My Fellow Gambians,

Despite the "good image" of our country which the government is trying to
promote or portray, do not let Jammeh's spin doctors persuade you that life
in The Gambia is okay, and that under his leadership, things can only get
better. All the facts indicate that the very opposite is true.  My sources,
who are centrally placed in government, tell me that things are drastically
bad in The Gambia.

In fact, as far as central government is concerned, nothing is working:
cabinet papers are not being acted upon, decisions are not being
implemented, policies remain paper-bound, and the chains of command which
should govern our country are now no longer in existence.  Government is
grinding slowly and inexorably to a halt.

All of us concerned Gambians knew that the situation at home was poor, and
worsening, but in actual fact, the truth of the matter is that things are
worse than that even. Corruption and mismanagement are at such levels that
the International Monetary Fund as well as other Donor Organisations
assisting The Gambia are expressing their grave concerns about the state of
the nation.

Our National Reserves are so depleted, I am reliably informed, that the
government MAY NOT be in the position to meet the wages of the civil service
in December 2000. In fact, some of our Development Partners, I am further
informed, are now so concerned that they are beginning to lose heart and
interest in The Gambia.

At any rate, the central problems are easy to identify: corruption at the
very highest levels which permeates every sphere of life, mis-governance in
every sector and a chronically bad level of "leadership" by Yahya Jammeh.
The damage that Jammeh and the APRC have done to The Gambian image both at
home and abroad is so bad, that Jammeh has even now gone looking for Public
Relations firms in the US and now, in the UK, who can try to improve the
country's image. So, when even he, Jammeh, acknowledges how awful things
are, then what hope can we have for the state of our nation?

Also, most Gambians and the international community have lost all respect
for Yahya, particularly in the light of recent evidence, which is emerging
to demonstrate Jammeh's involvement in dubious dealings with Libya, with
Charles Taylor of Liberia, with Father Diamacoune Senghor of the MFDC.

In a bid to consolidate his own power base, Jammeh is giving greater
influence to these types of leaders in the sub-region. But this is hardly
good news for The Gambia for Senegal is deeply suspicious of Jammeh's
interference in the Casamance troubles, and particularly with the supplying
of arms to the MFDC rebels.

Interestingly, Guinea Bissau's leader Kumba Yala is now distancing himself
from Jammeh because of his (Jammeh's) excesses and indecency, while Nigeria
is becoming increasingly anxious about Gambia's role in the sub-region. The
influence of people of the calibre of Charles Taylor on Jammeh is deeply
worrying.  Jammeh is not in their (Taylor and others) league, and, for sure,
they are using him as a puppet to do their dirty work.

By placing The Gambia within the sphere of influence of the war-zones in
this part of the world, Yahya is doing our nation the greatest disservice.
Until he seized power, our country had a reputation for peace, stability and
common sense.

Now look at our reputation - we are a laughing stock nation led by a
lunatic. You certainly cannot blame our West African neighbours, especially
Senegal, for being deeply suspicious of The Gambia under Jammeh, and I am
certain that countries like Senegal and Nigeria will continue to be keeping
eagle eyes on developments in the Gambia.

My fellow Gambians, it is very clear that the situation in our beloved
country is reaching crisis point. What Jammeh is doing could easily spell
the end of our nation as an independent, sovereign state, if our neighbours
have to intervene to keep the peace.

And apart from his dangerous misgovernance of our country, Jammeh is also
destroying its social fabric. His divide and rule policies are putting
families against each other. Jammeh will employ your brother, but sack your
sister.

Take the case of Fatou Jahumpa Ceesay, centrally placed as Director of Press
and PR at State House, whose brilliant brother Basiru Jahumpa was so
frustrated and harassed by Jammeh that he left the country and now works for
the UN.  So, across The Gambia, families are being divided in this way.

