Why is there a need for you to use high
sounding words which are quite very boring and vague?]
What high sounding words? Show me one high
sounding word in my notes Dramane and I will replace them with lower
sounding words.
[Why not use 'is and was English' and be
understood?] Dramane.
Is and Was English? What tha hell is
that? Is that why you wrote "quite very" in your query above? What is
wrong with yew Dramane? Don't you friggin know that is a tautology? So you
want me to be an idiot to be understood? New Kambians. I thought you were
my friggin friend. My friends don't entertain mediocrity inorder to blend
in with other idiots. Nka Malu-ilaleh.
[This forum is not a school boy debating
centre to impress just for the sake of it.] Dramane.
Have you ever seen me debate here or
elsewhere before Dramane? Did I not tell you I don't friggin debate
online? Where have you been anyway? Oh Ok at Posten. You're forgiven. And
another thing, who do you think you are coming to our community and
seeking our opinions without first introducing yourself to us? I noticed a
certain conceit in you and lack of respect that wouldn't get you very far
in life. You need to ax the folk of Drammeh Kunda to give you advice on
etiquette.
[Can you please re write your contribution
in 'is and was' English.?} Dramane.
NO. I don't friggin know what an "Is and
was English" is. Go to Campama or Posten for that. Not Ellen.
[Look at Baba Galleh Jallow he writes in
'is and was' and yet he remain our own version of Charles Dickens.]
Dramane.
Did Galleh tell you he writes or even
knows what an "Is and Was English" is? I think you owe Galleh an apology.
And if you think such literary laziness and cowardice is Dickensonian
you're more screwed-up that I imagined. And BTW, I do not wish to be like
Galleh. I admire the man immensely, but that is because I am friggin
Haruna. Don't friggin piss me off.
[Please teach this man how to write Baba
Galleh.] Dramane.
Galleh teaches me everytime he speaks. I'd
like to think the honour is mutual. That is why I am friggin
Haruna.
And I got a question for your tiny behind:
WHy would you solicit the opinion of others before you are able to form
your own on insignificant and inconsequential matter??? What will you do
when the opinion really counts??? Are you capable of forming your own
opinions without gauging temperatures??? Charles Dickens my big beautiful
black arse. I recommend Gerald Durrel's "My family and the other
animals".
[Muhammad Bai Drammeh Bin Alhagie Sheihu Muhammad Lamin
Drammeh Bin Muhammad Kanday Drammeh bin Muhammad Kissima Drammeh bin Foday
Drammeh] Dramane.
RIGHT. Haruna. MQJGDT. AL
Mutawakkil. Why are you so mad at me Dramane?? Before this I really
thought you were my reasonable friend??? I don't think you're the same
Dramane (A Morehouse Product) that I thought you were. Go away.
Darbo.
--- On Tue, 14/4/09,
[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From:
[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: The
Halifa Factor, what next? To: [log in to unmask] Date:
Tuesday, 14 April, 2009, 3:21 PM
Laye, Good to hear you again.
Allow me to chime in for a minute.
I totally understand your sentiments vis-a-vis Halifa Sallah and I
share some of those sentiments. I also understand Suntou's oped and I
share some of his views. I am of equal opportunity grace. What I
see is that we risk taking this conversation to the sentimental and
ecumenical realm as is usually the case when we speak about Halifa, a
man who aspires to lead Gambia through the political party PDOIS. I
advise that we bear on sobriety.
I take Suntou's oped as a fact-finding query given the fact
that Gambians have a cynical view of politicking. Perhaps Suntou can
yield greater perspective on politics in this query. He is not to be
dismissed for sentimental reasons however. It is natural for a PDOISard
to be up in arms when their party leader is questioned but consider that
with the requisite temerity and discernments, the questioning, even if
disdainful, can strengthen the leader as well as improve our lot as
a people.
I commend Halifa for embarking on a fact-finding mission into
the witch-hunting saga as a human being. Witch-hunting is the veritable
insult to our collective consciences and acumen, especially one
sanctioned by Yahya, whose faculties are not readily discernible. You
have posited, and appropriately, that the onus of fact-finding in such
egregious matter is not the reserve of Halifa alone; to
wit: "Halifa Sallah is not and should not be the only person of
dignified conscience amongst the leaders or those who claim to be
opposition leaders in Gambia. What he has done and gone through
demonstrates to all and sundry that you, I and every human Gambian must
not stand aside and look while your fellow Gambian and human is being
humiliated in the most degrading manner."
