Sister Jabou, Points well noted. you will hear from me by next week.I am really tired and resting. My regards to your humble family. Love ,Sis FJC. Jabou Joh wrote: > G-L, > > Thank you F. Jahumpa for the messages of reconcilliation and the extension of > an olive branch by Jammeh both to the opposition parties and to G-L. The > questions to be asked now are these: > > Does Jammeh really mean this in the real sense of the word, or is this just > another propaganda ploy to woo the international community because the > coffers of our national treasury are empty, having been senselessly > squandered by this administration, and they now need to convince the > international community that they have turned a new leaf in order to entice > donors and investors? > > Make no mistake that the pressures from the international community had a > hand in ensuring that some of the allowances towards a fair an impartial > election were implemented, and G-L did their part also, no question. > > Concerning G-L, is this olive branch a way to disarm us? > Rest assured that G-L is an effective instrument in letting both Gambians and > the rest of the World know about the goings on in our country, and most of > them in the past five years have catalogued the innumerable human rights > abuses that have transpired and which will not inspire any freedom loving > people in other countries to view the present administration as the guardians > of even the most basic of human rights for the people, even if the Gambian > people themselves are easily fooled. > > In other words, G-L is not a medium that can be controlled despite the many > appearances of a number of agents of the Jammeh government, and for a > government that has left no leaf unturned in their attempts to silence the > press and put fear in the people, this is indeed a big dillemma. > > However, it appears that the intentions of those of us who came forward to > fight for the freedom from oppression for our people have now been made the > pariahs, at least by some Gambians. > A few days ago, i read a posting by a young man who alleged that > > "it was G-L who sent petitions and did all of the things we did without the > consent of the people, and that we were not representing the Gambian people". > > That statement has been reverberating in my head since i read it, and it > leaves me with a sadness that is unmeasurable. > > While G-L is definitely not wholly representative of the Gambian people, I at > least was confident that each and everyone of us is capable of discerning > right from wrong, justice from injustice, freedom of speech and fear induced > by threats from the ability to question and put our leaders to task without > reprecussions of any kind. The very reason that inspired some of us who were > formerly non-political to get up and add our voices to those voices calling > for justice and freedom for our people and country with no ulterior motive > intended. > > I am equally convinced that the Jammeh Government also knows the difference > between right and wrong, justice and injustice as these traits are inherent > in every human being as the holy Qur'an has told us. > > It is just that they fear being deposed by the very means by which they came > to power, and their fear of this at every turn is what has motivated them in > the past as now,to issue decrees that usurp the rights of the people, jail > people without charging them or according them due process of the law, parade > aound with big guns to instill fear in the people and put a check on > journalists to make sure that they have full control of everything and > everyone, and indeed it seems to have worked. > > I thought all of us could also discern what motivated some of us to speak > out against injustices we all know about, and which we as a people have never > been subjected to, especially the youth, and the enlightened amongst us, but > i think i was wrong. > > Despite all of the things that have transpired under the Jammeh government > in the past few years, and despite the fact that most Gambians are poorer > than ever, with the majotity of them having no hope of any improvement in > their condition regardless of who they voted for, the people have voted this > goverment back into power. > > A few days ago, Ginny Quick wrote to ask the question of why Gambians > re-elected Jammeh if all of the things we said on the L were true. > > The answer to this question is something to explore, and frankly, the answers > are not comforting either in our ability as a people to understand the > democratic process and what it can do so us as a whole and not just as a tool > for individual interest, as well as our tendency to not wish each other well, > and to expend all of our energies villifying those who fight to improve our > lot and doing everything we can to bring them down, seeing them only as > people who are after something for themselves, and therefore to be stopped at > all cost, even if it means that our condition as an exploited people never > changes. This is truely amazing, and something that is beyond human > comprehension to say the least. > > I think that it is abundantly clear, that the allegations levelled at the > APRC givernment are not figments of our imagination. On the contrary, the > evidence is there for all Gambians as well as the rest of the World to see. > > 1. We did not invent the shooting of the school children in broad daylignt, > and the ensuing investigation/commission of enquiry and the setting aside of > their findings with no closure and no justice for those who lost loved > ones.There are just no excuses good enough to justify the shootings. > > 2. We did not invent the condition of those young men who were left > paraplegics, still vegetating in hospitals where they are not getting the > proper treatment for the injuries they suffered on April 11th, 2000 as > victims of the shootings. How does a heart become so callous that one can > observe such a thing and not feel plain human compassion for these young > people, even if they were total strangers? > > 3.We did not invent the torching of Radio 1FM or the dismantling of Citizens > FM, and tying them up in the courts for years while their equipment gathered > rust with excuses such as the lack of permits and such, when the real reasons > were that these journalists dared to provide a meduim where the people can > freely express themselves. Likewise, we did not invent the deportation of > Journalists and the estrangement of some just fordaring to write the truth. > > 4. We did not invent the fact that Koro Ceesay and others were murdered in > cold blood, and this government has not conducted any investigation into > their deaths, or even allowed his family to see the autopsy report. How does > one present oneself as a government who is representative of justice when > such things can ensue? Perhaps the Gambians see no problem with such actions, > but we sincerely hope that the rest of the World does, otherwise there is no > hope for humanity. > > 5. We did not invent the fact that farmers, the poorest in our midst, have > toiled dilligently planting and harvesting crops whose sale provides the only > means of sustenance for their families, but which have gone