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medotech
42 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Apr 2006 : 17:21:36
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Looking at african politics and especially the third term aspirants like Jammeh or Obassanjo of Nigeria is a total disgrace.We had so much hope that we will nuture these fledgling democracy and follow the rules of only two terms but alas,the rules are been changed to benefit individual greed and hunger for power.Dont these leaders learn anything after all the trouble people are going through to help implant a democratic and plural culture in our continent?This indeed lives a sad precedent with leaders so intoxicated with power that they dont want to let it go.I was dumbfounded with all the wrangling in Nigeria and now obassanjo seeking a third term saying God alone will guide him into a third term.This is sick and we are tired of hearing these leaders bringing God in their selfish politics and claiming thats what God wants them to do.This is just ridiculous.
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Edited by - medotech on 05 Apr 2006 18:27:51 |
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salimina
253 Posts |
Posted - 05 Apr 2006 : 18:08:03
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Medotech,i think we are a prisoner of our genetic inheritance.We africans are very good at this.It is a sure sign of madness to try the same thing again and again each time expecting a different result.
By the time they are insight of the end,they become obsessional neurosist: that is one idea dominate their minds to the exclusion of all others.And there would be no sacrifice they would not make in the pursuit of their personal ambitions. I dont know when we will be out of this mess!
What we are seeing is a potentially catastrophic enlargement of power hungry culture, which will enervate and cheapen our society.We need to stand up to ensure that greed is not further institutionalised in our communities especially at the public service.We need to eliminate forces of greediness inorder to move forward.
Because Medotech, i cannot believe being a president for ten years what do you need again?How was one to divest oneself of all possessions?Was not the body itself possession enough?Were not wife and children possessions? Was i to destry all the cupboards of books i had?
Well i think we africans, we need skilled pragmatists more interested in running the country than in political dogma.
Thanks.
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Edited by salimina |
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taalibeh
Gambia
336 Posts |
Posted - 05 Apr 2006 : 18:45:35
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What a piece!! It is people like Sundiata that The Gambia needs to steer our national ship forward.
COMMENTARY
MARCH 21 ALLEGED COUP - Let Justice Guide Our Actions
BY SUNDIATA, Political Commentator
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April 4, 2006
The happenings in this country in the wake of the alleged coup of March 21 should not be watched by the citizenry with disbelief, surprise or denial. The people of the Gambia must wake up to their responsibilities to address the problem in order to ensure that the Gambia is not only peaceful and stable, but that each and every citizen is treated with dignity and decorum even if one is found to be guilty. The people of the Gambia should realize that lethargy or indifference to national issues is what leads to national disintegration for which the masses of the people become the victims and losers. The world is fast changing and one characteristic of this fact is that all peoples are more and more demanding, vigorously their rights and freedoms as it has been abundantly manifested that governments have distinguished themselves in failing the people. This is why there is a proliferation of civil society associations and citizens groups around the world as the last bastion of hope in the defence of basic human rights and freedoms, world peace and security.
Having said this, it must also be stressed in no uncertain terms that a coup d'etat is one of the worse diseases that can befall a nation. The Gambia in particular is a testimony of the failed state that a military-led government can cause in a country. Since 1994, the Gambia has gained nothing other than the degeneration of the rights and freedoms of the people, the rise of excruciating poverty, and the unrivalled incidence of impunity and arbitrariness that has come to generate so much fear, disgust and frustration in the country more than ever before in its history. This is enough warning for all Gambians to vehemently condemn any form of military coup for whatever reasons. The ballot is the sole and only weapon the people should arm themselves with to effect change in their country. Any other means should be condemned and rejected with all the force we can muster.
March 21 is yet again another shameful spot in our history both on the side of the alleged plotters and on the side of the Government. Both the alleged plotters and the Government have demonstrated their total disregard and disrespect for the dignity of the human being by merely parading individuals before national television and radio to character-assassinate themselves and their future for what the majority of the people are yet to see any tangible evidence of a coup. The human being deserves dignity and respect even when he or she is at fault. In the wake of these events, no consideration has been given to the alleged plotters that they are members of this community and leaders in their various areas, who are also heads of families with children and wives. An irreparable stigma has been painted on these individuals and their families, as well as the institutions they come from until the end of time for the dishonorable manner in which they have been showcased and acted accordingly. This should not be encouraged and all well-meaning individuals should condemn this practice. It is against civilized behaviour and the due process of the law, which requires that the alleged plotters be taken before a court of law and tried fairly and justly. Instead of this basic rule of law being applied, the Government has arrogated itself the right of almighty to try these individuals in the media without the State presenting any tangible evidence to back their claims of a coup.
