NEWS Fataumatta Jahumpa Ceesay "Crying Too Soon" - says Fatou Jaw Manneh INTERVIEW -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- October 24, 2005 The race for October 2006 is warming up as the two contending sides begin to take stock of the recent by-elections, and the highly anticipated naming of the opposition coalition flag bearer. Washington based Gambian political commentator, Fatou Jaw Manneh, who had an interesting interview with the Independent last year where all her predictions became true to the bone. Once again shares her insight on Gambia's political situation. Fatou Jaw Manneh, who is one of few outspoken female political activists, in this fiery interview, deplores the entire women top-dogs of the APRC; as she refers to them as "bad examples for young women political aspirants". Q: Hello Fatou. A: Hello to you . Q: The by-elections are over, the opposition wins 3 seats. Are you shocked, elated or surprised? A: Elated but not shocked at all. I knew that united, NADD can make Jammeh history. This is the beginning of the end of Jammeh, God willing. Q: The president is quiet at this moment after the elections. Why? A: He is just scared to death. His hands are full with the Senegal border issue, which escalated out of hand because of his arrogance and lack of advisors. His coffers are empty. And now Gambians through this by-elections are sending him a clear message that we have had enough of him. That is why you are not hearing any boastful comments or Ramadan gifts and Ramadan arrests. Q: Halifa, Sedia and Kemeseng all have wide margins against their opponents, actually far more than the last elections. How comes? A: Easy. It is just the people showing more solidarity to their candidates this time. This is a message that people are now sick and tired of Yaya Jammeh and they are willing to get rid of him sooner rather than later. Q: Halifa especially has a wide margin, did he change his tactics or is he getting more popular? A: Halifa has not changed one bit from the beginning of his political career to now. What has changed is Halifa's constituency. His people. They have come to the realization that they are a little too late in recognizing what a talent, wisdom, intelligent and faithful man they have as a candidate. Halifa has been with the Gambian people for the longest time and his people just realize that they have to celebrate, recognize and embrace him before it is too late. There is this saying in Mandinka that, if someone stands for you in the sun, you better stand for him under the shade. Serrekunda central is showing and telling us that they are not going to trade Halifa for Jammeh. It is very inspiring. Q: Hamat Bah lost his seat, what do you think was the reason? A: Different factors. APRC did all they could from intimidation to bribery to theft and I think those are some of the reasons. But you know what? Hamat limping is far more capable than Yaya at his best. Whether he likes it or not, Hamat is going to be very active in Gambian politics, and is going to campaign in every corner against Jammeh come 2006. We salute him. He is a hell of a fighter. APRC is eroding the moral, cultural, traditional and religious fabric of our society. He has pitted community against community, tribe against tribe, brother against brother and neighbor against neighbor. It is high time that Gambians refuse to be baffled by such an incompetent leader. Q: Yankuba Touray tried to convince Jarra, that they should exchange their votes for Baba Jobe. A: Yes, and the Jarranka's proved to him that they are not slaves. You see, Yanks lost his sparkle. APRC kills its babies and tries to rejuvenate them, but with Yanks, he is a dead man walking. He has lost all shine. It's sad to realize how desperately low he can go. He is a very pathetic man. Q: Sidia Jatta again claims victory. A: Yes, you don't ruffle wulli feathers. Those people are clean of fickleness. Q: Sedia refused to touch the qur'aan at his swearing in. Is that an issue in a Muslim nation? A: Well he has constitutional rights not to. What is an issue is that, is Sheriff Dibba fit to hold the qur'aan either. He is the most sleazy of all Gambian politicians past and present. Q: When do you think NADD is going to name a flag bearer? Do you think that will become a problem? A: Yes, I think there will be a little problem, but that problem is more welcome than the APRC problem. The problem will be that of over qualification. Each of these men are all more qualified to run the country than Jammeh. Even on a lesser note, all the NADD guys are more handsome than Jammeh. Jammeh is not easy on the eyes if I may add. But I hope with maturity and patience, they will be able to come up with a candidate as flag bearer, and we all pray that they can come to this decision peacefully. If the decision gets too tough for them to make, then they should opt for yearly rotation of the presidency, if our constitution permits. Q: One of our colleagues and parliamentarians Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay is lambasting Halifa for claiming to be knowledgeable but not owning a book to his name. Is she fair to him? A: First of all, regardless of the fact that both Halifa and Fatoumatta are politicians and public figures, I detest even giving a response about her in the same paragraph. It feels blasphemous for me to compare or argue about Halifa and Fatoumatta. If you understand what am trying to say. If Halifa should claim a book, that will be easy. All that journalists and historians need