unsold for the > past couple of years, leaving them destitute and starving practically. > > 6. We did not invent the fact that Jammeh has become a multi millionaire > practically overnight when he did not have any money when he came to power > just a few years ago, and this in a country where the average family > struggles even to put food on the table on a day to day basis. The treasury > is empty and yet, those at the helm of power are living like kings while the > general populace is barely making ends meet. > The treasury has become the personal bank account of this government and it > is now empty. > > 7. We did not invent all of the documented speeches by this president in > which he has repeatedly threatened the well being of Gambians and > admonishing them like children, and threatening them with death. The last of > these speeches were delivered on the eve of these past elections where he was > openly threatening people just because they openly displayed their support of > an opposition party. > > 8. Likewise, we did not invent all of the annual reports on human rights > from such agencies like the United State department of State, and Amnesty > International which have chronicled some of these very points mentioned above > over the past five years. > > No, we did not invent any of these things. They all transpired in the > presence of Gambians, and yet, this government has won the elections. > > Perhaps this is a lesson for those of us who thought we could actually > understand the Gambian mind, and that infact, all of us are in search of > justice, peace and prosperity, accountability in our leaders and transparency > from those who we charge with taking care of our national affairs. Perhaps > the World has gone upside down, and right is wrong and wrong has become > right, and it is us the dreamers in search of justice and with goodwill in > our hearts for our fellow man that are mad afterall. > > Perhaps it is impossible that we African will ever come to a place where we > act in the collective interest of our people , realizing that when we do > that, we are making strides that will benefit all of us in the long run as > opposed to just in the interest of our own for the short term, and as a > temporary fix. > > It is apparent that we are indeed very well suited for manuipulation and > those who study and know the art well are the ones who controll our every > move, and we will continue to be at their mercy even when it does not make > any sense whatsoever, and it appears that those with hard hearts and a > tendency to sacrifice their compatriots for their own gain are steadily on > the increase, even though this same tendency is a death sentence for them as > well as the entire society in the long run. > However, material gain and the false sense of being at the top is enough > justification for this shortsightedness. > > Perhaps those who have long given up on this dream of true freedom for us are > leaps and bounds ahead of us hopeless dreamers. > > The Jammeh government's offering of an olive branch and outreach to the > opposition parties as well as all Gambians will be taken seriously if they > start with the following. > > 1. Release Momodou Dumo Saho so he can go home to his loved ones or charge > him with an offense and accord him a speedy trial as allowed under the laws > of our constitution. This is what a law abiding giovernment does. Anything > else may be bought by Gambians, but not the international community. > > 2. Conduct an investigation into the deaths of Koro Ceesaay and others whose > deaths have gone uninvestigated, and no explanation has been given to the > people. > > 3. Revisit the incident of April 11th, 2000, and bring to trail those > responsible for this atrocity. > > 4. Do away with the represssion of journalists ability to report all the news > and give voice to the people to air their views without fear of prosecution > in one form or other. > > 5. Stop the rampant firing of civil servants and coercing them to join the > ruling party. > > 6. Extend development to all areas of The Gambia, and not give priority only > to those areas where the ruling party has a support base. Jammeh himself made > it clear he will continue to engage in this sort of unfairness by statements > made during his campaign. I believe he issued a direct threat to the people > of Brikama just because of their party allegiances > > 7. Use our hard earned tax money to provide the basic services needed by all > Gambians without treating it as a gift from Jammeh to be disbursed according > to his whims and party affiliations. Witness the debacle of these generators > that were long overdue, but which were used as election time pawns to > convince the people that this government is the one who has their interest at > heart. Only In Africa can one get away with such a thing. The constructiuon > of hospitals and other structures when there is hardly any medication in the > llaready existing ones is another senseless gesture intended to fool those > easily fooled into thinkingthat new structures spell progress. > > 8. Return the procurement of goods and services to the different government > departments instead of bringing the purchasing of all of these services under > the control of the president and his circle and being treated as a business > enterprise to enrich themselves. > > 9. Let the president stop using the treasury as his personal fund, and return > it's control to those charged with it's care to ensure accountability and > misuse of the people's meager reasources. > > 10. Let Jammeh stop threatening the people with heavy weaponry and "burying > them 6 feet deep" in every speech, and let him stop running the country like > a police state so that Gambians can feel confident to come home and engage > in ventures that will create jobs and opportunities for the people, as well > offer their expertise for the betterment of our country. > > 11.Put term limits into place so that Jammeh will not embark on a 30 year > reign like we had with the PPP government of Jawara and which he said he came > into power to rectify. > > If the APRC govenment does all of this sincerely and without restrictions and > conditions, and until it becomes abundantly clear to the people without > question that this is being done, then we, along with the rest of the World > that is watching, will believe that they have indeed turned a new leaf. > > Without addressing the unresolved issues mentioned above that are facing > this government, especially in the areas of the unresolved human rights and > deaths issues, as well as the continued jailing of people like Dumo Saho, > this government will not be believed by those who are not easily fooled, > namely the international community whose imput and partnership Jammeh has > learned that he cannot do without, albeit the hard way. > > Words are easy, but it is the verifiable actions and nothing less that will > vindicate this government, and we will just wait ti see. > > Jabou Joh. > > <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> > > To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface > at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > > <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>