(JollofNews) – Heroic Halifa Sallah must be awarded the Grand Order of The Republic of The Gambia for standing up to the Dictatorship from the point when Jammeh “annulled” the elections to the point when the ECOWAS forces entered The Gambia and chased the Monster away.
In that tense and dangerous period for the Nation of The Gambia, Halifa Sallah spoke for all Gambians – and the whole world listened to admired his words. Watching Halifa speak was like watching Martin Luther King’s speeches. History making occasions and Halifa’s words sent a tingle down the spine. Once the President-Elect left for his own safety to Senegal, dangerously exposed Halifa Sallah continued to be the face and voice of the Coalition to the whole world. Like Winston Churchill during the war here in UK, Halifa Sallah spoke for the Gambian Nation and stood up to Jammeh’s Fascism.
But this is Halifa The Man we all have come to know and admire. Halifa similarly stood up to Jammeh’s Witch Hunt Madness in 2011 and got arrested – and the write up on his heroism then was front-page of the Daily News in The Gambia (closed down soon afterwards) and Freedomnewspaper. Amnesty International and the whole world was alerted to the Jammeh’s Witch Hunt Madness by Halifa’s arrest and the pressure forced Jammeh to release Halifa – and end the Madness within a week.
So Halifa’s Heroism, like Sir Winston Churchill’s, is not in doubt. While Jammeh will be a “Zero in Gambia’s Hall of Shame” forever, Halifa undoubtedly is a “Hero in Gambia’s Hall of Fame” forever.
But Halifa shares Sir Winston’s single failure of character: Halifa, like Sir Wisnton, is too aware of his own greatness. Both Halifa and Sir Winston do not suffer “fools” patiently. Hence why Sir Winston had to leave and join ALL three British political parties and endured what has been described as his “Years in the Wilderness”.
Halifa too has found it difficult to join a Coalition and work with others – until recently when Mrs. Jallow-Jabang brought the Coalition together. The 15-year period when the Gambian Opposition could not form a Coalition to challenge Jammeh (2001 – 2016) could also be described as “Gambia’s Years of Wilderness”.
So Halifa, like Churchill, has risen HEROICALLY to the challenge when his Nation called, and has, like Churchill, slain the Dictator.
But immediately after that victory over Hitler, the grateful British people rejected Churchill in the General Election that followed – because Churchill is a Warrior and not a humble unifier. Churchill, in his mind always knew what is right and went for it – and did not suffer fools, even if the “fool” happened to be his Party Leader. Halifa Sallah is similarly single-minded – and we can see this in Barrow’s appointment of a Vice-President who is 2-years over the aged inserted into the Gambian Constitution by Dictator Jammeh (the age qualification specifically inserted to bar Lawyer Ousainou Darboe from contesting the Presidency).
Now, the majority of Gambians would overlook that irrational Jammeh-amendment to the Constitution but not Halifa Sallah whose mantra has always been “Constitution, Constitution and Constitution”.
I think that is where the danger may lie for the Coalition and President Barrow if Halifa Sallah became the Speaker of The National Assembly. Speaker Halifa Sallah’s “Constitution, Constitution and Constitution” mantra could easily lead to a move to impeach the President move in the National Assembly over what most Gambians might see as a minor and inconsequential infringement of the Constitution (like the Jammeh-imposed 65-age limit).
On the other hand, from his current Heroic role, I can see that Sir Halifa Sallah (Grand Order of The Republic of The Gambia) would make a FANTASTIC Minister of Information & Presidential Press Secretary.
Just a humble opinion by a friend of The Gambia and a proud father of 3 Gambians; t lost Ethiopian now going by the name “Luntango Sunn Gann Gi”.
God Bless The Gambia, God Bless President Barrow and his Coalition partners, and God Bless my Gambian children, my Gambian “boy, boy” and his children. May peace prevail in peaceful Gambia – and “The Smiles” return to The Smiling Coast of Africa.
Spot on! I have been a Halifa Sallah watcher for close to 40 years now – together with the late Koro Sallah. These two had worked harder than any one I know to, not only highlight injustices, including excesses of the Jawara regime from the late 60s on, and through to now in the case of Halifa, but have done so with unwavering principle, courage, conviction, and love of the Gambia, our homeland.
And, if one has been around as long as I have been, one would surely remember the arson attack on President Jawara’s [not so] luxury yacht then moored in somewhere along the shore in Halfdie! – … I have no idea who did it, but I do know it was not done out of malice but to highlight the political and socio-economic situation of that time.
Then there was the coup in the 80s. Too sad…say no more!
Dr Halifa Sallah is one of the best principled intellectuals in The Gambia.His stance on the constitution is unquestionable,i admire him a lot.
