The direction the debate is taking is very bad and not what was desired when this forum was created almost 10 years ago. The spirit then and now should be for us to agree to disagree. I believe we are all in our different ways working in making The Gambia a better place for our kids and as such we should learn to listen to each and be tolerant.
No matter what our political differences are, we should respect each other and try by all means to avoid the use of profanities and other undesirable languages. I have a different political view with most of the vocal minority, but that does not make them my enemies, and whenever we meet face to face I show them the respect I have for them and they in turn reciprocate. Most of us are meeting for the first time in the virtual world and have never met face to face or some us just met briefly, however that is not a license for us to be disrespectful to each other.
I have said it over and over again, let us debate the issues and stick with the facts and stop the fabrications and unfounded allegations. We should also stop the generalisations. Some of us have lived and continue to live in the US and that should teach us how to be tolerant. We have seen how the racial issues are being handled and we should handle the tribal issues and other issues as such.
The Gambia is too small for us to encourage tribalism. Tribalism cannot be tolerated under any circumstance and we should all work tirelessly to fight it whether we are pro or anti Jammeh.
I have known Joe Sambou for more than twenty (20) years and I know for a fact that Joe is not a double agent and he is not a tribalist. I also know the relationship between Joe Sambou and Tijan Ceesay, a relationship that start when President Jammeh, did not even dream of being a President, when he was a student. There is nothing wrong with meeting and visiting Tijan Ceesay, no matter where he is, whether he is an employee of the Gambia Embassy or not. Joe Sambou has always spoken his mind and always openly says what he feels and that was the main reason he did not get along with many of the officials of the GFA and the coaches of the national team during his days. Joe does not need to be a double agent because he is not a hypocrite. He is not the type that would do that. Those with the KAKATAR tendencies are there in your face and you would be socked to dead when you uncover them.
If I go to Chicago, I can invite my self to Joe’s house for a lunch or dinner because we have such a personal relationship even though we are in the opposite end of the political spectrum. I have similar relationship with many strong anti- Jammeh in this forum and outside this forum. However me socialising with the anti – Jammeh or them socialising with me does not make neither of us a double agent. We have to be careful with such allegations and accusations. We should be able to hang together without having the same political believes. I share the same ‘vous’ Femi Peters and Lamin Darboe, the Campaign Manager and Youth Leader of UDP respectively without any problems. We discuss and argue about Gambian politics but we have respect for each other. We were friends before President Jammeh and Ousainou Darboe and we will continue to be friends after.
Let us debate the issues and the facts and stop these innuendoes and baseless accusations and I mean within the pro Jammeh camp, the anti – Jammeh camp and against each other. It does not serve any good purpose, but only goes further to divide us and in the end it is The Gambia that suffers. Whatever we do or say, we should make sure the interest of The Gambia comes first. To paraphrase the Great Kwammeh Nkurumah of Ghana, ‘seek ye first the political kingdom and all come there after’.
Lets continue the debate on the issues and facts with the ultimate aim of making The Gambia a better place for all. List Managers should also try and intervene early before things get out of hand. They should try and send private email the call for restrain early.
PEACE
Tombong
>From: Joe Sambou <
[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <
[log in to unmask]>
>To:
[log in to unmask]
>Subject: Joe Sambou Is A Double Agent
>Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2004 20:24:54 +0000
>
>Folks, thanks to all for your moral support in the face of this
>conspiracy
>to assassinate my character. Since these baseless fabrications were
>concocted, not a single proof has been tendered and not one single
>person
>has joined this lot. They are left standing in shame and dejection.
> The
>readers know that I can go toe to toe with these five individuals
>and will
>not loose a beat. However, I am satisfied that the community saw
>through
>all five and did let them know about their despicable behavior. If
>they are
>decent, they will put their pride aside and come and do the right
>thing and
>say that their's was a slip of the tongue or mind. But you and I
>know that
>will not happen. Instead they continue to pile on more lies just to
>convince the readers to buy their vindictiveness. Now, let's
>retrace the
>life of this exchange and folks can see how these folks slid from
>madness to
>vindictiveness.
