Dear member of parliament:
                                       As the scheduled debate on the alleged
oil saga is here, I intend to write to all of you and remind you that not so
long ago, you were all joined by a lot of Gambians in celebrating your
entrance to the House of parliament. Not so long ago, you all took the oath
to serve the interest of the Gambia as defined in the constitution.
Members of parliament, the test of your oath and honesty is finally to be
tested to the utmost. There is time in history when one's humanness and
beings are tested and June 26th. is yours. When this day was selected just a
few days ago to be "the day" in parliament, it sounded to some as years to
come. Only people fails, but time does not.
I would want all of you to recall the past, view the present and imagine the
future. The duties incumbent on you by the Gambian people, is not to save any
head of state or political party.
History never guarantees and the way your future is going to be determined as
only a single member of parliament, depends on your deeds as a parent, and a
human being. It might be very easy for any of you to be partisan with such a
serious alleged crude oil saga, but be best guaranteed that people's dreams
and hope cannot be maginally dismissed. Sooner or later, reading history
backwards your all shall be judged justifiably by only your deeds and words.
Failure to be on the good side of history, no one wants.
Time comes and goes too fast that some of us tend to forget that there are a
lot of former MP's and cabinet ministers. I have no doubt that if you all as
an MP goes in that chamber and think of what history would be about you and
your family and your nation, you will put politics aside and seriously debate
this alleged saga. Putting one's national interest ahead of politics and self
interest is certainly one to be very proud of.
As Kwame Nkrumah puts it; "No one is too old to learn and change their ways.
Anyone in a a position of influence has a duty to confront the questions
raised by the experience of the past...". Gambians have witnessed the change
in personnel in the political arena, but your duties today are greater than
any of you. I have no doubt that all of you have given a serious thought to
this day and alleged saga, but it is your actions and words that you will all
be judged by the end of the day. Certainly the clock could not go backwards.
It is your collective and in this case even your individual acts that will be
scaled. Your votes or words today cannot bring the alleged crude oil saga
back to the Gambians. It cannot undo what the Jawara regime might have done.
It cannot undo the 1994 coup. It cannot even bless the Gambia with rain. What
all of you can do as an individual/group is to show Gambians that you are not
going to dismiss their thoughts and hopes as unrealistic. And more over, you
could all determine how history is going to judge you.
I hope you all get this mail before Monday 26th. June 2000.
God bless the Gambia.


Ousman Bojang.

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