Laye, you will therefore agree with Suntou that all Gambians have
been equally incensed by the saga, but that Halifa being the leader of
PDOIS had wished to capitalize on common disdain to yield PDOIS greater
fortune. I am reminded that there are others in PDOIS like Sam, Sidia,
Amadou, Samba, Suleyman, who could have embarked on the same
fact-finding, but were they to have been arrested, they do not stand an
equal chance of relief as Halifa had. To whom much is given, much more
is expected. You will see that Halifa himself has shared in his
defense of the erroneous charges levelled against him by an uncouth and
clueless prosecutor, that he derived his rights from our common
constitution and the fact that he is a leader of a political party. Any
journalist can embark on the fact-finding mission and by dint
of Halifa's association with the PDOIS party organ Foroyaa, he has
added umph! These are some of the reasons you feel comfortable in
comparing Halifa to Gambia's other politicians who in your own words and
disdainfully "claim to be opposition leaders in Gambia." You know what
happens to journalists who embark on fact-finding missions including
Foroyaa journalists. Politics therefore was a major factor in both
enabling Halifa to embark on a fact-finding mission. Were he not leader
of PDOIS, proprietor of Foroyaa, a respectable contributor to the
pan-African parliament, he may have or may not have entertained the
risks associated with fact-finding in Gambia.
The broader picture therefore is that even though many Gambians are
incensed with the witch-hunting grafignette, our political leaders,
opposition or incumbent, are the ones most empowered to prosecute
our collective disdains and anxieties. This means that politics is our
legislative life. Whether Halifa engaged with ulterior political motives
or not, is therefore immaterial to me. However, ordinary citizens are
free to query his motives as much as they are free to express repulsion
at Yahya's motives and pantomime. It is in the explanation and general
disposition of PDOIS and Halifa that will yield attenuated
fortunes.
It is unwise to compare Halifa to our other opposition political
leaders from both a human standpoint and from a colegial view. That I
think will be the height of conceit and an insult to our collective
intelligence. And it unfortunately furthers the strictly political
motive of Halifa and PDOIS. You will realize that we did not get to
the point of Yahya embarking on repulsive witch-hunting exercises in a
vacuum. Life is ever so dynamic. Yahya was enabled somehow and I suppose
that has escaped us. That is the schematics of politics that erodes most
future and "pure" goodwill.
What Suntou is trying to figure out, is whether there is salvage
value in the preliminary steps taken by Halifa and whether Halifa can be
instrumental in yielding that salvage value for commoner good. I submit
that the best way to achieve that is by all of us enabling our
other political leaders in APRC, UDP/NRP (NDP), PPP, GPP, and GDP
to coordinate the prosecution of our legislative life as Gambians. The
days of bunker politics are waning and there are signs everywhere for
the astute. We did not see any amalgam of forces by our political
leaders when Taf-Taf Yahya bereft of Gardens stole Brufut Lands and
dispossessed Brufutians, nor did we see the same when Halfdiens
were unscrupulously dispossessed of their homes in the name of port
expansion. Witch-hunting and circumstance is tantalizing and a gross
violation of human rights. But so are the myriad precursor
trespasses that enabled it. You will realize that Halifa is not easily
amenable to coordination of effort with other opposition parties.
Glaring. The witch-hunting fact-finding could yield more tangible
results if it were actively coordinated. But PDOIS is on a mission that
does not seem to be common relief. It was when the onerous exercise
threatened PDOIS electoral fortunes that Halifa engaged in fact-finding,
the numerous reports and eye-witness accounts of it not-withstanding.
Halifa's initial statements on the saga betrays ignorance to warrant a
fact-finding.
That is all for now. - Haruna. Allez-y!!
In a message dated 4/14/2009 3:43:39 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
Suntu:
Halifa Sallah is not and should not be the only
person of dignified conscience amongst the leaders or those who
claim to be opposition leaders in Gambia. What he has done and gone
through demonstrates to all and sundry that you, I and every human
Gambian must not stand aside and look while your fellow Gambian and
human is being humiliated in the most degrading manner. We should
be thankful that we know in Halifa, ONE Gambian that will stand up
to the brutalities of the regime and would rather die or languish
in jail than to sit and see his fellow beings dehumanized in broad
day light. To insinuate that Halifa was looking for personal or
political gain in the exercise of liberating his conscience and
dignifying the value of human life, smirks of debilitating
ignorance and an insult to his and our conscience...God
forbid!
