Brother "Ceesay":

I am glad that I have company on the L.  I salute
you on SM's biography.

Two corrections:  Busumbala is in Kombo South, and the
late Alhagie Kebba Bajo resigned his parliamentary
portfolio in less than a week after SM let the Ministry
of Economic Planning and Industrial Development.

The meeting at Albion Place was attended by Hon. Yahya
Ceesay.  Mr. Ceesay at that time was rumored to also
resign his post and the PPP to join SM.

I hope you will keep company.  We in NCP are not opposed
to an Alliance.  We are, however, opposed to this suicidal
marriage between the UDP and PPP.  We want equity and
fairness.  A PPP comeback will result in retaliation,
especially on APRC's supporters.

Naphiyo,

Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh
Greensboro, NC/Kombo East Constituency

Original Message:
-----------------
From: Kebba S Ceesay [log in to unmask]
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 01:58:26 -0500
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Fw: MR.SHERIFF MUSTAPHA DIBBA,"THE MAN WHO HAS SACRIFICED A LOT
              FOR HIS NATION"


--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kebba S Ceesay <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2001 10:07:27 -0500
Subject: MR.SHERIFF MUSTAPHA DIBBA,"THE MAN WHO HAS SACRIFICED A LOT FOR
HIS NATION"
Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]>
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Full-Name: Kebba S Ceesay

FELLOW L-MEMBERS AND GAMBIANS AT LARGE,

Since the fall out in the effort to form an opposition alliance by the
various opposition parties in the Gambia,some subscribers have engaged in
making some unkindly remarks against Mr.Sheriff Mustapha Dibba,leader of
the National Convention Party (NCP).I believe that those who made remarks
such as; "he puts his own interest above the nation's or he has vendetta
against PPP and therefore saw the current situation as pay back time" did
not make those remarks out of malice for Mr.Dibba but rather their
ignorance of the biography of the latter. Having read a few postings, I
felt obliged to engage in the current political discourse by going back
to some of the events that occurred in the political life of Mr.Dibba.
The purpose of doing so is to dismiss some of the misgivings as stated in
some postings and also to paint a picture of Mr.Dibba as the man he has
always been since the founding of PPP in 1959. I will begin from after
when Mr. Dibba and his colleagues founded the PPP party in 1959. Mr.
Dibba was working at CFAO, Banjul Branch as accounts clerk. He resigned
his post at the CFAO, Banjul Branch, to become an active player in the
newly founded party,PPP. That indeed was a sacrifice because there was no
promise of any income in the subsequent months that he would be
criss-crossing the length and breath of the Gambia campaigning for the
PPP. No body including SM, knew how long it would take for PPP to the win
the hearts of the Gambian people from a well established and stronger
party,United Party(UP). Let us examine the action that Mr.Dibba took in
this case; was this putting his own interest above the nation's or
sacrificing for the nation that he loved so much? Indeed it is the
latter.

