Mr President, the prolonged detention of Mr. Momodou Sabally presents yet another threat landscape to our country’s convalescing democracy.
The democracy that we all hope to enjoy is not given but earned through sweat, blood and lives.
After staggering under the millstone of dictatorship for more than two decades, Gambians should be finally allowed to breath fresh air, Your Excellency.
Mr President, you may not know but it’s sometimes less tasking to move a mountain than move people’s hearts.
Mr. President, you probably lost it but no power vested in you can transcend the freeing, prosecution or jailing of Mr. Sabally.
It would be apt here to remind you of the oath of office that you took to “rule without fear, favour, ill-will or affection”, Mr. President.
Is God not helping you because hunting down an innocent citizen like a wild animal do not strike any agreeable chord with your oath of office?
The arrest and continued detention of Mr. Sabally are naked violations of the Constitution, Mr. President.
You might say law enforcement is at work but your inaction and worrying reticence over Sabally’s arrest is obviously unacceptable.
You are either complicit in his arrest and detention or you just looked the other way.
Surely, Your Excellency, you cannot be comfortable with the violations of a citizen’s rights when you are not complicit in it.
This is no law enforcement!
It’s a strongarm measure adopted just to torment a citizen, who was just exercising the right guaranteed by the Constitution.
Coming back to your oath of office, Mr. President, Allah (SWT) said: “And indeed, it is an oath – if you could know – [most] great.” – [Surah Al-Wâqi`ah: 76]
An Oath should not be taken for the pleasure of it, Your Excellency!
An oath should be upheld and observed no matter the circumstances.
And, to our men and women in uniform, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “A creature is not to be obeyed when it involves disobedience to the “Creator.”
It’s never too late to act in a right way!
Let Baba La Commando go, Mr. President.
Injustice is a recipe for instability.