One of my sources tells me of a family in Kanifing where one sister
regularly denounces her blood sister to the NIA, and where the family has
now polarised into two camps. My fellow Gambians, Jammeh is destroying
families, fomenting discord within them, and creating confusion and hatred
throughout our land. What a terrible shame for our country, known for the
kind and friendly nature of its people - the "smiling coast" of West Africa.
  Sadly, the smiles are now turning rapidly to tears under Jammeh's direct
influence.

Also, the Gambia has, until now, enjoyed a justifiable worldwide reputation
for the peaceful coexistence of its tribes. The tenor of life has been
characterised by tolerance, respect and genuine concern for each other. Now,
under Jammeh's terrible regime, tribalism is starting to rear its ugly head
in our land, to all our shame.

Jammeh is deliberately fostering tensions and disharmony amongst the tribes,
which make our land, and he is doing this to further his own dishonest and
selfish interests.  The man is a menace. So he is telling the Jolas quite
openly, that other tribes do not like them, and is doing all he can to use
tribal sentiments to bring Jolas together, creating mistrust and confusion
in our people.

And, unfortunately, by his actions, and by rallying the emotions of the Jola
people, many members of the other tribes are becoming angry towards the
Jolas, blaming them (the Jolas) wrongly and unfairly for that matter, for
Jammeh's own selfish actions.

It should be clear to us that Jammeh's views certainly do not reflect his
tribe's views. As I stated before, Jammeh is not a representative of the
Jola people; so the Jolas, the majority of whom are very decent, law abiding
and hard working people should NOT BE BLAMED for Jammeh's distasteful
actions or remarks.

Yahya Jammeh is only becoming a demagogue and sadly though is the fact that
many people's understanding of the tribal issues is unclear. Consequently,
our country is now witnessing huge levels of disharmony among the various
tribes in the Gambia and things can only get worse as long as Jammeh's
leadership and influence continues.

To this end, Gambians need to be careful to avoid falling into the terrible
trap of tribalism:  we need to be educating our people, and I urge our
intellectuals and educators to lead this debate throughout the land. Please
explain the dangers of jingoism; warn our people of the excesses of
xenophobia; remind everyone of The Gambia's strength as a united nation.

My fellow Gambians, all our country's problems can be laid at the feet of
Jammeh: his self-interests are always at the fore and colour his actions. He
deliberately creates confusion in order to increase his power base, and to
put people against each other.

For example, despite all his avowals to the Jola people, and his warnings to
them, SOME of the man's key advisers are in fact not Jolas. In truth, he is
quite deliberately playing games for his own ends. I therefore urge you not
to be fooled by the man. Please, do see him for what he is: a dangerous
crook masquerading as a leader.

Furthermore, we all know that constitutionally, the Gambia is a secular
state and that religious groups in our land have coexisted peacefully and
harmoniously. Our country has been epitomised by genuine tolerance and
mutual respect. Intermarriages are common and religious affiliation has
never been an issue.

Now all this is in serious danger: Jammeh is painting himself as a pious
Muslim, and is working hand-in-glove with zealots like Imam Fatty to
transform The Gambia into an Islamic State. Jammeh openly endorses Imam
Fatty and his (strange) views, even to the extent of giving unfair amounts
of radio and TV coverage time.

Interestingly, despite his professed courtship of "fundamentalist" Islam,
Jammeh himself was rescued from poverty (and put into school) by a Christian
family - the Tambas - who clothed, fed, educated and supported him through
his youth.

You see, Gambians need to be aware of Jammeh's games. For his own ends, he
is giving the appearance of religious rectitude and humility; he acts the
part of a pious Muslim in order to impress our people and elders, and at the
same time, is selling us down the line of Islamic statehood so as to get
money and Aid from the Arab countries.

In fact, there is evidence that two big Arab countries are handing over huge
sums of money to Jammeh and the APRC, on the understanding that The Gambia
will transform into an Islamic State in the medium term. This is why there
is now a proliferation of mosques and Islamic schools in our country, which
is setting the scene for the future change.