When PPP gained power, SM held numerous ministry portfolios, and made
exemplary performance at each of those ministries hence his promotion to
the second highest portfolio in the nation, Vice President. At this
portfolio, SM made another sacrifice by putting the nation first and
himself last. I belive most of you will recall the "BUTUT CASE". This was
a case where his brother Kutubo Dibba along with a driver at Number one
Marina Parade, the resident of the Vice President (residence of SM at the
time) were accused of trafficking to the Republic of Senegal a particular
denomination of the Gambian currency, the  BUTUT. Mr. Dibba in view of
this accusation of a member of his familly who at that time was also
residing at the Vice President's residence, #1 Marina Parade, wrote a
letter of resignation from both posts of Vice President and Minister of
Finance and Trade and sent it to the President, Sir Dawda K Jawara. In
this letter, SM told the president that he had no knowledge nor
participated in the action, that his brother had been accused of but
lamented the fact that a member of his family had been accused of such
illegal trafficking of a Gambian currency, he could no longer continue as
Vice President and Minister of Finance of the nation. He told the
President that he would resign to allow the investigators of the case to
carry out their functions without fear of any interference. It should be
recalled that the President acknowledged that he had no doubt what so
ever that S had no involvement and expressed regret that he had to
resign. However the President in his response after accepting SM's non
involvement in the BUTUT case, told the latter that he would accept his
resignation from the post of Vice President but would not accept his
resignation from the post of Minister of Finance and Trade and therefore
SM would have to continue as Minister of Finance and Trade. Folks, this
is  another example of SM putting the nation first and himself last. You
will all recall the allegations made by Sana Manneh in his news paper
against former Vice President Saihou Sabally, former Minister of Tourism,
Dr.Lamin K Saho, former Minister of Local Government and Lands, Landing
Jallow Sonko and former Managing Director of the Gambia Co-operative
Union,Momodou Dibba. These public officials, not only did they fail to
resign their positions to allow an investigation free of any interference
but used their offices to ensure that they do not become casualties when
the dust settled down. They used their offices to make sure that Sana
Manneh was punished for the publication. What we have seen in this latter
scenario is a bunch of public officials who cared more about themselves
than the people that entrusted them with the positions they held. These
are totally the opposite of SM.Dibba.

Subsequently after a World Bank meeting in New York, SM made a brief stay
at the Ministry of Finance before he made his final exit. He was
appointed the Gambian Ambassador to the European Union and had his office
at Brussels. After a long tenure at the European Union, SM was recalled
to Banjul and asked to open a new ministry, Economic Planning and
Industrial Development. It must be recalled that during his tenure at the
European Union, he was the only Ambassador among all our overseas
representatives who was also a cabinet member. SM did not have a long
tenure at the Ministry of Economic Planning. Rumours had it that certain
cabinet members, "Jerreh Daffeh and Kalilu Singateh were mentioned" told
President Jawara that SM was soliciting their support for a vote of non
confidence in him,the President. According to the same rumours, President
Jawara
confronted SM about the said solicitation of non confidence vote against
him(Jawara) but SM would not say whether he was or was not engaged in
such an endevour unless if President Jawara would disclose his
informants. President Jawara would not disclose his informants and SM
would say nothing. After a long silence between the two, SM was called in
by the President one day and warned  that if he did not come up with an
answer, he (Jawara) would have no choice but to fire him. Dibba,
according to the same rumours, told the President that the constitution
had empowered him(Jawara) to appoint and terminate ministers as and when
he desired and therefore if he choosed to terminate him, he(Jawara) could
do so. Few days later SM was fired. After he was fired, SM held a grand
meeting at the Albion Place in Banjul and explained to the General
public, what brought about the fall out with President Jawara. Couple of
days after that meeting at Albion Place in Central Banjul, PPP held an
emergency meeting in their Bureau at Leman Street, Banjul South, and
announced at the end of the meeting their decision to expel SM from their
party,PPP.

A few weeks or may be months after he was expelled from the PPP, SM along
with people like late Alhaji Kebba Bayo founded the NCP party at
Busumbala in the Kombo East District. President Jawara would be recalled
to have prophesied that the NCP would not last more than three months as
was the case with PPA of Late Sheriff S Sisay (may God have mercy on his
soul). That prophecy fell flat on its face because not only did NCP
lasted more than three months but continued to gain momentum in the
nation. SM.Dibba has been an honest man with an impeachable  character
who believes in Responsibility, Accountability and Equal treatment for
all under the Constitution and other laws of the nation. He is not a
coward at all as has been implied by some people in their postings on the
L. He has and still is a thoughtful fine human being, who does not act on
impulses but rather confronts issues with a lot of studies and
consultation before making any decision. The foremost in his mind when
making any decision is the Gambian people always.

