Gambian freedom fighters should not mimic Yahya Jammeh

In a national struggle against open or silent oppression, the freedom fighter cannot afford to take a leaf from his oppressor, Oppressors thrive on marginalising their opponents, isolating them and victimising them. They master the art of creating a wedge and perfecting the policy of we versus them. Freedom fighters or pro-democracy activist will lose legitimacy where they want to become the struggle by constricting the public discourse. Stakeholders in this Gambian nightmares will not stand aside and watch. Since it is an equal opportunity patriotic duty for all conscientious Gambians to take a stand, don't wait to be invited in this noble endeavour. No other Gambian has any higher stake than you, wherever you are. Stand up and be counted, the struggle is not own by anybody, group, sector or influence.

Last week radio program

On Kairo radio today, we address few issues.

1. understanding ourselves, our genealogy and why, people are are still moved and happy of their background, ready to patronise singers to praise them. Do people really understand who they are, and what their family lines means, their role in society.

2. Family up bringing. Why it is not good to be aggressive against children without good words, making them proud, saying statements of blessing on them. Why we must stop insulting children, cursing them and swearing at them needlessly.

3. Why women need to analyse society and stop copying others, focusing solely on materialism and vanity. Leading to the chaos in society.

4. Why many Gambian children are running away from parents in Europe and America. The reports indicating that, people who bring children from Africa at age ten and over, is more likely for those children to run away and falling prey to bad peer pressure. 

5. We also discuss the need for Gambians to genuinely respect one another. Deal fairly and justly with everyone. 

6. People complain also Gambians make bad comments about one another in work places in abroad. Why, we must stop jealousy and stop making damning remarks about others.

Gambian ancient wisdom

Ancient wisdoms: "A child's rope emanates from the mother" (Mandingo) saying, and the Wollofs would say "every person that grows up and attain adulthood will be exposed, however, remember to thank the womb that bore you." Both statements means the same. The mandingka society beliefs that, women make or break the person.

This is a direct correlation to the manners and methods a mother conduct herself, since the child learns more from the mother than the father and the sanctity of the marital union depends on give and take.

 Whilst the Wollof wisdom here means, our successes, self-respect, ,manners, failures etc all are linked to the mother. And as an adult, a person has no place to hide in society, you are either a good member of society or a failure, but the justice of that is starts from the womb that bore you.

Gambian heroes are many

In the wake of the tragic failed coup, where 4 brothers lost their lives. There have been a quiet debates taking place among Gambians as to the level of heroism and bravery of the fallen brothers and those who undertook the adventure.

The failed coup last year was not the only attempted coup and will not be the last. With the system that President instituted to rule the Gambia, attempts will continue to be made until he is dislodged from power.

Who are Gambian heroes, and how shall we quantify our heroes and heroism? Kairo radio will host a discussion on this pertinent subject soon. In a dictatorship, all conscientious citizens are forced into a corner, and by virtue of their refusals to condone evil, corruption, nepotism and sycophancy, they become heroes without any public recognition and celebration.

In a national struggle against open or silent oppression, the freedom fighter cannot afford to take a leaf from his oppressor. Oppressors thrive on marginalising their opponents, isolating them and victimising them. They master the art of creating a wedge and perfecting the policy of we versus them. Freedom fighters or pro-democracy activist will lose legitimacy where they want to become the struggle by constricting the public discourse. Stakeholders in these Gambian nightmares will not stand aside and watch. Since it is an equal opportunity patriotic duty for all conscientious Gambians to take a stand, don't wait to be invited in this noble endeavour. No other Gambian has any higher stake than you, wherever you are. Stand up and be counted, the struggle is not own by anybody, group, sector or influence. 

With that has a backdrop, the Gambia has had many heroes and will continue to produce many more. Heroism is not restricted to men and women in battle. Heroism and conscientiousness encompasses a much wider framework of people.

There are Gambians in exile who will thrive in they accept the status quo back home, but they refused to be a party to the tyranny. These categories of Gambians include the highest number of silent heroes. We have salute them and encourage them to take the next step on funding opposition activities and youth movements affiliate with the organised opposition parties on the ground.

Another category of heroes are the men and women in the media. These groups of people spend time, money, and sacrifice their leisure to provide vital food (information) to Gambians all over the world and also to the international community. Left with the GRTS, and daily observer, the international community will have no idea what brutal system ensues in the country. Salute them in their perfect and sometime imperfect ways of get news and disseminating it.

The solid heroes for many are the official opposition on the ground. Many of these men and women lost the privilege to earn a decent livelihood in their own country. The ones who have careers and operate outside the ambit of the state are the ones with private source of income.

The state uses many tactics to dwindle the support base of the opposition. However, with hardship and brutalities, ordinary people continue to bear the brunt of the dictatorship, salute to them as well.

The heroes who have fallen since the unfaithful day of July 22 1994 to date, varies in complexities and the patriotic political undertaking. For the UDP alone, the torture related deaths to its party member’s stands at 9, with others who suffer chronic pains after soldiers/APRC militants attacked defenceless party militants. The cooked up trials and charges against them also created a lot of heroes.

The fortitude of many Gambian lawyers standing in a bias law court defending their clients on political related charges.

Over Analysing Yahya Jammeh

Is it all about Dictator Jammeh or is there more to it? Kairo radio show on today.