Under Jammeh's leadership, religion and politics are becoming inextricably
intertwined, and he is doing all he can to help the process along, even to
the extent, for instance, of persuading Edward Singateh to convert from
Christianity to Islam in order to undertake political missions in the Arab
World. You see, it is vital that Gambians understand what is happening, and
be on guard against it.

One of my reliable sources interestingly, informs me that despite the image
he projects, Jammeh does not perform the five daily Prayers, but is merely
using the semblance of religion to build up his influence, and to get money.

The Ahmadiyya can vouch for their persecution by Jammeh and his henchmen,
and Arab influence is all too easy to find in our nation now. Even Zeinab
Jammeh is being used to court favour with the Arab world. Jammeh has used
her as his official translator when on trips in the Arab World, an
unprecedented norm on the political scene.

Certainly, the signs are there right now in The Gambia, of the undue
influence of religious zealotry. I am told by my sources that there has been
a massive rise in the numbers of young girls who are now being veiled in our
land, and religious intolerance is becoming more and more evident.

My fellow Gambians, I beg you not to misunderstand me. I am in no way
attacking Islam. God knows that I am sincere in what I am saying. I am ONLY
attacking Jammeh for using Islam for his own ends, and I urge you to
question Yahya's sincerity as a Muslim and his motives in presenting himself
as he does.

Brothers and Sisters, as Jammeh feathers his own nest and lines his pockets,
The Gambia is becoming poorer and poorer.  Poverty of the very harshest sort
is rapidly becoming the norm in our country: I am told that there is now a
proliferation of beggars in the streets and around the mosques, and there is
genuine and desperate hardship for a large percentage of the population.

People struggle to survive, and the pressures on those who are fortunate
enough to be in employment, are becoming intense as more and more people
become dependent on them.  Worse still is the use that some of our fellow
Gambians are making of this level of dire poverty.

I am informed that one famous Gambian entrepreneur, who is also a hotel
owner, now employs people at his hotel without paying them a single butut in
wages. He claims that the chance that these people would have to meet the
tourists and to earn tips from them is sufficient reimbursement for their
services. And sadly though, despite the lack of payment, people who are on
the edge are queuing to have a job at this hotel. Heaven help us all.

Also, I am getting extremely worrying reports about conditions in our
hospitals and health centres. Because of the shortage of resources, bed
sheets are not being changed, sick people are not hospitalised, operations
are not being undertaken, and drugs are in increasingly short supply (or are
completely unavailable).

I know of at least four people who have been discharged from hospital only
to die soon afterwards at home.  Many people are unable to afford the drugs
they need, and children are dying from untreated cerebral malaria. The
situation is becoming so bad that expired drugs are being sent to The Gambia
on the cheap, and being used in our hospitals and health centres.

Provincial hospitals are in an even worse state than Banjul. I am told that
hospital equipment is broken, and there is no money available to repair it;
in fact, some Health Centres cannot now afford to fuel their ambulances, and
patients have to make a contribution to fuel costs if they want to be
transferred by ambulance.

Our Health Centres and hospitals used to be well staffed by Nigerian
Doctors, as part of the Nigerian Technical Assistance Programme To The
Gambia. Now, however, the Nigerians are being pushed out of the country by
Jammeh, and replaced by the Cubans who are not even able to communicate with
their patients because of the language differences.

My fellow Gambians, our Health Workers are doing the very best that they
can; they work long, long hours in terrible conditions, with scarce
resources and few drugs. Only their massive efforts are keeping our health
service functioning, but the situation is bad and worsening.

One of the worst offshoots of poverty and repression is lawlessness, and it
is sad to report that this is increasing daily in our country. The incidence
of theft from private homes as well as offices is rising and every day sees
robbery in the market places.

Our radio stations are attacked, individuals are kidnapped or just disappear
from the face of the land, and people are starting to think twice before
going out because of the risks. Recently, arms were reported missing from
the State House Armoury, and there are more and more rebels from places like
Casamance and Sierra Leone settling in The Gambia.

