(JollofNews) – Barrow and his Coalition Team have made a very wise and important decision in keeping CDS Badgie and indeed IGP Sonko (I am not so sure about the NiA Chief Yankuba Badgie).
I readers will remember, these two were quick to swear their loyalty to Barrow, on I think December 3rd, before Yahya Jammeh changed his mind and held the whole country hostage.
These two had their lives hanging by a thread, like the members of the Coalition themselves, until the day that the ECOWAS forces entered Gambia. Once the ECOWAS forces entered, CDS Badgie declared that The Gambia’s Armed Forces will not fight – and indeed will welcome their West African brothers “with a cup of tea”. That was the end of Jammeh as ECOWAS forces entered Gambia without a shot being fired.
The most important consideration, though, is that countries that have had leadersip changes resulting in the purge of security forces have descended into chaos and even civil war. Similarly a purge of the civil services has result in the disintegration of government institutions and functions. Examples of recent years are Libya, Iraq and Afghasnistan.
It is therefore very wise for the Barrow Administration to maintain Gambia’s Institutions and their leaderships – at least for the next six to twelve months while the changes are well planned and thoroughly thought through.
Clearly, the Gambian Armed Forces will not be a risk to Barrow in any shape or form during the presence of the ECOWAS forces. As such, leaving CDS Badgie in position to bolster the confidence of his soldiers in the Barrow Government will not be taking security risks – and it will also avoid the risk of discontent within any potentially hostile section of the Gambian Army.
Great move to keep CDS Badgie. There will not be such need to keep NiA Chief Yankuba Badgie and the new Interior Minister will moved on that once in office.
Dida Halake
(Dormu Rewwum Gambia – aka Luntango Suun Gann Gi)
Notting Hill
PS: A reader in Senegambia News once named me “Luntango Suun Gann Gi and I liked that – once it was explained to me what it meant. But someone on KairoNews is not happy with that and has re-named me as above!
Really people justice peace forgiveness,,I believe that Cds Bajie has acted well and professionally, supporting the government until the last minute and receiving the new government after being officially sworn. You can not throw people because you have power or because it is not your party you have to support our security forces we can not keep foreigners spying on our security system if we really are serious and trust in ourselves
My word! I would so far as to say “ousman Badgie for future President ” The guy is a Gambian hero in his own right!
Dida, I always look forward to reading what you have to say. I don’t always agree with you 100% but I think we read from the same sheet of music.
In the past almost 2 months the one hero…sorry, better stated; number one hero in this whole fiasco is Osman Badgie. He is the number one reason there was no bloodshed in Gambia. Up until the time President Barrow was sworn in he had no choice but to support Yahya. He was constitutionally obligated to do so. And he did. My biggest fear and I think many others worldwide, was the unknown of how he was going to swing when Yahya’s time was up. On the evening of the 18th when he announced that his troops were not going to fight fellow African soldiers and this problem was a political problem not a military problem, I know then it was all over. The only thing I can fault him on was his premature announcement of his support of the incoming president. I think he would agree with me on my constructive criticism of this point.
But Dida, I must disagree with you on your comment about getting rid of NIA Chief Yankuba Badgie.
WHY NOT DO AWAY WITH THE NIA COMPLETELY?
Get rid of the NIA NOW while ECOWAS troops are in country over the next 6 months. This will give time for, “the dust to settle”. If President Barrow’s government is going to be everything he says it will be (transparent, open and democratic) why have a NIA? If he decides to keep the NIA what will be its purpose?
The NIA was created solely to address Yahya’s paranoia and mistrust of the common people.
The motto of the NIA when Yahya was in power must have been, We are against everyone that is against Yahya”. What will it change to now, “We are against everyone that is against President Barrow”? I don’t think that works. Besides, how do you change the mindset of an agency that was there solely to support Yahya (Notice that I didn’t say support the President or country) and his evil deeds to supporting a new Gambia and new President in doing good?
No matter what President Barrow does to change the NIA it will always be known as Yahya’s EVIL NIA. He can rename it, rebrand it, rebuild it, overhaul it or reboot it, but the way I look at it, “if it quacks like a duck, it’s a duck”!
Stan, NO disagreement at all! We agree 100%:-
1. Yes, the earlier pledge to support Barrow on 3rd December 2016 was indeed UNLAWFUL – because Jammeh was still the Commander-in-Chief until 18th January 2017. BUT, both Sonko and Badgie were ORDERED to pledge loyalty to Barrow on 3rd December … by Jammeh. They couldn’t do so without being told to do so by Jammeh.
2. I agree. Get rid of the NIA completely!! But a National Security Agency will be needed – the NIA itself was built on former President Jawara’s Security Agency.
