FTJ: Speaking to reporters outside the police headquarters
(JollofNews) – A former majority leader of the Gambian National Assembly was Tuesday questioned by police for making comments critical to the government of President Adama Barrow.
Fabakary Tombong Jatta, interim leader of former President Yahya Jammeh’s Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) was questioned for over three hours at the police headquarters in Banjul.
He is the second political leader to be questioned by police in recent months for criticising the way and manner in which President Adama Barrow is governing the country.
“I was invited to the police to clarify certain concerns they have over the statements I made,” he told reporters shortly after stepping out of the police building.
The APRC’s leader encounter with the police comes on the heels of a planned 50 000 – man political rally scheduled for 28th October 2017.
APRC supporters gathered outside the police Hq
The move taken by police investigators was also prompted by a controversial statement allegedly calling for the release of some security officers who are languishing in detention for months without charge.
He said they discussed everything and agree to disagree on certain issues.
“Thank God it went well,” he said.
The former ruling party emblematic figure further stated he raised concerns over the prolonged detention without trial of some military personnel, and added that the police may have suspected that this could cause chaos or instability.
“They called it a new political dispensation, and what affects me should affect another person. They have to be taken to court or be released,” he said.
When asked whether the APRC will go ahead with their planned rally, Mr Jatta said the proposed meeting will be held this month.
He added: “The issue of the political rally was not even discussed.”
The APRC regime ruled the tiny West African nation for more than two decades. The party was formed in 1996 to support army leader Yahya Jammeh’s campaign for the 1996 elections.
Jammeh won the 2001 presidential elections with 52.8 per cemt of the popular vote. In National Assembly elections in 2002, the party won 45 of 48 seats, 33 of them unopposed. The elections were boycotted by the oppositional United Democratic Party.
APRC candidate and incumbent Yahya Jammeh won a third five-year term in presidential elections held on 22 September 2006, receiving 67.3 per cent of the vote.
The APRC won 42 of 48 seats in the 25 January 2007 National Assembly election and 43 of 48 seats in the 29 March 2012 National Assembly election.
In the 2016 presidential elections, for the first time since officially taking power in the 1996 presidential elections, APRC incumbent Jammeh lost the presidency to coalition challenger Adama Barrow, garnering only 39.6 per cent of the vote to Barrow’s 43.3 per cent.
In the 2017 parliamentary elections, the APRC lost much of its support, while its long-time rival United Democratic Party gained a landslide victory.
FTJ is a Jammeh enabler then and his apologist now, the man is guilty of a crime of conscience and betrayal of trust by our people. But why harass him and interfere with his freedom of expression. He like all Gambians reserve the right to decent and disagree with The Barrow administration. The National Assembly should summon those that violated his rights to come before them and show cause.
God Bless The Gambia
Dr Sarr there is a difference between freedom of expression and incitement. You will agree with me that the later is dangerous and the former is definitely being exercised in the Gambia now. Before we all start jumping up and saying he is been harassed, lets look at things from the perspective of the police. Neither you nor i knows what intelligence they are working with. They might have called him in for questioning because he has said something that links to a certain Intel without him even knowing. If FTJ or any APRC member or supporter thinks that they can do a or say anything as they so wish, well here is a news flash, they cant. Let me quote what he said according to this article, “thank God it went well”. What was he expecting, that he is going to be killed just as his former boss used to do? This man and APRC has denied the Gambian people the very freedom that he is enjoying today. The audacity of this man and APRC is beyond believe. Please Dr Sarr continue to be balance in your critique as you always are but don’t let this man and APRC’s stunts distract you from discussing the reality of the assault that their regime did to our economy, which is what they want.
FTJ is enjoying the freedom that Barrows government initiating, just compared to jammehs time who will mistreated an opposition back in the days. FTJ will never stand up against mistreatment of the opposition during Jammehs era, Lets be honest.
If the Adama Barrow, Ousainou Darbo and Mai Fatty government spend so much time railroading in Opposition Party Leaders, Officials and Supporters for one reason or another. It will Demean, appear Hypocritical and in the end Defeat it’s Claim and Position of bringing a New and Different Democractic Dispensation to the Gambia. The Government needs to be less Reactionary and Imposing and more Accessible to the average Gambian. Those in Power have to be thick skinned and not thin skinned. Being easily offended and seeing enemies and threats on every Street and Corner is not healthy nor reassuring to the Public. Gambia and Gambians need both Real Stability and Security at the Macro and Micro Levels of State and Individual Personal Security. The government can’t afford to be Consumed and Paralyzed from within or without by Paranoia. There is nothing wrong with being Security Conscious. However, it is destructive to be Security Obsessed and seeing Enemies everywhere. Gambians need Water, Electricity, Affordable Food and Gainful Employment. Let’s engage in railroading these Needs into Gambia for the Gambians. There is nothing more able to fortify Courage and Security like a Successful Government. Try being Successful in Providing Services such as Water, Electricity, Affordable food, Education and Health Services and watch the Fear and Insecurity Decipate.
Sidi, i can see that you are still in denial. All that you mentioned above, did it remind you of anyone???. Stop being a hypocrite and get your tiny head out of the sand. You may be stuck in the past but Gambians have moved on. Where was Fabakary and you when Jammeh was locking people up left right and center??? Have you guys just learnt the meaning of the word justice?? If 50,000 is all that APRC can mobilise, then lets see it. Has ever occurred to either of you two hypocrites that the very laws that hey are detained under were formulated into law by the very person screaming today that that law is not fair? You are right that the Gambian people need all the things you mentioned above. However all that you did is expose yourself for the hypocrite that you are. Because Gambia and Gambians are in this predicament because of Jammeh as clearly evident from the revelations at the commission. If he had not milked the nations coffers dry, perhaps there would have been enough to take care of the things you mentioned above. I have told you several times, hated is a terrible thing. Your hatred or President Barrow, Ousainou and Mai will consume.
Simmer Down Buba Sanyang. You got your bone to chew at the Local government job they threw at you. Could it be that your position is not safe, Or your ambition is getting the best of you? You and those who subscribe to the mantra that all who Critize the UDP Led Regime are Jammeh’s APRC SUPPORTERS reveal a lot about the simplistic and elementary thinking they indulge in. It is, I hope beneath you to be content with such logic. I am not going to be dragged into such inter-mural debate contributing and signifying nothing. The “where were you when Jammeh did this or that” questions are old, stale and self-serving to say the least. I suppose you and UDP alone, brought about Jammeh’s departure from the Gambia into exile? Bravo. You are a legend in your mind, but only in your mind. The grandios fever that afflicts the small and narrow minded fellows like you and your Compatriots who have done as much to damage to Gambia and Africa in general is beginning to raise up its Cancerous Symtoms. If things continue the way they are going on in the Gambia, in less than a decade, Gambians will be facing another Commission of Enquiry. By then however, the Gambia and Gambians have been Subjected to another Grand Theft of the National Pie. Let me let you in a fact. I was assured of getting a job in the Gambia following the election of 1996. By then I had been gainfully employed after refusing to return to Gambia to apply for a job as I was informed through a terse letter from the Civil Service Commission, instead of applying, securing and then moving back to the Gambia as many I know had been permitted to do. I did not apply nor have a taste for holding a position in a Military turned Civilian government. Most Significantly, I do not Subscribe to nepotism of any kind. You on the other hand, would not appreciate that. You Tethered your person and life to a Party and can’t therefore, see the Trees that make up the forest. Let me break it down for you. The Trees being the Individual Gambians in their own ways and means, Collectively (the Forest), joining to Effect Change that you enjoy today as a Local government official. The least you can do is mature and extend your horizon beyond the Nativistic state and level you have packed yourself. Such Behavior is not worthy of your position, however minor it may be. It is still Civil Service and your Disposition and Rigid Views on matters of National Peaceful Co-exitence is not reassuring and is Infact, Dangerous. Simmer Down. Gambia is More than the Sum Total of One Ethnic Group or Region.
May I have you attention please and not to rattle your cage …
Why do you think others have not seen the trees that make up the forest?
Is it because they tethered their persons and lives to a party or is it because they took up a job in the new government??
Do you think others should see you as someone who have seen the trees that make up the forest? Man, I think you are unnecessarily arrogant in judging people who work in the government. I got a bit of clue from assertions in your comment that you are an old boy and that good to know. Please do not assume I know Buba or I’m working in the government myself. I know you won’t be convinced about both in the latter. I’m just trying to help you see through your own proclaimed self righteousness but only if you’ll take a break and breathe just for a moment to help yourself first; There are lots of folks out here and at home who may not need to pick up a job with the new government for a living but the hell of that idea ….. Is everyone who went home or is at home taking a responsibility in the new government just for a living, as a first priority? Bro, someone got to be out there working or otherwise we’ll call it a day because they ain’t gonna be a government. I think you need to ‘simmer down’ a bit yourself with your “Pomps and prides”. Why do we express different opinions here? I guess that’s because we don’t see life in exactly the same pattern hence the seemingly endless debate about what good governance is suppose to look like. Let’s hope that those who undertake responsibilities in the new administration live up to expected moral and legal obligations for the fact that they shall always be liable to scrutiny and therefore we need not angle them with disdain whilst no wrong doing is proved against them.
I noticed that you have expropiated my saying, “who rattled your Cage”? Take it. However, I would like to know “Who let you out of the Cage? I am under no illusion to suggest that those who work for the government are like Buba Sanyang I was responding to specifically. If you on the other hand fit the bill or the shoes fit, wear them with your partner. Different Strokes for different people.
Bourne, don’t waste your breath on Sidi. I am not the Buba Sanyang he is insulting. I have always been able to get under his skin with my intellectual analysis of his stupid ideas. Moreover, he is trying to deflect people from talking about the crimes that his former boss has committed in the Gambia. I know him and Babu Soli won’t want to admit it but they must be ashamed of their boss now that the whole world is aware of his sticky fingers.
Sidi, i have told you several times before, if you really want to know me stop guessing. I know i get under your skin because of my intellectual approach to shattering your well rehearsed but half baked arguments. You should write a big apology to the Buba Sanyang who works in Local Government. I am not in the Gambia, still in UK.
This is very disturbing. Behind the highly acclaimed speeches from this government there lays a smoke screened ambition we are more familiar with.
So what’s fresh ?
Top of the hat to you Mike. Thanks for the missive. It is all about the Gambians future generations. Period. May we learn from the past Wrongs and Avoid repeating them.
Sidi village idiot Bojang
Natty dread ”rattled your damn cage” and what ye gonna do about it. Am i also guilty of expropriating your saying? I know why Mad professor Soli called you friend and comrade. You two are the only fools ever to call Gambia home. Rattle ones cage is a widely used expression but tired ass disgraceful idiots like you will think that you coined that phrase. Unfortunate neanderthals of our time. Welcome to the human race Sidi.
Natty, this guy is a very funny clown. He should find a job in the circus. Imagine a character like him in public office …. You don’t need to get far to understand that most of them self portrayed righteous idiots are dumb headed sycophants or sycophant makers.
Natty Naughty, I tried in many an occasion to advise you as a sister, “those who have no self-respect deserve none”. You seem to be proud of not having any Semblance of Respect, Decorum, or Civility. As a results, you and your fellow traders in insults have been uncivil and insulting to just about everyone you disagree with. Your rage and rabid kneejerk reaction to those you disagree with is littered within the Online Forums. Clean it Up. Would your fellow traders in insults be proud of your accomplishments of lobbing insults at anyone you disagree with if they were to share the Posts with their respected Imam or Pastor? Would you let your children and grandchildren, if you have any, read your Posts with Insults? How about your elders and parents? I think not. A lot of us need to look at the mirror and come to terms with our Bi-Polar persona On Online and reconcile it with the one we need to be in a Civilized Society. Then again, one cannot be what you are not. The rage you exhibit at those you disagree with need Psychological and Psychiatric help. I have much respect for Independent women who exhibit a quality of Motherhood and Decency that represents its highest value. Since you seem to be lacking any such qualities on Online and I don’t know you, I leave you to your well known trade in insults and entertaining the lowest bidder. Simmer Down, but more significantly, at least seek Counseling to resolve your rage. Temper your Temper. It is not healthy. You are becoming an Embarasment to Womanhood. As a Gambian, I find that to be regrettable and shameful. It is a virus infecting Gambia’s Civility with Discord and Insults that add nothing but produce a boomerang effect. The ability to insult, is not a skill, nor anything to be proud of.
Sidi village idiot Bojang
Hahaha! Great advise from the clown neanderthal of our times. In spite of your pomposity,ignorance and arrogance i may agree with some of the things you’ve just said, but let me tell you one thing Natty Dread ain’t gonna change. Idiots like you and Babu Soli deserve nothing but insults as you two are the unfortunate addition to the Gambian fraternity.I can’t stand aside let morons like mad Soli unashamedly proclaiming that those innocent loved brethren died a deserved death, nor am i gonna let an insidious hateful tribalist bigot like You take ownership of a commonly used phrase.To insult idiots is a skill for me and proud of it as an independent woman. Live with it or swallow it through your back side.Welcome to the human race Sidi,
Sidi,
But why assert you don’t know Natty but you know she is a woman? I am not writing on Natty’s behalf neither do I have the slightest idea who the person is, but to point out how contradicting you usually are in most of your exaggerated shows of intelligence that hardly can be noted by those who read your writings.
You can see that me and Natty do disagree on many issues but we never do resort to excelling in the trade of insults, as far as our pen names here are concerned. I hope, we all involved in the art of insults trade of all kinds, find our appropriate counselors.
I think the ability to insult is indeed a skill some people do perfect. There are those profoundly stabbing insults like drawing elders and society’s respected figures into the awful trade and those outrightly vulgar and terse ones to counterbalance the latter. Both types are provocative enough to help the other get spewed out in exchange. Frankly speaking though, none of the two types can be considered a matured practice neither proud Worthy. Hope we grow better, in our skills to bring forth our opinions and view points in simple and straight forward language, that is not marred by unconscious pompousness.
If you live in a glass house don’t throw stones. Where was Fabulous Fabakary when Jammeh was arresting and locking up, not only members of the opposition, but journalists and anybody he fell out with.
Tafel,
I have now realised that you are very unproductive and uneducative. The Jammeh administration administered more freedom of expression than the present CORRUPT, INEFFICIENT AND TRIBALIST bitty coalition administration.
Amidst a barrage of insults on his mother, father, family and other APRC stalwarts, President Jammeh’s government and party endured a lot of unscrupulous, uneducative, naughty villifications. Would the present British Argos Watchman’s administrtation endure such irresponsible opposition? When it arrested and remanded a Kombo Jambur woman, a mother of 5 children for “insulting” the fat-bellied sick Barrow.
There is all intent to curb/curtail the reorganization of the opposition, much more the APRC. They have been denied permits to hold rallies, their youth activities banned and APRC sympathizers dismissed from all public services. Denied Mama Kandeh, GDM a diplomatic passport; called him and FaBakary Tombong for STUPID police questioning with the aim of instilling fear.
Yet you’re erroneously painting this INEPT, TRIBALIST and USELESS administration as democratic. Better you read your books again about democratic virtues and dispensation!
Babu Soli, I don’t trade insults with no one as you are fond of it.,We have to be civil and honest and don’t be over react. Many wrong things happen during Jammehs time and no one dare challenge it. FTJ has witness some the violation against basic rights of opposition and other activities, but never face to the regime and tell the facts. All they will be doing is to say yes yes.
Buba Sanyang, Alex, Jack the Jackass,
Read Dr Isatou Touray’s. These are the people who would say they “did it wrongly”, so we’ll not fall prey to the same errors.
I can easily gauge your shallow level of democratic understanding. You have made me to believe that all that President Jammeh did were CORRECT. Therefore, I’ll urge your INEPT, DUNCE government with a British Argos Watchman at the summit of affairs to uphold the same trend. That way we’ll forge better ahead. Please digest my language with sense.
Babu Soli, your right …, I’ve endured the stench of your heap of crap. Your tribalist kind who give the impression to be Gambians are very much a menace to the country’s stability. Why are you such a stupid idiot who thinks there’s a grit of sense in your dunce-headed cackling …Eh? Why the hell you won’t listen when people are talking about democracy issues … Eh? Your not just a sucker who would kiss any dictator’s shoes but would suck on the blood of their victims too. Remember you already gave proof of your blood dripping fingers when you said those killed by Jammeh deserve to die …..
Back off you Jackass Babu Soli and give way for genuine critics of the Barrow administration. Hope you get my ‘diatribe’ like medicine to your taste..
I’ve digested Alex’s language with common sense: “if you live in a glass house don’t throw stones”.
Fabakary’s been hurling big heavy rock stones around the neighborhood of glass houses for a bit over two decades and now one’s just landed on his own glass house. Hope he understands how wicked and bad a house majority leader he was.
Koto Babu, its hilarious to read both your comments and Sidi’s, you guys must be reminiscing about your former boss because what both of you painstaking did, was given us a perfect description of the Jammeh Government. I can see that you are both true disciples of “Jammehism”. And if you or anyone wonders what that is, well it’s what you wrote Koto.
You wrote that Fabakary Tombong Jatta was question by police för Anti – government comments. That statement by your news paper is wrong and misleading. Fabakary Tombong Jatta was question by police because of his hate speech an inciting of violence. This governmnet or the police will never question any gambian for a different view. Please try to factual because your readers aare many.
Jack the Jackass,
Both Alex and you are very STUPID IDIOTS. You continuously give the same STUPID analogues when it comes to what “wrong” Preident Jammeh did but never give the same analogue to the good he did when refering to your INEPT and INEFFICIENT administration.
You reactionary neocolonialist, unpatriotic IDIOT. As unpatriotic as your STUPID administration at Fajara.
Educated people don’t get thrown into the “wrongs” of the past. Why do you want to get out of poverty when you were born a caged pauper? Why do you want to “acquire any form of education” when you were born an illiterate? Do you have to maintain/return to the “wrongs” you attribute to President Jammeh? These are questions you have never answered, you IDIOT.
Your government at Fajara is CORRUPT, VILE, INEPT, UNDEMOCRATIC, TRIBALIST and utterly INEFFICIENT.
One thing I know is that Gambians have already started to discard the “hopeful” days of the bitty coalition government. With acute electricity and water shortages, rising commodity prices, while your IDIOTIC government is shuttling around the world; all truthful-minded citizens have started to voice their disillusion and discontent. Only IDIOTS like you would still believe that there is a government.
Babu; the mounted Jackass, it is your concrete headedness that won’t let you understand that meaningful democracies don’t conform with building a concrete jungle in the name of good deeds, at the expense of an oppressed masses. I said it to you; keep your rotten rat mouth shut as far as democratic values are the issue. How many times do I have to try shedding a beam of light in your peanut-size brain? I said ‘brain’ because I doubt you have one little chunk of it in your coconut shell.