to do is make a compilation of Halifa's articles throughout his life. This will be helpful to the next generation, not just to NADD or APRC, but it will be a very helpful educational tool. It can be titled WORDS OF WISDOM. We have such books of leaders like Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Mandela and many more that are being used in history and literature classrooms throughout the US. We as Africans need to take our serious community leaders seriously. We do not have to wait until they are not around and start naming all our children after them. Now that Halifa is back in the house, let's see what happens. Q: The same Fatoumatta claimed the under-17 as Jammeh's babies and that the opposition is trying to tarnish the good name of Jammeh and his support for our footballers. A: First of all what you should understand about Fatoumatta is that she is a reject even in the APRC camp but they cherish her as a baggage handler. The girl talks idle and crazy. She predicted that the opposition is only going to win one seat and that turns out to be true for her party. We should not take her words seriously. The Under-17 are Gambia's babies and not Yaya's. Unfortunately Jammeh is not seeing it that way. Using these talented boys for another political instrument was very detrimental as usual to his party and sour to the whole country's taste for sports. He could never separate foolishness from reality. It is always utter blunder upon blunder upon blunder. His comments about the team was very unfortunate and we are all sad that the boys did not make it through. We are still very happy and impressed with their efforts though. Q: Fatoumatta claimed to be attacked by NADD supporters. You think that is true? A: Nine out of ten, it is not true. The lady is just scared and I think she has started crying too soon. No worries, because I don't think if NADD should win the general elections in the Gambia, they will succumb to the politics of revenge and brutality, the style that the APRC has introduced to the Gambia. That is too backward, and Gambia is in a hurry to bury that part of our history and reach out to the civilized world. Q: But there are more Gambian women in the Jammeh government than were in the Jawara government. A: The women who held high positions really commensurate with their character. Remember Satang Jow? Mrs. Louise Njie? Unlike these APRC women who are just like their boss Jammeh. They are equally corrupt and misleading. I almost passed out reading about Susan Waffo-Ogoo's comment before the by-elections that Jammeh has brought about peace to the Gambia. If she were Koros's mother, she would not have uttered that and obviously if she was Deyda's wife she will not utter that. If she was a mother to any of those school children murdered in the name of national security, she will not utter that. Jammeh has brought Gambia endless grieve and grievances, not to mention enemies, from the Senegalese crisis, to Guinea Bissau, even in the international arena. Isatou Njie Saidy the one who pretends to be quiet and straight is caught up with 21 homes registered in her name, in Jammeh's 10 years rule. Which might be only a tip of the ice-berg. And you want to tell me that Neneh Macdoll is going to bring us any trade polices that will open up investment in the Gambia? And let us not even name her. The new education minister, you think she will or can do jerk about Gambia's pathetic education policy? These women are all a joke. They are no heroes because all they do is repeat and represent things that Jammeh boasts out to them, setting bad examples to young women political aspirants that for a woman in government, when the president asks you to jump, you say how high not considering the ground on which you are going to fall back on. These women led a march for Jammeh last year called Jammeh appreciation day, and one of the advice that Jammeh gave them was to abandon their useless husbands if they refuse them to come to the APRC meetings. He will give them good husbands. He uses them to introduce the FUTAMPAFF attitude to our mainstream culture. This is insane. And he calls himself a Muslim! No wonder he holds his prayer beads in his left hand. Ha! Q: What is the stance of Gambian journalists abroad? What and how are they doing? A: Gambian journalists are doing very well abroad. We all are still in shock from Deyda's murder, but all the sad news from the Gambia about journalists are giving the journalists abroad the zeal to continue their profession and are more determined than ever to write and talk about the brutality of the APRC government. They are all excelling in their professional fields and are getting ready to come back to the Gambia to contribute their part towards national development. With the help and leadership of Joe Sambou, a private media fund is created to help the GPU in running the affairs of journalists in the Gambia. Q: What's your view about the latest developments at the Observer, your former employer? Sanyang and Lamin Cham's firing, etc. A: Yes I heard about it but that is the trend at the Observer now. Observer is cursed since Kenneth best left. I read Dr. Owl's comments the other day on the observer and it said that "no one can do anything to you if you did not allow or accept it". They should apply that in their office. I don't think we have to sympathize with the Observer staff. They should know better. Winston Churchill once said "courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others". The Observer staff should