-Laye
On Tue, Apr 14, 2009 at 4:08 AM,
<[log in to unmask]> wrote: > An interesting oped to
ponder Suntou. Discerner-in-Chief!!! I think Yahya > shot
himself in the foot. And I'm worried about our two bad left-eyes.
New > Kambians!!!! Haruna. You pamplemousse!!! > >
In a message dated 4/13/2009 6:29:40 P.M. Eastern Daylight
Time, > [log in to unmask] writes: > > Monday, 13
April 2009 > > Halifa Factor In Gambia's Witch Hunt
debacle > > By Suntou Touray > With the dust almost
settled even though facts about the Gambia’s witch > hunting
episode may all not be known, there is occasion to reflect over
the > whole encounter. Men dressed in red raided settlements in
search of witches. > They captured people of decent background
and made them consume lethal > concoctions in the name of
ridding them off witch craft spirits. Some of the > captives
died. Large numbers still remain in biting pains, mostly deep
in > their stomach. > Former Serrekunda East parliamentary
member and sociologist Halifa Sallah > was last month arrested
and detained at mile 2 prisons for over a week. This > was due
to his decision to visit two villages over a witch hunting >
incidence. Halifa after his release commented that he went on a fact
finding > mission to the two villages. More accurately put he
tried to proof whether > the witch hunting story was actually
true or false. > Halifa was arrested afterward because the
government felt that, he as an > ordinary citizen of the Gambia
who seeking to impersonate the work of the > police or state
security agents. > No doubt Halifa by all regards played brave
by what he did. Why he did so > remains a question on wet
lips. > Some people considered it a genuine move by Halifa to
prove what others > thought a mere rumour. To others Halifa was
in a publicity campaign for > himself and certainly scored
political points whether he preferred using > that or
not. > From what came out of the encounter Halifa made us all to
know that the > witch hunting story is real and the actions are
sanctioned by Gambia > government. > What next after
knowing the true story still a valid question for curious >
onlookers. Will there be any lawsuit against the government for the
unlawful > conduct of humiliating and harassing innocent
Gambians? > The witch hunting episode ended up projecting
Halifa’s political profile at > higher levels. He was a victim
of arbitrary arrest but that by itself > arrested the tormenting
witch hunt at least until matters settled over > Halifa’s own
arrest and brief detention. The whole saga eventually shifted >
from the witch hunting focusing on Halifa. That earned him a high
profile > victim of the unjust government crime of witch
hunting. > Halifa made noise about the remote control Gambian
constitution loud enough. > He defended his action by quoting
various sections of the Gambian > constitution, a document he
knows about inside out. Halifa knows too well > also that
document is serving one man and one man only, Yahya Jammeh the >
current Gambian head of state. Since many Gambians know for a fact
that > document is not protecting their human rights for a
number reasons one > wonders if there was any need for Halifa to
labour over constitutionality > this fragrant government
encounter with innocent citizens. > The gains of Halifa’s
intervention can double if he was to help the victims > pursue
claims of damage resulting from such inhuman treatment. The
victims > deserve good compensation. > The good efforts of
Halifa placed him beyond the single position of flag > bearer
PDOIS /NADD to the lofty point of standing tall for Gambian people
in > times of need. This is enough wakeup call for Gambians over
length and > breadth of the country to resist the advances of
witch hunters. Halifa can > draft a comprehensive law suit
against the government as seen truly standing > up for the
people. The point of departure would be the constitution, a
book > fully in Halifa’s firm grips. Impeachment proceedings
against the president > can be initiated, thus demonstrating
severity human rights violations. > The law suits may not bear
quicker results but to make the government pay > victims.
Through that citizens will go long way in exposing the severity
of > state organized crimes. > We await Halifa’s future
actions concerning the witch hunting debacle. > Halifa’s
political profile is undoubtedly boosted. Other gains exceed >
individual political scores. Yahya should not have arrested Halifa in
the > first place. The only reason one would think he ordered
his arrest was to > cause wider divide among the ranks of the
opposition. > Halifa’s followers have a talking point- our
only saviour they would say. He > emerged hero of the hour. His
arrest has potential to change something. > To
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