>
>Couple of months ago, Elhajj made a remark about all Jolas and a
>Cassamance
>connection. Strangely enough, this was Ebou Jallow's rallying
>points on
>"Voice Out" several years ago. I wonder where Elhajj got it from!
>I asked
>him a few questions and he realized his mistake (or did he?) and
>came back
>and apologized to the L readership. Then Binneh came with his
>"Rwanda"
>thing which insinuated Jola tribalism. I responded by stating that
>it not
>fair to label all Jolas as tribalist. Just because Yaya is a Jola
>and is
>using tribalism does not equate to, therefore, all Jolas are
>tribalist with
>him. I further stated that what Gambia has is a Yaya problem and a
>sycophancy problem. All these years we all agreed with Kebba Dampha
>that
>sycophancy is the biggest problem in the Gambia and the word
>"sycophancy" is
>the word most used to describe the behavior of those around Yaya,
>and it
>runs through the entire national spectrum. Now, since we have been
>on-line
>up to this point, none of these conspirators never called me a
>snitch,
>informant, NIA, collaborator, etc. We were in agreement that Yaya
>is a
>tribalist and uses tribe to push his agenda. Where we differed was
>whether
>Jolas are tribalist.
>
>Jabou then showed up with her litany of things why Jammeh is a
>tribalist. I
>agreed with her that Jammeh is as described, but disagreed that all
>Jolas
>are tribalist. She also at this point never said anything about a
>snitch,
>informant, NIA, etc.
>
>Then Elhajj, jumped the tracks to say that we have a Jola problem in
>the
>Gambia yada, yada, yada... Musa Jeng asked him if he meant what he
>said to
>come out the way it did? He affirmed his conviction. However, even
>though
>Musa disagreed with his claim, he never labeled him a tribalist or
>anything,
>but turns right back to zero in on me.
>
>Then Jasseh Conteh came from no where (was never part of the
>discussions
>prior) and asked a series of questions, such as:
>
>"We should conclude that this tribal sentiment has to stop. May be
>you
>should be the first person to condemn tribalism. By the way, why
>did you
>visit Tejan Ceesay at the Gambian Embassy in DC. Should this not be
>a
>concern to Gambians? Can we trust you? Are you sleeping with the
>enemy?"
>
>At this stage, these are just rhetorical questions directed to me,
>even
>though Soffie and Musa Jeng also disagreed with them. However, they
>were
>not interest in Musa and Soffie because they do not fit the profile
>they
>were looking for to associate with Jola Tribalism.
>
>Jabou then surfaced with her fabrication to say that she was aware
>of my
>snitching form a year ago and how she had credible information that
>I have
>met Tijan Ceesay not once, but on several occasions .......Ebou
>joined them
>at this stage to really get the party going and going it did. The
>festivities turned into a dance of the outlandish and they began to
>throw
>anything imaginary. Jasseh Conteh, the candidate did not want to be
>outshined by Jabou and hurled the last hurray with his famous phrase
>"Joe
>Sambou Is A Double Agent" and an excerpt reads,
>
>"Over the years I have defended the rights of Gambian people. I met
>Joe
>Sambou and I thought of him as a decent Gambian. I am now willing
>to risk
>my reputation and reveal to you that Joe Sambou is a double agent.
>I affirm
>today that sources within the government have told me so. I am not
>making this up. Joe is able to travel to every Gambian meeting on
>behalf of
>the opposition because he is being paid by the APRC government.
>This is why
>Joe likes to be in the midst of everything. He knows when meetings
>are to
>take place. All he needs is to call his collaborators in the
>Gambia. His
>travel and lodging costs are assumed by the APRC government. I am
>not
>making this up."
