Tomaa,

Thank you for bringing this interview to our attention. Ousainou Mbenga seems to be quite a refreshing deputy general secretary. Perhaps NDAM may just succeed where others have stagnated.
I must mention that in case it is our own Sister Soffie Ceesay (on this list) who is one of the executive members of the newly formed party, she has taken a bold historic step and that I wish to congratulate her for the position and her choice to embrace the task it comes with.

Sidibeh


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Momodou Camara" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, November 03, 2002 12:37 AM
Subject: fwd:NDAM's Overseas Elite Breaks Silence


> 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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