NDAM's Overseas Elite Breaks Silence
The Independent (Banjul)
INTERVIEW
November 1, 2002
Posted to the web November 2, 2002
By Special Correspondent
Banjul
The newly formed National Democratic Action Movement (NDAM) has many of
interim executive members currently resident abroad, mostly in the United
States of America. One of them is deputy secretary general Ousainou Mbenga.
In an exclusive interview with The Independent, Mbenga outlined his vision
for The Gambia as well as NDAM's relevance to the geo-political and socio-
economic transformation of The Gambia.
Ind: What motivated you to accept being the Deputy Secretary General of
NDAM?
OM: For me the title is secondary, chasing titles is not the solution to
our problems. For me organization is what motivates me, it is the
determining factor for genuine leadership. Our current crisis of leadership
is as a consequence of disorganization and I am certain we can do better
than what is currently presented as leadership in our country. An organized
society chooses its leaders based on ability, integrity, commitment,
consistency and willingness to defend the interest of the vast majority of
the people. There is always going to be the need for leadership, and
whenever that need arises people will step forward to be tasked, you either
fulfil or betray the people's trust.
In all earnestness, my ever living love for The Gambia and Africa, and my
dissatisfaction with our wretched conditions of living and my determination
to change these conditions motivates me to be an organizer. If the Gambian
people have confidence in me to be at their service, I will accept the
challenge and perform to the best of my ability.
Ind: How long have you been residing
abroad and why do you think you are relevant to the Gambian political
scene?
OM: My length of residence abroad should not diminish my relevance in The
Gambian political scene. "A tree trunk can stay in the river for thousands
of years, but will never turn into a crocodile", as we say in Gambia. I
have never turned my back on The Gambia and Africa. I am one of the
millions of victims constrained by the structural relations designed by the
western imperialist countries in which all the world's resources especially
Africa's are continuously being transferred and concentrated.
The people who make the policies that literally determine our existence
will probably never set foot in The Gambia yet we still consider them
relevant - " our partners in development". If these predators are still
relevant, then I am equally relevant in the Gambian political scene, never
mind how long I have been away.
Bear in mind also that this process of creating this one-sided "world
economy" resulted in the massive transplantation of people from various
African countries to the USA and Europe. Within this reality, we have to
organize ourselves to attain at least some semblance of a community while
temporarily "disjointed" from the motherland. In many ways some of us
contributed to the struggle for African liberation distances away and this
obviously has great relevance. I think some good has come out these
sojourns, some of us now have a profound understanding of how we have
gotten into the mess we are in and I believe we have some insights into how
we could change things. I guess you still want to know how long I have been
away? I left The Gambia in 1974.
Ind: Do you have any political experience to qualify you to lead a
Political Party?
OM: I think it takes more than experience to lead a political party,
especially our new political party NDAM. Indeed experience has its merits,
but it is not an absolute criterion. How can we explain the chronic "mis-
leadership" that has afflicted the entire continent post independence? The
majority of these "mis-leaders" had twenty or more years of experience
aided by repeated fraudulent elections. Again, the majority of them came
into "politics" with hardly any experience to the ways of politics. The
brunt of their experience still lingers on. They have been the worst
disappointment to Africa. No one is born with experience; we all acquire it
along the way. I strongly believe that commitment; foresight and integrity
must supplement experience. That is why we stated in our mission statement
that: we need Gambians who "abhor greed and detest vanity"; Gambians
whose "humility is their strength and integrity their greatness".
Personally, I am not a "politician"; I detest their unscrupulous behaviour.
I am a LIBERATIONARY- a nationalist who long ago burnt all illusions that
the people responsible for our misery will one day out of the goodness of
their hearts return our stolen resources and allow us the freedom to chart
our own destiny without a fight.
Finally, we are going to need leaders with different skills, so my
experience in the health science will be utilized in NDAM's health
projects.
Ind: Already, there are several political parties in this country
representing the various shades of opinion, why do you think there is need
for another political party?