Gambians have somehow become addicted to every conversation which starts and ends with Yahya Jammeh. We start with Yahya Jammeh the rapist, Yahya Jammeh the murderer, Yahya Jammeh the corrupt President, Yahya Jammeh the Mafia, the manipulative dangerous mixer, Yahya Jammeh the greedy, Yahya Jammeh the womaniser, Yahya Jammeh the tyrant, and so on and on.

However, President Yahya Jammeh exists within the fabric of the Gambian social and political landscape. He is not in space or operating in a vacuum. He manages his affairs and that of the Gambia with the help and assistance of Gambians, who come from homes, families, clans, tribes, cultures and traditional back grounds.

Our analysis is simple: Yahya Jammeh is the problem. We start from that point and somehow ends there. What we have succeeded in doing is chasing the shadows of our own created dictator. We chase his shadows while he plays along.

The Gambia media now competes furiously with one another on who knows what next the ‘master tyrant’ is planning to do. It is now turning ugly between certain media establishments. The burning issue is, who is more connected or sourced within the Jammeh gangster network. The smart game Jammeh plays is dribbled by his agents who drop bits and pieces of stuffs he finds harmless.

If a man walks in big strides and you follow him counting his foot steps, how long will you continue counting those footsteps? Let us stop counting Yahya Jammeh’s footsteps and commence learning what went wrong in the social, cultural, religious and educational fabric of the Gambia.

People hate being reminded of their grand fathers, they hate being reminded of the struggles their folks did in the past, yet we assume and think that, we can solve our problems with shallow education most of us acquires…

Ghana ends the Jawlings one man rule with a systematic changes, society has to be willing to change. Gambians stop running away from themselves and accept that, the problems we are facing is societal messed up, it’s community cohesion breakdown, it is shallowness in our education, and deceptive tendencies in dealing with one another.

Everyone now thinks he can be the next President, the next director, the next manager. Gambians find it terribly hard to work together, and the mentalities and mindsets are to blame. Unless, we thoroughly understand that, the greatest of America, Britain, France, Malaysia and other fast moving countries lies in the citizenry accepting to work for the common good, they will remain mediocre and under achieving.

Let the Big man mentality vanishes in the Gambian discourse, let the personality cult be destroyed, let the without me it will not succeed cease to fascinate shallow thinkers. What many leaves behind in their conversations is what is terribly more significant. President Jammeh is a parasite, but he has those who prepare, serve the human meal on his plate daily. Look back and learn, never run and hide from the shadows of your ancestors. Will they have accepted the plight we are in today, if not what would they have done to end it.

Tune in to the program on radio along side music breaks.

The Owl and The Pigeon

Kikiyan and Pura (A Short Story) By Suntou Touray
As it happens, many people accuse the Owl (Kikiyan) of being a witch. These accusations puzzled and troubled the Owl so much so that,  it took matters in it's own hand to clear it's cherished and reputable good name.

The Owl is depicted as wise, a night traveller, quiet, aloof and majestic. Are those the main reasons for the blatant character assassinations? It wonders!

The Owl trust that, since it is always around the Pigeon (Pura), a friendly and approachable bird. Enquiring from the good friend as to whether the accusations people make are valid or remotely true become a pressing issue.

The Owl asked, "Mr Pigeon, people accused me of being a witch, and I know it is not true, but what do you think?"

The Pigeon looked around and retort to the Owl, "well, are you facing me or is your back toward me?" 

The Owl said, "I am facing you". The Pigeon responded with a big surprise for the Owl "Well, the people are correct you are a witch." 

The Owl couldn't understand, "I am harmless and wise, why associate me to wickedness and bloodthirsty?"

 Yet the Pigeon like other accusers base their suspicions on the strangeness of the Owl, the wide eye, creepy looks and loner mannerism. 

And so the legend continues, those accused of beings witches are usually ugly looking grandmas, who are very poor and lacking extended family support. Especially if the old granny has perturbing eyes and slight facial hair. 

Lesson: Avoid suspicions and fear base accusation without proof.

(A Mandinka folklore, don't Judge by looks. The nicest looking person can the most evil.)

My short remarks on Falai Baldeh

In the eye of the blind, the one eye man is a giant. My Uncle Falai fell in a trap of the dis-honourables. Let us be gentle with him.
Falai Baldeh fell in a trap, set by the 'peace maker' Modou Njai.
Modou Njai's motives are scanty and unclear, however he seems to be putting the regime of dictator Jammeh in a favourable light.
People should take it easy with Falai. We need to see this struggle as a battle field. When the going get tough, we will occasionally attack each other, scream, haul insults and abuses, Sometimes, individual jealousy and unfulfilled expectations will get the better of people. But when it is all said and done, the struggle is full with honourable Gambians both at home and in diaspora.
Modou Njai is playing a very dangerous game. No one can make peace with someone who has no interest to change for the better. Therefore, entrapping vulnerable members of the Gambian activist force will backfire in the long run for Modou Njai. Falai is disputing some of the things in the propaganda statement written by the 'Lt Col Sam Sarr' Yahya Jammeh's new tactician.

We have all been label as one thing or the other, behind our backs, worst statements are made. But let us remember our humanity, no one is perfect. However, the Gambia means everything to us, and those suffering and losing their jobs needlessly are the driving force. That was/is Falai's driving force.
I hope others who may intend to capitulate remember the pains and tears of the widows, orphans, refugees in Senegal and else where, those disabled by gun shots and the many folks killed in suspicious circumstances.
One cannot be unique if one refuse to confront evil. All great men and women in history refuse to accept evil and injustices. Modou Njai, thanks for causing havoc and pain in the life of a one time hero, Uncle Falai Baldeh.

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