NIA was an instrument of coercion and torture for Yahya Jammeh. It’s continued existence can only serve to remind Gambians of monumental suffering and injustice. There should be no place in the new Gambia for a rogue organization like the NIA headed by a soulless and evil criminal like Yankuba Badjie.
GAF is unprofessional and undisciplined, they are thugs in uniform. We don’t need them. They are incapable of defending the country against external threats. The CDS was the head of a military entity that Yahya used to terrorize and control Gambians for many years. I am not impressed with the argument that he somehow help prevent blood shed in the country. We all saw how his ragtag soldiers were doing push-ups when confronted by ECOWAS troops. A symbol of national embarrassment. A painful comedy to see our military force acting like buffoons. The CDS singular act was self preservation. He did what he did not because he loved Gambians, he simply did not wish to die. In my book, he remains a Yahya enabler.
The country need a professional police force to maintain internal security, law and order. Our efforts and meager resources must be directed to education, building infrastructure and economic development of our youths. Let’s not delude ourselves we don’t have nor do we need a force.
IS
With respect Dr., whether Gambia needs a force or not is an old argument. I have spent many hours here in London with Ebrima Chongan discussing the same. In their wisdom Sir Dawda Jawara and his government decided we needed an army – and the Jammeh Coup was the result.
But can we argue in 2016, when we have Cassamance Rebels hiding in The Gambia (and a possibility of Rebel Leader Jammeh basing himself in Guinea) that The Gambia does NOT need an army?
Indeed, I have no doubt that General Badgie was “saving his own skin” – and that is his primary motive as with all the Jammeh Ministers and Ambassadors who abandoned Jammeh at the 11th Hour. BUT, the result of “saving their skins” is that they PULLED THE CARPET FROM UNDER JAMMEH – and left Jammeh alone with no one to support his resistance to ECOWAS.
I said it before that The Gambia Armed Forces need to be purged. Moving forward, the Armed Forces need to be completely discipline and properly trained to understand and respect their primary duties. They must absolutely uphold the constitution, respect the rule of law and understand Democracy. We need to actively watched the Armed Forces for any likelihood of a coup d’etat in the future. Military government has never been beneficial in any African country. I keep asking myself, do we in fact need the Armed Forces in The Gambia? If we don’t have the Armed Forces, what security apparatus do we need to protect the us? I think we have a huge security vacuum in The Gambia and we need to pay much attention to it. Any suggestions?
Balang:
January 28, 2017 at 12:43 PM
The very day (December 1) we voted Jammeh out of office was the same day we amended the Constitution. It’s called “the voice of the PEOPLE” Madi!!!
Sidi N. Bojang Replied:
Balang: It is Not too late to get some Sense of Understanding of Constitutional Democracy within a Nation State of which the Gambia is. An Election does not by itself Amend, Nullify or Repeal an Existing Constitution by a Government in a Pre-Puberty Stage. It is not unusual for the Human being to revert back to his old Animalistic instincts of Protecting “Its own” even when the act of Protection in this case does not have any long term benefit, but a Whole lot of Downside. The Animal Specie’s need to Self-Segregate based on the breed is not a Sign or Evidence of an Advanced degree of Intelligent Thought, Logic, Reason or observation. It is based on Instinct. As human beings, we are Supposed to be or have Developed Brains endowed with the above listed qualities which rejects and relegates the animal Instincts in us into the Dust Bin of History. Next time you and your Colleagues and Friends get together at the ” Bantaba”, at the Street Corner, or at a new found Political figure’s Compound or house to drink “Ataya” and pick up the leftovers from them, remember that it is the State Coffers that is funding your Escapes, Leeching, and Parasitic behavior. The Leaders in Africa and Gambia Specifically are Corrupt and Corrupting because they are from the same Society and Cultures the People who add to the Corruption by “Going along” with a “See no evil, Hear no evil and Speak no evil” as long as the fellow Tribes Species are in charge of the State, The Gambia. The illegal and Unconstitutional Backdoor Manuevering and Ethnic Politics Should not now turn you into an Unprincipled, Unethical and Unpatriotic GAMBIAN. In the Affairs of men and women, the tide of Fortune flows up and down, back and forth, but the Sense of Morality, Principles, and Code of Ethics Remain and embedded within us. Endeavor to awaken it, hard as it may be due to the Animalistic instincts Supressing it because of Ethnic Politics. The Gambia is more than the Sum Total of any Individual, Ethnic group or Region. The measure of a man is not in time’s of Conforth, but in times of Hardship, so says Martin Luther King, Jr. If GAMBIANS who Subscribed to the Unconstitutional, illegal, Political Backdoor Manuevering should Demonstrate having a “Backbone” and Sense of Decency and Integrity, and Speak for the Gambia, not for the Narrow Ethnic group interest at the Expense of the Nation, the Gambia.The apparent Revival of the Hegemony and Oppression of the Gambia by an Old Organization, the “NTerri Kaffo” Will be the Seed of the Gambia and GAMBIANS Rubicon.