This practice has set a dangerous precedence in the country and leaders of the country - religious, community, business, political, youth, women, professional among others, including civil society organizations - should all come out and loudly condemn what can be described as a mockery of our sovereignty and democracy. Even the alleged culprits of 9/11 have never been paraded before any American television to narrate their atrocities. How therefore can we justify such a practice in the Gambia when the whole affair never led to the harming, much more the killing of a single individual.
It must be mentioned that people in positions of authority and public office should not arrogate to themselves unlimited power and freedom to act above the law. The origin of the emergence of the current Government is through a military coup, and they have used all the occasions, opportunities and resources to justify and legitimize their action. In like manner, honesty and fair play should have taught them that much as they abhor the actions of the alleged March 21 coupists, the Government of Yaya Jammeh came into being as a result of a coup. Therefore they should not demonize and denigrate the current victims for simply being involved in another coup. This is because the AFPRC/APRC government is also a coupists' government, which glorified their coup as divine intervention! What is required right now is for the Government and its officers to act according to law and civilized behaviour. They should bear in mind that no offence, no matter how grave, gives the right to any government to overstep the limits of the law. All those who act with impunity against the dictates of the law should realize that they would also have their day sooner or later as Charles Taylor is at the moment dancing to the tunes he was playing a couples years ago in both the bush and at State House. The Hague, Freetown and Arusha courts with many more coming up will always be here for those who have intoxicated themselves with power and run roughshod over the lives and rights of the people. Such actions will never go unpunished.
All those involved with the current drama in the Gambia - GRTS, NIA, Police, Army, Cabinet ministers, National Assembly members and members of the public should carefully take record of their individual actions in this times so that when the day of reckoning comes, they will not have cause to appeal for sympathy, ignorance or excuse but will boldly face the law for their actions. This is what will constitute bravery and courage on their part. Hiding behind authority and public office to exercise undeserved and illegal power and courage is no bravery; otherwise Charles Taylor would not be running across borders. When he was a warlord and later President, he gave the impression that he could even wrestle with God The Almighty and be victorious! Today he is in handcuffs after having being caught between borders. What an irony!! This indicates that no one has power more than any other single individual. All power belongs to the people on this earth. Those who understand and respect that take public office and authority therefore as the property of the people, and in whose benefit and behalf you are empowered to function. In that case one serves selflessly with decency, respect and humility so that you will also be ready and willing to surrender that power and office when the people demand it. Such patriotic examples are Nelson Mandela and Julius Nyerere. The late beloved Nyerere of blessed memory once observed that if one loves public office more than your person, you will not be willing to surrender it. But if you love and honour yourself, you will easily surrender public office without quarrel. He thus concludes that those who refuse to leave office honourably will be forced to leave office dishonorably. Former president Jawara is an example. A word to the wise is enough.
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Taalibeh |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 05 Apr 2006 : 18:51:57
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| Medotech and that is why Yaya has a central bank from God. They all think thesame and use "Divine Interventions" as reasons why they continued to stay and plunder the wealth of their countries |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 05 Apr 2006 : 23:33:36
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This ha been culled from Gambia Independent today for wider circulation to every Gambian in our political debates and better understanding of the burning issues. Last night Kondorong and Njucks made a long analysis and exchange on one of the hot topic. Kondorong, I do appreciate your atempt to simplify the rights and wrongs by providing facts, figures and budgets for your vision, but would like to comment that lets ignore the numbers involved in budgeting for an ambitious project and proposed development programmes and address the political situation lacking an enabling environment for Democracy, Human Rights, Justice, Equity, Leadership Good Governance and other crisis. A thorough analysis of Baba's comments would give an insight of what brought about corruption, hardship, deter development, injustice and other crises we are confronted with in the motherland.
Gambia: Jammeh Named Press Freedom Predator
The Independent (Banjul)
OPINION
April 5, 2006
Posted to the web April 5, 2006
Baba Galleh Jallow
Washington, DC
At long last, Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh has been added to the infamous list of press freedom predators around the world. The international press freedom group, Reporters Without Borders, names Jammeh alongside such African despots as Libya's Muamar Ghadafi, Equatorial Guinea's Obiang Nguema, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, Eritrea's Issaias Afeworki, Rwanda's Paul Kagame, Swaziland's King Mswati III, and Tunisia's Zine Ben Ali.