I’m born a pauper but never caged up ….. Why? Because my family have education like a part of their culture, family members who never need to look up to a political party or specific government or government posts in order to prosper in their various lives. They are not praise singers, much less for public figures. Maybe your family too is a type like that, and if they really are ….. let them keep it up. I’m born poor but proud because I found out ‘education’ is the pride of my people as a toddler. Everyone is born poor so just keep your cackling mouth shut about it because with people’s birth, you are now talking about their parents when all if them deserve respect. I may not be able to help you in that aspect because your one who has to look at his neighbors coat to be able to cut yours to size. You definitely prove to be a caged up pauper, praising the horror history of the Gambia instead of denouncing it, claiming people are not making a mention of the goods imported by that horrible history.
‘Patriotic?? Of course I’m not, once some people’s understanding of the word implies; it is the dumping of concrete here and there across the country and throwing out biscuits in the dirt for breeds like Babu Soli. I’m not patriotic because I don’t rap myself in Gambia colors to be shouting, ‘down with neo/colonialism’ and etc., with all the indications of inferiority complex and a lack of self confidence. I’m not thrown back into the past……, you are! I’m not that shameless to be disapproving of neocolonialism like you, sitting down your ass in the Netherlands, bragging to folks about; your on holidays in the Gambia and soon will go back to Holland and all that rubbish..
I’m not a patriot like your fake ass boss who spews senseless Vitriol’s at a West, whose products he is badly addicted to. Guess why he hauled all those exclusive million Dollar cars with him into exile. Damn!, there is good we can say of you two demons …..
I am a critic of many of the present regimes policies and spendings but as well as tribalism in the country fueled by nincompoops like you who are contempt for democratic values. You act of posing as a check to the present government is just an insinuation full of hatred towards the democratisation efforts of hard working citizens.
No …. don’t shut up! Better pour more of that trash out in your rotten head while I’m gone to get you a much better detox. I’ll be patient for that’s the only way I can help train mules like you.
Tafel,
Neither do I go into insults until I receive vile people. The notion of FaBakary was there before and NOW he should endure what “wrong” he did; is not educative, is not democratic and it’s senseless.
Sensible democratic and educated people never think or behave that way.
If you believe FaBakary Tombong did wrong, the courts are there to redress your case. But don’t ostracize a person for something “wrong” in the past without proving your case beyond reasonable doubt. You become a Donald Trup, a senseless fool who thinks all Muslims are terrorists.
Babu Soli
What an idiotic lying asshole you are. Don’t ostracize a person for something ”wrong” in the past without proving your case beyond reasonable doubt. Is this statement coming from Babu soli’s mouth or is just coming from his asshole? You ostracized everybody in President Barrow’s administration for being corrupt,inept,tribalist and i wondered what your proof beyond reasonable doubt is in that regard. You insidious bigoted,hateful lying propagandist. Donald Trump seem more intelligent to me than you lying sucker.
Babu Soli, we’re talking about the past things that has happen and in fact this raises public debate, we look into each individual performances whilst holding public office. Yes we can scrutinize any one who’s performances is below acceptable standard. Also we will not going to put too blame on you or FTJ because under a dictators is not much you can do. At last Gambia is free.
Koto Babu, you are contradicting yourself without knowing. How can he be taken to court without being investigated first by the police? In case you don’t understand due process, it begins with an investigation. The man was not arrested but called in for a chat, thats how the police work to gather evidence. It is evidence that you go to court with. So which do you prefer, the police to gather evidence then start prosecution or do it the “good old Jammeh way” drag him to court on hearsay? You can’t have it both ways.
Mike, it seems you lost your bet on “enable” Da Horse, this week? If so, my advice to you is; bet on the new guest in da house- Jackass aka B… S… aka Da Dung Mule. No tears No fears
Enable won ! at 11 to 10. That is bet £1000 to get back £2100 tax free.
I think some forget that Mr Jatta represents a party that almost won the last Presidential election.
That means he is relevant to a major part of the electorate. Sidi is also relevant as he is part of that movement.
I think democracy can stand there views and opinions without resorting to personal and derogatory attacks. I also think we must trust the electorate to view the UDP response and ask if this is the way they want a temporary President and UDP member to act. We also must judge the rest of the coalition members from minority parties in their support of Barrow and the UDP to act this way.
I think to antagonise cajole and harass an Opposition Leader is not very bright or intelligent. Therefore we must ask ? If the only difference is no one got beaten tortured or imprisoned, whilst others are detained indefinitely without charge, has Mr Jatta made a relevant protest ? It can not be right to say, because the previous administration were guilty of all these things, then they are entitled to treat any opposition member in the same unlawful way. No matter how popular to some.
Once this government started down this path, to return to the high standards of democracy will be very difficult. It is the road to ruin.
I will agree with all who express concerns for the continued detention of soldiers arrested in connection with the WhatsApp Group activity, and I think the government is acting with impunity by refusing to release or charge them. I don’t know why these soldiers continue to languish in detention without trial, and I can’t see any justification, given the length of time the authorities have to bring a case against them, if there is a case at all.
This fact, however, should not mask the irresponsible and false statement that Mr Fabakary Tombong Jatta made on his political platform, for which he was invited by the Police for questioning, and rightly so too, in my opinion.
According to his own testimony, made in his home and posted on YouTube, he has made the claim that these soldiers were only detained because of their Jola ethnicity and APRC affiliations.
Now, not only is such a statement false and irresponsible, but coming from such a high profile individual and standing in society, and given the current uneasy and fragile ethnic relationships, it is also dangerous and has the potential to incite behaviour in his followers, that could disturb the Public Peace. I think the Police are right to invite him in and have a chat with him about his responsibilities, as a public figure.
Mr Jatta knows very well that there are laws which he and his party have passed that could have been relied on to prosecute him for the statement he made, but he was treated with the utmost respect by the Police, and for this, his supporters should acknowledge improvements already registered in this area of law enforcement by this government.
The reaction of people like Babu Soli here is nothing but brewing a storm in a tea cup. Even Mr Jatta admitted that he would have left the station much earlier, if he had not taken so much time explaining himself. So, what’s the fuss, Mr Babu and co ?
Mike,
You have a very sensible viewpoint of what I would call Mr. Jatta’s ordeal. It is a bitter regret that provisioMun the constitution, that makes it an instrument of violence, as articulated by a certain erudite legal practitioner, provisions that were entrenched by enablers like Mr. Jatta himself, are not repealed immediately at the first steps of the country in its new democracy journey, from a twenty years period of lawless dictatorship. If the right to gather and sharing opinion has once been suppressed by Mr. Jatta, by entrenching laws that sees such rights as acts of sedition and so forth, it is therefore indeed a sad situation to see Mr. Jatta himself fall victim to the same suppressive law he helped entrench. I am also very much opposed to the new government being adamant to capitalizing on the current state of the constitution deemed by many as rule of law.
I however would like to differ from those who apparently portray themselves as positive and genuine critics of the new administration through their array of virulent verbal attack against an eight months old democracy. The kind of characters who however, have expressed in their arguments, their full hearted love of a half brain, uneducated, squealing blood spiller of a dictator and public funds and wealth hijacker. These are the same characters who toil day in and out to instigate ethnic violence during a trying time of the country like this.
Good news from your horse race. Then you better keep betting on Enable. £1100 tax free!? Pretty hell of a cash. Should I start horse betting…..Referees are a disaster in football. They’re entitled to a lot of results changing decisions out there.
Jack; Gambling is like starting a civil court case for negligence or damages. Never start unless your can afford to lose.
Bax; Not one of your better contributions. It would not matter if Jammeh himself voiced this disagreement with detention without trial.
What matters is the right and the wrong. What the Police and the coalition have done is wrong.
It turns all their words and promises about Democracy, Justice and Freedom of Speech on it’s head.
..and besides all that, it gives Jammeh supporters and the opposition a real “axe to grind” and free publicity garnished with genuine outrage.
This is juvenile on behalf of the Coalition.
If Barrow cannot handle criticism,,, he is in the wrong job.
Mike, I think the title or heading of the story is misleading. Mr Jatta was not invited for criticising the government. He made a statement that can incite violence, under current circumstances, and it is the duty of the Police to step in and ensure that Mr Jatta understands his responsibilities.
You may remember that I criticised the decision of the Police to invite Mama Kandeh in, when he alleged corruption. That was a completely different scenario. I will never shy away from criticising this government when necessary.
Mike, you may be aware of the case of the school child whose family was paid a visit by the Police, here in the UK, when he wrote in his school work, that his family lived in a “terrorist house”, instead of a “terraced house.”
Would any sensible person accuse the government of harassing the family?
Of course not, because under the times we live in, with extremist cells planning terror attacks embedded everywhere, the Police would have failed in their duty to protect, if they didn’t find out the truth in this case.
Mr Fabakary Tombong Jatta knows the feelings under the current political climate, especially amongst the APRC members, and for him to make false statements about a matter relating to national security, is irresponsible and dangerous. The Police are absolutely right to invite him to have a chat with him. This is normal, standard practice anywhere in the world, and I don’t why Gambia should be an exception.
Like I already said, Mr Jatta was neither maltreated, nor detained. He was not even arrested, in the first place. So, I cannot see what the fuss is all about. Seriously. It’s just a storm in a tea cup.
And you’re right: the APRC is playing the victim card and I hope the government doesn’t fall for it, because that would only win them sympathy and raise questions about the government’s commitment to what it is preaching.
Bax
APRC is a criminal enterprise not a political party. They aided and abetted Jammeh’s criminality by entrenching dictatorship in our homeland with the enactments of unjust laws, laws used to harassed, imprisoned and killed our beloved citizens. Fabakary Jatta should not only be invited for questioning for the detestable lies, the incitements but should be arrested and charge for treason. He should be thankful that this government is a government of human beings unlike the government he was part of that forfeited its rights to be human beings but monsters and morons. He should be thankful that he didn’t meet the same fate as those who uttered less but were fed to crocodiles in Jammeh’s death camp. He should be thankful that he escaped the torture chambers of the NIA. He should also be thankful that he is not buried in some remote unmarked grave in some forest or somewhere near Tanji beach. This is the difference between us and them. We love and respect life and they hate and destroy lives. May Almighty Allah judge them for what they are……Lies, murderers and thieves.
Mike is a humorous guy. He can’t be serious at all times. He probably travels around E.U blindfolded, if not, he would be optimistic Gambia’s democracy also, will grow from strength to strength in time. If he is really current about police behaviour in Europe, he should be aware of how a black man can be push against a wall and frisk searched because police have a right to suspect anyone of them especially when they wear very good clothes. Wearing bling made of gold from Africa is even worst for them. The same frisk search can happen to them inside public parks and all other public spaces. Generally, the concept is, African asylum seekers and residents in general are expected to behave like angels. They even have to be careful not to overreact when they are slapped in the face by a hater. These kind of experiences is why it is most African migrants wish that the democracies in their countries mature overnight for them like Europe’s democracies have matured for their very own citizens.
I’m not in anyway trying to justify police violations of democratic values in the Gambia but to make Mike understand that Gambia’s democracy too, is very much unlikely to make a world class role model democracy for him overnight. The wrath of dictatorships apart from the lives they shatter, is the tremendous task to restore a meaningful democracy anytime soon in their aftermaths. This view in the latter, is by far in contrast to Sisi’s contemptuous threats to Egyptians that, democracy won’t mature for them in one day!
The Barrow administration therefore, must take heed to citizen’s concerns with respect to constitutional rights and the need for them be aware of their liability to answering citizen’s questions, especially of the media. They must work towards making Gambians proud of being Gambians and needless to mention, including Mr. Jatta.
Bax, Mike has a forked tongue so he has two versions of truth. Like i said to Dr Sarr in a previous post, there is a difference between freedom of speech and incitement to violence. Fabakary Tombong Jatta was inciting violence and discord. Although the Government should not let APRC play the victim card but not to a point that they will be hold hostage by APRC. As long as the politicians stay clear from the police operations, i don’t see a problem. APRC can play the card for as many times as they want but the truth will unravel their lies such as this one has been unravalled.
The reality cannot be hidden anymore. We actually have educated fools and hypocrites and opportunists in our midst. If maiming,killing and fraudulently misusing public funds is good governance,time will tell.
You will reap what you sowed, no doubt about that.
May Allah protect us from the claws of hypocrites…….bless Gambia our only homeland. Down with tribalism and opportunism. Long live the truthful and merciful people who saved us from war and ethnic cleansing.
May God the Almighty expose all hidden cruel ambitions towards us from now till etarnity.
Man oh man….., guy thinks I’ve expropriated his saying; “to rattle one’s cage”. His saying! This guys own the idioms!
Man, you need a bit of piercing on your airbag-head because it’s just inflated out of proportion.
There gotta to be no letting out anyone out of a cage. I got to put someone inside his pen.
Fabakary Tombong Jatta doesn’t seem to possess the decent human sacrosanctity which geared a person towards integrity…
Where was Fabakary when April Demonstration students were gunned down in broad day light & countless many more atrocities…?
In any democratic States world over, the constitutions entails institutions amongst others for running & existence of states & peoples; these institutions have varying codes of conducts including stringent in areas of descipline particularly in arm forces & security sectors in general…
These are indeed deemed acceptable & acknowledgedl incorporated everywhere including ‘democratic’ US & UK; hence Gambia too can’t be an exemption…
If Fabakary’s irresponsible statements are to go by, due to the ethnicity of the detained suspects why can’t anybody else too abdicate our constitutional responsibilities rely on another treasonsble expression freedom & allege that Jola are the hellbent against innocent Gambia as the ethnic statistics would infer…?
BUT everyone knows that statement would totally be false as majority of Gambia including Jola & all other tribes are law abiding in coexistence…
Mike you have your temporary dead woman walking prine minister with a foot in grave already but you can only see (Gambia) from afar; you could be much of a help to your very own here at the material moment if you are of much relevance rather than destruction…
Thank you very much Natty; henceforth the Gambia can only progress to prosperity after the deadly infectious kanilai fiefdom dark ages periods that will never ever return Insha Allah…
I wear a bit of bling. I have been wrongly arrested, harassed, kicked wrongly held in a Police cell without medical attention, for 48 hours, no food or water, and convicted and forcefully invited to tell lies by detectives, under caution, over many years since the age of 18. I am also glad that I cleared my good name on all occasions and those involved reprimanded. It is an unwritten rule in the UK that you should never prosecute the Police.
So a big yes to your comparison’s taken by experience in good faith.
Bax I agree with your eloquent reply,,,,and agree that the Police have made a crisis out of an APRC drama. A drama that any and all politicians of any faith will capitalise on.
Perhaps on reflection, I was a bit too strong and a bit too critical. But my intention was well meant.
Soldiers are undergoing the military process of suspects screening & interrogation which isn’t necessarily same & speedy as in civilian laws; there’s no evidence that the suspects arrests were motivated politically whilst their alleged crimes poses treat to Gambia; anybody remembered Chelsea Manning in US, for example; why the hypocrisy though…???
Bajaw;
My understanding from a very reliable source is that there is a conflict going on inside the army. Some believe there is victimisation going on.
On reflexion, I think Bax is right, in that the heading on this piece is misleading.
It would be regrettable is one ethnic group, is marginalised by the actions of Government and the reactions of the Opposition.Though the strength of feelings this piece has attracted is educative,,,, if not worrying. It would be destructive if this pattern continues, leaving a widening gap between fellow gambians. This is why I have always been sympathetic to Babu Soli. His alternative voice should be heard as should the voices of Mr Kandeh and Mr Jatta. If the vitronics continue accompanied by allegations of the APRC being a criminal political voice, the prospect of true reconciliation is doomed and could turn ugly. I think we should encourage dialogue and wisdom and patience from all sides.
Regarding Mrs May, Why she would wish to continue surrounded by so many enemies in the disguise of friends, is something only she can answer. She is not poor. I think we British have been so abused by The Bankers and the politicians in Brussels, leading to conflict austerity, that we are searching for the new reality, but such reality has not yet shown its face. Hence the British are now in a constant protest mode. We are in a swirling rip tide of disharmony. The likes of which I have never witnessed.
When Mrs May finish her troubled speech she ended with the words. “The British Dream” That used to mean owning a washing machine, a small car, and a council house. I think the” electric dream” has become unattainable for the next generation. The new reality is student debt before 21, of £50,000 No housing benefit for the under 25’s. No surplus to save for a pension, living off the bank of mam and dad and converting their single bed into a double bed and living with parents, with children until the age of 40.
We have bequeathed their future to paying off the Bankers debts, so they can have their luxury yacht in Cannes harbour and their villa on the Costa Del sol and their £10 million apartment in Chelsea. When you see a man of 75 washing cars for coins and feeding from food banks, and nurses queuing for food parcels…You gotta ask, who spent all those millions I paid in taxes.
Rule Britannia and God saved the Queen from destitution. Myself I would convert Buckingham Palace into luxury flats for the victims of Grenfell Tower.
I am all done with making excuses for God. I would rather sleep next to the fish factory in Gunjur.
Again, I have to agree with you that the APRC should not be viewed as an evil or criminal entity, because it is not. It is a legally established National Institution, from which individuals aspiring to perform public functions, through political office, can seek our mandate. It is not different from any other National Institution of that nature.
It is those individuals like Jammeh, who abused the privilege of serving in public office, through the APRC, that are evil and criminal, in much the same say as individuals at the Central Bank or any other National Institution, that have facilitated the siphoning off of millions from national coffers, or carried out acts of torture, killings, etc, to cow and instill fear in the population.
Let’s hold these people to account, rather than view the institutions as criminal or evil.
No ethnic group can be marginalised in the Gambia. Those who felt marginalised are those heartily missing their degrading rations of that bewitched joints of beef. Members among an army who lack education and a proper military discipline but instead love being freaks in the town with 4by4s wearing battle gear. How can such a military persona be able to cope with a time like this when the military in general have to unlearn their unprofessional attitudes??
Frankly speaking, I hate very much what we use to call the GAF. A so-called army that took joy in instilling fear in the civil populace. That’s why I am convinced that people should learn to prosper in their lives by other means away from public funds and facilities. No tribe or individual is being marginalised in the Gambia but it might have been people free pass access to public funds and facilities that have is being marginalised. Soldiers better learn what a ‘soldiers’ means or go farming or go setting up a stall for a living. The problem is; we have a lot of block headed, uneducated, belly conscious and freakish so-called soldiers in the Gambia who found their heads well dipped in the national resources and thought they were blessed simply because they lack a true military discipline. The simple idea that, undergoing some physical training and getting instructed in the use of a few weapons and clad in camouflage makes a soldier is why Africa is full of bloody guerrillas and guerrilla warfare. The hell of all them
gaping salivary crocodiles!
Mike, what you and I may consider the native Brit, though hardly anyone imagines exist, do really exist an are fattening more. Their dreams are very much on the high being realised and probably those whose are shattered are the very lazy ones and the drug addicts among. Oops! don’t blame the immigrants for illicit drugs abuse because a greater proportion of them are indeed the victims..