>
>Now, by this time they have begun to break bottles and really going
>wild,
>while the Gambian community stare in disbelief. So, had I agreed
>that we
>have a "Jola Problem" in the Gambia, I'd be the most loved by these
>three
>persons and would not be framed as meeting Tijan Ceesay secretly, to
>a
>snitch, informant, NIA, paid this and that, to the most glamorous
>title,
>Agent. So, folks, this is the shameless journey these individuals
>were
>embarked upon. Their's are nothing but malicious and vindictive
>fabrications. Now that they have brought themselves this disgrace,
>their
>fellow Gambians are waiting for them to tender any proof to
>substantiate
>their lies. They know the rules of evidence better than all of us
>and
>cannot ask me for any proof. If they do not bring any proof to
>substantiate
>their fabrications, they shall forever remain shamed and they shall
>be
>remembered for their despicable deed. However, where is Binneh
>since they
>began their fabrications? You noticed his absence during their
>rampage.
>
>I will continue to fight the criminals in Yaya and the APRC and I am
>not
>bothered by these conspirators. If these three individuals believe
>that
>their only contribution to the struggle is to talk, let them be my
>guest.
>However, I am willing to go any place the struggle takes me, even to
>only
>meet 12 people when Gambians converge in the same city in the 100s.
>I will
>also continue to contribute to any cause that involves Gambia. So,
>these
>conspirators better take note. Back in 1982 when Tombong was
>accused of
>distributing the Voice of The Future publications at Saint
>Augustine's, I
>was the one that put them there and those who were aware are right
>here.
>Everyone here knows that I had a lot at stake doing that. Where
>were thees
>five individuals in 1982? "Voice" was not a Jola thing but was
>written by
>Gambians, for Gambians, and some of the finest minds I might add,
>was it
>not? So, I am not new to fighting the corrupt systems in The Gambia
>and I
>am not going to stop until Gambians are free from these or any other
>criminals. Ask any of the other soccer team owners in Gambia
>whether they
>were drunk to approach me to switch teams? I was independent then,
>the
>reason why I was suspended indefinitely from Gambian soccer and I
>still am.
>Never bought or sold. As for Conteh's silly accusation about being
>paid,
>that is laughable. I have an advanced degree and am paid well, so
>if you
>are waiting for me in the handout line, then you will wait your life
>and
>counting. Just because you'll are tight fisted with your money is
>not my
>problem. Take Jabou for instance, what has she contributed in since
>she has
>been on-line, financially? I'm all ears folks and we all see the
>lists?
>So, is it a surprise that these three individuals do not understand
>why
>someone like me will be willing to spend my money traveling all over
>to meet
>Gambians to build something that we can all be proud of? I have
>also
>collected funds for different campaigns and in my community in
>Chicago, have
>you heard anyone complain about a cent missing? It's all in the
>dedication
>forks. Ask not what others are doing, but rather what are you
>doing? That
>is the question.
>
>The part that really pained me in all this, is the raw
>vindictiveness.
>These people knowingly and willfully were bent on destroying an
>innocent
>person. If Jasseh Conteh could be this callous, who in their right
>mind
>would even listen to him announce his name, much less run for any
>office?
>As for the other two, they know what Gambians think of them. For
>those that
>are only on the L, not one single person that heard their lies on
>the Post
>believed them and Gambians came out to tell them that they are
>lying, too
>many for me to forward to the L. They are all mute and in shame.
>All that
>posturing about being holier than thou, was just that, posturing.
>We heard
>the preaching, the slogans, etc., but they are the definition of
>wickedness
>in this their attempt. This experience though bitter, has
>strengthened my
>belief that we have truth speaking and truth seeking Gambians. The
>casualty
>in all this is the on-line community. While Gambia is burning these
>people
>have nothing better to do than to poison them further. They have
>failed
>miserably. It is a good day today and I am glad to be in your
>company to
>drive out the criminals out our country. Sheame with vindictiveness
>and
>fabrications. I am done with this much to do about nothing.
>
>To those that could make it to New York, I am with you'll in spirit.
> The
>fight to get rid of Jammeh continues.
>
>Chi Jaama
>
>Joe Sambou
>
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