Jabou, Please excuse my grand dad for when the Tiger is in the
Woods,]
Evian I want you to know Tiger had already gone home when Suntou
shared his Oped and the vultures began to descend on him. For no friggin
reason. Trying to shut the man up.
[he loses some of his reasoning faculties.] Evian.
Do you really think yours truly skips a beat Evian? You jettison
your own Grand-dad for PDOISard bantanbilly? Mbeemi, Achu! Atay watiladeh?
Dang-Kutoo le bentehma. bahna!
[Moreover, grand dad just cannot bring himself to give any due credit
to Halifa.] Evian.
Do you ever read or understand my notes on Halifa?? They are always
chock-full of praise for Halifa's selfless efforts and circumspect and
sobriety for the clueless PDOISdrones. They want to sweep us all up in
their cluelessness. I am not a witch.
[Why? Am yet to fully comprehend.] Evian.
I gathered as much. You, like most other PDOISards will
never be satisfied until I begin to worship Halifa for nought. It's in
your bloods. Its not your fault that's why I never get upset with a
PDOISard. E-bukay Taw. Alla La kaybaaroo Lom wolbayti. Ekoloobaliyaata,
Ebuka-keybaa bunyaa! Ila Makkamol fanang mang Timma. Na Fitiyaye deng
fitiyaye so. Na Lebintiman dem. Ndasimma Nke Nta
Hayinni!!!
[Bailo]
How are you getting along in your new home? I hope great. Look
forward to hearing you more often. You know your former employer is
international should you not decide to change careers. Personally I think
you are exceptionally well suited for that line of work. It screams out
from your notes here and we are all proud of you.
From:
Jabou Joh <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: The Halifa Factor, what
next? To: [log in to unmask] Date: Tuesday, 14 April,
2009, 7:50 PM
Haruna wrote:
"It
was when the onerous exercise threatened PDOIS electoral fortunes that
Halifa engaged in fact-finding, the numerous reports and eye-witness
accounts of it not-withstanding."
Wow!. Truely
amazing. Jabou Joh -----Original Message----- From:
[log in to unmask]To: [log in to unmask]Sent: Tue, 14
Apr 2009 9:21 am Subject: Re: The Halifa Factor, what next?
Laye, Good to hear you again.
Allow me to chime in for a minute.
I totally understand your sentiments vis-a-vis Halifa Sallah and I
share some of those sentiments. I also understand Suntou's oped and I
share some of his views. I am of equal opportunity grace. What I
see is that we risk taking this conversation to the sentimental and
ecumenical realm as is usually the case when we speak about Halifa, a
man who aspires to lead Gambia through the political party PDOIS. I
advise that we bear on sobriety.
I take Suntou's oped as a fact-finding query given the fact
that Gambians have a cynical view of politicking. Perhaps Suntou can
yield greater perspective on politics in this query. He is not to be
dismissed for sentimental reasons however. It is natural for a PDOISard
to be up in arms when=2 0their party leader is questioned but consider
that with the requisite temerity and discernments, the questioning, even
if disdainful, can strengthen the leader as well as improve our lot
as a people.
I commend Halifa for embarking on a fact-finding mission into
the witch-hunting saga as a human being. Witch-hunting is the veritable
insult to our collective consciences and acumen, especially one
sanctioned by Yahya, whose faculties are not readily discernible. You
have posited, and appropriately, that the onus of fact-finding in such
egregious matter is not the reserve of Halifa alone; to
wit: "Halifa Sallah is not and should not be the only person of
dignified conscience amongst the leaders or those who claim to be
opposition leaders in Gambia. What he has done and gone through
demonstrates to all and sundry that you, I and every human Gambian must
not stand aside and look while your fellow Gambian and human is being
humiliated in the most degrading manner."