Why do you think the British citizen’s(native), smile! ……, acquisition of properties on the Spanish and Portuguese touristic coasts are sharply on the rise? Guess why ….. Because there are lots of those extremely hard working so-called illegal immigrant men and women working twelve to thirteen hrs a day, getting all the difficult jobs done at amazingly lows cost, to the diamond harvest profit- making of the British government and those politically considered native British. They wish and hope no one understand the mathematics of the treachery, so no wonder why, to the horror of those hard working men and women, they continue to be haunted down by crooked immigration, security and economic policies. I know for sure when a layman like me attempts to put the issue on a table with them, they would say; “why don’t you go sleep by the fish factory in Gunjur …?” Cliché like this are common use by many Brits and Europeans’ as counterbalances to proofs of social injustices, usually knitted or technically supported by their governments’ policies. Painfully for the African immigrants especially, most Brits and Europeans seem to be unaware of their governments continuous monumental exploitation of African countries, thanks to Africa’s sold out leaders, most of whom would clinch themselves to power or are dictators poised as Pan-Africans.
The notion that Brits ……., I mean; Brits …, are getting poor is nothing but a hoax to send the blames where they don’t belong.
I hope for a much better Gambia of equal rights and justice for you and I and all. The young new African dream is to make a better Africa for all residents without discrimination or contempt towards any specific tribe, race or culture. An Africa that would be prepared to embrace and live in peace, equal rights justice and prosperity with even the invading aliens and their paranormal technology.
Personally, I think the APRC is in real crisis of and is struggling to grapple with the new realities of being a political party in opposition, in The Gambia.
In addition, there is also the problem of what to do with Yaya Jammeh and his terrible legacy. On the one hand, are those who are fiercely and unthinkingly loyal to Yaya Jammeh and still view him as the party leader, whilst on the other hand, are those who may wish to move away from Jammeh and relaunch the party, but have probably not mustered enough courage to come out in the open.
Mr Fabakary Tombong Jatta did initially signal such a move, when he tried to separate Jammeh’s actions from the APRC, but for whatever reasons, he seems to have backtracked now.
Our role, as people who want to see genuine democracy flourish in The Gambia, must be to gently nudge the APRC towards the right direction, through dialogue, healthy debates and genuine support so that they can overcome the trauma and shock of their defeat.
Losing a Presidential Election is a new thing in The Gambia and for many in the APRC, given their relationship with the then opposition UDP, it is a terrible loss of face, to lose to a UDP known member. Politics is personal for many Gambians and thus, a candidate’s loss is a tragedy for many. That’s why neighbours fight; families break up; friends stop talking to each other; even marriages break up: all because of politics.
We need to understand this and react accordingly, in a healthy and positive way. And whether we know it or not, the APRC will continue to be an important player on our political field.
It is therefore in our interest, that we support them to overcome their current crisis and assume their rightful place in our democratic process. That’s my view.
Mike, the entire human race, and frankly, the natural world too, is being abused by a Global system that is controlled and manipulated by a small group of elites, through the influence of Bankers and big “monster businesses/corporations”, too big to fail.
Their philosophy of economic production, distribution and consumption, practicalised and expressed through the concept of Capitalist Neoliberalism, institutionalised globally through education, research, media and many other related tools and activities, and solely profit driven, is so embedded in us today that abandoning it, even in the face of its complete failure to address the basic needs of vast numbers of human beings; not to mention irreparable damage to the environment, is going to be a Herculean task due mostly, to the determination, adaptability and ingenuity of this elite group to maintain their system.
And PM May’s defense of Neoliberalism, as “the greatest achievement for human progress”, which is shared by many world leaders, whether in politics, academia, commerce or professional organisations/agencies, is an indication of the enorminity of the challenge the rest of us face, to adopt a much fairer system of economic production, distribution and consumption.
Undoubtedly, Neoliberalism has succeeded in its wealth creation aspect (but so too has Communism), but has failed woefully in the distribution and consumption aspects and there is no desire from the elites to rectify this imbalance, except to hit the less privileged, with ever more crippling, inhuman and harmful austerity measures.
There is a way out of this boomerang but have we, the masses and less privileged, got the skills, will, courage and organisation to do what we must do to effect that change? Time will tell, but like the days when God Spoke to mandkind, through His Prophets, there are “political prophets” speaking to us in every corner of the globe. The question is: Will we change our attitudes and listen to these modern day “prophets”, or will we follow in the footsteps of our ancestors, remain ever recalcitrant and reject our “prophets”, as they rejected God’s Prophets?
Mike desent for communal prosperity mustn’t be abused (in pretense) for expression freedom to stir strife in Gambia; genuine desent is here to stay as enshrined in Constitution but nobody will be able to instigate hate to engulf Gambia into flames as been the agenda of the kanilai killer devil & disciples…
The army & security apparatus in general are undergoing some transformations currently to conform to serve their purpose as per constitution, rather than the mfdc syndola militia they’ve been for last 22 years…
What do you expect from the kanilai lucifer’s remnants in military in particular which has been the lifestay of the evil kanilai devil for all these years..?
Criminals must be treated for who they are personally not what tribe, ethnicity or skin colour; fabakary & aprc can’t slander to instigate & be allowed just in name of politics which won’t foster genuine reconciliation…
Anybody who fans to start flames will face the law as being the case in suspects arrests & fabakary’s police interview; you know hate preacher’s are being rounded up in Britain…
You’re hypocrite who only feels relivant by engaging in such tribal animosity as your contribution on here seems to be; to ‘facilitate debate’ as in your very own words; knowing well how sensitive & explosive the situation can be anywhere on earth including Britain…
Why not concentrate on your business scavenging disguised philanthropism as been the case of all the so-called samaritans; Gunjur & indeed Gambia can’t be fooled if you must know…
The tory false promises & £350 million nhs promised to dupe the British public into voting brexit is in manifestation; I won’t be surprised a metamorphosis into brestroy in the end due to tory arrogance…
Successive British governments deliberately curbed investment & building houses affordable for council level housing for the public sector for so-called economic policies to up house prices at expense of the public rather than affordability you tend to blame…
The young British population rather voted a stay in EU where they see their future rather than the fake tory infighting deception falsefied being brexitplayed…
Your problem is Luxembourg being the headquarters of EU & center of attention & influence rather than London…?
Bax; The branded names of capitalism and globalism are the modern equivalent of historical references that can be found being documented over 2000 years ago. Did not Jesus enter the house of God to overturn the tables of the money lenders. ? Did not the global superpower of the day { The Roman’s} drain the land of foreign wealth ?
The energy of the day was provided by human slaves and horsepower. The scientific revolution lead to the Industrial revolution, followed by the technological revolution and the digital revolution. It is a sobering thought; that the superpowers reliance of nuclear weapons is probably the only thing that can destroy them.
Social revolution and political changes has meant the world’s wealth is controlled by the owners of energy, and advancing technology. The acquisition of wealth is the ambition of everyone.It always has been. Add into the mix the cheap availability of travel and communication, and the failure of dictatorial government, we can understand why the safety, and social protection and wealth creating opportunities of the mature nations, has meant vast exodus of people, from poverty and war to freedom and security. Too many have paid the ultimate price in search of freedom.
As Pa Mbai once said to me in 2007. “Freedom comes very expensive in Africa.”
You can condemn names of the modern current time, but you cannot think the present conflicts of moral interest, have only changed by evolving human capability and not the unfair distribution of assets. That has been around for thousands of years. Where we can agree broadly speaking is in the idea’s of Adam Smith. Who thought Government should be confined to education and defence and administration. That left to the citizen’s own devices, the individual set free of regulation would be capable of solving his need to work prosper and provide his own wealth and security of income. So we can ask, is government assisting this process or is government intervention destroying it ?
It is also a thought that as wealth and it’s availability has grown disproportionately.
So has evil.
Mike..
Here is what I think about some of the issues you raised. I know we will agree to disagree at times, especially on how we see our relationships to production, distribution and consumption.
I will begin by agreeing with you that the acquisition of wealth is the ambition of (not everyone) a vast majority of people, and there is nothing wrong with that, but how wealth is acquired is where the problem lies. Humans, as rational, thinking and may be, selfish beings, have the potential to be greedy, and as a matter of fact, there are humans today whose greed for wealth acquisition is beyond comprehension; even dangerously so.
And as you have also pointed out, such excessive greed is not new and references to such incomprehensible greed can be found in human history, as far back as, 2000 years or beyond. How this greed to accumulate wealth was/is manifested varied from age to age, but basically, it was nothing but exploitation of man by man, either through “culture”, religion, legalised practice, wars or subjugation by force and violence.
The nature and legality or illegality of that exploitation may change from era to era, but the truism that one man could not accumulate so much wealth without exploiting another man has never changed and will never change.
It is a fact that as human societies evolved progressively, and were faced with more and more complex challenges according to their times, the need to protect its members from all manner of harmful practices arose, and thus the concept of laws that govern human behaviour (whether premised on religion, societal norms, needs and/or existing realities), became part of standard practice for human communities/societies. Thus, as an example, whilst slavery, as a legitimate form of wealth acquisition was accepted in one era, it became illegal and unacceptable, in another era.
Continued….
The point I’m trying to make is that humans, as social beings, cannot maximise their survival chances by living solo. We must live in groups, be interdependent, interact and collaborate with each other in all spheres of human endeavours, but we need set standards for peaceful co-existence. In the current age, and in the context of the modern nation, the state assumes that responsibility of legislation and enforcement in order to regulate behaviour of its members and ensure their peaceful, stable and prosperous existence. And to a large extent, modern states have succeeded in this role, hence the degree of relative peace, prosperity and stability that our generation is enjoying, compared to past generations.
Indeed, breakthrough in Scientific knowledge and advancement has led to the industrial, technological and digital revolutions, leading to our ability to generate enormous amounts of wealth on a scale that is almost unbelievable, yet abject poverty is threatening vast populations with extinction, whilst the gap between the rich and poor continues to widen.
Mike, whether you agree with me or not, I believe in the view expressed by many reputable scholars and economists, that this is not a coincidence but due to the design of the global system that is “forced” upon everyone, and that brings me to Neoliberalism and why it is at fault.
Neoliberalism is an extremist economic ideology of domination and plunder, where the state, rather than being the legislator and regulator, is reduced to a subordinate of big Corporations and perpetually at their disposal to further their interest. It contradicts two fundamentally required ingredients for a healthy human society:
(1) the legislative function of the state for the good of ALL its members; (2) the social concept of “ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE”, which truly captures the essence of humans, as social beings, requiring one another for the good and health of society.
At the centre of the Neoliberal ideology lies “Self-interest” and “Individualism”, where the definition for the rationality of economic activity is altered, from its “traditional” role of satisfying societal needs, towards a cost/benefit calculation and profit maximization as the only rationalization for economic activities. It is the institutionalisation of Social Darwinism, supposedly reflecting the human nature of “survival of the fittest”, with competition as its driving force, abandoning/replacement of the subsistence economy with profit-oriented foreign trade, and prohibition of state interference in the so called “Free Market”, but in truth, highly rigged and manipulated market.
As such, it is brutal, very intolerant, unprincipled and very, very cold. It could starve nations in order to create the right condition for the market to maximise profits. For example, grain producing and exporting countries can pay their farmers not to over produce, to avoid over supply of grain or excess grain could be bought and destroyed or fed to animals, whilst poor people could starve to death for lack of grains.
Meanwhile, the state is made to de-regulate or introduce legislation that gives the corporations free and legitimate hand to do virtually, anything that suits them. The very concept of democracy is undermined by the power and influence of corporations and their lobby groups, think tanks and other professional bodies, over legislators and public officials. Thus, Neoliberalism, whilst it has succeeded in generating abundant wealth and extremely wealthy individuals and families, has also unleashed that inherent human potential for greed and the result, is what we see in the world today.
We can change it, if the political will is there, but there is no shortage of “prophetic voices” sounding the alarm in all corners of the globe: our greed will inevitably, be our doom.
Bax,
The fuss is, these”invitations” by the police are mere intentions to instil fear and curb opposition divergent views thus giving more leverage to the sitting government to do whatever they want without a dissenting voice. That’s how most African democracies work!
How many times has the APRC applied for a police permit to hold rallies and turned down? How many UDP stalwarts have come on the public platform to openly say “we’ll kill all APRC members” without police intervention? How many Mandinkos have openly insulted the Jolas without police intervention?
Babu Soli ……
A professor in Holland? In what subjects? In which part of Holland?
Are you really serious that your a professor in Holland being such a dangerous ethnic violence propagandist?
I’m not sure authorities down there are aware of your genocidal activities online here to be letting you standing in front of any learner calling yourself a professor. What’s got you so disgruntled and bitter like you’re, is a mystery needs to be unravelled. What’s your contempt for peace in the tiny beautiful country about? I won’t be surprised knowing you’re a non Gambian with dangerous ulterior motives. Only hideous enemies of the tiny beautiful country would be complacent to your evil propaganda of ethnic unrest in the country.
Your a very rare type of academic being such an inciter of violence, much more being a ‘professor’ in ‘Holland’.
There are those types of professors who would want to wage war in African countries because they are either weapons’ brokers for the European mafia or they want to sell out a country to another whilst they pretend to be concerned with the sovereignty of the very country they are selling out. He goes “bitty bitty bitty ….” Others lack of “democratic values values values …” Are your dangerous propaganda your democratic values and right to divergent opinion? Whatever the hell you mean by your programmed set of words …..
God saves the Gambia from all evil. Ameen.
Babu, I’m not sure if inviting someone for questioning is the most effective way of instilling fear. I think we all know how fear was instilled in The Gambia for 22 years: late night kidnap by hoodies; prolonged incommunicado detentions without charge or trial; physical torture, including merciless beatings; disappearance without trace; unlawful killings. This is what frightens people into silence; not questioning at a known Police Station in broad daylight.
I am very sceptical about your claim that UDP public platform is used to threaten APRC members with death, but if it is true, then the Police should be required to act. There should be no tolerance for threats of any kind, never mind killing people for their political affiliations. I know there is a lot of foolishness on social media, but that’s a space where the Police have very little power. Many culprits are not even resident in the country.
Bax,
Just to give you an insight into the trend of the ugly affairs in our country!
These soldiers have been detained since Adama Barrow was elected as the President of the Republic of The Gambia.
1) Captain Yahya Jammeh
2) Lieutenant Malik Sanyang
3) Lieutenant Yousufa Jammeh
4) WO1 Pa Sanneh
5) WO1 Ismaila Jammeh Staff Sergeant…
6) Lieutenant Yousufa Jammeh
7) WO1 Pa Sanneh
8) WO1 Ismaila Jammeh
9) Staff Sergeant Lamin Badjie
10) Corporal Dino Sanneh
11) Lance Corporal Mustafa Kujabi
12) Lance Corporal Mbemba Camara
13) Sergeant Malik Bojang
14) Lieutenant Souleyman Sanyang
15) Corporal Lamin Gibba
Staff Sergeant Samboujang Bojang
16) Lance Corporal Aba Badjie
17) Corporal Lamin Nyassi
18) Staff Sergeant Amadou Badjie
19) Lieutenant Abdoulie Jammeh ( whose wife Mrs. Baginka has a 1 month old baby )
Some of them have been detained for eight months, while others have been held between two and three months. Some were taken into custody three weeks ago.
NOTE: All the detainees are Jolas. Doesn’t that sound very ulgy and dirty about the tribalist, divisive trends of your TRIBALIST, CORRUPT and INCOMPETENT administration that hypocritically appears “democratic” but covertly ruthless, brutal and murderous?
Babu Mad Professor Soli
You ain’t the source of this information pal. Scavenging online forums for any twisted, un-vetted, unverified stories wouldn’t make one informed. A disgruntled jola soldier posting names that appeared that its only the Jolas in detention doesn’t necessarily mean that its the truth, and even if it is…. the explanation is simple. Jammeh used his tribesmen mostly to do the dirty work of killings, mass disappearances and torture of Gambian citizens, therefore its vital for those people to be detained to ascertain the truth of what happened. Some of those detained soldiers pose an existential threat to our national security. As you have condoned the killings of Mandinka,Wollof and fulani soldiers by Jammeh and his thugs in the name of national security, i wondered how you can now rant about Jola soldiers being detained for posing a bigger threat to our national security than those downed to death by Jammeh. Hypocrites like you just want to see our country in flames. Just want to see Jola against Mandinka, Wollof against Jola etc. Any responsible government will go to any length to protect the security and safety of its people, that is why there is Guantanamo Bay, the British internment of Irish dissidents, the mass incarcerations in Egypt and the Palestinians in Israeli jails.
Knowing the dark history of the last 22 years of our nation, it is quite baffling for a diehard supporter of the motherfucker to complain about the police questioning of Fabakary Jatta for his incitements, detestable lies and complicity in the crimes of Jammeh. His words and actions would have got him killed under Jammeh. You damn know Babu.
Welcome to our free motherland!
Babu
Firstly, unless you know all these soldiers personally, I will ask you to be careful with claims of their ethnicity. The surnames Bojang, Nyassi, Sanneh, Jammeh, Sanyang, Camara can be any tribe. “Camara” certainly doesn’t sound Jola to me, but I won’t be surprised if Lance Corporal Mbemba Camara is Jola. I have seen Fulas with “Jarju” surnames. So, your claim that ALL are Jolas might not be accurate.
Secondly, whilst I understand the difficulty of dealing with security related investigations, I do have sympathy for your view point and think that the prolonged detentions without trial, is wrong and indefensible. The government can arraign suspects before the courts and seek an injunction to remand them in custody, whilst investigations continue. That would be more in line with democratic practice, than this prolonged and unexplained unconstitutional detention. I will certainly not excuse one action of impunity, with another. As far as I am concerned, Yaya Jammeh’s criminal and callous behaviour does not provide justification for any unconstitutional actions, regardless of who the victims is/are or their past records.
Thirdly, I cannot believe that you would actually describe the Barrow Administration as “covertly ruthless, brutal and murderous”. Surely, you don’t mean it, but in case you do, can you justify the charge.
Jack,
This country(Holland) is one of the most democratic and liberal countries on earth. Please send all my scripts to the Dutch police and in seconds they’ll trace me, if my words incite any form of discrimination/violence. There is no need to tell you more about my profession. I’m a professor and that’s all. Those who know me here and back home, know who I am and what I do here. That’s enough!
Read my response to Bax. That speaks volume(s) of the very nasty ethnic trends your TRIBALIST, INEPT administration at Fajara is perpetrating today!
That country “(Holland) is one of the most democratic and liberal country on earth.” Babu!, don’t get jerked to praising democracy in Holland ….. you fake anti colonial mad professor. I know of ultra rights groups in Holland enjoying every constitutional right as much as the Holland constitution has provided but what is strange about you is being a professor down there and inciting ethnic violence in poor tiny African country. Have you learnt any democratic values in Holland, with your genocidal mind in your Holland body? You pretend as if your farsighted about something in Gambian affairs when indeed you nothing more than a bitter and disgruntled instigator of ethnic violence and civil war. I need not make anybody see your scripts in Holland …. After all do they care? I don’t also care who knows you or not and would thank God for not knowing you. All what I’m concerned about is your hypocrisy, trying to push a certain ethnic group over against others. I hope and pray that no ethnic group would listen to your unfounded hypocritic heap of garbage.
