The AFPRC having dissected and scrutinized every facet of the PPP regime
announced a series of development projects that almost nobody believed
achievable. The most significant of all the projects at the time, as far as
I was concerned, was their commitment to invest heavily in the public media.
Within a few weeks radio Kombo began regular broadcasts in the Greater
Banjul Area and was to soon begin broadcasting nationwide. This was later
followed by a national TV service.

They effectively used the public media to showcase the blatant corruption
and misrule of the government they overthrew. They made sure that every
Gambian knew about all the corrupt practices of the former government and
how they’ve come to redeem us. They were actively aided in this by calls
from the deposed regime for sanctions to be applied on the Gambia and
threats by some members of the international community to cut off aid.

When the USAID pulled out of the country and the infamous British travel
advice brought our tourism industry crashing within 48 hours, most Gambians
rallied behind the government as most thought that our ultimate survival as
a nation was at stake. Some of those opposed to the AFPRC regime did not
help either. False rumours were being circulated that the government was
near bankrupt and that salaries will not be paid after six months. From then
on it was very simple making the majority of Gambians to believe that all
our woes were the work of former president Jawara and his corrupt officials
in a bid to come back to power. This, most Gambians were not prepared to
have.

It seems that the former regime seriously underestimated the power of the
media particularly the radio and television. If only they had developed this
during the first republic and used it effectively for civic education or to
explain to the Gambian people what plans they had for the country perhaps
the coupe could have been averted. But no, they ruled us without having to
fully explain anything to us. They imposed on us policies that drove us to
near destitution without explaining the rational behind them. They imposed
on us the 10% national development levy that nobody seems to know where all
those monies went, imposed the ERP that brought so much hardship to the
people without bothering to explain it to us, sold the GPMB, crucified our
river transport etc, etc. (Like how some are obsessed with the human rights
abuse of this regime, that is how passionately I feel about the demise of
our river transport system).

Throughout those trying times the government remained defiant and appealed
to the people to remain calm and that God was on our side. Many began to
express concern over the attitude of the regime especially Yahya Jammeh’s
defiance of the international community. I was one of many who thought that
he was very crude and that we deserved a more refined leader who could woo
our development partners to come to our aid. However this view was soon to
evaporate when during this period Jawara infuriated many when he is heard on
the various radio stations insisting that his overthrow was illegitimate and
that the international community should do something to restore his
legitimate government back to power. Such calls for his restoration, when
most Gambians believed that he had overstayed his welcome in State House
significantly increased support for the AFPRC. Many of us who, earlier had
reservations about the sincerity of the regime were soon to begin trumpeting
their cause; especially when in answering a question posed by a Senegalese
journalist as to whether he would be willing, as a compromise, to lead a
three to six month transition government leading to elections that he would
not contest, he (Jawara) was alleged to have insisted that the overthrow of
his government was illegitimate, plain and simple. He is said to have
insisted that the international community had a moral obligation to restore
his legitimate government and that if it could be done in Haiti, why not in
Gambia where a small band of army boys were imposing their will on the
Gambian people. When I heard this, I said that’s it old Pa. I hope you don’t
come back.

As the weeks turned to months and there was no sign of outside intervention
and the AFPRC continued to tell the people that despite the efforts of the
enemies of the country to see them fail, they were going to deliver all that
they promised the people including the restoration of the country to
democratic civilian rule. In those days hardly a fortnight passes without
the commissioning or initiation of a development project.  During those
trying times Lt. Jammeh and his other council members waded through pools of
water and in the rain to meet the people. Thus they identified themselves
with the suffering of the people and continued to explain to the people that
they were “soldiers with a difference” whose only motive for seizing power
was to save our country from sinking and to develop it. In all the places
they went they asked the communities to tell them their problems for they
will not be able to help them solve their problems if they didn’t know them.
In most of these communities requests were made for the provision of basic
things like markets, water, telephones, roads, schools, ambulances, clinics,
etc., etc. In most cases they would tell them that while not making them
definite promises, they would surely look into your problems. During the
two-year transition period they delivered almost all that they had promised
the people. Communities throughout the country had markets, schools,
university, car parks, clinics, roads, bridges, wells, watering holes,
telephones, a national radio and television, new airport terminal,
hospitals, energy, etc., etc. As development project after development
project are successfully implemented throughout the country, these are
elaborately covered by GRTS.

Having elaborated, from my own perspective, how the previous government
played its role in putting in place this government, how the international
community and some members of the former regime (including ex-president
Jawara) helped to rally most of the population behind the AFPRC and how the
AFPRC effectively took every advantage that came its way by effectively
using the public media, I will next elaborate on the role played by the
opposition, particularly the UDP, in consolidating the AFPRC/APRC rule.

Have a good day, Gassa.


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