DRG, The ‘general’ and ‘ministers’ did not pull the carpet from under Jammeh. Yahya Jammeh’s faith was sealed when he killed too many of his own country men and women for selfish reason. Those who abandoned him, clearly saw that the ship already sunk, they simply jumped off, they did not sink the ship.
Geographically Gambia only natural external threat can only come from Senegal, we can all agree to that. The issue of Cassamance is a creation of a stupid political play by unsophisticated immature selfish leader who lack the vision to understand unintended consequences. That story is for another place and time.
GAF and NIA have not by design and creation organized for external security deterrence, but to serve as tool to bully and control our civilian population. We are hoping for a new Gambia where decent and opposing opine is welcomed and encouraged. We can agree the best way to accomplish this is to feed the minds of our young people and encourage them to engage, to compete and contribute with their intellect and not with gums and bombs. In our history the military has mostly been used to destabilize the country, to plan a coup, to intimidate civilians, to enslave us for 22 years and to waste our resources. We can try to split hairs and make a case to justify their existence, the truth is GAF and NIA have no worth.
IS
The real heroes and those who deserve credit in this horrific period and the final stand against Yahya are:
The Coalition- All of them.
ECOWAS, AU, UN, The International Community.
Gambians at home and in the diaspora
Senegal – A good neighbor and big brother
President of Senegal.
I just read on Yahoo News that President Barrow made a statement that he plans to keep the NIA. How very sad! What would be the intended function? God forbid a reincarnation of the previous regime? I am not a politician but I think this is the wrong message he would want to give the Gambian people after years of being brutalized by the NIA.
What can the NIA do for Gambia that a downsized GAF and Police Force of educated highly trained professional soldiers cannot do better and more efficiently?
If the NIA remains it will put an unneeded mental and financial burden on the Gambian people and the Gambian governmental coffers.
Dr. Sarr I agree with the first paragraph on your first response 100% – No need for a NIA. Very eloquently put.
Gambia has to have an Army of some kind. If not, what would keep Yahya from doing a 1994 all over again?
There is no doubt The Gambia will need a very efficient and disciplined army of no more than 1,000. Absolutely agree with every word and sentiment about Yankuba Badgie and the NIA below. That handshake is a public relations disaster. All I can say is that the President might have been surprised (or even not recognising) the criminal shaking his hand. It does happened to dignitaries when they shake hands as a formality out of good manners.
By Dr Isatou Sarr:
It made me sick to my stomach to see the pictures of one of Yahya Jammeh enablers in chief at the airport welcoming President Barrow. The Director of NIA the dreaded criminal organization that terrorized, tortured, rape, jailed and murdered so many Gambians, the sycophant Yankuba Bagjie was shamelessly standing in line with his ridiculous dark glasses acting like he is a responsibility God fearing human being, we all know him for the monster that he is. His hands are covered in the blood of innocent Gambians. He stood there looking smug and laughing at the same people that suffered terrible injustice on his command. Why must Gambians be subjected to such spectacle. Is there no one in the coalition that recognized this horrific symbol, this arrogant display for what it is. A slap in the face of all Gambians. And why did President Barrow not just ignore him and send a clear message that he will not play with the devil. Why shake his hand? Why allow him near the President? The man ought to be charged for crimes against humanity.
President Barrow wants to keep the NIA, but change the name of this organization. Why? The NIA only purpose was to serve Yahya. To intimidate and kill his opponents or force them into exile. Our country is a peaceful nation. What use is a secret police or paramilitary apparatus in The Gambia. What is the need for GAF for that matter. Sure we need a professional police force to ensure internal security, law and order. We don’t need to spend our hard earned income for a force that is inconsequential and purposeless in the geopolitical sense. GAF cannot protect our nation from any external threat. We all saw how they were doing push-ups for the ECOWAS troops. If it is not so embarrassing, it is laughable. Beside being used as an instrument of intimidation and coercion against our people it’s useless and should be phased out. As is NIA, the Navy and Air Force. The new administration priorities should be education, jobs and economic opportunities for our youths. We don’t need uniforms and guns in the hands of thugs.
I understand that the Barrow administration must first take control of all branches of the military and security organizations before making changes, but it is important to also send clear message to Gambians and the world that we want a peaceful transition and we are committed to building a peaceful society. There is no place for the remnant of a brutal and dangerous legacy of the last 22 years in The Gambia.
God Bless The Gambia
Dr Isatou Sarr
The people need to speak again. There needs to another grass roots organization. Where is this guy that printed the Gambia has decided T-shirts? He needs to get back to work and start printing T-shirts with a new slogan. Maybe something like, NO MORE NIA – GAMBIA HAS DECIDER!