OM: I have always made criticisms of the obnoxious recommendations
of "multi party-ism" by the western countries. The trappings of this idea
that the more political parties we have, the more "democratic" we are, are
nonsense. In fact in the USA the democratic and republican parties have had
absolute control of the saddles-of-power for the last two hundred and fifty
years. Only these two parties mount and dismount the saddle-of-power with
one agenda, defend USA interest at all cost.
I want to make this point of reference to support my conclusion. Why do we
think there is need for another political party? The reason goes way back
in the political history of The Gambia. The degenerate conditions in the
Gambian lives following " independence", is ample evidence that colonialism
still reign supreme despite the attainment of the "mocking symbols of
independence" - a flag and a national anthem. The reasons for this
backwardness, the unresolved contradictions of the 1981 coup and most
recently the 1994 coup is the focal point of our action to form the
National Democratic Action Movement - NDAM. The reason for our formation is
to make a radical rupture with the past and break with old ideas of
politics.
After a careful study of the history of the so-called "opposition" in our
country and their dubious actions and relations with the past and present
regimes, we arrived at the most logical conclusion to present The Gambians
with an alternative. A party that is action driven not only for "elections"
but involved in the people's livelihood. What is missing is practice, it is
through practice that the masses increase their fighting capacity to defend
their interest. In my view, the theoretical question has been resolved. We
are endowed with a warehouse of theories, what we need now is to put them
in PRACTICE. We can't wait until everyone becomes a theoretician, we should
theorize and test the theory through practice. This is why we have our 12
points working platform; we clearly stated "what we want and what we
believe in", the solutions to reverse the impending doom wished upon us.
The lifting of the AFPRC-APRC on the saddle-of-power, and their run-away-
train development policies, and their virtual criminal behaviour against
The Gambian people is the last straw that broke our backs.
A classic case in point as to why we formed a new political party that
would defend the democratic rights of the people was the April 10th and
11th, 2000 massacre of our student martyrs. Only in Africa will a
government slaughter students and getaway with it. Following the barbaric
act against the unarmed student demonstrators came the fraudulent and
rigged elections of 2001. If Gambia truly had an "opposition", these two
events should have sparked a national rancour against the Jammeh regime.
But what happened? The "opposition" resorted to cowardly consolation of the
masses particularly the parents of the dead students, subsequently,
diffused the powder keg of rebellion.
Yahya's sycophants blame the students; they got what they deserved. The
late Pa Da Costa's message to Gambians carried more weight than the sum
total of the "opposition's" rhetoric. We believe in forming alliances to
attain national unity and struggle to raise the political consciousness of
the Gambian people to come to the realization that we don't need all there
political parties to be a "democracy". But before we form alliances we must
ask with whom and for what?
Ind: NDAM's Secretary General, Lamin Waa Juwara, is said to be a
controversial politician, are you sure you can be able to pull with him?
OM: Let's see, if being controversial means speaking the truth to
oppressive power, questioning "authorities", being consistent in ones
philosophy and being incorruptible, then we need to have millions like Waa
Juwara to fling these monkeys off our backs. In my view, when a person is
branded as controversial he or she is seen as spoiling the chances of
sycophants and unscrupulous politicians from ravaging the people's
resources. Already, all theories and speculations abound following this
formation, which is expected. We heard about these criticisms, slanders,
and character assassinations way before we met with Waa. We also heard
those thoughts but we went further and asked the questions why could Waa
not pull with the NCP, PPP and UDP? Aside from our human shortcomings, we
concluded that the political ideologies of these "opposition" and that of
the PPP regime which are carbon copies, will frustrate any genuine Gambian
who wanted a radical change from our wretched conditions of living. Some
people start radical and end up "practical" that is when they start having
some selfish interest to lose (like their stupid jobs). They start making
excuses for the regime and give convenient explanations for their stupid
policies. After they have drunk enough of the people's blood, they turn
into monsters and defend the source of their ill-gotten wealth. There is
yet another tendency that prevails driven by opportunism or, "good
intentions" - they think they can bring changes from within these regimes,
the opportunists remain and the "good intentions" believers get a dose of
rude awakening and in most instances they sever ties with the regime. I
think Waa was of the latter, he had " good intentions" and consistently
fought a one-man battle in the belly of the beast, the PPP. In the process
of burning all his illusions he joined the UDP, which let power slip
through their fingers. Who wants a coward for a leader? In his and our
quest for liberation and freedom, fate converged our determinations to
challenge ourselves and the Gambian people to build a new society,
therefore the birth of NDAM.
