Lamin, Haruna here.
Again, do you know of a Gambian you would like to commend for either Gallantry or selfless service to nation? If you do, I would love to hear you commend them. That was Ngorr's challenge/invitation.
No human has ever shocked me, and it would not begin with you. I actually enjoy you. All that you have said, I agree with. And don't worry about whether I am related to someone when you show wrongdoing on their part or their shortcomings when engaged in service to nation. I presume all Darbos, Darboes, Dabos are somehow related just like all sanyangs may be related. So in matters of national import, relation does not matter. You did say you overheard Sainey say Jahally Pacharr was his empire. I suppose it was his empire if he has exclusive responsibility in implementing programs and seeing to it that they are executed properly. That also means he takes responsibility for the successes and failures of Jahally Pacharr. That speaks more to his competence than his proclivity for murder, thievery, and fraudulent agency.
When I was responsible for the tank farms in Jubail and Yanbu (Saudi Arabia), I took them to be my empires and did not hesitate to express thus alaa kulli Haalin. My empire deserves my full-time attention and care. I made sure I instituted monitoring wells so that parraffins and other petro-derivatives did not leak into the drinking water of residents. I instituted vapor recovery mechanisms so that we could recover vapors during barge-loading, condense them and return them to the tank. I embarked on a longterm program of treating any water that has come in contact with petroleum to satisfaction before release in detention ponds where further bio-remediation takes place. So there are a few things I never hesitated to call my empires. I could only use funds that were budgeted for my empire. A technical staff assists me in making the best choice in programmes. I have invoices to show where each dime went. Of course I was paid handsomely for it and that was the envy of many. I earned it however. So I am never ashamed of my due compensation or what is determined by my peers and others as my due compensation. Ask prince Bandar.
I commend you for speaking the truth. Keep doing that. Don't worry about whose relative you might offend. Those who commit murder, rape, incest, and abuse children are someone's relatives. When I commend someone, I commend the total character. I don't say I commend them for this but they later changed to doing something I abhor. Leopards never successfully change their spots. Except in matters of self-defense, or when remorse is shown and forgiveness asked, the only crimes I cannot forgive is the taking of another's life and fraudulent agency. Be it Jawara or Jammeh, it makes no difference to me.
When I break into your house with the intention of stealing, raping, and pillaging, I will have put my life on the line. I suppose you would commend me for putting my life on the line and not being a coward. And I suppose it would be alright because I and everybody else believed that the property you keep is ill-gotten or stolen from them. Wouldn't you rather those who you stole from execute a reclamation warrant? If it was public property, wouldn't you rather be brought in front of a jury of your peers?
And remember, the Gambian you commend does not have to be a politician. It could be a friend or a relative who has given of him/herself for the benefit of others or has shown integrity in character in whatever endeavour.
Les plus importants transformations sont les modifications "accidentelles".
Yours truly - Haruna.
From: Lamin Sanyang <
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Ron,
You wrote and i quote:
"I am aware of Ngorr's high regard for Chongan, but I was hoping you would
take him up on the invitation for all of us to express similar
(unadulterated and unbalanced) "ecstasy" for other Gambians we wish to
commend for whatever reason. For example, If you felt similarly about Jammeh
or whoever else, I would not have been alarmed if you thanked and commended
Jammeh for what you thought was Gallant on his part or deserved
acknowledgement."
If Ngorr had commended someone like Mustapha Danso, i will give him a
chorus. A eulogy for Pa Hali Jammeh would have generated a clapping of
hands. I do not share his 'ecstasy', as you call it, for Chongan. I have
stated why. Infact i have gone a step further by bringing forth Chongan's
positive qualities without antagonizing the guy. The fact that he(Chongan)
was an instrument of coercion i maintain! I stand by my words! No budging
here!
Then you made reference to Jammeh and if i may wish to express similar
sentiment on him like Ngorr did for Chongan. For your good self, Yaa Haruna,
and for anybody on this List who cares to read on, i would like to make a
couple of things clear:
1)I never liked The PPP and its leadership. In my own small ways i have
tried and prayed to see to their downfall. I was in a political movement
that called on all responsible Gambians at the time to join forces and bring
down the 'Dictatorship' as i perceived Jawara and his government.
2)Jammeh responded to that call!!! When others were afraid of losing one
thing or another, among which was DEAR LIFE, Jammeh answered the call! He
was NO coward!
3)When he took power, it was his life Jammeh put on the line. For on that
fateful day if any minute thing was to go wrong we all know what the result
of that would have spelt for him and his group.
4)Jammeh became a COWARD the day he snuffed the lives of TWELVE young
people! And to this day he does not have the courage to face the people and
repent for his deeds. Since i came to the realization that indeed he must
have been the one who gave those lethal orders, all the respect and love i
had for him as a Leader, a Gambian and a Human-being just DIED! Yaya Jammeh
IS NOT MY HERO!!!
Some time ago one of the Jeng brothers, i guess it was Father Mose, wrote an
interesting article, calling for the restoration of the revolution that was
hijacked. I was in the middle of exams and had not enough time to put in a
cent. A summary of which would have read: 'Yaya Jammeh is/was never a
revolutionary. Thomas Sankara was'!
Ron, if it was not for the April incident, i can, if i want to, come on
Gambia-L and defend Jemus. Just like Pa Modou Gassama is doing.
For Jammeh took over from a leader who brought in Senegalese soldiers to
murder us in 1981. Incarcerating hundreds. That government murdered the
brave and invincible Mustapha Danso and the legendary Pa Hali Jammeh. That
was the government and its leadership who could not contain Junkungda Daffeh
and Sanna Manneh when the duo exposed the biggest economic scandal of our
Gambian times. The Gambia Commercial and Dev. Bank Scandal. A whole bank was
rendered bankrupt, when we had a bunch of 'untouchables' basking in our
meagre funds, proud to be called 'The Banjul Mafia'. This government wrecked
our Gambia Co-operative Union with a net liability of D183million(One
hundred and eighty-three million dalasis). Can you remember the balance in
their books???(D47), Forty-seven dalasis!!! Forty pitiful seven
dalasis!!!This is no joke and you know it is a fact!!! This was the
government that allowed Sainey Darboe(Is he your relative, Ron?) to call
Jahally Pacharr his 'Empire'. I was standing under his nose, with Dr. Jagne,
director of the ADP II when he said the words. The list goes on. You know
it, people who are not suffering from selective amnesia know it, the kidz
know it!!!
I don't share Mr. Gassama's enthusiasm. Dave Manneh spoke for me and the
words are very clear! So please clear this in your mind, once and for
all...I am NO Pro-Jammeh!!!
I am NOT here to educate people. What i shared here is just a punch on your
tangent board away from you! Ron, the world is at each and everybody's
finger tips!!! That is not the issue. The question is: do you have the time
and are you interested?
Mr. Ngorr is not my enemy! I believe in what i wrote and i stand by my
words. This is my last cent on this topic, hoping that i've not shocked the
day lights out of you. Can we move on to the health issue?
Sanyang.