Pa Pierre,

 

I think you are mistaking unorthodox effort in averting menacing slander for arrogance, intolerance, and mudslinging. I will try to share some ideas here for discernments:

 

1. Your comments about Sir Dawda, Saihou Sabally, and BB have the ominous effect of innuring enmities, conflict, and new quarrels where none is issue. You pretended to know the individuals' inner disdains and disgusts about one another when you are not a certified psychoanalyst nor were given due cause a deviner. I was cautioning you to reconsider your method and intent. Where then did the arrogance begin my friend? I had to be unorthodox in my approach sir, because it seemed a decade or two was not enough for you to imbue requisite circumspect in your life as a man of the cloth. I did not pretend I knew more than you and I did not try to abrogate any of your intrinsic rights. So unless you are not conversant with the meaning of arrogance, you chose to deliberately ignore your own ground-breaking arrogance.

 

2. When you shared that Sabally's singular ambition for power at any cost was apparent in his decision to ride in siren-equipped mini pajero (and you did not establish whether that was Sabally's official vehicle or that when you saw him in it, he was on appropriate government mission and that it may have been only once or maybe twice that you saw the man in that vehicle), you demonstrated a penchant to pass ominous judgement on your fellow man. unsubstantiated accusations drawn from unreliable empirical information. You made it a point to peep inside others' vehicles only to ascertain the insignificant fact that it was indeed Sabally that you saw in that mini-pajero when what you needed for your hypothesis is a pattern Sabally revelling in "power" and or the abuse of such power.

 

3. When you equated reward of constituents by BB and ethnic bias in menagerie manor, and without sharing with us the behaviours of ALL other MPs in Gambia at the time, with TRIBALISM, you intended and almost succeeded in giving the impression that BB was Tribalist to an extent. That was both dishonest and erroneously malignant toward your fellow man. And you are conversant with Jesus' crucifiction and the evangelic demarche leading to it. Jesus was crucified by seemingly honourable and genteel "christians" if you believe the story. That was intolerance of Jesus' christianity.

 

You will agree with me that if my erstwhile intolerance in diction averts a potential ethnic menace among the peoples of Africa, that will be intolerance I am most pleased to own. It is by all accounts more benign than the intolerance you displayed. The reason why you chose to brew conflict is because of design in your innermost sanctum and unreasonable personal fears and insecurities.

 

Those were the mudslingings.

 

Other than the above Pa Pierre, I do know that I love you and I admire your occupations in life. I would cherish an opportunity to meet and befriend you. However, when we are engaged in such significant social discernments, I think you will agree that our personal relation and affinities for each other becomes secondary and almost irrelevant. This is indeed the only way we could learn to live better and healthier lives to be good friends with other good people some day. My conscience did not allow me to look the other way for fear of offending Pa Pierre. I hope you take the same posture with me or our prospective friendship will not have been of value to either of us. Consider that we may have younger folk of impressionable minds with us here at Ellen, who may not be able to filter through coded conversation. We have a responsibility to guide them toward valuable life.

 

Haruna. MQJGDT. Darbo. Al Mu'Umin. No evil intended and that is manifest in diction and life. Merd!! 

 

4.  







Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 03:50:27 -0500From: [log in to unmask]: Re: BB Darboe V Sahou Sabally factorTo: [log in to unmask] Haruna,I love to learn from other people. I will continue to do that. But your psyche is baffling. A manifestation of arrogance and intolerance. Clearly, i have better things to do with my valuable time. I do not think any humble mind would sink into this mud slinging behaviour. I hope i have given you enough ammo to polish your amour propre.Oct 7, 2008 06:26:00 PM, [log in to unmask] wrote:

[Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 21:14:15 -0500From: [log in to unmask]: Re: BB Darboe V Sahou Sabally factorTo: [log in to unmask] Evening Mr Haruna,] RPG. Goodu Heebening to you too Mister. And don't try to be funny. Your timing is not good. I am not pleased with you right about now.[I am sorry that you started to catch a headache. I hope you have taken some ibuprofen to help relieve your pain.] RPG. See whata mean. FYI, and if you ask folk who know Haruna, I never take drugs. I take the raw plants. And generally when I get a headache, I know what caused it and I just yield on that. This time it was caused by you. Temporarily. Ibuprofen or Tylenol, or codeine, or Motrin, (for equal time sakes) do not have anything to do with it. So they wouldn't have been any help. Don't you know you shouldn't try to prescribe drugs to the public unless you are a doctor or qualified dispenser??? Oh I forgot all preachers think they are doctors. You're looking like Pa Nuah right about now. Men that is such a funny story about this Aku man feigning doctor. I'll tell you about it later if you promise to be good to me. [My piece did not make any definate conclusion to the extent you have represent it.] RPG. At-faddal: A. [[It was strongly held that BB was more incline to clan politic and reward only kiankas. There were stories that BB hire only mandinkas from kiang to fill in positions like drivers, cleaners, messangers. I am not sure how much of BB’s favoritism of kiankas was tribalism. I was convinced in my guts that the man was all about countering the strong influences of their more influencial widely traveled Baddiboukas, with whom they share a joking relationship.]] PPG A1. Pay close attention to the THIRD SENTENCE. The folk who strongly held that BB could have an affinity for clan politics and that BB rewards only Kiangkas,(even if that is true), did not introduce the idea of Tribalism. What you did, being of sane mind and body, was that you equated CLAN POLITICS and REWARD to ONLY CONSTITUENTS with Tribalism. And to impress the point, you shared in statement 3 that you are not sure what level of support for constituents tips BB over to being Tribalist, having already introduced that trait on your own free will. I will give you a way out: a. What level of support for an MP's support or favouritism of constituents explains the MP's Tribalism?b. If an MP is totally favours his/her constituents in the matter of his/her personal menagerie, is the MP Tribalist? B. [[Sabally on the other hand has his eyes only on power and anything that move him closer in this direction. It was no surprise that he actually wept at the 1991 mansa- konko conference of the PPP where Sir Dawda Jawara said “I shall not offer myself as candidate for president when my term expires April 11th 1992” I still remember this line very well. It was a bombshell! Out of the ordinary. Totally unexpected. BB Darbo refused to cry and as a direct consequence, lost the post of vice president to the crying boy SS Sabally. Jawara defended this to Peter Gomez on Saturday Spectum a weekend bulletin from Radio Gambia, saying that BB was actually a trained economist and that he is put in the place he was most suitable.]] PPG. I think you will agree you can't get any more definite than the immediate above.[However, certain issues are just suspects in your rejoiner.] RPG. Oh Yeah? Am all ears. [Are you suggesting that Jawara was only aware for the first time in 1992 that BB Darbo was a trained Economist?] RPG.NO. I was not suggesting that. Because it is not significant when Jawara was aware of BB's qualifications. He could claim temporary amnesia or the onsetting of ALzheimers. Sir Dawda still can appoint his cabinet as he pleases or chooses and he can reshuffle his cabinet at any time. Consider this Pa Pierre:If Sir Dawda were to appoint BB Veep and Sabally minister of Economic planning, would that make sense to you?? I declare you'll be the first one to tell us Sir Dawda was crazy won't you? How you guys invent war amid quarrel is extraordinary. [Regarding SS Sabally, his switch from civilian vehicle to a military vehicle with army registration number was a real break with the past my brother Haruna. I have never seen Lamin kity Jabang (interior Minister) driving in GPF vehicle. These are purely service vehicles. You know better that i do. Moreover, the military is always in dire need for transport.] RPG. Ok wait a minute. You had said that you were never definate in your pioneer notes. Now you want to tell us you had this reason to have been definite prior or do you think I just fell off a turnip truck? I couldn't care less why Sabally switches from a friggin Pinto to a submarine with DVDs. What has that got to do with Sabally's singular ambition for power at all costs. Have you ever driven in a mini Pajero before or maxi Pajero for that matter? Its like a suzuki samurai.it'll tip over before you holler gromsoup. Siren and all. Now for a man who has his eyes set solely on power at any cost, you'll have to admit that is not terribly sensible don't you think? Do you wish to ammend your degree of certainty then as to Sabally's ambitions?????  OK I gotta go now. I've been working on this debate all day, and I'll be damned if Amorn miss it for your knucklehead. Haruna. Oh wait I just remmembered another funny story. Muhammad friggin Abdullah. I'll tell later. Just remind me. You better watch the debate. No not on MTV. CSPAN my friend. New Gambians!!!! Whew. Darbo.Oct 6, 2008 08:33:08 PM, [log in to unmask] wrote:

Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 19:00:32 -0500From: [log in to unmask]: Re: BB Darboe V Sahou Sabally factorTo: [log in to unmask] Pierre, Thank you for sharing your perspective. They have helped me better identify some impressions. The following caught my attention. I have always wondered how opinions of ethnic bias and tribalism are formed. I hope you and Suntou and our friends here can weigh in on this: [It was strongly held that BB was more incline to clan politic and reward only kiankas. There were stories that BB hire only mandinkas from kiang to fill in positions like drivers, cleaners, messangers. I am not sure how much of BB’s favoritism of kiankas was tribalism. I was convinced in my guts that the man was all about countering the strong influences of their more influencial widely traveled Baddiboukas, with whom they share a joking relationship.] PPG Pa Pierre, above you stated there were stories that BB hires only mandinkas from Kiang for menagerie manor. his drivers, cleaners, messengers. I wonder if you had occasion to qualify the supposition or was it mere rumour. If it were true, it appears that for his household chores, BB makes a distinction between mandinkas from Kiang and those from other parts of Gambia, favouring association with the former when it came to his personal care. This to me doesn't seem to certify Tribalism since a mandinka is a mandinka is a mandinka. I think you will agree with me there. It does reveal that BB likes to associate more with folk from his constituency. Now when we look at the cooks, drivers, messengers, and cleaners of the other MPs, would we not see a similar inclination when it comes to hiring menagerie help? In my own household, we are a big family. Some of my brothers and sisters were children of folk from my father's constituency. Our family itself included Wollof, Sarahule, Mandinka, Fula, and Jola. Our prep cook and cook were Jola, our oustathes were mandinka, jahanka, sarahule, wollof, and Serer. My father did not have a government-issued vehicle that I can remember. He did have a private Renault driven by a Baddibunka (Mandinka). Overseas where my father served as ambassador, his drivers were Sarahule and Mandinka. Mostly he just retained what prior ambassadors had as staff. My father believes more in continuity of mission staff than rewarding constituency folk, but whenever an opportunity arises where a member of his constituency wishes he take in a child, he was always willing. This is the same with all government officials and certainly ambassadors. When he takes on extra-familial responsibility however, that becomes his personal burden, not that of the state that is why he told me once that he was not able to extend help to many families because his pay could not sustain it. However, most folk are not aware of that. They imagined however many children my dad is entrusted with, the state will foot the bill and therefore when he would gracefully decline, some will view it as meanness and bias. Our own family was too big for all of us to haul ass whenever my dad was appointed somewhere, so to afford the most of us the varied experiences, he would rotate who can travel with him. In short, BB hiring Kiangkos for his personal care is not out of the ordinary and could not speak to his "Tribalism". I wonder if you agree wiith me on this. There could be other activity by BB which may more directly manifest Tribalism but I'm yet to hear of any. Sometimes we do confuse constituent philanthropy with tribalism. I wonder if in his official capacities as minister, ambassador, or vice president, whether BB showed favouritism to Mandinkas in relation to the other ethnicities. By this I mean recommend the hiring of unqualified Mandinkas in lieu of qualified wollofs, Fulas, Jolas, Serers, Sarahules, etc. Further, if we look at other MPs or officials who are his contemporaries, is the practice of hiring constituent folk in their menagerie common or uncommon? Even though that does not establish Tribalism. I think these are important discernments for Gambians and Africans as we move from colonialism to self-determinations.[I was convinced in my guts that the man was all about countering the strong influences of their more influencial widely traveled Baddiboukas, with whom they share a joking relationship.] PPG. So BB aims to counter the strong influence of the more influential Baddibu Mandinkas by hiring Kiang mandinkas for his household help???? Pa Pierre, your imagination does run wild. The funny thing is, there are a good number of your peers who analyse the world around them so. Could it be that since Gambia was a nation of meagre resources and wealth, every butut is followed by an inordinate number of folk to assure value for any??? I am just wondering out loud here. [Sabally on the other hand has his eyes only on power and anything that move him closer in this direction. It was no surprise that he actually wept at the 1991 mansa- konko conference of the PPP where Sir Dawda Jawara said “I shall not offer myself as candidate for president when my term expires April 11th 1992” I still remember this line very well. It was a bombshell! Out of the ordinary. Totally unexpected. BB Darbo refused to cry and as a direct consequence, lost the post of vice president to the crying boy SS Sabally. Jawara defended this to Peter Gomez on Saturday Spectum a weekend bulletin from Radio Gambia, saying that BB was actually a trained economist and that he is put in the place he was most suitable.] PPG. How did you arrive at the conclusion that Sabally is focused only on power and by any means necessary?? I am thoroughly confused. Sabally weeping (if in fact he demonstrably wept) when Sir Dawda shared his resignation with them in Mansa Konko could very well be genuine