Koto Babu, i am surprised that you claimed these people to be Jolas. If they are all truly Jolas, it then begs the question, are or were all the officers in the Gambia National Army Jola???. I remember some of you Jammeh supporters denying that only Jolas are promoted in the security services, now you are coming up with names of nearly 20 officers and claiming that they are all Jolas. If all these people are Jolas then that is giving credence to the claim that only Jolas were been promoted. If that was true, i think you will agree with me Koto, that is unfair.
Babu, they are not detained `because they are Jola`, they are detained because they are suspects in criminal enquiries in progress; whilst their families have accesses to them when arranged; can we say the same for the evil kanilai fiefdom…?
These suspects may / could be the active cells identified; how many are the sleeper cells are the tasks of the security apparatus to counter & stop in their evil tracks; & they deserve all the support & time necessary to safeguard Gambia…
If you bring & alleged into their ethnicity in your accusations why not comfortably insinuate as well that Jolas are the hellbent trouble brewers…?
You mentioned about one of the suspect’s wife having months baby, at least another months old baby has been physically detained behind bars for being born to opinionated parents by the evil kanilai killer devil; where were you then…?
Fabakary & the remnants of the mfdc kanilai syndrome rebels & whosoever transgressed in words & deeds will face the full force of the law in the current Gambia…
Nobody in government &/ opposition will be allowed to take advantage to destroy Gambia; Insha Allah…
Bajaw,
Come on. Detained for over 8 months without charge! That’s your suspicion…….they could incite violence and of course the STUPID allegations of your TRIBALIST government. Only the JOLAS! Come on, man. There is an evidential urge to purge the JOLAS from the army, PERIOD.
I’m certainly sure ther’re lots more Jolas in the military & continues to be currently, & in influencial positions too, one of them my very own one-nose-friend from childhood to date & into posterity; Insha Allah…
Evil yaya kanilai devil was the instigator of tribalism in Gambia & in the state institutions…
Babu you & your likes have your choice to make, either to live in reality or in utopia but the Gambia will continue to exist no matter what; we in the real world will strive to contribute our little insignificant constitutional quota as required, mandated & demanded upon every human being, either citizens, residents or regional & the international community as each other’s keepers in the global village…
Those under detention will surely have their days in court marshals one day, there’s no doubt about that; this is not the kanilai fiefdom where murder, tape, torture & disappearances were order of the day…
The detained are treated with the human dignity required but got to be investigated to safeguard the general public when there’re crimes suspected…
Nobody has blanket rights to harm the innocent community & society one lives in; that’s when & where the law & the enforcement comes in…
Nasty Natty Dread,
I’m glad that your STUPID statements, though senseless give an amount of credit/evidence and truth to the stance President Jammeh took against all those you assumed he “killed”:
the 14 student rioters,
the Barrow foiled coupists,
the Ndure Cham coupists,
Koro Ceesay…. and all those you continuously LIE on line to accuse him of killing. Wasn’t he looking after the safety of our country against violators?
Is it now that your TRIBALIST INCOMPETENT administration is threatened and that President Jameh was never before threatened?
Is it now that they have to take security matters seriously and that President Jammeh shouldn’t have done likewise?
Your systematic bigotry, nonsensical talk, unproductive diatribe have no place on this forum. You are just senseless/useless! I have told you that educated Gambians/well-minded citizens have already voiced their disillusion about your HOPELESS administration at Fajara.
The Gambian JOLAS have always been the most law abidding ethnic group in the Gambia. Hardworking, honest and truthful in all their endeavours. They have never posed any threat to a government since the colonial to the Jawara eras, yet they endured all sorts of ill treatment and deliberate neglect: lack of basic infrastructure in their area, lack of credible education, lack of credible government positions, thrashed into menial jobs……..Yet they remained loyal to all the governments.
Where were you then, you IDIOT?
Babu Soli
You amnesiac disgraceful idiot. what was Kukoi Samba sanyang’s tribe? What about the motherfucking monster Jammeh? wow,wow, wow! yes there are from the Manswanko tribe i guess. These two guys are jolas and they’ve committed a treasonable offence by either trying to overthrow a democratically elected president or succeeded in overthrowing a democratically elected president of our country. So your assertion that Jolas are the most law abiding ethnic group in our country is false, one of your false narratives borrowed from the gutters of Jammeh’s killing fields. You disgraceful lying diehard fucker of dictatorship.
Babu Mad professor Soli
A piece for you from the Freedom Newspaper. What a surprise you haven’t brought this to the readership of Jollof news.Oh yes, this ain’t to your taste.
ike most Gambians, I am following the proceedings at the commission of inquiry looking into, inter alia, the business activities and assets of former president Jammeh. Although I cannot claim to have watched all the testimonies, I have seen enough to discern the level of incompetence and corruption that existed during the Jammeh regime. I do not think that most of us who have been following the workings of the Jammeh regime during the past 22 years are surprised by the magnitude and extent of the corruption. We have been lamenting about it for the past two decades. What is surprising and disappointing to me is the level of ineptitude exhibited by experienced and educated civil servants, who should have known better.
Almost all the witnesses who have appeared before the commission thus far have confessed to disobeying civil service rules and partaking in crimes, including theft. In other words, we are dealing with a bunch of criminals who conspired with, and aided and abetted Jammeh to steal money belonging to the Gambian people. Thanks to Jammeh’s impudence and the hubris of his mandarins, it should not be difficult for the current government to make a case against these criminals, hold them accountable, and recover the money they looted from public coffers.
It is sad and nauseating to watch these people admit that while the average Gambian was suffering from poor healthcare, lack of opportunity for the youth, lack of adequate food, water and electricity, they were busy stealing money from the Gambian people, and using the purloined assets to build houses, drive fancy cars, and finance the lavish vacations and education for their children. If I were any of these people, I will be ashamed to show my face in society today. On the contrary, they shamelessly appear before the Commission and try to lecture us on the workings of government or how terrifying it was to receive directives from Jammeh. Give us a break! This was garden-variety stealing: taking something that does not belong to you. Period.
As mentioned above, the criminal prosecution of these people should be low-hanging fruit for this government. These people testifying before the Commission clearly broke the laws, and the defenses they are presenting are not credible. Many have appeared before the Commission and woefully failed to articulate the legal basis for their actions. They apparently do not understand the probing questioning from the Commission’s counsel. To break things down, there are laws governing how money gets into government coffers and how that money is spent. Anybody, including the president, who deviates from those laws is acting unlawfully, and potentially committing a crime.
Some are claiming that they were coerced into this criminal behavior. But none of them has given us an example of a situation where Jammeh jailed, tortured or killed someone who refused to help him steal money. He has humiliated and jailed those he thought were stealing from him. That is different from saying that Jammeh harassed civil servants who resigned. So, no one is buying this notion that civil servants or soldiers participated in these crimes under duress. Matter of fact, they lobbied hard for their positions and in certain situations even counseled Jammeh to violate the law. Granted, some of the advice was given out of ignorance because they do not understand how government should work. But I do not need to tell anyone that “ignorance of the law is no excuse.” They need to come up with more creative and credible defenses.
Since the Commission’s terms of reference allow it to look into the assets of government servants and whether those assets were lawfully acquired, I respectfully urge the Commission to start focusing these mandarins on that issue as well, in order to build a complete record that will aid the Attorney General in his quest to recover the stolen millions. We cannot just trust that these people simply withdrew millions of dollars in hard currency and obediently handed the money to Jammeh. Besides, that is not the threshold for legal culpability in these matters. By aiding and abetting Jammeh in his criminal enterprise, they are as blameworthy as he is; and unless they can prove that they delivered the money to Jammeh, they are responsible for the entire stolen amounts. If they acted solely on the directives of the President, then they themselves should not have benefited from any of the loot. And this is why the Commission should look into their own assets and make sure it is all properly accounted for.
The Commission should rely on its Asset Evaluation mandate to develop a record that will ensure that none of these criminals get to enjoy their ill-gotten gains. If they cannot account for their physical assets in the country, expensive vacations and tuition fees, their assets have to be confiscated and returned to the rightful owners, and people have to spend some time in jail. It is only in Africa that people will commit the most blatant crimes and then go scot-free in the name of reconciliation. But this government has to realize that one of the yardsticks with which it will be judged is how it handled the dispensation of justice for the crimes committed during the Jammeh regime. While I am not trying to preempt the Commission’s report, I must point out that Gambians expect a firm response from this government once the Commission’s work is completed.
Remember, some Gambians died untimely deaths, because of lack of hospitals and medicine. Some of our youths died in the desert or in the Mediterranean, on the treacherous journey to Europe to seek greener pastures, out of sheer desperation for the lack of opportunities in The Gambia. The list of miseries goes on and doesn’t even get into the sorry state of the educational system in the country, the bankrupt economy, and the decimated civil service. These tragedies and more can be traced directly to the criminal behavior being revealed at the Commission. It is incumbent on the Barrow government to hold these criminals accountable and at the very least make a concerted effort to recover the stolen money for the Gambian people.
In order to serve the Gambian people in this regard, it should be a no-brainer that the Barrow government ensures that the people who participated in these corrupt activities are removed from sensitive positions in this current government while these matters are being investigated. It also goes without saying that the current government should cease and desist from the culture of spending without legal basis, i.e. spending outside the mandates of the Constitution and the Budget and laws passed through the parliament. But as I alluded to above, we cannot expect a different outcome if we have the same clueless and lazy mandarins holding sensitive positions in the government.
Its time you deal with issues Jola.’ You are looking for legitmacy in all the wrong places. kicking, wailing,insults or nurging is a future in quadmire for someone of your caliber, Al-Dutch Pfroffessor Jola Babu soli.
Sorry, for soldiers in jail guilty or otherwise, its a small price to came into terms with. Hence, this where you “Al-Dutch Proffessor jola Babu Soli” roll your shirt.
Demsify the false narratives occuping your mind at moment. Its za gambia issue at national level but also equally soo at society to community and family at large.
Jola community need your sincer input on what is happing around them in earnest. I cant wait to hear your endorsement signature Kanilai internationale culture festival.
Take solace, ze gambia looking forward.
Nasty Natty Dread, The IDIOT!
Don’t you scavenge for information to supplement/back up your views/ideas/arguments? If you don’t, then you are just STUPID and UNPRODUCTIVE.
However, your learned Esquire, Muhamad Sosseh of Washington has for his part confirmed scavenging for information about the on-going sittings at the corrupted Commission of Inquiries set up by the corrupt and inept Barrow administration.
Why he scavenges for information to send a plausible contribution, an arguable argument, to Freedom Newspaper is anyone’s guess.
Muhamad Sosseh’s case study, doesn’t give a sophisticated, widely informed and accurate account of Gambia’s politicized Commission of Inquiries’ hearings. Many readers would only get a glimpse of this rather confused Muhamad Sosseh contribution which has deliberately marginalized accounts that touch on the vagrant socio-economic and political situations before President Jammeh’s government; situations which were responsible for the Kukoi Samba Sanyang and Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh uprisings.
The learned Esquire, would not squarely examine those situations perhaps from altruistic motives. Therefore his information is the familia plausible argument of a Banjul-related-born Esquire who would only discover and subsequently dilate on one side of our story without giving an indepth study of the whole. His input isn’t terse neither cogent!
When did the average Gambian start suffering? When did the average Gambian taste any form of leverage from social and economic hardships?
It is common in our societies, especially the Gambian society, that the rise to eminence(social, political and economic) of an individual triggers an obligation to provide for the welfare of an entire household, ethnic grouping, thus significantly boosting corruption, corrupt practices and nepotism in public circles. It’s the same circle of corruption and corrupt practices evolving around your INEPT and INCOMPETENT Barrow administration.
We have witnessed the emergence of the Jawara regime which was covertly proned to favour certain individuals, tribes and groups. The learned Esquire would indeed give credit to this assertion.
There was no excuse for laxity by the Jawara administration in improving our livelihood. Public and private aid and investment, the sine qua non of any programme for economic and social developments were all present during the PPP era. Why then did those potentials succumb to decadence?
I’m inclined to ask my learned Esquire Muhamad Sosseh if the Banjul Sossehs, Jannehs, Mahoneys, Foons, Fayes, Njies, Chongans, Christensens, Mboobs, Proms……didn’t take the lion’s share of our NATIONAL CAKE to: build houses, drive fancy cars, finance the lavish vacations and education for their children and celebrate the TAKAs and NGHENTES which my Honourable Esquire might have presumably benefitted from.
STUPID NASTY NATTY , I (we) need a detailed comparative analysis of the features and characteristics of information coming from the already-corrupted Commission of Inquiry that would allow us to make a wider and more cohesive decision on the trends of affairs in our country.
I have always disagreed with the “witnesses’ claims” of “fear” to work with President Jammeh. They are farce and contemptuous, especially in the absence of the “accused”. You IDIOTIC ASS.
Nasty Natty Dread,
Disgraceful “Gambian” who doesn’t know the linguistic and cultural differences between my tribe the Manswanka and the Jola tribe. It’s because of your deficent cultural background, that bred you to know just a handful of the “main” tribes without care about the minority ones. YOU UNCULTURED NINCOMPOOP!
Babu Lying professor soli
You senseless idiotic lying professor, sucker of dictator’s shoes as my learned friend Jack put it calling me uncultured nincompoop. I will take that as a badge of honor because when i look around i see another ”cultured ignoramus nincompoop in professorial gown. Only an imp of your standing can assumed that Natty Dread doesn’t know the linguistic differences of the various tribes in the Gambia, major or minority. You lying idiot in professorial gown. I am a business lady Babu, and that gave me the opportunity to travel the width and breath of our beautiful country before migrating to Mauritius. I speak fluently most of the spoken Gambian languages, therefore your assertion above is false, one of your many lies that littered the online forums. Education tend to enlighten those who acquired it except in your case. It just tooled you into the biggest liar, the dumbest and twisted fool, heartless dark propagandist, the purveyor of false news and into a petty insidious hateful bigot.
Buba Sanyang, my Bro,
But with all that unfairness in the national army that you asserted does it warrant arresting only the Jolas? Democracy and democratic dispensation is what you give and take not the what the other offers you.
The Gambia had long been consumed by tribal domination of key public positions. Only the coming of the APRC drastically reduced those tendencies, though you claim it purportedly filled the National Army with Jolas alone. Do you mean there were NO Wollofs, Mandinkas, Fulas, Kasinkas, Manjagos, Sarahules, Balantos…..in our National Army?
I would like to believe that if other tribes turn their back to the military service, it’s simply because of the non-motivational, non-lucrative nature of that public place.
The Jolas have long been down-trodden by the Jawara government, which was fairly compensated by their ascension to various public offices during the APRC government. Aren’t we witnessing an emergency of the same tribal occupation of key government positions?
@Babu Soli: ” Jolas were downtrodden by the Jawara Government “. Babu, I want to give you the opportunity to show how the Jolas were downtrodden by the Jawara Government because I think this is absolute nonsense spewed to justify Jammeh’s rule of preferential treatment, which does seem to disproportionately favour Jolas.
Koto Babu, I never said the army is filled with only Jolas. I asked you several questions, one of which was “Are or were all the Officers in the GNA Jolas?” because if you are claiming that only Jolas are being arrested and these are all Jolas then that could only mean Jolas have been disproportionately favoured by Jammeh against other tribes. That might explain why people from other tribes are not been arrested because in the army it is the people at the top who give orders. So perhaps they are been arrested for the terrible orders they have been giving to their subordinates to maltreat Gambian civilians or may be for something completely different. Koto, did it ever occur to you or did you even stop to think that most of these people were promoted to Officer rank without meeting the minimum specifications of the post? They might even be given ranks without having the job to match the rank. Koto, can you please explain to me why a Captain in the army is an office clerk (not personal assistant) or a Major working as a farmer manager for the president? It will be nice to also acknowledge the Jola Officers re-instated Koto. It is immaterial what tribe they belong to if there is military intelligence indicating that they were up to no good. You and others can south tribalism for all you like it won’t stop the law from taking its natural course. Might i suggest that you and like minded people raise funds and assist these Officers in taking legal action against the Gambia Government for unfair or unlawful dismissal or arrest. I promise you Koto if you tell them that they will all abandon you because they know the actual reasons they were arrested or dismissed.
Buba Sanyang, My Bro,
I’m not against arresting something for offending the laws. I’m against the motives and procedures. If they are dubious, they violate the rights of one. And besides all that, do they have to be remanded for over 72 hours without charge, without appearing before the courts, without being released? Don’t these procedures violate their rights? These were the procedures the INEPT Barrow administration said it would erradicate on assuming power. Remember the 9 NIA officials were treated equally awkwardly.
Remember, I’m not a Jola. I’m only against any form of tribalism and the blatant discrimination and marginalization of minorities.
Koto Babu, it is either you are ignorant of the part of our laws call The Gambia Armed Forces Act or you are deliberately overlooking it because it doesn’t fit or serve your narrative, however, I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that it was a simple oversight on your part. The army follows its own procedures and I bet these Officers have been charged or detained under the act I referred to earlier. The fact that they were not brought before a Judge in a civilian court does not mean charges have not been brought against them. The army have always followed their own Judicial process with regards to serving personnel, albeit within the limits of the Gambian constitution. That has been the case in both the first and second republic. Furthermore, Koto if the intelligence gathering is not complete, the military prosecutors may have asked for an extension of the detention of these Officers without you and I knowing about it. One could argue that they should not have been arrested before all the facts are known, however , arresting them might have been essential to disrupt a perceive or real threat to National security or to prevent them from fleeing the jurisdiction of the Gambia. Koto i know you are not a Jola but you cannot be fighting tribalism by being tribalist against another tribe. For example, you cannot call me or Jack or Natty a tribalist if we say something about Jolas yet consider you and Sidi as exercising freedom of expression by insulting Mandinkas, that won’t work. Mandinkas are not fare game for anyone to insult as they wish nor is any other tribe fare game to be insulted. Kukoi was a Jola but no one blames the Jolas for his actions because Jolas didn’t see themselves in Kukoi. If some unscrupulous Jolas want to make the rest of the Jola community see themselves in Jammeh then that is unfortunate. Koto let me repeat what i have said some months back, I Buba Sanyang have not seen a single Jola quality I grew up knowing in Yahya Jammeh. The Jolas i grew up with and around are hardworking, honest, loyal and contented people, Yahya has none of these qualities.
Welcome back brother Buba sanyang. You have been missed sorely with your cool and collected analysis of the political situation of our nation. Your contribution is a breath of fresh air to a polluted and sometimes confused discourse of great importance to our nation and our people. I feel great joy in knowing that i come from a country with men of your caliber as compatriots. Please keep up the good work as we can’t allow the likes of Babu Soli to plunge our country into another dictatorship or worst.
Natty thanks for your kind words. I have missed the discourse on this forum but was busy with some academic work so had to shift my concentration to that for a while although i have been following developments. I was never worried about Koto Babu and Rambling Sidi because i was confident that you, Jack and Bourne will keep them in check. Lets keep up the good work.