One of my most reliable sources tells me of a recent Gambian Government
Intelligence Report which acknowledges the inability to maintain law and
order at a satisfactory level.  We are living in terrible times, and the
blame for these lies with Yahya Jammeh.

Furthermore, Jammeh shows an increasing disrespect for other people: he
lacks civility and any understanding of the protocols of his office. I am
told of the many times he has telephoned GRTS to comment personally on
programmes on air or to demand to speak to the programme producers: he
openly touts for coverage of his many visits to foreign parts, and becomes
angry if he feels the coverage is insufficient.

In fact, on many occasions, it is Jammeh himself who chooses which media
representatives will accompany him on his travels, and he makes all sorts of
promises to these "protégés" - I have the names of at least ten people from
GRTS who have been promised scholarships by Yahya, but they are still
waiting, of course, in vain!

Talk to Musa Ngom, our renowned vocalist, about his experiences with Yahya
Jammeh.  Jammeh persuaded Musa Ngom to return to the Gambia from his highly
successful stay in Senegal, and made him many promises of glory at home. But
of course, the promises came to nothing, and Musa became virtually homeless
before returning to Senegal.

It is absolutely vital that Gambians know all these things about Jammeh, in
order that they have a full picture of this terrible man. The message for
all of us is strong and clear: with Jammeh in power, The Gambia's future is
bleak.

We have to take our future, our lives and our country's well being into our
own hands: this is a time for action. We have to set aside playing,
gossiping, complaining and work together to defeat this villain.

Some of these issues are very complex, and as such, need careful examination
and discussion. In this regard, I am urging Gambians to pass these messages
onto the people throughout the country. We should be explaining the issues
to our people in order to that ensure that they understand what is at stake.

Jammeh thinks that he can continue to fool the people, and it is our vital
role to ensure that we work to raise the consciousness and political
awareness of fellow Gambians, and get them to take these matters seriously;
it is after all, a question now of life and death.

So we have to be discussing what is best for our nation, but talking alone
is not going to be enough to put things right. People have to get interested
in the politics of their country. When tyranny rears its ugly head, it goes
everywhere and touches every aspect of life.

Frankly speaking, when our country disintegrates (as it surely will unless
we get rid of Jammeh), it is going to affect us ALL - there will be no
differentiation. When chaos comes, it will be chaos for ALL.

People should therefore become interested in the running of their country,
and work together to make a difference. We know who the problem is, and what
the solution is: we now have to work together to defeat Jammeh in the polls,
and see the back of him and his thugs.

Our politicians need to be going directly to the people and selling their
messages: let the people have a sound understanding of what constitutes a
good political candidate, and let them be persuaded to vote for sincere
leaders and representatives who can address their true needs and
aspirations.

I therefore urge all Gambians to have a hand in policing the electoral
process, starting now. People should be sure that they hold the power and
that they can make a difference. In this regard, our Opposition Parties have
a key role to play in the next bit of time: they have to come up with a
viable and mutually acceptable candidate for the next Presidential election.

They also need to educate and organise the people, explain the issues, and
ensure that our people have a clear understanding of their unalienable
right. With good leadership and direction from the top, then our country can
rise again like a phoenix from the ashes. We definitely need politics based
on issues and not on personality, tribe or self-interest.

And surely, it is not going to be an easy task to kick Jammeh out of office
and into the witness box to answer all the charges against him, but we shall
be successful and God willing, we shall do it constitutionally and without
bloodshed.

If he loses the election, Jammeh true to his cowardly nature, will be unable
to resist the will of his people, and we shall certainly defeat him.

Ebrima Ceesay,
Birmingham, UK.

PS: Ndey Jobarteh, what is preventing you from writing on the L these days.
I definitely miss your commentaries. Or are you being beaten by the cold in
Norway. Anyway, I hope you'll have a wonderful sojourn there.

________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface
----------------------------------------------------------------------------