remorse or sadness at the prospect of Sir Dawda retiring. If I were at that conference and knowing how much I admired Sir Dawda's accomplishments and temperament, I would probably have cried my eyes out. How does that qualify Sabally's singular ambition for power???? We could say that if his singular desire were only to replace Sir Dawda, he may not have demostrably wept (if indeed he wept demonstrably). Maybe I don't think the same way as Gambians but I never understood how some of us make these quantum leaps in characterisations of our fellows. You went further to assert that BB refused to cry and that as a DIRECT CONSEQUENCE lost the post of VP. Did BB refuse to cry? Was he expected to cry? Why? Why would Sir Dawda be threatened by BB not crying? If that is the reason why Sir Dawda gave the VP post to Sabally instead of BB, I think that goes more to the judgement shortcoming of Sir Dawda and not to Sabally's ambitions don't you think? What would Sir Dawda yield by such amateurish acts, unbecoming a man his stature, by furthering any perceived animus among his cabinet members? Could it be that BB was better suited to a ministerial position in the department of Economic affairs for Gambia's sakes? If BB did not like that appointment, or if he thought it bore connotations of sleight, I am confident BB could have tendered his resignation right there and he would not be wanting for the honour of Minister. That I am sure of. There has been much ado about this famous MansaKonko gathering of the PPP with an eye to yield legend and myth of it. To say there may have been posturing and jockeying is acceptable for the epochal nature of the conference. But to deduce extraordinary ambition of Sabally or loathing of Sir Dawda by BB, seems to me a big stretch of the imaginations. I have seen more in-fighting in political parties and cabinets than that. And if all those legendary stories were true, where are the crimes? Do those internal PPP squabbles certify any one's "Tribalism"? I think we often too gratuitously throw around this word Tribalism to suit our fancy. And it is not funny.  [Jawara defended this to Peter Gomez on Saturday Spectum a weekend bulletin from Radio Gambia, saying that BB was actually a trained economist and that he is put in the place he was most suitable.] PPG.  [Immediately after being named Vice president and defence minister in May 1992, he quickly began driving in the only mini-pajero owned by Gambia Armed Forces. Prior to this time, this pajero registration GNA-29, (I think it was 29?) was for the exclusive use of the Army. Again, it was the first time I Saw a vice president driving with a sweeper siren. On one occasion, I drew myself close enough to look at the mind of this new image. I was lucky enough to stand close to his car to see him very clearly. In 1994 when I had the same opportunity, I positioned myself so closed to Vice Chairman SB Sabally and was able to determined that I was actually taller than him. You know I actually think sabally was interesting his son or cousin was my classmate and was driving to school in a benz. ( am not sure whether he is a son or a cousin but he  was a nice dude who was nice to everyone in the class). The two Saballys love power and could careless about how they get it.] PPG. Pa Pierre, Pa Pierre. None of what you narrate above indicates Hon. Sabally's singular ambition being power. I just have a simple question; Are you in the habit of following officials around to see how awful they are? I mean what does Saihou Sabally have to do with Sana Sabally? I understand that they have the same last names and they could even be related. But why associate Sana Sabally's excesses with Saihou Sabally's imagined excesses if you are trained on circumspect? Men. I'm not sure you belong in PDOIS. I'm serious PP. I love you but this was way up there in the annals of Gambian mythology. The ides of Oddyssey. No harm done PP. I just always wondered how folk form these outrageous and unsubstantiated opinions of other. Mind you it could be true that Saihou Sabally was trained on power at all cost and that BB was tribalist. But I just don't think we can conclude either from what you share here and I am confounded you came to these conclusions somehow. Wow. Thanks for sharing though. Haruna. I think I got a headache comin on.Suntu, you started a very interesting conversation about two very formidable figures in the PPP administration that ended in July 1994. As you rightly stated, both have always won their parliamentary seats and by extension seal their ticket to the posts of minister in the sir dawda government. It was strongly held that BB was more incline to clan politic and reward only kiankas. There were stories that BB hire only mandinkas from kiang to fill in positions like drivers, cleaners, messangers. I am not sure how much of BB’s favoritism of kiankas was tribalism. I was convinced in my guts that the man was all about countering the strong influences of their more influencial widely traveled Baddiboukas, with whom they share a joking relationship. Sabally on the other hand has his eyes only on power and anything that move him closer in this direction. It was no surprise that he actually wept at the 1991 mansa- konko conference of the PPP where Sir Dawda Jawara said “I shall not offer myself as candidate for president when my term expires April 11th 1992” I still remember this line very well. It was a bombshell! Out of the ordinary. Totally unexpected. BB Darbo refused to cry and as a direct consequence, lost the post of vice president to the crying boy SS Sabally. Jawara defended this to Peter Gomez on Saturday Spectum a weekend bulletin from Radio Gambia, saying that BB was actually a trained economist and that he is put in the place he was most suitable.