My tսrn, myy turn.? Lary saiɗ eagerly wiggling
to get an opportunity to talk. ?I think the best thing about God is that he can beat up the devil as a result
of the devil is frіghtening and imply and ugly
and bad and Gоd can beatt him up so the satan can?t hurt us lile hе
did those demon stuffed рeople in Jesus day.
But where is it this sort of Jack comes from …… Straight outta Professor Nuts Babu Soli university seminary??
Man, we need prayers to exorcise the polluted atmosphere and souls within!
FTJ is a Jammeh enabler then and his apologist now, the man is guilty of a crime of conscience and betrayal of trust by our people. But why harass him and interfere with his freedom of expression. He like all Gambians reserve the right to decent and disagree with The Barrow administration. The National Assembly should summon those that violated his rights to come before them and show cause.
God Bless The Gambia
Dr Sarr there is a difference between freedom of expression and incitement. You will agree with me that the later is dangerous and the former is definitely being exercised in the Gambia now. Before we all start jumping up and saying he is been harassed, lets look at things from the perspective of the police. Neither you nor i knows what intelligence they are working with. They might have called him in for questioning because he has said something that links to a certain Intel without him even knowing. If FTJ or any APRC member or supporter thinks that they can do a or say anything as they so wish, well here is a news flash, they cant. Let me quote what he said according to this article, “thank God it went well”. What was he expecting, that he is going to be killed just as his former boss used to do? This man and APRC has denied the Gambian people the very freedom that he is enjoying today. The audacity of this man and APRC is beyond believe. Please Dr Sarr continue to be balance in your critique as you always are but don’t let this man and APRC’s stunts distract you from discussing the reality of the assault that their regime did to our economy, which is what they want.
FTJ is enjoying the freedom that Barrows government initiating, just compared to jammehs time who will mistreated an opposition back in the days. FTJ will never stand up against mistreatment of the opposition during Jammehs era, Lets be honest.
If the Adama Barrow, Ousainou Darbo and Mai Fatty government spend so much time railroading in Opposition Party Leaders, Officials and Supporters for one reason or another. It will Demean, appear Hypocritical and in the end Defeat it’s Claim and Position of bringing a New and Different Democractic Dispensation to the Gambia. The Government needs to be less Reactionary and Imposing and more Accessible to the average Gambian. Those in Power have to be thick skinned and not thin skinned. Being easily offended and seeing enemies and threats on every Street and Corner is not healthy nor reassuring to the Public. Gambia and Gambians need both Real Stability and Security at the Macro and Micro Levels of State and Individual Personal Security. The government can’t afford to be Consumed and Paralyzed from within or without by Paranoia. There is nothing wrong with being Security Conscious. However, it is destructive to be Security Obsessed and seeing Enemies everywhere. Gambians need Water, Electricity, Affordable Food and Gainful Employment. Let’s engage in railroading these Needs into Gambia for the Gambians. There is nothing more able to fortify Courage and Security like a Successful Government. Try being Successful in Providing Services such as Water, Electricity, Affordable food, Education and Health Services and watch the Fear and Insecurity Decipate.
Sidi, i can see that you are still in denial. All that you mentioned above, did it remind you of anyone???. Stop being a hypocrite and get your tiny head out of the sand. You may be stuck in the past but Gambians have moved on. Where was Fabakary and you when Jammeh was locking people up left right and center??? Have you guys just learnt the meaning of the word justice?? If 50,000 is all that APRC can mobilise, then lets see it. Has ever occurred to either of you two hypocrites that the very laws that hey are detained under were formulated into law by the very person screaming today that that law is not fair? You are right that the Gambian people need all the things you mentioned above. However all that you did is expose yourself for the hypocrite that you are. Because Gambia and Gambians are in this predicament because of Jammeh as clearly evident from the revelations at the commission. If he had not milked the nations coffers dry, perhaps there would have been enough to take care of the things you mentioned above. I have told you several times, hated is a terrible thing. Your hatred or President Barrow, Ousainou and Mai will consume.
Simmer Down Buba Sanyang. You got your bone to chew at the Local government job they threw at you. Could it be that your position is not safe, Or your ambition is getting the best of you? You and those who subscribe to the mantra that all who Critize the UDP Led Regime are Jammeh’s APRC SUPPORTERS reveal a lot about the simplistic and elementary thinking they indulge in. It is, I hope beneath you to be content with such logic. I am not going to be dragged into such inter-mural debate contributing and signifying nothing. The “where were you when Jammeh did this or that” questions are old, stale and self-serving to say the least. I suppose you and UDP alone, brought about Jammeh’s departure from the Gambia into exile? Bravo. You are a legend in your mind, but only in your mind. The grandios fever that afflicts the small and narrow minded fellows like you and your Compatriots who have done as much to damage to Gambia and Africa in general is beginning to raise up its Cancerous Symtoms. If things continue the way they are going on in the Gambia, in less than a decade, Gambians will be facing another Commission of Enquiry. By then however, the Gambia and Gambians have been Subjected to another Grand Theft of the National Pie. Let me let you in a fact. I was assured of getting a job in the Gambia following the election of 1996. By then I had been gainfully employed after refusing to return to Gambia to apply for a job as I was informed through a terse letter from the Civil Service Commission, instead of applying, securing and then moving back to the Gambia as many I know had been permitted to do. I did not apply nor have a taste for holding a position in a Military turned Civilian government. Most Significantly, I do not Subscribe to nepotism of any kind. You on the other hand, would not appreciate that. You Tethered your person and life to a Party and can’t therefore, see the Trees that make up the forest. Let me break it down for you. The Trees being the Individual Gambians in their own ways and means, Collectively (the Forest), joining to Effect Change that you enjoy today as a Local government official. The least you can do is mature and extend your horizon beyond the Nativistic state and level you have packed yourself. Such Behavior is not worthy of your position, however minor it may be. It is still Civil Service and your Disposition and Rigid Views on matters of National Peaceful Co-exitence is not reassuring and is Infact, Dangerous. Simmer Down. Gambia is More than the Sum Total of One Ethnic Group or Region.
May I have you attention please and not to rattle your cage …
Why do you think others have not seen the trees that make up the forest?
Is it because they tethered their persons and lives to a party or is it because they took up a job in the new government??
Do you think others should see you as someone who have seen the trees that make up the forest? Man, I think you are unnecessarily arrogant in judging people who work in the government. I got a bit of clue from assertions in your comment that you are an old boy and that good to know. Please do not assume I know Buba or I’m working in the government myself. I know you won’t be convinced about both in the latter. I’m just trying to help you see through your own proclaimed self righteousness but only if you’ll take a break and breathe just for a moment to help yourself first; There are lots of folks out here and at home who may not need to pick up a job with the new government for a living but the hell of that idea ….. Is everyone who went home or is at home taking a responsibility in the new government just for a living, as a first priority? Bro, someone got to be out there working or otherwise we’ll call it a day because they ain’t gonna be a government. I think you need to ‘simmer down’ a bit yourself with your “Pomps and prides”. Why do we express different opinions here? I guess that’s because we don’t see life in exactly the same pattern hence the seemingly endless debate about what good governance is suppose to look like. Let’s hope that those who undertake responsibilities in the new administration live up to expected moral and legal obligations for the fact that they shall always be liable to scrutiny and therefore we need not angle them with disdain whilst no wrong doing is proved against them.
I noticed that you have expropiated my saying, “who rattled your Cage”? Take it. However, I would like to know “Who let you out of the Cage? I am under no illusion to suggest that those who work for the government are like Buba Sanyang I was responding to specifically. If you on the other hand fit the bill or the shoes fit, wear them with your partner. Different Strokes for different people.
Bourne, don’t waste your breath on Sidi. I am not the Buba Sanyang he is insulting. I have always been able to get under his skin with my intellectual analysis of his stupid ideas. Moreover, he is trying to deflect people from talking about the crimes that his former boss has committed in the Gambia. I know him and Babu Soli won’t want to admit it but they must be ashamed of their boss now that the whole world is aware of his sticky fingers.
Sidi, i have told you several times before, if you really want to know me stop guessing. I know i get under your skin because of my intellectual approach to shattering your well rehearsed but half baked arguments. You should write a big apology to the Buba Sanyang who works in Local Government. I am not in the Gambia, still in UK.
I could not agree more Sidi;
This is very disturbing. Behind the highly acclaimed speeches from this government there lays a smoke screened ambition we are more familiar with.
So what’s fresh ?
Top of the hat to you Mike. Thanks for the missive. It is all about the Gambians future generations. Period. May we learn from the past Wrongs and Avoid repeating them.
Sidi village idiot Bojang
Natty dread ”rattled your damn cage” and what ye gonna do about it. Am i also guilty of expropriating your saying? I know why Mad professor Soli called you friend and comrade. You two are the only fools ever to call Gambia home. Rattle ones cage is a widely used expression but tired ass disgraceful idiots like you will think that you coined that phrase. Unfortunate neanderthals of our time. Welcome to the human race Sidi.
Natty, this guy is a very funny clown. He should find a job in the circus. Imagine a character like him in public office …. You don’t need to get far to understand that most of them self portrayed righteous idiots are dumb headed sycophants or sycophant makers.
Natty Naughty, I tried in many an occasion to advise you as a sister, “those who have no self-respect deserve none”. You seem to be proud of not having any Semblance of Respect, Decorum, or Civility. As a results, you and your fellow traders in insults have been uncivil and insulting to just about everyone you disagree with. Your rage and rabid kneejerk reaction to those you disagree with is littered within the Online Forums. Clean it Up. Would your fellow traders in insults be proud of your accomplishments of lobbing insults at anyone you disagree with if they were to share the Posts with their respected Imam or Pastor? Would you let your children and grandchildren, if you have any, read your Posts with Insults? How about your elders and parents? I think not. A lot of us need to look at the mirror and come to terms with our Bi-Polar persona On Online and reconcile it with the one we need to be in a Civilized Society. Then again, one cannot be what you are not. The rage you exhibit at those you disagree with need Psychological and Psychiatric help. I have much respect for Independent women who exhibit a quality of Motherhood and Decency that represents its highest value. Since you seem to be lacking any such qualities on Online and I don’t know you, I leave you to your well known trade in insults and entertaining the lowest bidder. Simmer Down, but more significantly, at least seek Counseling to resolve your rage. Temper your Temper. It is not healthy. You are becoming an Embarasment to Womanhood. As a Gambian, I find that to be regrettable and shameful. It is a virus infecting Gambia’s Civility with Discord and Insults that add nothing but produce a boomerang effect. The ability to insult, is not a skill, nor anything to be proud of.
Sidi village idiot Bojang
Hahaha! Great advise from the clown neanderthal of our times. In spite of your pomposity,ignorance and arrogance i may agree with some of the things you’ve just said, but let me tell you one thing Natty Dread ain’t gonna change. Idiots like you and Babu Soli deserve nothing but insults as you two are the unfortunate addition to the Gambian fraternity.I can’t stand aside let morons like mad Soli unashamedly proclaiming that those innocent loved brethren died a deserved death, nor am i gonna let an insidious hateful tribalist bigot like You take ownership of a commonly used phrase.To insult idiots is a skill for me and proud of it as an independent woman. Live with it or swallow it through your back side.Welcome to the human race Sidi,
Natty Naughty. The ability to insult is not a skill.
Sidi,
But why assert you don’t know Natty but you know she is a woman? I am not writing on Natty’s behalf neither do I have the slightest idea who the person is, but to point out how contradicting you usually are in most of your exaggerated shows of intelligence that hardly can be noted by those who read your writings.
You can see that me and Natty do disagree on many issues but we never do resort to excelling in the trade of insults, as far as our pen names here are concerned. I hope, we all involved in the art of insults trade of all kinds, find our appropriate counselors.
I think the ability to insult is indeed a skill some people do perfect. There are those profoundly stabbing insults like drawing elders and society’s respected figures into the awful trade and those outrightly vulgar and terse ones to counterbalance the latter. Both types are provocative enough to help the other get spewed out in exchange. Frankly speaking though, none of the two types can be considered a matured practice neither proud Worthy. Hope we grow better, in our skills to bring forth our opinions and view points in simple and straight forward language, that is not marred by unconscious pompousness.
No riot police, no camouflage clad warriors and not even a baton wielding police …..
Impressive!
Illegal detention of a citizen and suppression of his/her right to express opinion is quite regretful though.
If you live in a glass house don’t throw stones. Where was Fabulous Fabakary when Jammeh was arresting and locking up, not only members of the opposition, but journalists and anybody he fell out with.
Tafel,
I have now realised that you are very unproductive and uneducative. The Jammeh administration administered more freedom of expression than the present CORRUPT, INEFFICIENT AND TRIBALIST bitty coalition administration.
Amidst a barrage of insults on his mother, father, family and other APRC stalwarts, President Jammeh’s government and party endured a lot of unscrupulous, uneducative, naughty villifications. Would the present British Argos Watchman’s administrtation endure such irresponsible opposition? When it arrested and remanded a Kombo Jambur woman, a mother of 5 children for “insulting” the fat-bellied sick Barrow.
There is all intent to curb/curtail the reorganization of the opposition, much more the APRC. They have been denied permits to hold rallies, their youth activities banned and APRC sympathizers dismissed from all public services. Denied Mama Kandeh, GDM a diplomatic passport; called him and FaBakary Tombong for STUPID police questioning with the aim of instilling fear.
Yet you’re erroneously painting this INEPT, TRIBALIST and USELESS administration as democratic. Better you read your books again about democratic virtues and dispensation!
Babu Soli, I don’t trade insults with no one as you are fond of it.,We have to be civil and honest and don’t be over react. Many wrong things happen during Jammehs time and no one dare challenge it. FTJ has witness some the violation against basic rights of opposition and other activities, but never face to the regime and tell the facts. All they will be doing is to say yes yes.
Now I can see that BABU SOLI is trying to wind up some folks, all we need to know about this guy, is simple he is a prankster.
Buba Sanyang, Alex, Jack the Jackass,
Read Dr Isatou Touray’s. These are the people who would say they “did it wrongly”, so we’ll not fall prey to the same errors.
I can easily gauge your shallow level of democratic understanding. You have made me to believe that all that President Jammeh did were CORRECT. Therefore, I’ll urge your INEPT, DUNCE government with a British Argos Watchman at the summit of affairs to uphold the same trend. That way we’ll forge better ahead. Please digest my language with sense.
Babu Soli, your right …, I’ve endured the stench of your heap of crap. Your tribalist kind who give the impression to be Gambians are very much a menace to the country’s stability. Why are you such a stupid idiot who thinks there’s a grit of sense in your dunce-headed cackling …Eh? Why the hell you won’t listen when people are talking about democracy issues … Eh? Your not just a sucker who would kiss any dictator’s shoes but would suck on the blood of their victims too. Remember you already gave proof of your blood dripping fingers when you said those killed by Jammeh deserve to die …..
Back off you Jackass Babu Soli and give way for genuine critics of the Barrow administration. Hope you get my ‘diatribe’ like medicine to your taste..
I’ve digested Alex’s language with common sense: “if you live in a glass house don’t throw stones”.
Fabakary’s been hurling big heavy rock stones around the neighborhood of glass houses for a bit over two decades and now one’s just landed on his own glass house. Hope he understands how wicked and bad a house majority leader he was.
Koto Babu, its hilarious to read both your comments and Sidi’s, you guys must be reminiscing about your former boss because what both of you painstaking did, was given us a perfect description of the Jammeh Government. I can see that you are both true disciples of “Jammehism”. And if you or anyone wonders what that is, well it’s what you wrote Koto.
You wrote that Fabakary Tombong Jatta was question by police för Anti – government comments. That statement by your news paper is wrong and misleading. Fabakary Tombong Jatta was question by police because of his hate speech an inciting of violence. This governmnet or the police will never question any gambian for a different view. Please try to factual because your readers aare many.
Jack the Jackass,
Both Alex and you are very STUPID IDIOTS. You continuously give the same STUPID analogues when it comes to what “wrong” Preident Jammeh did but never give the same analogue to the good he did when refering to your INEPT and INEFFICIENT administration.
You reactionary neocolonialist, unpatriotic IDIOT. As unpatriotic as your STUPID administration at Fajara.
Educated people don’t get thrown into the “wrongs” of the past. Why do you want to get out of poverty when you were born a caged pauper? Why do you want to “acquire any form of education” when you were born an illiterate? Do you have to maintain/return to the “wrongs” you attribute to President Jammeh? These are questions you have never answered, you IDIOT.
Your government at Fajara is CORRUPT, VILE, INEPT, UNDEMOCRATIC, TRIBALIST and utterly INEFFICIENT.
One thing I know is that Gambians have already started to discard the “hopeful” days of the bitty coalition government. With acute electricity and water shortages, rising commodity prices, while your IDIOTIC government is shuttling around the world; all truthful-minded citizens have started to voice their disillusion and discontent. Only IDIOTS like you would still believe that there is a government.
Babu; the mounted Jackass, it is your concrete headedness that won’t let you understand that meaningful democracies don’t conform with building a concrete jungle in the name of good deeds, at the expense of an oppressed masses. I said it to you; keep your rotten rat mouth shut as far as democratic values are the issue. How many times do I have to try shedding a beam of light in your peanut-size brain? I said ‘brain’ because I doubt you have one little chunk of it in your coconut shell.
I’m born a pauper but never caged up ….. Why? Because my family have education like a part of their culture, family members who never need to look up to a political party or specific government or government posts in order to prosper in their various lives. They are not praise singers, much less for public figures. Maybe your family too is a type like that, and if they really are ….. let them keep it up. I’m born poor but proud because I found out ‘education’ is the pride of my people as a toddler. Everyone is born poor so just keep your cackling mouth shut about it because with people’s birth, you are now talking about their parents when all if them deserve respect. I may not be able to help you in that aspect because your one who has to look at his neighbors coat to be able to cut yours to size. You definitely prove to be a caged up pauper, praising the horror history of the Gambia instead of denouncing it, claiming people are not making a mention of the goods imported by that horrible history.
‘Patriotic?? Of course I’m not, once some people’s understanding of the word implies; it is the dumping of concrete here and there across the country and throwing out biscuits in the dirt for breeds like Babu Soli. I’m not patriotic because I don’t rap myself in Gambia colors to be shouting, ‘down with neo/colonialism’ and etc., with all the indications of inferiority complex and a lack of self confidence. I’m not thrown back into the past……, you are! I’m not that shameless to be disapproving of neocolonialism like you, sitting down your ass in the Netherlands, bragging to folks about; your on holidays in the Gambia and soon will go back to Holland and all that rubbish..
I’m not a patriot like your fake ass boss who spews senseless Vitriol’s at a West, whose products he is badly addicted to. Guess why he hauled all those exclusive million Dollar cars with him into exile. Damn!, there is good we can say of you two demons …..
I am a critic of many of the present regimes policies and spendings but as well as tribalism in the country fueled by nincompoops like you who are contempt for democratic values. You act of posing as a check to the present government is just an insinuation full of hatred towards the democratisation efforts of hard working citizens.
No …. don’t shut up! Better pour more of that trash out in your rotten head while I’m gone to get you a much better detox. I’ll be patient for that’s the only way I can help train mules like you.