We all recall the 1981 abortive coup. The focus of the PPP administration
under Jawara was on the supporters of NCP, hence the incarceration of so
many staunch supporters including the party leader,SM himself. False
accusations were made against SM and others resulting to his eleven
months confinement at the Mile Two Prisons. During his incarceration. his
supporters in many parts of the country were intimidated,threatened and
in some cases beaten. One sambujang Kanteh of Salekene, Central Baddibu
district was beaten at the dictate of a former Minister in the Jawara
administration. This old man sustained some internal injuries and without
any medical treatment,later died. No body  including the former Minister
was brought to justice till this day. Another incident according to some
eye witnesses, occurred at Jokadu,where a pregnant woman was also beaten
by the PPP thugs at the watch of a  high ranking officer of the PPP
administration. The actors in that incident have also never been brought
to justice up till now. Another happened at Sabach Sanjal. The NCP
candidate, Momodou Gaye and his pregnant wife were also beaten by PPP
thugs accompanying the foamer Minister of Agriculture, Saihou Sabally
whilst on tour of the Sabach Sanjally constituency. This matter was
brought to the attention of President Jawara but did nothing about it.
One may be tempted to ask the question; WHAT CRIME HAVE THESE PEOPLE
COMMITTED? The only crime they have committed was supporting NCP, whose
leader was wrongfully jailed at the time. Why am I recounting all of
these? I am recounting these incidents so that those who have jumped so
fast to embrace the recent marriage between Lawyer Darboe and OJ would
take a step back and reflect on the ugly deeds that were carried out by
the leaders of PPP and their militants when they were in power. If one
were to do a statistics on the number of people that were fired from
their jobs or disallowed promotions even when they were due just because
they were active players in the NCP party or merely suspected to be one,
the numbers would be alarming. Those who are suspicious of this sudden
alliance between PPP and UDP, you have reason to be, because we do not
want PPP to use UDP as a cover only to show up their faces again. I
believe the Gambian people have had enough of the rampant corruption and
nepotism that prevailed during PPP administration that no sober Gambian
would want to see them come back again. Perhaps we should remind OJ and
other PPP members about the PPP convention held at Mansakonko, Jarra West
District. The out cry was Jawara would not retire. They all cried, as if
Jawara had retired, no other Gambian was capable of leading the nation
hence the Gambia would be doomed. It was unbelievable to see  so many who
claimed to true belivers of God the Almighty, to cry their eye balls out
begging Jawara to hang on because his departure would create a vacuum
that could not be filled. Only non believers would do what the PPP
leaders and their militants did at Mansakonko. This was a clear
manifestation that these people, some of whom may have lost their parent
or parents at birth or few months after birth survived the trauma with
the help of the one God that caters to all mankind have now deemed Jawara
the omnipotent. Was this out cry against Jawara's retirement done in
pursuant of the interest of the greater majority of Gambians?