Laye, you will therefore agree with Suntou that all Gambians have
been equally incensed by the saga, but that Halifa being the leader of
PDOIS had wished to capitalize on common disdain to yield PDOIS greater
fortune. I am reminded that there are others in PDOIS like Sam, Sidia,
Amadou, Samba, Suleyman, who could have embarked on the same
fact-finding, but were they to have been arrested, they do not stand an
equal chance of relief as Halifa had. To whom much is given, much more
is expected. ;You will see that Halifa himself has shared in his
defense of the erroneous charges levelled against him by an uncouth and
clueless prosecutor, that he derived his rights from our common
constitution and the fact that he is a leader of a political party. Any
journalist can embark on the fact-finding mission and by dint
of Halifa's association with the PDOIS party organ Foroyaa, he has
added umph! These are some of the reasons you feel comfortable in
comparing Halifa to Gambia's other politicians who in your own words and
disdainfully "claim to be opposition leaders in Gambia." You know what
happens to journalists who embark on fact-finding missions including
Foroyaa journalists. Politics therefore was a major factor in both
enabling Halifa to embark on a fact-finding mission. Were he not leader
of PDOIS, proprietor of Foroyaa, a respectable contributor to the
pan-African parliament, he may have or may not have entertained the
risks associated with fact-finding in Gambia.
The broader picture therefore is that even though many Gambians are
incensed with the witch-hunting grafignette, our political leaders,
opposition or incumbent, are the ones most empowered to prosecute
our collective disdains and anxieties. This means that politics is our
legislative life. Whether Halifa engaged with ulterior political motives
or not, is therefore immaterial to me. However, ordinary citizens are
free to query his motives as much as they are free to express repulsion
at Yahya's motives and pantomime. It is in the explanation and general
disposition of PDOIS and Halifa that will yield attenuated
fortunes.
It is unwise to compare Halifa to our other opposition political
leaders from both a human standpoint and from a colegial view. That I
think will be the height of conceit and an insult to our collective
intelligence. And it unfortunately furthers the strictly political
motive of Halifa and PDOIS. You will realize that we did not get to
the point of Yahya embarking on repulsive witch-hunting exercises in a
vacuum. Life is ever so dynamic. Yahya was enabled somehow and I suppose
that has escaped us. That is the schematics of politics that erodes most
future and "pure" goodwill.
What Suntou is trying to figure out, is whether there is salvage
value in the preliminary steps taken by Halifa and whether Halifa can be
instrumental in yielding that salvage value for commoner good. I submit
that the best way to achieve that is by all of us enabling our
other political leaders in APRC, UDP/NRP (NDP), PPP, GPP, and GDP
to coordinate the prosecution of our legislative life as Gambians. The
days of bunker politics are waning and there are signs everywhere for
the astute. We did not see any amalgam of forces by our political
leaders when Taf-Taf Yahya bereft of Gardens stole Brufut Lands and
dispossessed Brufutians, nor did we see the same when Halfdiens
were unscrupulously dispossessed of their homes in the name of port
expansion.=2 0Witch-hunting and circumstance is tantalizing and a gross
violation of human rights. But so are the myriad precursor
trespasses that enabled it. You will realize that Halifa is not easily
amenable to coordination of effort with other opposition parties.
Glaring. The witch-hunting fact-finding could yield more tangible
results if it were actively coordinated. But PDOIS is on a mission that
does not seem to be common relief. It was when the onerous exercise
threatened PDOIS electoral fortunes that Halifa engaged in fact-finding,
the numerous reports and eye-witness accounts of it not-withstanding.
Halifa's initial statements on the saga betrays ignorance to warrant a
fact-finding.
That is all for now. - Haruna. Allez-y!!
Suntu:
Halifa Sallah is not and should not be the only
person of dignified conscience amongst the leaders or those who
claim to be opposition leaders in Gambia. What he has done and gone
through demonstrates to all and sundry that you, I and every human
Gambian must not stand aside and look while your fellow Gambian and
human is being humiliated in the most degrading manner.=2 0We
should be thankful that we know in Halifa, ONE Gambian that will
stand up to the brutalities of the regime and would rather die or
languish in jail than to sit and see his fellow beings dehumanized
in broad day light. To insinuate that Halifa was looking for
personal or political gain in the exercise of liberating his
conscience and dignifying the value of human life, smirks of
debilitating ignorance and an insult to his and
our conscience...God forbid!
-Laye
On Tue, Apr 14,
2009 at 4:08 AM, <[log in to unmask]
href="mip:[log in to unmask]" target=_blank
rel=nofollow
ymailto="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]>
wrote: > An interesting oped to ponder Suntou.
