Sister Jabou:

I will break by silence and vow that the APRC has not bought you.  Those
who speculate are only defeating the purpose of a yahyaless Gambia.
Political maturity  equals sincere silence.  There is more work to be
done in The Gambia.  Yahya Jammeh has set The Gambia back 50 years.

After visiting The Gambia, I am convinced that the real struggle is in
The Gambia.  I have met people of every political doctrine.  I am
convinced that some of Jammeh's adamant supporters may help the
opposition in freeing The Gambian people.

Our country has reached a stage of desperation.  We should not turn our
backs on any Gambian willing to free us.  We must come to the
realization that past differences are irrelevant when it comes to
Jammeh's repressive rule.

By silently walking, listening, and rationalizing Gambians, I saw a deep
sense of frustration, hunger, abject poverty, and cries for help.  I saw
people begging in The Gambia.  I saw school kids desperately asing for
help.  I saw army and police personnel asking for rides.  Construction
sites are disasters waiting to happen.  It is toally risky to drive at
night.  Where has Jammeh taken The Gambia?  Jammeh has indeed has
created a Soweto of The Gambia.

I left The Gambia as a changed man.  Our country is totally decayed.  We
must come together and free our country from political captive and
indecision from the Kaninlai farmhouse.

If you eat and discard leftovers today, please think about people back
home.  I met countless families without food.  Most were unwilling to
ask for help.  Most Gambians are totally unhappy with Jammeh's
repressive rule.  Our divisiveness will make matters worst.

The situation for The Gambian youth is scary.  What will happen if the
same trend continues.  Can we afford a society with less skilled and
uneducated youth?  Is this a societal problem?  Can we objectively
address these critical issues?

All politics is local.  We must go back to our respective constituencies
and campaign for the opposition.  Though criticisms are good, but after
such, what do they entail?

To free The Gambia is a task that must be accomplished.  It must include
every Gambian.  Objectivity and sincerity are solutions to a yahyaless
Gambia.    Subjectivity and unfounded rumors will make Jammeh stronger.


Please stay strong.  Rumors will always surface.  But the truth will
always prevail.  Please stay the course.  I salute you for your courage.


Naphiyo,

Lamine J. Conteh
Accounting Instructor
Halifax Community College
P.O. Drawer 809
Weldon, NC 27890
252-536-7249
[log in to unmask]
>>> [log in to unmask] 06/26/05 9:57 AM >>>
It has been brought to my attention by several sources, that sadly,
there
are certain unsavory persons who are going around saying that I am
silent these
days because I have been bought by Yaya Jammeh, and they even go so far
as
to say that the agent for such a transaction was my brother in law,
Amadou
Samba.

Let these slanderers take note that:

1.My family does not nor have they ever tried to influence my  stand on
the
APRC regime simply because they know me. I, on the other hand  can
guarantee
anyone that I have in the past, present and will  continue to do so in
the
future, spent a great deal of time trying to  convince anyone related to
me to stay
clear of the APRC regime.

2. When I stood up to oppose the APRC regime, I was in full control of
all
my mental as well as moral faculties. I have  therefore never at any
time in
the past or present lost knowledge of who my relatives are nor  what my
responsibilities as a decent member of the human race are, and that if
the
consideration of relations directed my sense of right and wrong, I
would  have never
have spoken out against this regime. Gambians will get  somewhere when
we
finally get to the point where we can say what  needs to be said
regardless of
whether even our own parents are the  culprits.

3.My opposition to injustice wherever it is practiced and by  whomever
it is
practiced, cannot be based on and is not, was not and  will never be
based on
personal or political gain and is most definitely not  dictated by my
proximity to the perpetrators or collaborators.

4. It is not possible for me to support the APRC regime ever, and the
reason
is simple and uncomplicated. It is simply because it is not  humanly
possible
for me to find any place within me to ever  justify such a thing. As far
as I
am concerned, the day they spilled the first  drop of Gambian blood was
the
point of no return in any form of compromise  between them and the
Gambian
people. The only solution is that these  people stand trial  in a court
of law for
the crimes they have  committed and continue to commit against our
country
and our people up to  this very second. For me, it is a matter of when
Gambians
will get  justice, and not whether one closes one's eyes to join in such
hegemony for  personal gain or even for basic survival.

5.Even if Yaya Jammeh and his collaborators possessed all the money on
God's
green earth, that money would not be enough to make I, Jabou Ndaraw  Joh
to
abandon my sense of decency as a member of the Human race, which is
really the
deciding factor as to whether one supports the APRC regime or not, to
join
the criminal regime that has become a veritable nightmare for all
Gambians.

3. Yaya Jammeh and his cohorts may not be very bright as evidenced by
their
daily actions towards our people and which they know full well that they
shall surely pay the price for one day soon, but I guarantee you that
not even  in
their moments of temporary insanity would they include I, Jabou Joh  on
a
long list of potential cronies to approach in any form or manner for any
 reason.

4. It is unfortunate that there are still elements in our society who
for
lack of self esteem or just plain bad character, feel that the only way
they
can be somebody it to perceive others as enemies and to proceed to
attempt to
destroy their character. That is a sad and unfortunate
set of circumstances that is at the root of why someone like Jammeh can
flourish in our midst and for all these years.

However, I suspect that whoever is trying to slander my name is already
well
aware of all the above and their intention is driven by other  motives.
However, there is a wollof saying that people always measure you  by the
same
yardstick they use to measure themselves, in other words, whoever
believes I can
be bought is most likely someone who will go to the highest  bidder.

Jabou Ndaraw Joh

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