Tafel,
Neither do I go into insults until I receive vile people. The notion of FaBakary was there before and NOW he should endure what “wrong” he did; is not educative, is not democratic and it’s senseless.
Sensible democratic and educated people never think or behave that way.
If you believe FaBakary Tombong did wrong, the courts are there to redress your case. But don’t ostracize a person for something “wrong” in the past without proving your case beyond reasonable doubt. You become a Donald Trup, a senseless fool who thinks all Muslims are terrorists.
Babu Soli
What an idiotic lying asshole you are. Don’t ostracize a person for something ”wrong” in the past without proving your case beyond reasonable doubt. Is this statement coming from Babu soli’s mouth or is just coming from his asshole? You ostracized everybody in President Barrow’s administration for being corrupt,inept,tribalist and i wondered what your proof beyond reasonable doubt is in that regard. You insidious bigoted,hateful lying propagandist. Donald Trump seem more intelligent to me than you lying sucker.
Babu Soli, we’re talking about the past things that has happen and in fact this raises public debate, we look into each individual performances whilst holding public office. Yes we can scrutinize any one who’s performances is below acceptable standard. Also we will not going to put too blame on you or FTJ because under a dictators is not much you can do. At last Gambia is free.
Koto Babu, you are contradicting yourself without knowing. How can he be taken to court without being investigated first by the police? In case you don’t understand due process, it begins with an investigation. The man was not arrested but called in for a chat, thats how the police work to gather evidence. It is evidence that you go to court with. So which do you prefer, the police to gather evidence then start prosecution or do it the “good old Jammeh way” drag him to court on hearsay? You can’t have it both ways.
Babu…you are of course …right !
For the UDP to act the same as Jammeh….is a movement which only brings tears and fears.
Mike, it seems you lost your bet on “enable” Da Horse, this week? If so, my advice to you is; bet on the new guest in da house- Jackass aka B… S… aka Da Dung Mule. No tears No fears
Enable won ! at 11 to 10. That is bet £1000 to get back £2100 tax free.
I think some forget that Mr Jatta represents a party that almost won the last Presidential election.
That means he is relevant to a major part of the electorate. Sidi is also relevant as he is part of that movement.
I think democracy can stand there views and opinions without resorting to personal and derogatory attacks. I also think we must trust the electorate to view the UDP response and ask if this is the way they want a temporary President and UDP member to act. We also must judge the rest of the coalition members from minority parties in their support of Barrow and the UDP to act this way.
I think to antagonise cajole and harass an Opposition Leader is not very bright or intelligent. Therefore we must ask ? If the only difference is no one got beaten tortured or imprisoned, whilst others are detained indefinitely without charge, has Mr Jatta made a relevant protest ? It can not be right to say, because the previous administration were guilty of all these things, then they are entitled to treat any opposition member in the same unlawful way. No matter how popular to some.
Once this government started down this path, to return to the high standards of democracy will be very difficult. It is the road to ruin.
I will agree with all who express concerns for the continued detention of soldiers arrested in connection with the WhatsApp Group activity, and I think the government is acting with impunity by refusing to release or charge them. I don’t know why these soldiers continue to languish in detention without trial, and I can’t see any justification, given the length of time the authorities have to bring a case against them, if there is a case at all.
This fact, however, should not mask the irresponsible and false statement that Mr Fabakary Tombong Jatta made on his political platform, for which he was invited by the Police for questioning, and rightly so too, in my opinion.
According to his own testimony, made in his home and posted on YouTube, he has made the claim that these soldiers were only detained because of their Jola ethnicity and APRC affiliations.
Now, not only is such a statement false and irresponsible, but coming from such a high profile individual and standing in society, and given the current uneasy and fragile ethnic relationships, it is also dangerous and has the potential to incite behaviour in his followers, that could disturb the Public Peace. I think the Police are right to invite him in and have a chat with him about his responsibilities, as a public figure.
Mr Jatta knows very well that there are laws which he and his party have passed that could have been relied on to prosecute him for the statement he made, but he was treated with the utmost respect by the Police, and for this, his supporters should acknowledge improvements already registered in this area of law enforcement by this government.
The reaction of people like Babu Soli here is nothing but brewing a storm in a tea cup. Even Mr Jatta admitted that he would have left the station much earlier, if he had not taken so much time explaining himself. So, what’s the fuss, Mr Babu and co ?
Hah! Brewing a storm in a tea cup! In just one short idiom …? You darn right bro, that’s all those dudes are about.
Bax, is that a rhetorical question or do you really expect Babu and co to answer that question? Trust me they have no answer at all.
Mike,
You have a very sensible viewpoint of what I would call Mr. Jatta’s ordeal. It is a bitter regret that provisioMun the constitution, that makes it an instrument of violence, as articulated by a certain erudite legal practitioner, provisions that were entrenched by enablers like Mr. Jatta himself, are not repealed immediately at the first steps of the country in its new democracy journey, from a twenty years period of lawless dictatorship. If the right to gather and sharing opinion has once been suppressed by Mr. Jatta, by entrenching laws that sees such rights as acts of sedition and so forth, it is therefore indeed a sad situation to see Mr. Jatta himself fall victim to the same suppressive law he helped entrench. I am also very much opposed to the new government being adamant to capitalizing on the current state of the constitution deemed by many as rule of law.
I however would like to differ from those who apparently portray themselves as positive and genuine critics of the new administration through their array of virulent verbal attack against an eight months old democracy. The kind of characters who however, have expressed in their arguments, their full hearted love of a half brain, uneducated, squealing blood spiller of a dictator and public funds and wealth hijacker. These are the same characters who toil day in and out to instigate ethnic violence during a trying time of the country like this.
Good news from your horse race. Then you better keep betting on Enable. £1100 tax free!? Pretty hell of a cash. Should I start horse betting…..Referees are a disaster in football. They’re entitled to a lot of results changing decisions out there.
“….. provisions of the constitution …..”
Jack; Gambling is like starting a civil court case for negligence or damages. Never start unless your can afford to lose.
Bax; Not one of your better contributions. It would not matter if Jammeh himself voiced this disagreement with detention without trial.
What matters is the right and the wrong. What the Police and the coalition have done is wrong.
It turns all their words and promises about Democracy, Justice and Freedom of Speech on it’s head.
..and besides all that, it gives Jammeh supporters and the opposition a real “axe to grind” and free publicity garnished with genuine outrage.
This is juvenile on behalf of the Coalition.
If Barrow cannot handle criticism,,, he is in the wrong job.
Mike, I think the title or heading of the story is misleading. Mr Jatta was not invited for criticising the government. He made a statement that can incite violence, under current circumstances, and it is the duty of the Police to step in and ensure that Mr Jatta understands his responsibilities.
You may remember that I criticised the decision of the Police to invite Mama Kandeh in, when he alleged corruption. That was a completely different scenario. I will never shy away from criticising this government when necessary.
Mike, you may be aware of the case of the school child whose family was paid a visit by the Police, here in the UK, when he wrote in his school work, that his family lived in a “terrorist house”, instead of a “terraced house.”
Would any sensible person accuse the government of harassing the family?
Of course not, because under the times we live in, with extremist cells planning terror attacks embedded everywhere, the Police would have failed in their duty to protect, if they didn’t find out the truth in this case.
Mr Fabakary Tombong Jatta knows the feelings under the current political climate, especially amongst the APRC members, and for him to make false statements about a matter relating to national security, is irresponsible and dangerous. The Police are absolutely right to invite him to have a chat with him. This is normal, standard practice anywhere in the world, and I don’t why Gambia should be an exception.
Like I already said, Mr Jatta was neither maltreated, nor detained. He was not even arrested, in the first place. So, I cannot see what the fuss is all about. Seriously. It’s just a storm in a tea cup.
And you’re right: the APRC is playing the victim card and I hope the government doesn’t fall for it, because that would only win them sympathy and raise questions about the government’s commitment to what it is preaching.
Bax
APRC is a criminal enterprise not a political party. They aided and abetted Jammeh’s criminality by entrenching dictatorship in our homeland with the enactments of unjust laws, laws used to harassed, imprisoned and killed our beloved citizens. Fabakary Jatta should not only be invited for questioning for the detestable lies, the incitements but should be arrested and charge for treason. He should be thankful that this government is a government of human beings unlike the government he was part of that forfeited its rights to be human beings but monsters and morons. He should be thankful that he didn’t meet the same fate as those who uttered less but were fed to crocodiles in Jammeh’s death camp. He should be thankful that he escaped the torture chambers of the NIA. He should also be thankful that he is not buried in some remote unmarked grave in some forest or somewhere near Tanji beach. This is the difference between us and them. We love and respect life and they hate and destroy lives. May Almighty Allah judge them for what they are……Lies, murderers and thieves.
Mike is a humorous guy. He can’t be serious at all times. He probably travels around E.U blindfolded, if not, he would be optimistic Gambia’s democracy also, will grow from strength to strength in time. If he is really current about police behaviour in Europe, he should be aware of how a black man can be push against a wall and frisk searched because police have a right to suspect anyone of them especially when they wear very good clothes. Wearing bling made of gold from Africa is even worst for them. The same frisk search can happen to them inside public parks and all other public spaces. Generally, the concept is, African asylum seekers and residents in general are expected to behave like angels. They even have to be careful not to overreact when they are slapped in the face by a hater. These kind of experiences is why it is most African migrants wish that the democracies in their countries mature overnight for them like Europe’s democracies have matured for their very own citizens.
I’m not in anyway trying to justify police violations of democratic values in the Gambia but to make Mike understand that Gambia’s democracy too, is very much unlikely to make a world class role model democracy for him overnight. The wrath of dictatorships apart from the lives they shatter, is the tremendous task to restore a meaningful democracy anytime soon in their aftermaths. This view in the latter, is by far in contrast to Sisi’s contemptuous threats to Egyptians that, democracy won’t mature for them in one day!
The Barrow administration therefore, must take heed to citizen’s concerns with respect to constitutional rights and the need for them be aware of their liability to answering citizen’s questions, especially of the media. They must work towards making Gambians proud of being Gambians and needless to mention, including Mr. Jatta.
Bax, Mike has a forked tongue so he has two versions of truth. Like i said to Dr Sarr in a previous post, there is a difference between freedom of speech and incitement to violence. Fabakary Tombong Jatta was inciting violence and discord. Although the Government should not let APRC play the victim card but not to a point that they will be hold hostage by APRC. As long as the politicians stay clear from the police operations, i don’t see a problem. APRC can play the card for as many times as they want but the truth will unravel their lies such as this one has been unravalled.
The reality cannot be hidden anymore. We actually have educated fools and hypocrites and opportunists in our midst. If maiming,killing and fraudulently misusing public funds is good governance,time will tell.
You will reap what you sowed, no doubt about that.
May Allah protect us from the claws of hypocrites…….bless Gambia our only homeland. Down with tribalism and opportunism. Long live the truthful and merciful people who saved us from war and ethnic cleansing.
May God the Almighty expose all hidden cruel ambitions towards us from now till etarnity.
Man, demonstrate why you think someone is a hypocrite out here. Ambiguity won’t help in this matter. Openness is an indication of clean conscience.
Man oh man….., guy thinks I’ve expropriated his saying; “to rattle one’s cage”. His saying! This guys own the idioms!
Man, you need a bit of piercing on your airbag-head because it’s just inflated out of proportion.
There gotta to be no letting out anyone out of a cage. I got to put someone inside his pen.
Give it a rest, Bourne.
Hope no one is compelled to do so, Sidi ……
Fabakary Tombong Jatta doesn’t seem to possess the decent human sacrosanctity which geared a person towards integrity…
Where was Fabakary when April Demonstration students were gunned down in broad day light & countless many more atrocities…?
In any democratic States world over, the constitutions entails institutions amongst others for running & existence of states & peoples; these institutions have varying codes of conducts including stringent in areas of descipline particularly in arm forces & security sectors in general…
These are indeed deemed acceptable & acknowledgedl incorporated everywhere including ‘democratic’ US & UK; hence Gambia too can’t be an exemption…
If Fabakary’s irresponsible statements are to go by, due to the ethnicity of the detained suspects why can’t anybody else too abdicate our constitutional responsibilities rely on another treasonsble expression freedom & allege that Jola are the hellbent against innocent Gambia as the ethnic statistics would infer…?
BUT everyone knows that statement would totally be false as majority of Gambia including Jola & all other tribes are law abiding in coexistence…
Mike you have your temporary dead woman walking prine minister with a foot in grave already but you can only see (Gambia) from afar; you could be much of a help to your very own here at the material moment if you are of much relevance rather than destruction…
Bajaw
I can’t agree more with you brother. Please keep up the good work.
Thank you very much Natty; henceforth the Gambia can only progress to prosperity after the deadly infectious kanilai fiefdom dark ages periods that will never ever return Insha Allah…
Babu Soli.
Dont let go kanalai internationale festival go down the drain.
Bourne;
I wear a bit of bling. I have been wrongly arrested, harassed, kicked wrongly held in a Police cell without medical attention, for 48 hours, no food or water, and convicted and forcefully invited to tell lies by detectives, under caution, over many years since the age of 18. I am also glad that I cleared my good name on all occasions and those involved reprimanded. It is an unwritten rule in the UK that you should never prosecute the Police.
So a big yes to your comparison’s taken by experience in good faith.
Bax I agree with your eloquent reply,,,,and agree that the Police have made a crisis out of an APRC drama. A drama that any and all politicians of any faith will capitalise on.
Perhaps on reflection, I was a bit too strong and a bit too critical. But my intention was well meant.
But>>>. The soldiers held in cognito require to be treated equally under the law.
Soldiers are undergoing the military process of suspects screening & interrogation which isn’t necessarily same & speedy as in civilian laws; there’s no evidence that the suspects arrests were motivated politically whilst their alleged crimes poses treat to Gambia; anybody remembered Chelsea Manning in US, for example; why the hypocrisy though…???
Bajaw;
My understanding from a very reliable source is that there is a conflict going on inside the army. Some believe there is victimisation going on.
On reflexion, I think Bax is right, in that the heading on this piece is misleading.
It would be regrettable is one ethnic group, is marginalised by the actions of Government and the reactions of the Opposition.Though the strength of feelings this piece has attracted is educative,,,, if not worrying. It would be destructive if this pattern continues, leaving a widening gap between fellow gambians. This is why I have always been sympathetic to Babu Soli. His alternative voice should be heard as should the voices of Mr Kandeh and Mr Jatta. If the vitronics continue accompanied by allegations of the APRC being a criminal political voice, the prospect of true reconciliation is doomed and could turn ugly. I think we should encourage dialogue and wisdom and patience from all sides.
Regarding Mrs May, Why she would wish to continue surrounded by so many enemies in the disguise of friends, is something only she can answer. She is not poor. I think we British have been so abused by The Bankers and the politicians in Brussels, leading to conflict austerity, that we are searching for the new reality, but such reality has not yet shown its face. Hence the British are now in a constant protest mode. We are in a swirling rip tide of disharmony. The likes of which I have never witnessed.
When Mrs May finish her troubled speech she ended with the words. “The British Dream” That used to mean owning a washing machine, a small car, and a council house. I think the” electric dream” has become unattainable for the next generation. The new reality is student debt before 21, of £50,000 No housing benefit for the under 25’s. No surplus to save for a pension, living off the bank of mam and dad and converting their single bed into a double bed and living with parents, with children until the age of 40.
We have bequeathed their future to paying off the Bankers debts, so they can have their luxury yacht in Cannes harbour and their villa on the Costa Del sol and their £10 million apartment in Chelsea. When you see a man of 75 washing cars for coins and feeding from food banks, and nurses queuing for food parcels…You gotta ask, who spent all those millions I paid in taxes.
Rule Britannia and God saved the Queen from destitution. Myself I would convert Buckingham Palace into luxury flats for the victims of Grenfell Tower.
I am all done with making excuses for God. I would rather sleep next to the fish factory in Gunjur.
Again, I have to agree with you that the APRC should not be viewed as an evil or criminal entity, because it is not. It is a legally established National Institution, from which individuals aspiring to perform public functions, through political office, can seek our mandate. It is not different from any other National Institution of that nature.
It is those individuals like Jammeh, who abused the privilege of serving in public office, through the APRC, that are evil and criminal, in much the same say as individuals at the Central Bank or any other National Institution, that have facilitated the siphoning off of millions from national coffers, or carried out acts of torture, killings, etc, to cow and instill fear in the population.
Let’s hold these people to account, rather than view the institutions as criminal or evil.
No ethnic group can be marginalised in the Gambia. Those who felt marginalised are those heartily missing their degrading rations of that bewitched joints of beef. Members among an army who lack education and a proper military discipline but instead love being freaks in the town with 4by4s wearing battle gear. How can such a military persona be able to cope with a time like this when the military in general have to unlearn their unprofessional attitudes??
Frankly speaking, I hate very much what we use to call the GAF. A so-called army that took joy in instilling fear in the civil populace. That’s why I am convinced that people should learn to prosper in their lives by other means away from public funds and facilities. No tribe or individual is being marginalised in the Gambia but it might have been people free pass access to public funds and facilities that have is being marginalised. Soldiers better learn what a ‘soldiers’ means or go farming or go setting up a stall for a living. The problem is; we have a lot of block headed, uneducated, belly conscious and freakish so-called soldiers in the Gambia who found their heads well dipped in the national resources and thought they were blessed simply because they lack a true military discipline. The simple idea that, undergoing some physical training and getting instructed in the use of a few weapons and clad in camouflage makes a soldier is why Africa is full of bloody guerrillas and guerrilla warfare. The hell of all them
gaping salivary crocodiles!
Mike, what you and I may consider the native Brit, though hardly anyone imagines exist, do really exist an are fattening more. Their dreams are very much on the high being realised and probably those whose are shattered are the very lazy ones and the drug addicts among. Oops! don’t blame the immigrants for illicit drugs abuse because a greater proportion of them are indeed the victims..
Why do you think the British citizen’s(native), smile! ……, acquisition of properties on the Spanish and Portuguese touristic coasts are sharply on the rise? Guess why ….. Because there are lots of those extremely hard working so-called illegal immigrant men and women working twelve to thirteen hrs a day, getting all the difficult jobs done at amazingly lows cost, to the diamond harvest profit- making of the British government and those politically considered native British. They wish and hope no one understand the mathematics of the treachery, so no wonder why, to the horror of those hard working men and women, they continue to be haunted down by crooked immigration, security and economic policies. I know for sure when a layman like me attempts to put the issue on a table with them, they would say; “why don’t you go sleep by the fish factory in Gunjur …?” Cliché like this are common use by many Brits and Europeans’ as counterbalances to proofs of social injustices, usually knitted or technically supported by their governments’ policies. Painfully for the African immigrants especially, most Brits and Europeans seem to be unaware of their governments continuous monumental exploitation of African countries, thanks to Africa’s sold out leaders, most of whom would clinch themselves to power or are dictators poised as Pan-Africans.