Dida is doing a wonderful job and i personally thank him a lot,he was and is still part of The Gambia
God bless you Dida. I don’t know who gave you this title“Luntango Sunn Gann Gi” which you seem to be happy with but unfortunately brakes my heart whenever I show or heard it. You part of us. Could you please drop this title now.
It is indeed interesting to see this large number of local and diaspora Gambians for the first time engaged in such a meaningful conversation towards shaping our smiling coast into a better place for all. However,my comment/and or contribution at this point will be to advice all to avoid any misperception of solidarity among coalition members as seem to emerge at this early stage.Im not and shall never side with any one leader of the coalition but rather telling the fact that non among us has the courage, integrity and bravery towards rescuing our nation than the people in question ie the likes of Halifa Sallah who stood again the tyranny of the Jammeh regime from the onset to date.To say or hold the notion that such individuals are bent on derailing the unity and/or cohesiveness of this revolution will be deservice to the cause.Like Darboe, kemesseng jammeh, OJ, Hammat, Gomez, Mai Fatty,Our outstanding VP Tambajang, all stood their ground against jammeh and made huge strides both individually and collectively towards making this a reality. So to speak that we are at a stage of the struggle that calls for no back tracking but positive and truthful ccriticizm in making them better leaders now and forever.
@ Essa Fatty= I agree, the engagement is excellent and educational. We can agree to disagree in a civil way in shaping our beloved Gambia. I like it a lot.
I pray and hope that GOD the almighty will guide us in the right way and make the right decisions. May GOD the almighty bless us and bless our beloved country to refrain from any kind of discrimination. May GOD the almighty protect us and protect our beloved country and move The Gambia to a greater heights. May GOD continue to bring everlasting peace in The Gambia and throughout the world. May GOD the almighty bring our hearts together to love each other as brothers and sisters, and as Gambians and Africans. “AMEEN”
Dida Halake, thank you very much for expressing feelings of appreciation and gratitude that a significant number of Gambians hold and have for Hon. Halifa Sallah. He has been a solid foundation from beginning to the end of both the Jawara and the Jammeh regimes. Halifa Sallah as you said is *Churchillian” in many ways, but also different in many other ways. Churchill is a man of Pax Britannia and very much steeped and invested in the Aristocratic Class Structure and it’s reliance on Domination of the White race over the non white race. Left to Churchill, without the determined push by Franklin D. Roosevelt of America during and after the end of the Second World War, Gambia would still be a Colony of Britain and so would many other former British Colonies in Africa.
Hon. Halifa Sallah in the other hand is either left of Churchill’s Political Orientation or Center left of it. Where Churchill is very much a Conservative and did not believe or see change as being as necessary good in many instances, Sallah embraced it and worked for it. Whereas the Status quo is the preferred Choice for Churchill, I am certain Sallah is more a Dilectic Politician in the “ball park” of Marx Weber, and the “Social Contact” Political Philosophy. That is to say, Sallah is not threaten by State Power, because he is a Strict believer of Republican Government of ancient Rome. In this form of Government, Power resides not with the Emperor, but with the Senate and the people. The people with the Provisions of a “Social Contract” have the power to remove any tyrannical ruler who violate the rights of the Citizens for breaking the “Social Contact”. That is, the Citizens by Consent, subject themselves to be ruled in exchange for the ruler to Provide Sustenance, Security and Safety to the Citizens.
In the Modern Nation State, Churchill is a Constitutional Monarchist, while while Shall is a Constitutionalist of the Republican Dispensation in which the Individual Citizen and Citizens in general are the Locust of Control. Inorder words, all Power and Authority follows from the Citizens to the Senate and then the Emperor. My Observation of Sallah reminds me of the Roman Senator who reportedly believed in Power of the Republicanism and the Power of the Public that he keeps murmuring, Agitate, Agitate, Agitate… What sums up Sallah’s character and Political Philosophy is an abundance of empathy and compassion for the victims of State Tyranny of any kind. He cannot “go along to get along” in silence while his fellow citizens suffer. To paraphrase Edward Kennedy during his brother’s Robert F. Kennedy’s eulogy, “when other men and women say why, he says why not” and proceeds to do something about it. He is a true Ganbian of his generation and for all times. The Gambia would lucky to have Halifa Sallah as the Vice President of The Second Republic. A Petition Should be circulated to effect such an excellent and timely appointment at a time the Gambia needs an exceptional and competent son of the Gambia. Halifa Sallah will be the Voice of the People and would be cool, calm and informed and in turn Diligent, and Accountable with Fidelity to the Gambia and GAMBIANS.
Halifa Sallah for Vice President, if he is not over the age limit as Stipulated in the Gambia Constitution. President Adama Barrow and the Coalition Alliance Government Leadership and the Gambian people should Petition for Halifa Sallah to be appointed Vice President if he is not over the age limit.