 No it was not because they knew that God still existed but they feared
the person who was likely to be the next President. At that time the
conventional wisdom of most Gambians was that if Jawara had left no body
in the leadership of PPP could run against SM.Dibba and defeat him. It
should also be recalled that  this announcement to retire by Jawara
happened at a time when both Jawara and Dibba had numerous meetings in
the Gambia and abroad. In one of his press conferences, in answering a
question posted by Baboucar Gaye about why he(Jawara) after all these
years was  meeting SM, Jawara stated "an important person like Mr.
Dibba,why should I not meet him. We did not meet in the past because
attitudes have not changed but now that attitudes have changed we will
meet.Infact this is not the first time we have met, we met in London and
we met here and we will meet again if the need arise" In response to the
PPP leadership and their militant's lack of trust in God to provide us a
much better person to replace Jawara and lead our nation, HE(GOD) gave us
Yaya. Folks, Yaya is no accident, he is what God has rewarded the Gambian
people for their lack of trust in Him.
 The PPP had a strong alliance with the  well to dos in the country and
therefore a lot of those people made most of their wealth by engaging in
unscrupulous activities with the help of some high placed public
officials, who in turn were benefactors too. PPP administration witnessed
the era of lack of accountability in the public sector, the close
friendship that existed between the former Auditor General, M.I. Secka
and the former Accountant General,Abou Denton resulting to complacency of
the office of the Auditor General to vigorously conduct audit inspections
of the Accountant General's offices. I am sure you all will recal the out
cry made by SM.Dibba in the House of Parliament about the lack of
submiting an annual Audit Report of the books of the Accountant General
by the Auditor General for ten years. Folks this happened during the PPP
administration. It was only after SM. Dibba took the PPP government to
task that the former Minister of Finance, B.B.Dabo had to  apologise to
SM and other paliamentarians for this very serious failure by the former
Auditor General to execute  one of the provisions of the Finance and
Audit Act of the Gambian Constitution. B.B Dabo  who was embarrrassed by
this lack of action by the Auditor General,pomised his colleagues that
the report would be made available in the very near future. He  later
called on the former Auditor General to make the Report available to the
House in the soonest possible time. I mean no ill for OJ. He is a fine
human being when you come in contact with him,but he has a share of the
short comings of the party he served so well and so long. The leadership
of PPP knew that SM Dibba knew a lot,and as such if he were to become the
next President, most of them would have danced to their own tunes, hence
the out cry against the retirement of Jawara was loud and clear. They
wanted Jawara to stay so that the status-co as it was then would remain
in force, hence their businesses and assets would remain protected. We
all remember how uncompromising SM Dibba was about the creation of an
Asset Evaluation Commission and how long it took  the Jawara
administration to create one. Even after its creation the only person who
was subjected to such evaluation was the key player in its creation,
former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Fafa Mbaye. That
evaluation amounted to nothing and the Commission although remained in
the books but was not active again. You will realise that the PPP
administration under OJ's boss was never serious about this Commission in
the first place.

There are some of you who seem to imply that SM. Dibba is indebted to
Lawyer Darboe because he fought for his freedom. I will not disagree with
you but do you all measure the benefit that accrued to Ousanou after
Dibba's trial. Before Dibba's trial, Darboe was not well known in the
mist of heavy weights such as Lawyer Drammeh,Surahata Janneh,Pap Cheyasin
Secka and Ousman Sillah to name a few. Let us remember that the big
clients of these lawyers are those  in   the commerce sector, the banks
and parastatal organisations. The commerce sector was dominated by the
Banjulians and therefore the lawyers they retained were mostly those from
Banjul. You cannot blame them for that, because those are the people they
know and infact some of these lawyers are their kinsmen. The parastal
organisations and the banks have as their board of directors, Banjulians,
hence they also retained the Banjul lawyers. This therefore is the reason
why Darboe was not well known then. The name ,SM Dibba was already high
on the market when Darboe began defending him. By Darboe defending
SM.Dibba, Darboe benefited greater than Dibba because his business
boomed. Most if not all the various businesses who are sympathizers of
SM.Dibba and his party all left their former attorneys and retained
Darboe. You will agree with me if Darboe did Dibba a favour, the latter
did the former a bigger favour. This is  no different from Johnny Cockran
in the case of O.J.Simpson.

Some people had issue with SM's silence during the past seven years. I
cannot say more than what he expressed in his recent press conference at
his residence. Again it was his concern for the Gambian people not to
create another uprising in the subregion like those in Sierra Leone and
Liberia, that he kept his calm. That again was a wise and well thought
out decision. Let us urge Darboe and other opposition party leaders to go
back to the negotiating table and resolve their differences, We have to
be suspicious of this sudden support of the UDP party by PPP,after all it
was the NCP supporters who helped  Darboe and his party to  get to where
they are today. Finally folks, in as much as all of you want to see
change in the Gambia at the forth coming election, I urge all of you to
be mindful of the sheep in wolf clothing otherwise everything you aspire
for will remain a lofty dream only.

This is my first contribution in the political discourse on the L. I
apologise if I have scratched any old wounds.

KELVIN

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