Dear Mr Jassey-Conteh,
I write publicly to show and register my disapproval of your relentless
attack on Mr Sidi Sanneh's principled political quietism vis-a-vis the
current political imbroglio in the Gambia and elsewhere in Africa and as a
result questioning his commitment to the Gambia and Africa in general.
Initially when you raised the issue it occurred to me that your concern
since on the face of it was rooted in the ignorance of not actually
understanding Mr Sanneh's peculiar position, was genuine albeit misplaced.
However, after your exchanges, the gentleman has gone out of his way to
explain his situation to you. Amongst others, he had explained that he is no
political eunuch; he has his own political, economic and social worldviews,
he shares the same concerns over the Gambia and Africa like all of us well
meaning others do, he explained to you in the simplest language possible that
he is duty bound out of the decorum and protocols of his office not to
express views that are directly related to member countries that are clients
of his organisation at any rate not in an informal forum like this List. He
did this at a risk of unveiling what his true colours are as to the political
conundrum in the Gambia. And he highlighted to you that there are others like
him in such peculiar situations who decided to play it safe and stay mute
rather risk even making indirect comments on the situation back home on the
List. Yet unlike his colleagues, he is taking risks to make comments on many
issues online.
Politely he told you to lay off but you wouldn't get it. Frankly this is
a good opportunity for me raise a related matter; your irritating and
simplistic ways of forcing people to think alike and adopt the same
strategies when it comes to the struggle back home. We are different in our
own ways. Circumstances have placed constraints on us all which will never
enable us to act the way we always yearn to. What is so difficult to
understand about that? You and I and possibly others have free reins to act
and speak like we wish but this in itself doesn't give us the moral high
ground to think little of others who haven't shouted loud enough. This
tantamount to moral authoritarianism which I vehemently abhor. We have no
moral authority to castigate or dictate to others who are constrained by
circumstances beyond their immediate control and as such are not speaking
publicly everytime on events as you and I did or are still doing.
This need to strike a balance between the two conflicting goals of
staying true to your conscience and honouring protocols you are duty bound to
uphold in respective professions be it in the public service or international
appointments, is a stark reminder how conflicting the private and public
agenda/spheres can be and underlines the tragedy inherent in pursuit or
overvaluing of one over the other. It is of course, very easy not to respect
public servants and other personnel of international bodies who have to live
this every day of their lives; trying to do the right thing by balancing very
conflicting values. When you are living in the States and working in a
Fortune 500 company with no political limbs or baggage, you will not respect
these conflicting strands that has co-existed between the public and private
sphere because your are not living it. It is very unfair however, to
attribute to such unpatriotism and insensitivity to our continent's plights
As I noted earlier to someone online here, political quietism is as much
a virtue as political activism. Just because you are at the forefront doesn't
make you any holier than those impeded by their peculiar circumstances to act
only as behind the scenes operatives. There are well over 600 members online
yet only a minor guesstimated 2% contribute to online discussions. So those
this make the 98% spineless or selfish people who do not share our concerns
about the Gambia and Africa in general? Many of these people have various
reasons why they have not stuck their necks out; some not very noble reason
but others very noble and deserving our understanding.
Also you made countless jeremiads against the AfDB calling it amongst
others abettors in the ransacking of Africa and politically moribund outfits.
By inveighing against the AfDB with such cliched nonsense prejudices
tantamount to idiocy of the type Jammeh entertains us with when he starts
lambasting the West. Have you ever bothered reading AfDB literature; it's
current status, the strides it is taking each year in the face of mammoth
difficulties posed by our seemingly intractable and never ending vicious
cycles of political violence or check out it's chequered history? See it is
always easy to be in the West to be disrespectful to others on the ground who
are doing the little they can to give Africa some success stories we can
proudly cling on to and say there is still life in us Africans. Slagging off
Mr Sanneh in your comfy little world of North Caroline is the easy bit.
However, one is inclined to pose you these simple questions. What practical
alternatives have you been working on since you went to the States? Have you
ever considered going back home like the Mr Sannehs of this world and do what
they are trying to do? What have you done for mother Africa practically since
graduating? Perhaps you will be kind enough to answer these questions.
I will not be an onlooker as over zealous low naive political operatives
like your self, eager to exploit the failures of the current regime, and
traduce a figure like Mr Sanneh. It is one thing for you to be consumed in
your over zealousness, it however amounts to else if you wish to drag others
into the muck. Please in your zeal to aggrandise your aims of political life,
just remember that some of us have other ideals and ways of fighting the
battle to free Africa. This is worth remembering.
Finally, your assertion that you have "absolute right" in questioning Mr
Sanneh's adopted political quietism is cobblers and shows your ignorance or
your simplistic understanding of the notion of "rights". Mr Jassey-Conteh,
there is never a thing like an "absolute right" at any rate, not in this
materially inclined and rationalist world. To lay claims to it, is tantamount
to pinch a line of reasoning from no one other than Jemus Jammeh, you so
fervent wish to see the back of. Are you really sure you are not only in this
struggle to see Jammeh gone and you become the new political class of a
post-Jammeh Gambia?
I have said enough and hope that we understand each other. And in
conclusion leave you with Wittgenstein's dictum that: whereof one cannot
speak, thereof one must keep his silence. I hope you remember this before you
have another go at the Mr Sanneh's of this world.
In anticipation of your usual kind co-operation, i remain,
Respectfully,
Hamjatta Kanteh
hkanteh
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