of people have >been >arbitrarily dismissed from their jobs. > >In Jammeh’s regime, appointments are no longer based on >qualification or >suitability, but rather on connections with a member of the APRC >regime. >"Square pegs in round holes" are now a commonplace. > >A case in point is Fatoumata Jahumpha Ceesay: here is a woman who >cannot >even construct a decent sentence in English, and yet she is in place >at >State House as the official government spokes-person. Her gaffes >and >mistakes are legendary, and she has brought our country into >international >disrepute. In her attempts to please her master Jammeh, she has >even this >week taken to referring to the criminal as "Baron"!!!! We should be >spared >this sort of foolery!! > >Under Yahya Jammeh, mediocrity and incompetence are synonymous with >the >regime. Government official speeches (including Jammeh’s own >speeches) are >disjointed, untruthful, and written in language that a >fourteen-year-old >student might be expected to use. As a journalist, I despair at the >nonsense which comes out of State House or Kanilai, and I feel >ashamed of >the so-called leaders of my country. > >Standards in government have dropped so immensely, that we are now >the >laughing stock of the world: at Commonwealth, ECOWAS and OAU >Summits and >meetings, our country is ridiculed because Jammeh and his cohort are >unable >to put forward coherent and unequivocal arguments. > >Nobody in the international community takes The Gambia seriously >these days. >Non-Gambians who wish well for our country find it extremely hard to >believe >that a moron and a non-entity such as Jammeh can be allowed to rule >The >Gambia. > >My fellow Gambians, you have all seen evidence of Yahya Jammeh’s >incompetence, greed and criminality. From a simple, >scantily-educated >Lieutenant in the Gambia National Army seven years ago, Jammeh now >"owns" >his own personal plane; he has built mansions overseas; he has >built >palaces in Kanilai and Banjul; he has set up bank accounts in his >own name >overseas; he publicly boasts about his personal wealth. > >There is evidence that he is directly involved in marital >infidelity, the >blood diamond trade, the hard drugs trafficking business, foreign >currency >scams and corrupt business deals. Jammeh has lined his personal >purse with >public money, and his hands are stained with filth and blood. > >Indeed, every sphere of Gambian life has been tainted by Jammeh and >his >crooks: health, education, religion, agriculture, legislature, >business, >security, judiciary, social, economic and political spheres have >suffered at >his hands. There is not one single aspect of Gambian life which has >escaped >Jammeh’s wickedness, corruption and mismanagement. > >More importantly still, Jammeh’s rule has brought about mistrust and >disunity amongst Gambians. In seven years, this terrible man has >undermined >the very fabric of Gambian society. > >Once, we Gambian were known throughout the world for our mutual >trust, our >understanding and tolerance of each other, our respect for >differences, our >one-ness and genuine sense of unity, our fairness and our sense of >security. > >All this has gone – vanished into a sea of corruption, scandal and >brutality >which began its life on July 22nd 1994. > >Our country is now set against itself. There are growing >inter-tribal >tensions, problems and misunderstandings. Religious groups are >often at >each other’s throats. You have only to listen to Imam Fatty from >the State >House Mosque, to understand how much we have lost as brothers and >sisters in >faith and unity. The Gambia has lost its secular nature, and Imam >Fatty now >has access to both radio and TV and uses these to lambast everyone >who >differs with his views (and especially our decent Christian brothers >and >sisters). > >Families are also divided: Jammeh’s game is to push one family >member >forward and to dismiss another. For instance, Basirou Jahumpha (one >of the >most intelligent and diligent civil servants I personally have ever >known) >has been unjustly victimised by Jammeh and dismissed from his post: >at the >same time his blood sister Fatoumata Jahumpha Ceesay has been pushed >forward >as the spokesperson of the infamous APRC regime. > >Another case of a family apparently split as a result of Jammeh’s >machinations is that of my able and competent sister Hawa >Sisay-Sabally and >Joseph Joof, her brother-in-law. After Hawa was relieved of her >duties as >Attorney General and Minister of Justice, she went to share offices >with >Joseph Joof. > >Now, Jammeh has deliberately elevated Joseph Joof to the position of >Attorney General and Minister of Justice, thus bringing discord >between >these two people who had previously had professional respect and >family >regard for each other. > >It therefore pains me to see how Jammeh has managed to divide >families who >were once a unified whole, whose members cared for and looked out >for each >other’s well being and welfare. Our society is now, thanks to >Jammeh, >divided and unhappy, and our relationships are tainted by distrust >and fear. > God help us all ! > >Jammeh’s strategies for government are based on an evil policy of >"divide >and rule". This is his personal tactic for survival and for >governance. > >My Fellow Gambians! > >The message is abundantly clear to us all. With Jammeh continuing >at the >helm of our country, there is no hope for us, for our children or >for >posterity. Our future under Jammeh would be bleak indeed, and will >become >increasingly bleak with every day that passes with this immoral and >iniquitous man in power. > >Jammeh makes promises which he cannot or will not keep. Do you >remember how >in July of 2000, he promised that 95% of The Gambia would be >electrified >by July 2001?? > >Of course, we all know that this is a blatant lie: you yourselves >are >leading so much of your life in darkness and without benefit of >electrical >current on an almost daily basis. You lead your life by >candlelight, while >Jammeh and his cronies enjoy every modern convenience of the >twenty-first >century. > >Jammeh indeed represents despair and a total lack of hope for the >Gambian >people. > > >HOWEVER........................... > > >There could be a light at the end of the tunnel, and it could be YOU >holding >that light. > >YOU, the Gambian Electorate, have the opportunity to vote Jammeh out >of >office, and send him scurrying away in shame and fear. > >YOUR chance will come next Thursday, October 18th. > >I urge each and every one of you eligible voters to go out early on >Thursday >next and VOTE FOR THE OPPOSITION CANDIDATE OF YOUR CHOICE. > >Your votes are your weapons to fight for dignity, freedom and >progress in >our country. > >You should use your vote wisely and in the best interests of The >Gambia and >the majority of Gambians in mind. > >I urge you NOT to sell your votes to any APRC member who comes to >your door >with Dalasis. If you sell your vote, you will sell your country >down the >line, and you will live to regret it. The money you receive might >give you >a temporary reprieve from a problem, but I can guarantee that by >sunset of >the same day, your problem will not have gone away. > >The problems facing The Gambia cannot be solved unless and until YOU >elect >and install a government which is capable of addressing your real >needs and >aspirations. > >The crisis in The Gambia can never be solved by Jammeh and his band >of >criminals. He has neither the will nor the wisdom to do it. > >It can only be resolved by committed leaders who genuinely wish to >empower >the Gambian people, and who are willing to serve them. > >This is why it is VITAL that early next Thursday, YOU come out in >your >thousands and give your vote to the Opposition, and NOT to Jammeh >and the >APRC. > >Our problems are huge, but if we elect a competent leader next week, >we >shall have started our programme of putting a decent system of >government >back into our beloved Gambia. > >"Rome was not built in a day", and our task of reconstructing The >Gambia in >a post-Jammeh era will not be easy: it will take time, patience, >diligence, >energy and decisive action. > >However, it is do-able: if we come together with our expertise, our >knowledge, our determination and our love of our country, then >anything is >achievable. > >Our first and VITAL step is to vote the tyrant Jammeh out of office. > >You have the means, the power and the strength of vision to do it >next >Thursday. > >God help us all, and Long Live The Gambia. > > >Ebrima Ceesay, >Birmingham, UK > > >_________________________________________________________________ >Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at >http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp > ><>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<> > >To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > ><>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>