Jammeh's July 22 Anniversary Speech a Bravery Or Cowardice The Independent OPINION August 12, 2002 Posted to the web August 13, 2002 By Sheriff Bojang Jnr Banjul On Tuesday July 23 The Independent carried my article entitled "The July 22 anniversary is there any cause for celebration?" The following day at around 11:30am, this big fellow, a so-called pro-Jammeh who was not satisfied with the issues I raised in the said article confronted me. He arrogantly stopped me just by the gate of the National Museum in Banjul and said to me "You Sheriff we know what you are up to but you won't succeed". You convinced your boys to resign from Daily Observer and now you're used by some foreign elements to criticize Jammeh for nothing. But tell your foreign godfathers that in fighting against Jammeh you will be the loser. Who are you to tell Jammeh what to do? What do you know about Koro Ceesay?" This is the first time that I was ever confronted rudely by a respectable or seemingly respectable person for merely expressing my views on a national issue. Having heard the rude fellow's version, I tried to calm him down and to put to him that I bear no evil or envy against either Jammeh or his government contrary to his (rude fellow's) belief. But he seemed to be too angry to listen to what I was trying to say. I was so tired then and to avoid unnecessary confrontation, I boarded a vehicle and went my way. Well such things are not new to journalists. Once you get what it takes to be a journalist, you are bound to welcome threats, intimidation or even cold-blooded death. Thus, may I make it very clear to the big fellow and his likes that I am prepared to ever remain a journalist and in so doing I will exercise my rights and fulfill the obligation I owe to the public to the best of my ability even if I am going to lose my life at the end of the day. I hope the big fellow and Co. will agree that I love this country at heart and I shall never be a puppet to any foreign force as he claimed. Whether they agree or not, this is the plain fact. The Jammeh Factor I wonder if people take notice of it. One glaring thing about President Jammeh is that he is completely different from all other heads of states both in outlook and way of thinking and reasoning. His fanatics believe he is a great orator who deserves comparison with the likes of Nkrumah, Lumumba and all other great Africans with the gift of oratory work. To the Americans, when America sneezes the rest of the world catches cold. If the Gambia should borrow the American leaf today, it will be like if Yahya Jammeh speaks especially without the written text, shells are cracked, the Gambia is opened to danger and dictatorial tendencies are exposed. It is not only the words that matter. But whenever Jammeh stands up and speaks up, one can always see the aggressiveness and strictness in him. However, such characteristics are associated with soldiers and he should remain a soldier. It was another July 22 anniversary, Gambians turned out enmasse at the glamorous Arch 22 to mark the occasion. Jammeh in his usual sultan attire addressed the nation. He appeared like an angry lion, spoke like a little despot and seemed to have classified himself among international revolutionary thinkers. His too wild a speech was received in some quarters as bravery while other political observers observed "it was the worst speech delivery by any head of state." During the lengthy speech, Jammeh lashed at Gambian citizens, particularly the youths for not holding on to their responsibilities. He blamed them for leaving everything in the hands of the foreigners. Although it is President Jammeh's right to blast the citizens of this beloved country for "not leaving up to expectations", he should also put into consideration that his claims are worldwide problems and not a Gambian one. We might be lazy in our own country but according to those who traveled far and near, Gambians are the most active people in foreign lands and despite being outside, they have been contributing a lot towards the socio-economic development of the nation. Senegalese are more effective outside than inside Senegal. A South African journalist told me that South Africans do well outside than inside the region. So it is a worldwide phenomenon. Allah's prophets functioned well at foreign lands than at their birthplaces. Most importantly, I think Gambians are trying under all odd circumstances to settle down here. For instance, they are today getting into the teaching field, security services, petty trading and other areas than ever. This shows that attitudinal changes are going on. President Jammeh has been blasting us since he came to power and I think enough is enough. What he should be doing now is to try to encourage us. As my late grandmother used to tell me in my childhood days, "even if your Muslim father drinks alcohol and hardly goes to mosque, call him Alhaji. In the long run, that name will change him for the better." Again, Jammeh lamented that government projects such as the new airport terminal were built by foreigners and he yet blamed Gambians for not leaving up to expectation. Well, this issue is simple. It is not the company owners or ordinary Gambians who award such contracts. We have very successful indigenous companies that can do those jobs