Ebrima Sillah wrote:

"Serious Gambians,

I have never taken Gassama seriously but his recent postings on the L shows that this man is not worth debating atall. Maybe Gassama thinks that all the subscribers on the L are outside of this country....because if not why all these rubbish about new roads, hospitals, schools and what have you."

Mr. Sillah,

I am responding to you with the hope that you would be honest to answer any questions that I may ask you in this piece.

Now to respond to you, let me first of all say that I have never presumed for one moment that all subscribers to the L are residing outside the country. I have learnt that a long time back. About taking me seriously, I do not care who does and who does not. One thing I do know is that you, for one, do take me seriously as everything in this piece of yours points to that. Secondly, this rubbish about schools, hospitals and whatever else you wish to include in your list, is a direct consequence of our lack of them for more than 30 years. I need not tell you that for over 30 years the previous government never built a single high school nor hospital in a country whose population more than trebbled during that period. You know that more than I do or am I wrong here?

You again wrote:

" Gassama have you ever sit and think about the number of hungry students going to these schools just because they cannot afford one square meal a day, the number of sick Gambians going to the 'new hospitals' only to be turned away because there are no adequate drugs, the number of people who continue to face state sponsored harassment and intimidation daily etc."

Sillah, my answer is NO!. Have you? Ebrima, you live in the country as much as I do. Now tell me, have you ever filed any report about the 'new hospitals' that turn away sick Gambians because there are no adequate drugs? As for people who continue to face state sponsored harassment and daily intimidation, my answer is very simple. I do not care. If anyone decides to crusade against a legitimately elected government, for reasons best known to them, they have the legitimate right to do so and the government also has the legitimate authority to take whatever measures it deems fit.

You asked:

"I wander what would have been your reaction, if one of your sons happened to be the victim on April 10 and 11 2000."

Ebrima, if one of the victims of the April 2000 tragedy had been my own, I would bury him, pray for him and choose whatever options that may be available to me, including accepting it in good faith or murder whoever I KNOW to have killed him.

You again wrote:

"Some of us have decided not to debate you because you are dishonest with facts from the Gambia. But those good and honest people in the country and even in the government never take you serious. I wander what is your take on the media commission bill even when its provision have supremecy over the constitution. Brother some of us who talk are doing it just because we care for our country and we want to see every body treated equally. If you think that you can rely on the few weeks experience of homecomers than keep fooling yourself. The Gambia belongs to all of us and if we are not happy with the way our tax monies are being spent we will voice it out."

Ebrima, you are not only dishonest but very inconsistent. You tell me on the one hand that nobody takes me seriously only to turn around asking my opinion about the proposed media bill. Are you for real? No, you are not going to get my opinion of the proposed media bill just yet. I will give it at an appropriate time.

Finally, please revisit your penultimate sentence. I donot rely on the few weeks experience of homecomers to fool myself. If you want to tell the list that what the 'few weeks homecomers' are saying is absolute lies, please do so. I, for one, know that whatever they have said is just a tip of the iceberg. You know it and I know it. Honesty is an integral part of integrity, Mr. Sillah.

Have a good day, Gassa.