The notion that Brits ……., I mean; Brits …, are getting poor is nothing but a hoax to send the blames where they don’t belong.
I hope for a much better Gambia of equal rights and justice for you and I and all. The young new African dream is to make a better Africa for all residents without discrimination or contempt towards any specific tribe, race or culture. An Africa that would be prepared to embrace and live in peace, equal rights justice and prosperity with even the invading aliens and their paranormal technology.
Personally, I think the APRC is in real crisis of and is struggling to grapple with the new realities of being a political party in opposition, in The Gambia.
In addition, there is also the problem of what to do with Yaya Jammeh and his terrible legacy. On the one hand, are those who are fiercely and unthinkingly loyal to Yaya Jammeh and still view him as the party leader, whilst on the other hand, are those who may wish to move away from Jammeh and relaunch the party, but have probably not mustered enough courage to come out in the open.
Mr Fabakary Tombong Jatta did initially signal such a move, when he tried to separate Jammeh’s actions from the APRC, but for whatever reasons, he seems to have backtracked now.
Our role, as people who want to see genuine democracy flourish in The Gambia, must be to gently nudge the APRC towards the right direction, through dialogue, healthy debates and genuine support so that they can overcome the trauma and shock of their defeat.
Losing a Presidential Election is a new thing in The Gambia and for many in the APRC, given their relationship with the then opposition UDP, it is a terrible loss of face, to lose to a UDP known member. Politics is personal for many Gambians and thus, a candidate’s loss is a tragedy for many. That’s why neighbours fight; families break up; friends stop talking to each other; even marriages break up: all because of politics.
We need to understand this and react accordingly, in a healthy and positive way. And whether we know it or not, the APRC will continue to be an important player on our political field.
It is therefore in our interest, that we support them to overcome their current crisis and assume their rightful place in our democratic process. That’s my view.
Mike, the entire human race, and frankly, the natural world too, is being abused by a Global system that is controlled and manipulated by a small group of elites, through the influence of Bankers and big “monster businesses/corporations”, too big to fail.
Their philosophy of economic production, distribution and consumption, practicalised and expressed through the concept of Capitalist Neoliberalism, institutionalised globally through education, research, media and many other related tools and activities, and solely profit driven, is so embedded in us today that abandoning it, even in the face of its complete failure to address the basic needs of vast numbers of human beings; not to mention irreparable damage to the environment, is going to be a Herculean task due mostly, to the determination, adaptability and ingenuity of this elite group to maintain their system.
And PM May’s defense of Neoliberalism, as “the greatest achievement for human progress”, which is shared by many world leaders, whether in politics, academia, commerce or professional organisations/agencies, is an indication of the enorminity of the challenge the rest of us face, to adopt a much fairer system of economic production, distribution and consumption.
Undoubtedly, Neoliberalism has succeeded in its wealth creation aspect (but so too has Communism), but has failed woefully in the distribution and consumption aspects and there is no desire from the elites to rectify this imbalance, except to hit the less privileged, with ever more crippling, inhuman and harmful austerity measures.
There is a way out of this boomerang but have we, the masses and less privileged, got the skills, will, courage and organisation to do what we must do to effect that change? Time will tell, but like the days when God Spoke to mandkind, through His Prophets, there are “political prophets” speaking to us in every corner of the globe. The question is: Will we change our attitudes and listen to these modern day “prophets”, or will we follow in the footsteps of our ancestors, remain ever recalcitrant and reject our “prophets”, as they rejected God’s Prophets?
Mike desent for communal prosperity mustn’t be abused (in pretense) for expression freedom to stir strife in Gambia; genuine desent is here to stay as enshrined in Constitution but nobody will be able to instigate hate to engulf Gambia into flames as been the agenda of the kanilai killer devil & disciples…
The army & security apparatus in general are undergoing some transformations currently to conform to serve their purpose as per constitution, rather than the mfdc syndola militia they’ve been for last 22 years…
What do you expect from the kanilai lucifer’s remnants in military in particular which has been the lifestay of the evil kanilai devil for all these years..?
Criminals must be treated for who they are personally not what tribe, ethnicity or skin colour; fabakary & aprc can’t slander to instigate & be allowed just in name of politics which won’t foster genuine reconciliation…
Anybody who fans to start flames will face the law as being the case in suspects arrests & fabakary’s police interview; you know hate preacher’s are being rounded up in Britain…
You’re hypocrite who only feels relivant by engaging in such tribal animosity as your contribution on here seems to be; to ‘facilitate debate’ as in your very own words; knowing well how sensitive & explosive the situation can be anywhere on earth including Britain…
Why not concentrate on your business scavenging disguised philanthropism as been the case of all the so-called samaritans; Gunjur & indeed Gambia can’t be fooled if you must know…
The tory false promises & £350 million nhs promised to dupe the British public into voting brexit is in manifestation; I won’t be surprised a metamorphosis into brestroy in the end due to tory arrogance…
Successive British governments deliberately curbed investment & building houses affordable for council level housing for the public sector for so-called economic policies to up house prices at expense of the public rather than affordability you tend to blame…
The young British population rather voted a stay in EU where they see their future rather than the fake tory infighting deception falsefied being brexitplayed…
Your problem is Luxembourg being the headquarters of EU & center of attention & influence rather than London…?
Bax; The branded names of capitalism and globalism are the modern equivalent of historical references that can be found being documented over 2000 years ago. Did not Jesus enter the house of God to overturn the tables of the money lenders. ? Did not the global superpower of the day { The Roman’s} drain the land of foreign wealth ?
The energy of the day was provided by human slaves and horsepower. The scientific revolution lead to the Industrial revolution, followed by the technological revolution and the digital revolution. It is a sobering thought; that the superpowers reliance of nuclear weapons is probably the only thing that can destroy them.
Social revolution and political changes has meant the world’s wealth is controlled by the owners of energy, and advancing technology. The acquisition of wealth is the ambition of everyone.It always has been. Add into the mix the cheap availability of travel and communication, and the failure of dictatorial government, we can understand why the safety, and social protection and wealth creating opportunities of the mature nations, has meant vast exodus of people, from poverty and war to freedom and security. Too many have paid the ultimate price in search of freedom.
As Pa Mbai once said to me in 2007. “Freedom comes very expensive in Africa.”
You can condemn names of the modern current time, but you cannot think the present conflicts of moral interest, have only changed by evolving human capability and not the unfair distribution of assets. That has been around for thousands of years. Where we can agree broadly speaking is in the idea’s of Adam Smith. Who thought Government should be confined to education and defence and administration. That left to the citizen’s own devices, the individual set free of regulation would be capable of solving his need to work prosper and provide his own wealth and security of income. So we can ask, is government assisting this process or is government intervention destroying it ?
It is also a thought that as wealth and it’s availability has grown disproportionately.
So has evil.
Mike Scales, bravo. One of your many good analysis.
Mike..
Here is what I think about some of the issues you raised. I know we will agree to disagree at times, especially on how we see our relationships to production, distribution and consumption.
I will begin by agreeing with you that the acquisition of wealth is the ambition of (not everyone) a vast majority of people, and there is nothing wrong with that, but how wealth is acquired is where the problem lies. Humans, as rational, thinking and may be, selfish beings, have the potential to be greedy, and as a matter of fact, there are humans today whose greed for wealth acquisition is beyond comprehension; even dangerously so.
And as you have also pointed out, such excessive greed is not new and references to such incomprehensible greed can be found in human history, as far back as, 2000 years or beyond. How this greed to accumulate wealth was/is manifested varied from age to age, but basically, it was nothing but exploitation of man by man, either through “culture”, religion, legalised practice, wars or subjugation by force and violence.
The nature and legality or illegality of that exploitation may change from era to era, but the truism that one man could not accumulate so much wealth without exploiting another man has never changed and will never change.
It is a fact that as human societies evolved progressively, and were faced with more and more complex challenges according to their times, the need to protect its members from all manner of harmful practices arose, and thus the concept of laws that govern human behaviour (whether premised on religion, societal norms, needs and/or existing realities), became part of standard practice for human communities/societies. Thus, as an example, whilst slavery, as a legitimate form of wealth acquisition was accepted in one era, it became illegal and unacceptable, in another era.
Continued….
The point I’m trying to make is that humans, as social beings, cannot maximise their survival chances by living solo. We must live in groups, be interdependent, interact and collaborate with each other in all spheres of human endeavours, but we need set standards for peaceful co-existence. In the current age, and in the context of the modern nation, the state assumes that responsibility of legislation and enforcement in order to regulate behaviour of its members and ensure their peaceful, stable and prosperous existence. And to a large extent, modern states have succeeded in this role, hence the degree of relative peace, prosperity and stability that our generation is enjoying, compared to past generations.
Indeed, breakthrough in Scientific knowledge and advancement has led to the industrial, technological and digital revolutions, leading to our ability to generate enormous amounts of wealth on a scale that is almost unbelievable, yet abject poverty is threatening vast populations with extinction, whilst the gap between the rich and poor continues to widen.
Mike, whether you agree with me or not, I believe in the view expressed by many reputable scholars and economists, that this is not a coincidence but due to the design of the global system that is “forced” upon everyone, and that brings me to Neoliberalism and why it is at fault.
Neoliberalism is an extremist economic ideology of domination and plunder, where the state, rather than being the legislator and regulator, is reduced to a subordinate of big Corporations and perpetually at their disposal to further their interest. It contradicts two fundamentally required ingredients for a healthy human society:
(1) the legislative function of the state for the good of ALL its members; (2) the social concept of “ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE”, which truly captures the essence of humans, as social beings, requiring one another for the good and health of society.
At the centre of the Neoliberal ideology lies “Self-interest” and “Individualism”, where the definition for the rationality of economic activity is altered, from its “traditional” role of satisfying societal needs, towards a cost/benefit calculation and profit maximization as the only rationalization for economic activities. It is the institutionalisation of Social Darwinism, supposedly reflecting the human nature of “survival of the fittest”, with competition as its driving force, abandoning/replacement of the subsistence economy with profit-oriented foreign trade, and prohibition of state interference in the so called “Free Market”, but in truth, highly rigged and manipulated market.
As such, it is brutal, very intolerant, unprincipled and very, very cold. It could starve nations in order to create the right condition for the market to maximise profits. For example, grain producing and exporting countries can pay their farmers not to over produce, to avoid over supply of grain or excess grain could be bought and destroyed or fed to animals, whilst poor people could starve to death for lack of grains.
Meanwhile, the state is made to de-regulate or introduce legislation that gives the corporations free and legitimate hand to do virtually, anything that suits them. The very concept of democracy is undermined by the power and influence of corporations and their lobby groups, think tanks and other professional bodies, over legislators and public officials. Thus, Neoliberalism, whilst it has succeeded in generating abundant wealth and extremely wealthy individuals and families, has also unleashed that inherent human potential for greed and the result, is what we see in the world today.
We can change it, if the political will is there, but there is no shortage of “prophetic voices” sounding the alarm in all corners of the globe: our greed will inevitably, be our doom.
Bajaw; You live in a world that I am not familiar with.
Bax,
The fuss is, these”invitations” by the police are mere intentions to instil fear and curb opposition divergent views thus giving more leverage to the sitting government to do whatever they want without a dissenting voice. That’s how most African democracies work!
How many times has the APRC applied for a police permit to hold rallies and turned down? How many UDP stalwarts have come on the public platform to openly say “we’ll kill all APRC members” without police intervention? How many Mandinkos have openly insulted the Jolas without police intervention?
Babu Soli ……
A professor in Holland? In what subjects? In which part of Holland?
Are you really serious that your a professor in Holland being such a dangerous ethnic violence propagandist?
I’m not sure authorities down there are aware of your genocidal activities online here to be letting you standing in front of any learner calling yourself a professor. What’s got you so disgruntled and bitter like you’re, is a mystery needs to be unravelled. What’s your contempt for peace in the tiny beautiful country about? I won’t be surprised knowing you’re a non Gambian with dangerous ulterior motives. Only hideous enemies of the tiny beautiful country would be complacent to your evil propaganda of ethnic unrest in the country.
Your a very rare type of academic being such an inciter of violence, much more being a ‘professor’ in ‘Holland’.
There are those types of professors who would want to wage war in African countries because they are either weapons’ brokers for the European mafia or they want to sell out a country to another whilst they pretend to be concerned with the sovereignty of the very country they are selling out. He goes “bitty bitty bitty ….” Others lack of “democratic values values values …” Are your dangerous propaganda your democratic values and right to divergent opinion? Whatever the hell you mean by your programmed set of words …..
God saves the Gambia from all evil. Ameen.
Babu, I’m not sure if inviting someone for questioning is the most effective way of instilling fear. I think we all know how fear was instilled in The Gambia for 22 years: late night kidnap by hoodies; prolonged incommunicado detentions without charge or trial; physical torture, including merciless beatings; disappearance without trace; unlawful killings. This is what frightens people into silence; not questioning at a known Police Station in broad daylight.
I am very sceptical about your claim that UDP public platform is used to threaten APRC members with death, but if it is true, then the Police should be required to act. There should be no tolerance for threats of any kind, never mind killing people for their political affiliations. I know there is a lot of foolishness on social media, but that’s a space where the Police have very little power. Many culprits are not even resident in the country.
Bax,
Just to give you an insight into the trend of the ugly affairs in our country!
These soldiers have been detained since Adama Barrow was elected as the President of the Republic of The Gambia.
1) Captain Yahya Jammeh
2) Lieutenant Malik Sanyang
3) Lieutenant Yousufa Jammeh
4) WO1 Pa Sanneh
5) WO1 Ismaila Jammeh Staff Sergeant…
6) Lieutenant Yousufa Jammeh
7) WO1 Pa Sanneh
8) WO1 Ismaila Jammeh
9) Staff Sergeant Lamin Badjie
10) Corporal Dino Sanneh
11) Lance Corporal Mustafa Kujabi
12) Lance Corporal Mbemba Camara
13) Sergeant Malik Bojang
14) Lieutenant Souleyman Sanyang
15) Corporal Lamin Gibba
Staff Sergeant Samboujang Bojang
16) Lance Corporal Aba Badjie
17) Corporal Lamin Nyassi
18) Staff Sergeant Amadou Badjie
19) Lieutenant Abdoulie Jammeh ( whose wife Mrs. Baginka has a 1 month old baby )
Some of them have been detained for eight months, while others have been held between two and three months. Some were taken into custody three weeks ago.
NOTE: All the detainees are Jolas. Doesn’t that sound very ulgy and dirty about the tribalist, divisive trends of your TRIBALIST, CORRUPT and INCOMPETENT administration that hypocritically appears “democratic” but covertly ruthless, brutal and murderous?
Babu Mad Professor Soli
You ain’t the source of this information pal. Scavenging online forums for any twisted, un-vetted, unverified stories wouldn’t make one informed. A disgruntled jola soldier posting names that appeared that its only the Jolas in detention doesn’t necessarily mean that its the truth, and even if it is…. the explanation is simple. Jammeh used his tribesmen mostly to do the dirty work of killings, mass disappearances and torture of Gambian citizens, therefore its vital for those people to be detained to ascertain the truth of what happened. Some of those detained soldiers pose an existential threat to our national security. As you have condoned the killings of Mandinka,Wollof and fulani soldiers by Jammeh and his thugs in the name of national security, i wondered how you can now rant about Jola soldiers being detained for posing a bigger threat to our national security than those downed to death by Jammeh. Hypocrites like you just want to see our country in flames. Just want to see Jola against Mandinka, Wollof against Jola etc. Any responsible government will go to any length to protect the security and safety of its people, that is why there is Guantanamo Bay, the British internment of Irish dissidents, the mass incarcerations in Egypt and the Palestinians in Israeli jails.
Knowing the dark history of the last 22 years of our nation, it is quite baffling for a diehard supporter of the motherfucker to complain about the police questioning of Fabakary Jatta for his incitements, detestable lies and complicity in the crimes of Jammeh. His words and actions would have got him killed under Jammeh. You damn know Babu.
Welcome to our free motherland!
Babu
Firstly, unless you know all these soldiers personally, I will ask you to be careful with claims of their ethnicity. The surnames Bojang, Nyassi, Sanneh, Jammeh, Sanyang, Camara can be any tribe. “Camara” certainly doesn’t sound Jola to me, but I won’t be surprised if Lance Corporal Mbemba Camara is Jola. I have seen Fulas with “Jarju” surnames. So, your claim that ALL are Jolas might not be accurate.
Secondly, whilst I understand the difficulty of dealing with security related investigations, I do have sympathy for your view point and think that the prolonged detentions without trial, is wrong and indefensible. The government can arraign suspects before the courts and seek an injunction to remand them in custody, whilst investigations continue. That would be more in line with democratic practice, than this prolonged and unexplained unconstitutional detention. I will certainly not excuse one action of impunity, with another. As far as I am concerned, Yaya Jammeh’s criminal and callous behaviour does not provide justification for any unconstitutional actions, regardless of who the victims is/are or their past records.
Thirdly, I cannot believe that you would actually describe the Barrow Administration as “covertly ruthless, brutal and murderous”. Surely, you don’t mean it, but in case you do, can you justify the charge.
Jack,
This country(Holland) is one of the most democratic and liberal countries on earth. Please send all my scripts to the Dutch police and in seconds they’ll trace me, if my words incite any form of discrimination/violence. There is no need to tell you more about my profession. I’m a professor and that’s all. Those who know me here and back home, know who I am and what I do here. That’s enough!
Read my response to Bax. That speaks volume(s) of the very nasty ethnic trends your TRIBALIST, INEPT administration at Fajara is perpetrating today!
That country “(Holland) is one of the most democratic and liberal country on earth.” Babu!, don’t get jerked to praising democracy in Holland ….. you fake anti colonial mad professor. I know of ultra rights groups in Holland enjoying every constitutional right as much as the Holland constitution has provided but what is strange about you is being a professor down there and inciting ethnic violence in poor tiny African country. Have you learnt any democratic values in Holland, with your genocidal mind in your Holland body? You pretend as if your farsighted about something in Gambian affairs when indeed you nothing more than a bitter and disgruntled instigator of ethnic violence and civil war. I need not make anybody see your scripts in Holland …. After all do they care? I don’t also care who knows you or not and would thank God for not knowing you. All what I’m concerned about is your hypocrisy, trying to push a certain ethnic group over against others. I hope and pray that no ethnic group would listen to your unfounded hypocritic heap of garbage.
Koto Babu, i am surprised that you claimed these people to be Jolas. If they are all truly Jolas, it then begs the question, are or were all the officers in the Gambia National Army Jola???. I remember some of you Jammeh supporters denying that only Jolas are promoted in the security services, now you are coming up with names of nearly 20 officers and claiming that they are all Jolas. If all these people are Jolas then that is giving credence to the claim that only Jolas were been promoted. If that was true, i think you will agree with me Koto, that is unfair.
Babu, they are not detained `because they are Jola`, they are detained because they are suspects in criminal enquiries in progress; whilst their families have accesses to them when arranged; can we say the same for the evil kanilai fiefdom…?