better. But if contracts are awarded for foreigners, what does Jammeh expect our own brothers to do? Jammeh further called on the youths to go back to the farm. That was a repetition of a popular request. He assured us that it will rain if we go back to the farm and said it rains at his home village of Kanilai everyday because people are working on his farm there. He was not wrong in telling our youths to go back to the farm. Agriculture plays a significant role in our economy and there is the need to go to the farm. However, Jammeh should put into consideration that people don't go to farm for the sake of going there. A farmer goes to the farm for economic upliftment and better living standard. We were all living witnesses of the trauma Gambian farmers went through during the past few years. The government failed to buy their groundnuts and the few ones who had their nuts sold couldn't receive their monies on time. So with that gloomy experience, people will hardly have the guts and confidence to go to the farm. In think Jammeh should have done more than merely calling on the youths to go back to the farm. Like the tractor issue, he should have also apologise the farmers for the woeful groundnut trade seasons and assured them that there would be no recurrence of that situation. This is where the confidence will come in. Chastising the west As expected, Jammeh blasted and lambasted the west for what he described as their inequalities, self-centredness and mass exploitation in the world scene. He accused them of being responsible for the lack of unity and oneness in the world and further abbreviated west as the Exploit and Steal from Territories overseas. The hypocrisy, arrogance and double standard of the west is open secret. We have seen how they contributed to fall and demise of genuine and visionary African leaders such as Patrick Lumumba and Kwame Krumah, we have seen how they supported rebellions and rebels leaders in Africa, we have seen how they contributed to instabilities and economic disasters in some parts of the continent, we have seen them planting hypocrisy in some African countries including Zimbabwe and worst, we have read about the enslavement of Africans by the west. They are the main players of double standards. I agree with Jammeh on his points against the west. But the big question is what will he achieve by lashing at the west? People from all works of life have been talking about the west's injustices since time immemorial and the situation remains the same. We have had enough of these attacks. Let us now focus on national development issues, western powers had done their part and despite all odds, we can hardly leave without them. Jammeh must know that the world has now become a global village. He must know that he is alone in his struggle. He must ultimately know that at the end of his struggle, it will be labour loss, energy wasted, no work done. Enough is enough! NEPAD OR KEE-PAD? The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is an initiative of Presidents Bouteflika of Algeria, Wade of Senegal, Mbeki of South Africa and Obasanjo of Nigeria. It is supposed or said to be the master plan for Africa's economic upliftment. For President Jammeh, NEPAD is a programme through which Africa will bow down to the west. Perhaps, borrowing New African writer, Stella Orakwue's assertion, Jammeh described NEPAD as Knee-pad and said Africans will bend on their knees before the west before they will be given aid. Jammeh was not wrong to say that NEPAD is geared towards begging, that Africa is bowing to the west, that Africa is not west's priority. Those are facts. The fact that the west gave the whole of Africa $1 billion and gave Russia and Israel many billions of dollars each is a clear manifestation that Africa is not part of the west's agenda. On the other side of the coin, I think NEPAD is a very serious engagement with the west. Jammeh must know that Africa cannot achieve anything by antagonizing the west. We now have to get very close to them, make them feel superior, cajole them, recover what was exploited from us and then stand on our feet. I think this is the main motive behind NEPAD. We might hate the west but we need them so much as at now. Well, if Jammeh does not agree with me on this, I think it is prudent he lay down an alternative, his own strategy rather than making empty shots. War! War! War! Jammeh had publicly declared that the Gambia is ready for war. He said if he is pushed far, he will teach somebody a lesson. He vowed to wipe out an opponent from the world map. Certainly, those were the worst statements Jammeh had ever made since he came to power and they were totally uncalled for. The Gambia is a small country and Gambians have inherited a culture of tranquility. We have been living in peace with our neighbours and this trend must continue. Jammeh might be capable of appearing and disappearing, but for the sake of our mothers, children and handicapped, let him keep his shots. The empty threats will not speak well of our relationship with our neighbours, particularly Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, who we have had misunderstandings with recently. May God help The Gambia and let peace and justice guide our nation. 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