Discerner-in-Chief!!! I think Yahya > shot himself in the foot.
And I'm worried about our two bad left-eyes. New > Kambians!!!!
Haruna. You pamplemousse!!! > > In a message dated
4/13/2009 6:29:40 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > [log in to unmask]
href="mip:[log in to unmask]"
target=_blank rel=nofollow
ymailto="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
writes: > > Monday, 13 April 2009 > > Halifa
Factor In Gambia's Witch Hunt debacle > > By Suntou
Touray > With the dust almost settled even though facts about
the Gambia’s witch > hunting episode may all not be known,
there is occasion to reflect over the > whole encounter. Men
dressed in red raided settlements in search of witches. > They
captured people of decent background and made them consume
lethal > concoctions in the name of ridding them off witch craft
spirits. Some of the > captives died. Large numbers still remain
in biting pains, mostly deep in > their stomach. > Former
Serrekunda East parliamentary member and sociologist Halifa
Sallah > was last month arrested and detained at mile 2 prisons
for over a week. This > was due to his decision to visit two
villages over a witch hunting > incidence. Halifa after his
release commented that he went on a fact finding > mission to
the two villages. More accurately put he tried to proof
whether > the witch hunting story was actually true or
false. > Halifa was arrested afterward because the government
felt that, he as an > ordinary citizen of the Gambia who seeking
to impersonate the work of the > police or state security
agents. > No doubt Halifa by all regards played brave by what he
did. Why he did so > remains a question on wet lips. >
Some people considered it a genuine move by Halifa to prove what
others > thought a mere rumour. To others Halifa was in a
publicity campaign for > himself and certainly scored political
points whether he preferred using > that or not. > From
what came out of the encounter Halifa made us all to know that
the > witch hunting story is real and the actions are sanctioned
by Gambia > government. > What next after knowing the true
story still a valid question for curious > onlookers. Will there
be any lawsuit against the government for the unlawful > conduct
o f humiliating and harassing innocent Gambians? > The witch
hunting episode ended up projecting Halifa’s political profile
at > higher levels. He was a victim of arbitrary arrest but that
by itself > arrested the tormenting witch hunt at least until
matters settled over > Halifa’s own arrest and brief
detention. The whole saga eventually shifted > from the witch
hunting focusing on Halifa. That earned him a high profile >
victim of the unjust government crime of witch hunting. > Halifa
made noise about the remote control Gambian constitution loud
enough. > He defended his action by quoting various sections of
the Gambian > constitution, a document he knows about inside
out. Halifa knows too well > also that document is serving one
man and one man only, Yahya Jammeh the > current Gambian head of
state. Since many Gambians know for a fact that > document is
not protecting their human rights for a number reasons one >
wonders if there was any need for Halifa to labour over
constitutionality > this fragrant government encounter with
innocent citizens. > The gains of Halifa’s intervention can
double if he was to help the victims > pursue claims of damage
resulting from such inhuman treatment. The victims > deserve
good compensation. > The good efforts of Halifa placed him
beyond the single position of flag > bearer PDOIS /NADD to the
lofty point of standing tall for Gambian people in >20times of
need. This is enough wakeup call for Gambians over length and >
breadth of the country to resist the advances of witch hunters. Halifa
can > draft a comprehensive law suit against the government as
seen truly standing > up for the people. The point of departure
would be the constitution, a book > fully in Halifa’s firm
grips. Impeachment proceedings against the president > can be
initiated, thus demonstrating severity human rights
violations. > The law suits may not bear quicker results but to
make the government pay > victims. Through that citizens will go
long way in exposing the severity of > state organized
crimes. > We await Halifa’s future actions concerning the
witch hunting debacle. > Halifa’s political profile is
undoubtedly boosted. Other gains exceed > individual political
scores. Yahya should not have arrested Halifa in the > first
place. The only reason one would think he ordered his arrest was
to > cause wider divide among the ranks of the
opposition. > Halifa’s followers have a talking point- our
only saviour they would say. He > emerged hero of the hour. His
arrest has potential to change something. > To
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