The Point writes: "Not too long ago, President Jammeh warned his Cabinet 
that he would no longer tolerate underachievers in his government. 
Specifically, he was unhappy with the slow pace of justice in the courts. He 
also told the security services to exert themselves."

Well, first of all, I find it ironic that Jammeh is warning about 
underachievement and the poor state of justice delivery in his government. 
The reality is that Jammeh himself is the source of underachievement and 
injustice in our country. If the major component of a system, the most vital 
part of an organism - any organism - is dysfunctional, there is no way that 
system or organism can function effectively.

And then, why are no reasons ever given for the sacking of top civil 
servants in The Gambia? Why is the focus always on petty crimes? What about 
the spate of big crimes in the country - the murder of Ousman Koro Ceesay, 
of Deyda Hydara, of Omar Barrow and the student victims of April 10/11 2000, 
the arson attacks on Radio One FM and The Independent, the long-term 
detentions without charges or trial? Why is Jammeh not blaming anybody for 
these big crimes? Can we expect any form of serious justice in a country 
where magistrates and judges perpetually quake in their boots for fear of 
delivering a judgment that would offend the president, where a magistrate 
can declare that the president is above th law and get away with it, where 
the highest levels of the court system are staffed with mercenary judges and 
state advocates, judges and advocates for hire recruited from foreign 
countries by the president's office, judges and advocates who are only 
interested in receieving their paychecks and building themselves a fortune 
while they can?

The whole system of government and justice in our country is a big, unfunny, 
smutty joke because what we have under Jammeh is not a government, but an 
informal netwrok of cronies and alternative channels of authority built and 
sustained by Jammeh for the sole purpose of perpetuating his rule over the 
people. The cabinet, legislature, and judiciary have long lost their real 
functions and been reduced to the personal toys of a man who now feels that 
he actually owns The Gambia and will do with it and everything in it as he 
pleases. Accountability, human rights, the rule of law, the people? Well, to 
hell with those stupid things as far as our self-imposed infallible monarch 
is concerned. History is replete with the tragic stories of tragic figures 
like Jammeh, from the last Shah of Iran to the last king of Scotland to his 
frail majesty Haile Sellassie to Sani Abacha, Samuel Doe, Bokassa, Mobutu, 
Musa Traore, Tito, Pol Pot .... The list is long and diverse, but the end is 
always the same: ignominious. So let his infallible sackolency, his 
immutable bragolency go right ahead and rave and rant and mindlessly trample 
on the divine principles of justice. History patiently awaits him.

Baba




>From: "Yusupha Jow" <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [>-<] A Leap in the Dark
>Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 09:22:46 -0700
>
>Interesting perspective...
>
>I heard it is common for top civil servants to basically be packed and 
>ready
>because of the hiring and firing situation in the country. I daresay that a
>Kanilaian probably stands a better chance of not being fired too quickly
>
>Thanks!
>
>Yusupha
>
>http://www.thepoint.gm/The%20Bite373.htm
>
>A Leap in the Dark
>Frid*ay 27th** April * * 2007*
>
>Accepting a top civil service job in the country nowadays is like taking a
>leap in the dark. You can't be sure of what awaits you. You can be 
>summarily
>dismissed, and then put on trial for economic crimes against the state, or
>sent to the State Central Prisons, popularly known as Mile II, to languish
>for a while.
>
>Everyday, we hear of secretaries of state, permanent secretaries, heads of
>parastatals being appointed with one hand and thrown out with the other.
>Those who are lucky stay for a year or even longer but those, who aren't,
>barely have time to settle down before they are given their marching 
>orders.
>
>We wonder how top government officials feel when they wake up in the 
>morning
>to go to work. Surely, they must have their hearts in their throats. And
>must thank their stars if they return home  at the end of the day with 
>their
>jobs still intact. This creates an atmosphere of uncertainty, which doesn't
>augur well for productivity, as a policy initiator doesn't stay long enough
>in office to see it through.
>
>Not too long ago, President Jammeh warned his Cabinet that he would no
>longer tolerate underachievers in his government. Specifically, he was
>unhappy with the slow pace of justice in the courts. He also told the
>security services to exert themselves.
>
>Since then, things have been quiet until two days ago, when Musa Mboob,
>former Inspector General of Police, was axed. As usual, no reason was given
>for Mr Mboob's dismissal. But we know that for sometime now petty crime has
>been on the rise in the country. He need not worry anyway, as experience 
>has
>shown that there's a great deal of personnel recycling up there. He might
>bounce back in a much bigger way.
>
>Though Mr Ben Jammeh, the new Police boss, is intellectually sound for the
>job – two first degrees, one in history and international development
>studies and the other in law, it takes more than impressive academic
>qualifications to get by at the highest levels in the country. It's up to 
>Mr
>Jammeh to figure it out. As the new Inspector General of Police, we would
>like him to work hard on crime prevention in the country. We want to walk
>free in our streets without the fear of being mugged by rapists, thieves 
>and
>burglars.
>*
>*

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