These suspects may / could be the active cells identified; how many are the sleeper cells are the tasks of the security apparatus to counter & stop in their evil tracks; & they deserve all the support & time necessary to safeguard Gambia…
If you bring & alleged into their ethnicity in your accusations why not comfortably insinuate as well that Jolas are the hellbent trouble brewers…?
You mentioned about one of the suspect’s wife having months baby, at least another months old baby has been physically detained behind bars for being born to opinionated parents by the evil kanilai killer devil; where were you then…?
Fabakary & the remnants of the mfdc kanilai syndrome rebels & whosoever transgressed in words & deeds will face the full force of the law in the current Gambia…
Nobody in government &/ opposition will be allowed to take advantage to destroy Gambia; Insha Allah…
Rectification please – kanilai syndola rebels; not kanilai syndrome – thank you.
Bajaw,
Come on. Detained for over 8 months without charge! That’s your suspicion…….they could incite violence and of course the STUPID allegations of your TRIBALIST government. Only the JOLAS! Come on, man. There is an evidential urge to purge the JOLAS from the army, PERIOD.
I’m certainly sure ther’re lots more Jolas in the military & continues to be currently, & in influencial positions too, one of them my very own one-nose-friend from childhood to date & into posterity; Insha Allah…
Evil yaya kanilai devil was the instigator of tribalism in Gambia & in the state institutions…
Babu you & your likes have your choice to make, either to live in reality or in utopia but the Gambia will continue to exist no matter what; we in the real world will strive to contribute our little insignificant constitutional quota as required, mandated & demanded upon every human being, either citizens, residents or regional & the international community as each other’s keepers in the global village…
Those under detention will surely have their days in court marshals one day, there’s no doubt about that; this is not the kanilai fiefdom where murder, tape, torture & disappearances were order of the day…
The detained are treated with the human dignity required but got to be investigated to safeguard the general public when there’re crimes suspected…
Nobody has blanket rights to harm the innocent community & society one lives in; that’s when & where the law & the enforcement comes in…
Nasty Natty Dread,
I’m glad that your STUPID statements, though senseless give an amount of credit/evidence and truth to the stance President Jammeh took against all those you assumed he “killed”:
the 14 student rioters,
the Barrow foiled coupists,
the Ndure Cham coupists,
Koro Ceesay…. and all those you continuously LIE on line to accuse him of killing. Wasn’t he looking after the safety of our country against violators?
Is it now that your TRIBALIST INCOMPETENT administration is threatened and that President Jameh was never before threatened?
Is it now that they have to take security matters seriously and that President Jammeh shouldn’t have done likewise?
Your systematic bigotry, nonsensical talk, unproductive diatribe have no place on this forum. You are just senseless/useless! I have told you that educated Gambians/well-minded citizens have already voiced their disillusion about your HOPELESS administration at Fajara.
The Gambian JOLAS have always been the most law abidding ethnic group in the Gambia. Hardworking, honest and truthful in all their endeavours. They have never posed any threat to a government since the colonial to the Jawara eras, yet they endured all sorts of ill treatment and deliberate neglect: lack of basic infrastructure in their area, lack of credible education, lack of credible government positions, thrashed into menial jobs……..Yet they remained loyal to all the governments.
Where were you then, you IDIOT?
Babu Soli
You amnesiac disgraceful idiot. what was Kukoi Samba sanyang’s tribe? What about the motherfucking monster Jammeh? wow,wow, wow! yes there are from the Manswanko tribe i guess. These two guys are jolas and they’ve committed a treasonable offence by either trying to overthrow a democratically elected president or succeeded in overthrowing a democratically elected president of our country. So your assertion that Jolas are the most law abiding ethnic group in our country is false, one of your false narratives borrowed from the gutters of Jammeh’s killing fields. You disgraceful lying diehard fucker of dictatorship.
Babu Mad professor Soli
A piece for you from the Freedom Newspaper. What a surprise you haven’t brought this to the readership of Jollof news.Oh yes, this ain’t to your taste.
ike most Gambians, I am following the proceedings at the commission of inquiry looking into, inter alia, the business activities and assets of former president Jammeh. Although I cannot claim to have watched all the testimonies, I have seen enough to discern the level of incompetence and corruption that existed during the Jammeh regime. I do not think that most of us who have been following the workings of the Jammeh regime during the past 22 years are surprised by the magnitude and extent of the corruption. We have been lamenting about it for the past two decades. What is surprising and disappointing to me is the level of ineptitude exhibited by experienced and educated civil servants, who should have known better.
Almost all the witnesses who have appeared before the commission thus far have confessed to disobeying civil service rules and partaking in crimes, including theft. In other words, we are dealing with a bunch of criminals who conspired with, and aided and abetted Jammeh to steal money belonging to the Gambian people. Thanks to Jammeh’s impudence and the hubris of his mandarins, it should not be difficult for the current government to make a case against these criminals, hold them accountable, and recover the money they looted from public coffers.
It is sad and nauseating to watch these people admit that while the average Gambian was suffering from poor healthcare, lack of opportunity for the youth, lack of adequate food, water and electricity, they were busy stealing money from the Gambian people, and using the purloined assets to build houses, drive fancy cars, and finance the lavish vacations and education for their children. If I were any of these people, I will be ashamed to show my face in society today. On the contrary, they shamelessly appear before the Commission and try to lecture us on the workings of government or how terrifying it was to receive directives from Jammeh. Give us a break! This was garden-variety stealing: taking something that does not belong to you. Period.
As mentioned above, the criminal prosecution of these people should be low-hanging fruit for this government. These people testifying before the Commission clearly broke the laws, and the defenses they are presenting are not credible. Many have appeared before the Commission and woefully failed to articulate the legal basis for their actions. They apparently do not understand the probing questioning from the Commission’s counsel. To break things down, there are laws governing how money gets into government coffers and how that money is spent. Anybody, including the president, who deviates from those laws is acting unlawfully, and potentially committing a crime.
Some are claiming that they were coerced into this criminal behavior. But none of them has given us an example of a situation where Jammeh jailed, tortured or killed someone who refused to help him steal money. He has humiliated and jailed those he thought were stealing from him. That is different from saying that Jammeh harassed civil servants who resigned. So, no one is buying this notion that civil servants or soldiers participated in these crimes under duress. Matter of fact, they lobbied hard for their positions and in certain situations even counseled Jammeh to violate the law. Granted, some of the advice was given out of ignorance because they do not understand how government should work. But I do not need to tell anyone that “ignorance of the law is no excuse.” They need to come up with more creative and credible defenses.
Since the Commission’s terms of reference allow it to look into the assets of government servants and whether those assets were lawfully acquired, I respectfully urge the Commission to start focusing these mandarins on that issue as well, in order to build a complete record that will aid the Attorney General in his quest to recover the stolen millions. We cannot just trust that these people simply withdrew millions of dollars in hard currency and obediently handed the money to Jammeh. Besides, that is not the threshold for legal culpability in these matters. By aiding and abetting Jammeh in his criminal enterprise, they are as blameworthy as he is; and unless they can prove that they delivered the money to Jammeh, they are responsible for the entire stolen amounts. If they acted solely on the directives of the President, then they themselves should not have benefited from any of the loot. And this is why the Commission should look into their own assets and make sure it is all properly accounted for.
The Commission should rely on its Asset Evaluation mandate to develop a record that will ensure that none of these criminals get to enjoy their ill-gotten gains. If they cannot account for their physical assets in the country, expensive vacations and tuition fees, their assets have to be confiscated and returned to the rightful owners, and people have to spend some time in jail. It is only in Africa that people will commit the most blatant crimes and then go scot-free in the name of reconciliation. But this government has to realize that one of the yardsticks with which it will be judged is how it handled the dispensation of justice for the crimes committed during the Jammeh regime. While I am not trying to preempt the Commission’s report, I must point out that Gambians expect a firm response from this government once the Commission’s work is completed.
Remember, some Gambians died untimely deaths, because of lack of hospitals and medicine. Some of our youths died in the desert or in the Mediterranean, on the treacherous journey to Europe to seek greener pastures, out of sheer desperation for the lack of opportunities in The Gambia. The list of miseries goes on and doesn’t even get into the sorry state of the educational system in the country, the bankrupt economy, and the decimated civil service. These tragedies and more can be traced directly to the criminal behavior being revealed at the Commission. It is incumbent on the Barrow government to hold these criminals accountable and at the very least make a concerted effort to recover the stolen money for the Gambian people.
In order to serve the Gambian people in this regard, it should be a no-brainer that the Barrow government ensures that the people who participated in these corrupt activities are removed from sensitive positions in this current government while these matters are being investigated. It also goes without saying that the current government should cease and desist from the culture of spending without legal basis, i.e. spending outside the mandates of the Constitution and the Budget and laws passed through the parliament. But as I alluded to above, we cannot expect a different outcome if we have the same clueless and lazy mandarins holding sensitive positions in the government.
Muhamad Sosseh, Esq.
Washington, DC
October 9, 2017
Rectification please – murder, rape, torture – not tape : thank you
Al-Dutch Proffessor Jola Babu Soli.
Its time you deal with issues Jola.’ You are looking for legitmacy in all the wrong places. kicking, wailing,insults or nurging is a future in quadmire for someone of your caliber, Al-Dutch Pfroffessor Jola Babu soli.
Sorry, for soldiers in jail guilty or otherwise, its a small price to came into terms with. Hence, this where you “Al-Dutch Proffessor jola Babu Soli” roll your shirt.
Demsify the false narratives occuping your mind at moment. Its za gambia issue at national level but also equally soo at society to community and family at large.
Jola community need your sincer input on what is happing around them in earnest. I cant wait to hear your endorsement signature Kanilai internationale culture festival.
Take solace, ze gambia looking forward.
Nasty Natty Dread, The IDIOT!
Don’t you scavenge for information to supplement/back up your views/ideas/arguments? If you don’t, then you are just STUPID and UNPRODUCTIVE.
However, your learned Esquire, Muhamad Sosseh of Washington has for his part confirmed scavenging for information about the on-going sittings at the corrupted Commission of Inquiries set up by the corrupt and inept Barrow administration.
Why he scavenges for information to send a plausible contribution, an arguable argument, to Freedom Newspaper is anyone’s guess.
Muhamad Sosseh’s case study, doesn’t give a sophisticated, widely informed and accurate account of Gambia’s politicized Commission of Inquiries’ hearings. Many readers would only get a glimpse of this rather confused Muhamad Sosseh contribution which has deliberately marginalized accounts that touch on the vagrant socio-economic and political situations before President Jammeh’s government; situations which were responsible for the Kukoi Samba Sanyang and Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh uprisings.
The learned Esquire, would not squarely examine those situations perhaps from altruistic motives. Therefore his information is the familia plausible argument of a Banjul-related-born Esquire who would only discover and subsequently dilate on one side of our story without giving an indepth study of the whole. His input isn’t terse neither cogent!
When did the average Gambian start suffering? When did the average Gambian taste any form of leverage from social and economic hardships?
It is common in our societies, especially the Gambian society, that the rise to eminence(social, political and economic) of an individual triggers an obligation to provide for the welfare of an entire household, ethnic grouping, thus significantly boosting corruption, corrupt practices and nepotism in public circles. It’s the same circle of corruption and corrupt practices evolving around your INEPT and INCOMPETENT Barrow administration.
We have witnessed the emergence of the Jawara regime which was covertly proned to favour certain individuals, tribes and groups. The learned Esquire would indeed give credit to this assertion.
There was no excuse for laxity by the Jawara administration in improving our livelihood. Public and private aid and investment, the sine qua non of any programme for economic and social developments were all present during the PPP era. Why then did those potentials succumb to decadence?
I’m inclined to ask my learned Esquire Muhamad Sosseh if the Banjul Sossehs, Jannehs, Mahoneys, Foons, Fayes, Njies, Chongans, Christensens, Mboobs, Proms……didn’t take the lion’s share of our NATIONAL CAKE to: build houses, drive fancy cars, finance the lavish vacations and education for their children and celebrate the TAKAs and NGHENTES which my Honourable Esquire might have presumably benefitted from.
STUPID NASTY NATTY , I (we) need a detailed comparative analysis of the features and characteristics of information coming from the already-corrupted Commission of Inquiry that would allow us to make a wider and more cohesive decision on the trends of affairs in our country.
I have always disagreed with the “witnesses’ claims” of “fear” to work with President Jammeh. They are farce and contemptuous, especially in the absence of the “accused”. You IDIOTIC ASS.
Nasty Natty Dread,
Disgraceful “Gambian” who doesn’t know the linguistic and cultural differences between my tribe the Manswanka and the Jola tribe. It’s because of your deficent cultural background, that bred you to know just a handful of the “main” tribes without care about the minority ones. YOU UNCULTURED NINCOMPOOP!
Babu Lying professor soli
You senseless idiotic lying professor, sucker of dictator’s shoes as my learned friend Jack put it calling me uncultured nincompoop. I will take that as a badge of honor because when i look around i see another ”cultured ignoramus nincompoop in professorial gown. Only an imp of your standing can assumed that Natty Dread doesn’t know the linguistic differences of the various tribes in the Gambia, major or minority. You lying idiot in professorial gown. I am a business lady Babu, and that gave me the opportunity to travel the width and breath of our beautiful country before migrating to Mauritius. I speak fluently most of the spoken Gambian languages, therefore your assertion above is false, one of your many lies that littered the online forums. Education tend to enlighten those who acquired it except in your case. It just tooled you into the biggest liar, the dumbest and twisted fool, heartless dark propagandist, the purveyor of false news and into a petty insidious hateful bigot.
Buba Sanyang, my Bro,
But with all that unfairness in the national army that you asserted does it warrant arresting only the Jolas? Democracy and democratic dispensation is what you give and take not the what the other offers you.
The Gambia had long been consumed by tribal domination of key public positions. Only the coming of the APRC drastically reduced those tendencies, though you claim it purportedly filled the National Army with Jolas alone. Do you mean there were NO Wollofs, Mandinkas, Fulas, Kasinkas, Manjagos, Sarahules, Balantos…..in our National Army?
I would like to believe that if other tribes turn their back to the military service, it’s simply because of the non-motivational, non-lucrative nature of that public place.
The Jolas have long been down-trodden by the Jawara government, which was fairly compensated by their ascension to various public offices during the APRC government. Aren’t we witnessing an emergency of the same tribal occupation of key government positions?
@Babu Soli: ” Jolas were downtrodden by the Jawara Government “. Babu, I want to give you the opportunity to show how the Jolas were downtrodden by the Jawara Government because I think this is absolute nonsense spewed to justify Jammeh’s rule of preferential treatment, which does seem to disproportionately favour Jolas.
Koto Babu, I never said the army is filled with only Jolas. I asked you several questions, one of which was “Are or were all the Officers in the GNA Jolas?” because if you are claiming that only Jolas are being arrested and these are all Jolas then that could only mean Jolas have been disproportionately favoured by Jammeh against other tribes. That might explain why people from other tribes are not been arrested because in the army it is the people at the top who give orders. So perhaps they are been arrested for the terrible orders they have been giving to their subordinates to maltreat Gambian civilians or may be for something completely different. Koto, did it ever occur to you or did you even stop to think that most of these people were promoted to Officer rank without meeting the minimum specifications of the post? They might even be given ranks without having the job to match the rank. Koto, can you please explain to me why a Captain in the army is an office clerk (not personal assistant) or a Major working as a farmer manager for the president? It will be nice to also acknowledge the Jola Officers re-instated Koto. It is immaterial what tribe they belong to if there is military intelligence indicating that they were up to no good. You and others can south tribalism for all you like it won’t stop the law from taking its natural course. Might i suggest that you and like minded people raise funds and assist these Officers in taking legal action against the Gambia Government for unfair or unlawful dismissal or arrest. I promise you Koto if you tell them that they will all abandon you because they know the actual reasons they were arrested or dismissed.
Buba Sanyang, My Bro,
I’m not against arresting something for offending the laws. I’m against the motives and procedures. If they are dubious, they violate the rights of one. And besides all that, do they have to be remanded for over 72 hours without charge, without appearing before the courts, without being released? Don’t these procedures violate their rights? These were the procedures the INEPT Barrow administration said it would erradicate on assuming power. Remember the 9 NIA officials were treated equally awkwardly.
Remember, I’m not a Jola. I’m only against any form of tribalism and the blatant discrimination and marginalization of minorities.
Koto Babu, it is either you are ignorant of the part of our laws call The Gambia Armed Forces Act or you are deliberately overlooking it because it doesn’t fit or serve your narrative, however, I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that it was a simple oversight on your part. The army follows its own procedures and I bet these Officers have been charged or detained under the act I referred to earlier. The fact that they were not brought before a Judge in a civilian court does not mean charges have not been brought against them. The army have always followed their own Judicial process with regards to serving personnel, albeit within the limits of the Gambian constitution. That has been the case in both the first and second republic. Furthermore, Koto if the intelligence gathering is not complete, the military prosecutors may have asked for an extension of the detention of these Officers without you and I knowing about it. One could argue that they should not have been arrested before all the facts are known, however , arresting them might have been essential to disrupt a perceive or real threat to National security or to prevent them from fleeing the jurisdiction of the Gambia. Koto i know you are not a Jola but you cannot be fighting tribalism by being tribalist against another tribe. For example, you cannot call me or Jack or Natty a tribalist if we say something about Jolas yet consider you and Sidi as exercising freedom of expression by insulting Mandinkas, that won’t work. Mandinkas are not fare game for anyone to insult as they wish nor is any other tribe fare game to be insulted. Kukoi was a Jola but no one blames the Jolas for his actions because Jolas didn’t see themselves in Kukoi. If some unscrupulous Jolas want to make the rest of the Jola community see themselves in Jammeh then that is unfortunate. Koto let me repeat what i have said some months back, I Buba Sanyang have not seen a single Jola quality I grew up knowing in Yahya Jammeh. The Jolas i grew up with and around are hardworking, honest, loyal and contented people, Yahya has none of these qualities.
Welcome back brother Buba sanyang. You have been missed sorely with your cool and collected analysis of the political situation of our nation. Your contribution is a breath of fresh air to a polluted and sometimes confused discourse of great importance to our nation and our people. I feel great joy in knowing that i come from a country with men of your caliber as compatriots. Please keep up the good work as we can’t allow the likes of Babu Soli to plunge our country into another dictatorship or worst.
Natty thanks for your kind words. I have missed the discourse on this forum but was busy with some academic work so had to shift my concentration to that for a while although i have been following developments. I was never worried about Koto Babu and Rambling Sidi because i was confident that you, Jack and Bourne will keep them in check. Lets keep up the good work.
My tսrn, myy turn.? Lary saiɗ eagerly wiggling
to get an opportunity to talk. ?I think the best thing about God is that he can beat up the devil as a result
of the devil is frіghtening and imply and ugly
and bad and Gоd can beatt him up so the satan can?t hurt us lile hе
did those demon stuffed рeople in Jesus day.
But where is it this sort of Jack comes from …… Straight outta Professor Nuts Babu Soli university seminary??
Man, we need prayers to exorcise the polluted atmosphere and souls within!