Outside the continent, the list includes such dinosaurs as Cuba's Fidel Castro, China's Hu Jintao, Burma's Than Shwe, North Korea's Kim Jong-il, Syria's Bashar el-Assad, Laos' Khamtai Siphandon, and the Spanish terrorist group ETA.
The Gambia under Jammeh has seen the worst press freedom and human rights violations in the country's history. In the immediate aftermath of the July 1994 coup that brought Jammeh to power, almost all foreign journalists working in the country were arbitrarily arrested and deported without any charges. Among the victims of this early onslaught on press freedom in the country was veteran Liberian journalist and founder of the country's first independent daily, Kenneth Y. Best.
The arrests, detentions, and sometimes torture, of journalists by officers of the National Intelligence Agency - the secret police - have become a regular feature of Gambian life. On December 16, 2004, veteran Gambian journalist Deyda Hydara, editor of The Point newspaper and Banjul correspondent for Reporters Without Borders and Radio France International was brutally shot to death by suspected government thugs as he drove home from work Gun men in an unmarked Mercedes Benz cab drove parallel to Deyda's car, pumped five bullets into his chest and sped into the darkness.
The country has also seen a string of nocturnal arson attacks on private media houses such as Radio 1 FM and The Independent newspaper. The Independent newspaper alone has suffered at least three nocturnal arson attacks by suspected government thugs over the past three years. Last year, a new press belonging to the paper was burnt to ashes. Staff working at the press, who were forcibly locked in with the burning machine barely escaped with their lives. No arrests have ever been made against the perpetrators of any of these heinous crimes, including the murder of Deyda Hydara.
As at the time of writing, The Independent's General Manager Madi Ceesay, who is also the president of the Gambia Press Union, as well as its Editor-in-Chief Musa Saidykhan, remain locked up nine days after they were picked up by armed paramilitary officers. The paper's offices remain sealed and under heavy armed paramilitary guard. No charges have so far been brought against either the detained journalists or the paper, whose management is still at a loss as to the reasons for this latest onslaught. According to Gambian law, no person should be held for more than 72 hours without being charged with a crime. Also, no private property should be put under lock and key without the provision of a court order. No such order was produced to justify the closure of The Independent's offices on March 27, 2006.
The past few years have also seen the permanent closure of at least one private media house, Citizen FM radio and newspaper. Citizen FM radio was forcibly shut down on the spurious authority of a 1913 colonial law on the registration of media outlets. Observers believe that the widely popular radio station was shut down because it regularly interpreted the contents of newspapers in the local languages to the largely unschooled Gambian public. The Jammeh regime, which specializes in keeping people in the dark, hated the fact that Citizen FM was disseminating information critical of the government to large sections of the population who cannot read or write.
Since he seized power in a military coup in July 1994, Gambia's Yahya Jammeh has been a self-declared enemy of press freedom. He has been extremely scornful of human rights and assumes a monopoly on truth and knowledge that makes him particularly hostile to contrary views and opinions. He rules the Gambia like his personal fiefdom supported by an increasingly repressive and ubiquitous security apparatus and a never-ending pool of sycophants. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 05 Apr 2006 : 23:42:16
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I know baba very well. I was in Armitage when he was there and i think he was the Deputy Head boy. Baba lost the Head boy position because most students were campaigning that if he won he would enforce five daily prayers. He is a no non sense guy even in his school days and follows the law.He is straight forward.
Infact i have quoted him using his book " Angry laughter". Check my posting under "Sankofa was my April Fool Fift to You". You should all read it. Very useful |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2006 : 00:14:00
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| Keep up the good work Kondorong. Togethe4r we stand divided we fall which is why NADD should sacrifice their conflicting interests to unite under one good opposition forces for us to witness a new horizon under Halifa who is a humble visionary leader. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2006 : 01:16:43
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| Praise the Lord. Amen |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
Edited by - kondorong on 06 Apr 2006 01:18:55 |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2006 : 08:38:58
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| Kondorong and other readers take note the last sentence in Baba's letter to the Independent. The dictatorship, crude sryle of leadership, sycopancy and unpatriotism of security agents are concerns for us and Baba describe the situation appropriately under that last sentence. However the food of thought is how to undermine, uproot and eliminate these negative elements. |
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