All,

I have spoken to Rep. Ford three times in as many days. I have to say that
those who expressed scepticism about my approach to him are probably right.
The gentleman is beginning to really annoy me. He kept telling me that our
concerns "are noted" and that "they (WCM) won't be used by the (APRC) govt,"
but when I pointed out to him that holding the meeting in The Gambia would
be a psychological victory for the govt -a coup de grace, so to speak, he
ignores that. Also his secretary (I believe at his behest) was playing silly
games with me.

First, she told me they never received the email I sent last Friday. That I
should send it again. I did that through my private account and got (an
electronic) receipt that the mail was delivered while I was still on the
line with the lady. But when I asked her if they've received the re-send,
she answered in the negative. When I pointed out to her that they have IN
FACT received the mail as I have the delivery confirmation, she started
saying that maybe their system was the problem. That she can't find the
mail. It was then that Rep. Ford came on the line to tell me that they were
having a "system problem," and I should fax in the docs. I did. The fax # he
gave me is: 334-727-4010.

I told the gentleman that I simply fail to see how HE doesn't understand how
holding the meeting in Banjul and having Yaya Jammeh address them, won't be
a victory for that rogue govt? Even the UN - I told him, is considering
sanctions against this bunch of crooks -as we speak. That their criminality
now goes beyond the geographical realm and boundary of tiny Gambia. The
Brother muttered something un-intelligible, and started patronizing me:

"don't worry about a thing. We're not gonna do anything untoward down there.
We know the Jammeh types, and we won't be used by them. All we want to do is
help The Gambia. We've voted last October to go there this coming June.
We'll be there during the Roots Homecoming festival. You see I'm not really
the main man in the WCM. Our prez is John xxx, mayor of Saginaw (MI.) Rest
assured that I'll forward the materials you've supplied me to the board. I'm
totally taken aback about what you've sent me. I had no idea all this is
going on. We're really non-political. When we went to Gabon, the mayor was
running for prez without our knowledge. We had to clear that up with the
prez so he doesn't hold anything against us. What we like to do is help
cities and municipalities. were currently on the verge of training 700
mayors from Nigeria. That's what we do. so..."

I almost blurted out Bullshit! But because I'm at work, I can't afford that
luxury. So I told the man to do me a favor and read ALL the material I've
sent him and will send him later this week. If after reading these
materials, he still thinks he'll "help" the Gambia by associating with a
band of common criminals, then most Gambians' opinion of his movement will
be in the same light as the Jammeh govt, I told him.

But tentatively, this is where I stand: I'm withdrawing my reservations
about us sending Rep. Ford tons of email/material on the rogue regime back
home. Based on my conversations with the gentleman today and the past two
days, and my short chat with his secretary minutes ago, I'm beginning to
have serious doubts about the man's sincerity. At the very least, he isn't
as naive as he led me on when we initially spoke. The vibes I'm getting from
Tuskegee seem to indicate to me that my reliance on Mr. Ford's good faith
may be misplaced. So if for nothing else, I don't want to be conned by the
Brother's sweet talk. As far as I'm concern, the onus (for sincerity and a
desire to see justice done,) are on him. I'm simply a lot less optimistic
about him than I was last Friday.

I've managed to fax him an assortment of articles in the G-L archives: two
of Ebrima's "My message to all Gambians", arson attack on Radio One, the
murder of school children, the recent murder of three un-armed Gambians at
border posts. This afternoon, I'll comb the G-L archives and
"allafrica.com"'s to print and fax Mr. Ford some of the "colorful" things
that his good friend, the drooling, gypsy-looking, parrot-headed mayor of
Banjul, Samba Faal's party is doing to the Gambia. We'll see what effect
this will have.

In any case, if we're not getting anywhere with Mr. Ford, all is not lost
yet. Other participants like the NAACP will be put on notice. I've left a
message for Saleh Booker, the Executive Director of the Africa Policy Info
Center to call me, so I can broach the subject with him. I believe Saleh can
help make many of these organizations listen. He's got credibility on
African issues. We'll just have to hope for the best...

On Joseph Joof

I believe it was Dec 1986 that I first saw Joe Joof in court with a friend.
I was in the Sixth Form then, and we were browsing through the miscellaneous
ware that petty merchants had on display along Wellington Street. When we
got to The Court House, we went in to listen to proceedings (the case didn't
matter.) I've always believed that you can tell a lot about a society by the
type of cases that make it to court. Also, some of the most humurous events
take place in courts. Thus the reason for my choice of past time.

When we entered the first court room, guess who we saw in the dock? M.C.
Cham! At the time, MC was a Cabinet Minister. The guy grilling him, who I
didn't recognize at all was Joe Joof- young, and handsome. Justice Wallace
Grante was presiding. We thought we were in for some fun. It wasn't every
day that one sees a Cabinet member in the dock. So we quickly sat down.