Whatever made Waa not pull with his previous political affiliations is
cleared off our path. Our practice will be guided by theories germane to
African liberation and all power to the people.
As an alternative to "opposition" NDAM will task all its party members and
its mass movement to strive for political and social consciousness through
political education. We must be an exemplary leadership.
Recent events in The Gambian political scene are signs of Waa's political
maturity and that of many of us.
Ind: It is alleged that Waa is a mere figurehead but it is you people
abroad who are financing the party and at the same time running the show.
What is your reaction to that?
OM: This is quite an interesting allegation. Most "controversial" people I
know will not accept a figurehead role, it's against their grain.
These allegations are just another way of people wanting to know. This is
always the case, when a new reality presents itself; people want to
understand its making and functions. Like I said before our agenda has
always been an open one. We don't make disposable friendship or enter into
overly secretive relations. Waa is not a figurehead; he is given the
authority to execute party policies, which require resources and financing
to take the message to the people. NDAM leadership will be running the show
if it can be characterized as such. There is no puppet-puppeteer
relationship between us; this is the neo-colonial relation we have become
so accustomed to that we accept everything shoved down our throats.
Gambians who unite with our political line of thought and action will
continue to finance our activities, we also welcome the support of all
forces who share our vision for a better humanity.
Ind: What is the rationale of you as a Deputy Secretary General of the
party continuing to live abroad? Are you planning to come home anytime
soon?
OM: My residing abroad as a leader is not unusual, it is temporary. The
greatest movements in Africa had some of their leaders abroad until
conditions deem it necessary for their return to the home front. This is a
new innovation in The Gambia's politics and I mentioned earlier, it is due
to the structural relations capitalism created with the rest of us.
We are determined to organize Gambians wherever we can find them. Yes, with
the founding of NDAM, my sojourn is drawing to an end.
Ind: As party Deputy Secretary General, what are your major priorities and
how could you achieve them while you are abroad?
OM: My major priority as a party leader while abroad is to supplement the
efforts of Comrade Waa and the leadership in the home front by winning the
support and participation of Gambians in the U.S and Europe.
Secondly, my comrades and I will be raising funds and resources to sustain
the party activities internally and externally. Thirdly, we are already
building solidarity with African organizations in the U.S, Europe and the
Caribbean; none of our work will be in isolation. I believe that with
struggle and the correct political line we will achieve our goals.
Ind: What general message do you have for your supporters and Gambians in
general?
OM: My general message to our supporters and Gambians in general is that
NDAM has opened a new page in Gambian and African history ready to put our
indelible mark into the future. There is no such thing as a revolution
short of the masses taking part in it. For this transformation to happen we
must break with old ideas; detest the backward ethnic affiliations that
have done us no good and become nationalists. We must raise our children to
become nationalists to deal a decisive blow and smash "tribalism" once and
for all. Finally, we want to alert the Gambian people to the threats Baba
Jobe levelled at our party, especially at our leader, Lamin Waa Juwara. We
haven't done anything yet and the enemy is attacking us. We want you to
know that it's good for the enemy to attack you, it's a sign that we are on
the right track with our eyes on the prize: FREEDOM. Make no mistake, we
will not be bullied or driven underground. The enemy, AFPRC-APRC, makes no
threatening laws that we are bound to respect. Don't stand on the sideline
and watch this great history pass you by, join NDAM and dare yourself
to "invent the future" and set Gambia, Africa and humanity free of
exploitation and oppression. All power to the people! Dare to 'invent the
future'. NDAM equals victory!!!
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