not be intimidated by a lost professor called Dr. Saja Taal. They can put Saja Taal out of work tomorrow, if they all resign and go and form another paper and name it the new observer. Taal can hire Jammeh boys to come and do the reporting for him. They have the power because they have their pens, and of all the shortages in the Gambia, there is no ink shortage. Jammeh should hire slaves if he wants total control of the paper, because journalists have to report on events whether it favors the government or not. But on the other hand if they don't want to resign and keep their integrity, then they should stop complaining. Who is Saja Taal to dictate to anyone anyway? No wonder Africa will never develop. If we have political science professors with doctorate degrees intimidating young journalists to cower to the dictates of a brutal and autocratic government like APRC, then God help keep us all out of school. These are what you call intellectual hypocrites, driven by greed and cowardice. His likes keep the continent backwards. This is the malady with the Gambia. Those who you think should defend the country out of insanity are busy covering themselves under the table waiting for Jammeh's orders. It is a shame. I feel sorry for Saja Taal. He seems very desperate, because if the only job that his PHD can secure for him is printing dictates from a tyrant, then god help him. He is a sad study and indeed a very ragtag and deadbeat professor. Q: And your friend Dr. Amadou Janneh, the former communications minister. You predicted that he should get his timberland boots ready for the run when he was hired. He is now fired and threatened. A: Yes indeed. That is the pattern and formula to go through if you work for Jammeh. Hired =fired=jail sentence. He is another PHD holder who doesn't know where and how to utilize his degree. He did his part in the Jammeh misrepresentation spin cycle and is now faced with the consequences. Jammeh knows how to tarnish their resumes and integrity if they have any. Am quite convinced that he has his timberland boots ready. He was as usual in the Jammeh camp, trashed fiercely. I hope he bounces back with a positive mission. Let's pray for him. Q: What are Gambians in the diaspora doing about Gambia's political situation? A: Well, I am a member of a non-profit group called save the Gambia Democracy Project(STGDP). The group is closely monitoring Jammeh. We are not going to leave any stone unturned on him. We are doing whatever is possible to bring this shameful regime to an end. We are sick and tired of endless rants on Jammeh. We are taking actions. We are raising funds for NADD and have started lobbying our case for Gambians abroad to vote, among other things. We are encouraging all Gambians to join us in the fight to bring sanity to our motherland. You can log on to the website www.sunugambia.com, or freegambia.com internet radio , to get details of the organization and to have an idea as to what we are doing. We also have a radio program called Voices Of the Gambians in the Diaspora (VOGD), where you can tune into 9405 khz (9.4mhz) on the 31 meter band of your short wave radios and listen to opposition members and your brothers and sisters abroad. The program airs every Saturday evening 8:30 pm Gambian time. We want Gambians to know that we got their back, but we all have to be committed if we want to see a meaningful change in our country. We have to get rid of sharks and wolves and thieves. Gambians have to realize that it is very, very easy to get rid of Jammeh. They just don't have to vote for him. It is very easy. The power lies with the people and not Jammeh. Gambians should muster courage and trash Jammeh. We should stay away from politics of cowardice, hypocrisy and childishness and come together with one voice to make APRC history. Q: But you guys are regarded as self -exile unpatriotic citizens, and that your organization members are all hungry for political positions post Jammeh. A: Thank God and to the Gambia that we are abroad. We run Gambia's economy not Jammeh. It would have been catastrophic for the Gambian community if it were not for family members abroad sending money to buy the inflated goods and services in the Gambia. We are saving the Gambia from hunger and malnutrition and international stage humiliation. Secondly, I want to make this clear. The majority of the STGDP members are professional job holders who are not struggling at all for survival abroad. We are just sick of sad stories and a horrible economic condition in the Gambia which is having a tremendous impact on our purses and sanity here. But even if there are political aspirants among us and then so what? Gambia is for all of us, and NADD or no NADD, this organization is going to continue watching and taking steps if necessary to bring back democracy to the Gambia. Jammeh is a joke, and to the pessimists we say, bring it on. Q: What do you say to Taiwan's continued support for the Jammeh regime? A: We are going to reach out to Taiwan on this matter. Taiwan should be a friend and helper of Gambia, not Jammeh. We will also reach out to China and the international community. We are not intimidated. We are focused and convinced that Jammeh's time is up. We are going to trek this road to freedom with him, taking him on, the whole nine yards, one day at a time. Q: Thanks Fatou A: Thank you too. Go To Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 2004 AllGambian.Net. All Rights Reserved. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