From the exchange, we established that MC had "hit" Joe's car near the BJL
Post Office and left the scene without waiting for the cops. Joe called a
police officer to arrest Cham, but the officer won't budge. (He called the
officer as a witness.) He presented some receipts showing that he had paid a
hundred plus Dalasi to repair his car. He was seeking compensation. MC Cham
(represented by Ousainu Dabo) for his part, kept saying that the case wasn't
about his car "tapping" Joof's car. He insisted it was personal and
political. MC said that he had a problem with Joe's brother, and he believes
that has something to do with the case. Joe of course dismissed those
allegations because he's a "professional man." I clearly remember this case,
'cause Joe was the youngest Gambian lawyer I had seen in action up to that
point, and he had a good command of the English language. My favorite line
in their exchange was when Joe trying to dismiss Cham's allegations looked
at Grante, and said -icily- words to the effect that the gentleman's
petulance was the reason why they were going through "all this dilly-dally."
I loved it.

Fast forward to yesterday 1/30/2001. When I heard about Joe Joof taking over
from the pompous, unctuous and ineffably ungrateful Pap Cheyassin Secka, I
flashed back to that court drama with MC Cham. Could it be that like his
predecessor, Joof is bent on avenging some personal slights that he felt at
the hands of the ancien PPP regime.

You see, what many of us fail to grasp is the extent to which some people
will go to pursue petty agendas. In fact, I believe with all my heart that
MOST of the fools surrounding Yaya Jammeh are motivated by a desire to
avenge some slight against some member of the former PPP regime. Ironically,
almost to the last one, they owe their education and relatively well-off
status to the PPP. Pap Cheyassin is on record for saying that he'll get
certain people for locking him up -even as he proudly now admits that he in
fact took part in the Kukoi rampage. Through such blind vendetta, gratitude
becomes a casualty to a mixture of ego and fury. Imagine Pap Cheyassin
lining up cars outside the Supreme Court promising all and sundry that those
cars would be his erstwhile benefactor Ousainu Dabo and co's last ride to
their new abode for decades to come: Mile Two prisons! But, to his credit,
Pap The Peacock Che, was open about his desire. What the hell is Joe Joof's?
Going after the MC Chams? Ousainu Dabo and co? Rescinding the order
rejecting the Coroner and Commission reports? Surely the Brother isn't
telling himself that most lame and cowardly of the phoney patriots' anthem:
"I'm serving the nation." If you are, I am the prophet Muhamed! This is
another phoney ass who's agenda will become obvious as time goes by. To MC
Cham and co: Get ready for Joe Joof! Don't give him the satisfaction.

On Pap Che, I have to give it to Ebrima's man on the ground, Kebba Dampha
and Joe Sambou. Joe particularly could upstage Dionne Warwick and her
"Psychic Friends Network" if he so desires. Some of our predictions are
happening so fast that it's scary. I guess Prez For Life, as dumb as he is,
now knows that it's only a matter of months. Like the great Amadu Kabir
taught us: good will triumph over evil.

On Dr. Abass Bundu
I'm not terribly surprised that he has found a niche for himself in Gambia.
He's one of the most dis-credited African professionals of all times! This
man had the nerve to side with the RUF and Johnny Koroma against the Kabbah
govt and decent Sierra-Leonians. Many of his countrymen are still livid
about his hypocrisy and ingratitude. He lived in the DC area for a while a
few years ago, and he had to leave. The reason? Sierra-Leonians in the area
were aware of his presence, and were organizing a "fitting reception" for
him. Believe me, they would have beaten the living daylights out of this
fellow had they laid hands on him. So he bolted. A lawyer friend of mine
from there who was part of the "organizing commitee" told me the story a
years ago. I had no idea he was headed to the Gambia. Wait till I tell him
this one.

It's testimony to the APRC's criminality that crooks of all kinds and
stripes all over our sub-region have now made the Gambia their first port of
call when they land in trouble in their native countries. From the "Manna
from the sky," lawyer's wife-stealling Babanding Suso, through Liberian
diamond fencers, to "For-Hire" cold blooded child killers from Zichuinghor,
the "smiling Coast" has degenerated into the "Crooks Smile Here Coast"
haven. Who said a nation cannot go through the travails of the fictional
Solomon Grundy in six years? (Remember the Pri. School rhyme? Solomon Grundy
born on Mon; Christened on Tue; Married on Wed; Took ill on Thu; Got worse
on Fri; Died on Sat; Buried on Sun.) Only these Solomon Grundys (the silent
and suffering Gambian majority) will have the last laugh. If we disagree
about everything else, that's one statement, you and your underlings can
take to the bank Alh, Dr., Lt Col, Can't List It All Jammeh!

There goes my lunch break!

Saul.






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