Amina Saho-Ceesay, a former High Court Judge has written to the Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, thanking him for granting her pardon, as a result of which all the charges against her and other accused persons were dropped.

It could be recalled that Amina Saho-Ceesay and four others were recently granted Presidential Pardon while they were standing trial on charges of economic crime, among others at the High Court in Banjul.

The letter reads:

In this Holy Month of Ramadan, please allow me to extend my greetings and wishes of a Ramadan Mubarak.  May the blessings of this sacred month be showered upon you and your family.

Your Excellency, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for your magnanimity in granting me a Presidential Pardon as a result of which all the charges against me have been dropped.

Your Excellency, I return praise to Allah, Lord of the Worlds that in this Holy Month of Ramadan he has made possible, through you, this gesture of compassion which has brought immeasurable relief not only to me but also to my family, friends, supporters and well wishers both in The Gambia, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Overseas, who have stood by my side for the last twenty-two months which have been the most trying period of my life.  By doing this, Your Excellency’s benevolence and altruism has again manifested itself to the citizenry and the world at large.

Your Excellency, I thank Allah and you for having given me the opportunity to serve my country and would like to reassure you that I will continue to contribute my quota to help in the development of this nation.  I pray that the Almighty Allah continue to protect you and this country in order that you may forge ahead in the achievement of your visions and aspirations.

Your Excellency, please accept the assurances of my highest regard.

Yours faithfully

Amina Saho-Ceesay

……………………….

Meanwhile, the Gambian leader His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh has also received a message from Rasmané Ouedraogo, President of the International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (IFCCD), congratulating him for The Gambia’s ratification of the UN Convention of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

Mamudou A. Jallow, an APRC militant in Brikamaba in the Central River Region has also sent a Ramadan greetings message to President Jammeh.

The messages read;

H.E. Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya A.J.J Jammeh

On behalf of the International Federation of Coalition for Cultural Diversity (IFCCD), please allow me to congratulate the members of parliament and through them the people of The Gambia for the decision your country has taken to ratify the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

This comes as great news to us since The Gambia is the 117th country to have ratified the Convention, which is a clear indication of a large consensus in favour of this new international instrument, intended to recognize that cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature.

International cooperation is at the heart of the UNESCO Convention.  It is an essential dimension making it a far more dynamic instrument than simply a static, defensive text.  The International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (IFCCD) itself consists of an international partnership of cultural organizations from around the world that has coalesced to work together in the pursuit of a common objective – to ensure, through the adoption, ratification and implementation of the 2005 Convention, that their governments retain their sovereign right to apply policies and other measures to protect and promote their country’s unique diversity of cultural expressions.

43 national coalitions for cultural diversity already-exist, representing 600 cultural organizations worldwide.  Only in Africa, we count 16 very active national coalitions in the following countries; Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Morocco, Mauritus, Senegal, Niger, Dr Congo, Cameroon, Chad, Tunisia and South Africa.  The IFCCD hopes that the ratification of the Convention by The Gambia will create favourable conditions for a national coalition to be formed, perhaps with the encouragement and support of your Government.

This would be consistent with Article 11 of the Convention which states that “Parties acknowledge the fundamental role of civil society in protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions.  Parties shall encourage the active participation of civil society in their efforts to achieve the objectives of this Convention.

In any event, rest assured that the Federation remains committed in assisting the Government of The Gambia to successfully implement the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and will help you in the process, should such a need arise. Please accept, Mr President Jammeh, the assurances of my deepest consideration.

Rasmané Ouedraogo

President, International Federation of Coalitions for Cultural Diversity

……………………….

Under the charismatic and able leadership of His Excellency Sheikh Professor, Doctor, Alhagie Yahya Abdoul Asis Junkung Jammeh. Wonderful your Excellency Sir, for being a caring and sharing leader especially during the holy month of Ramadan because the majority of The Gambian people are actually breaking their fast daily through Professor Jammeh’s generosity.

Without you Your Excellency Sir, the majority of The Gambian people will not have what to break their fast daily but due to your humanitarian and kindness for we the people of this glamorous nation thanks a lot for reducing the prices of the following commodities namely sugar, oil, meat and brad.

Your timely intervention at The Gambia Port Authority is timely an over whelming by providing two new ferries ALJAMDU and CANSALA. Please Mr Jammeh accept the assurances of my highest support and loyalty to the party at any time.

Mamudou A. Jallow

Veteran APRC militant

Brikama-ba