 

Immediately after being named Vice president and defence minister in May 1992, he quickly began driving in the only mini-pajero owned by Gambia Armed Forces. Prior to this time, this pajero registration GNA-29, (I think it was 29?) was for the exclusive use of the Army. Again, it was the first time I Saw a vice president driving with a sweeper siren. On one occasion, I drew myself close enough to look at the mind of this new image. I was lucky enough to stand close to his car to see him very clearly. In 1994 when I had the same opportunity, I positioned myself so closed to Vice Chairman SB Sabally and was able to determined that I was actually taller than him. You know I actually think sabally was interesting his son or cousin was my classmate and was driving to school in a benz. ( am not sure whether he is a son or a cousin but he  was a nice dude who was nice to everyone in the class). The two Saballys love power and could careless about how they get it. Oct 6, 2008 12:57:15 AM, [log in to unmask] wrote:











THE BB DARBOE V SEKOU SABALLY FACTOR 

I was with the view that Western Kiang’s favourite son BB Darboe was in politics before Sahou Sabally of Sabach Sanjal. BB a venerated figure in Kiang is well respected. I have not yet come across a single person from Kiang from the many known me who has anything bad to say against him. It is more like a messianic figure. I couldn’t believe it. What is it that made BB that unique? 

Is it humility? Is it caring and being a good MP for the Kiang folks? Or was it that, the Kiangkas just wanted someone of their own they can emulate and use as an example when the talk is about powerful figures in Gambian politics? 

For me, from little Sandou district, criticising our MP’s is another pass time. In-fact, there is hardly anything positive I could say about the new generation our MP’s. Is BB too good to be true? 

I don’t know anything about Sahou Sabally. Nothing at all. Just that he was a vice-president once after persuading DK Jawara to stay on whilst BB urged him to leave.  Many Kiangkas querry that all the good of BB has limitations. He was more inward looking, he never induce sustainable development towards Kiang 

BB entered Real politics in 1982. He was an ambassador in Senegal during 1981 coup, he coordinated the Senegalese government involvement in reinstating Dk Jawara.   

Governance is the key issue for all politicans. Sahou sabally was alleged to be openly corrupt, power hungry, and manipulative. Whilst BB is more self-centred and inward looking. The talk that BB was of help to many Mandinkas is more than bogus.  Like other big wigs in Jawara’s cabinet, BB was little different from other selfish politicians who only have eyes for their immediate families and children of their buddies.  The Terikafo talk is also nothing but petty gang culture; just like the other narrow cliques existing buttering the bread of their close members and masonic style favouritism. 

There were many intelligent young Mandingo men and women who could have benefited from the favouritism of BB and co if there was any such thing taking place. But in reality, intelligent poor folks from all ethnic divide hustle for themselves to gain accesses to higher education. 

The Man from Dunbuto can be praise for some few issues, that his lack of involvement in corruptible activities detrimental to the people of the Gambia. On another levels, he was no mandingocentric at all. That is identifiable from his spouse. 

Sahou Sabally on the other hand entered politics well before BB. His records indicate that, he first contested in an election in 1972 which he won with a result of 2000 votes exactly. He continues to contest in Sabach sanjally until the coup in 1994. BB first contested in an election in 1982 general elections. The famous Dunbuto son was not a match for Boto Camara NCP, he scored a total of 3,676 votes against Boto’s meagre 966 votes in 1982 elections. BB too kept wining ever since then until the 1994 coup. 

What was the difference between BB and Sahou? Some will say their different levels of integrity and professionalism. One uses power to achieve his desired goal, the other due process. Politicians in the third world defer a little. They offset each other on different levels. Does the argument against BB hold water? He was inward looking in terms help and favours and that he should have extend much needed assistance to his folks back in Kiang, after all MP’s are meant to do the bidding for their electorates. BB was indeed ready to replace Jawara but experience Sahou knew how melt the bread of BB. Sahou knew how to reach out to the Banjul king makers, he uses such connections to side line BB, thus he became the natural successor. BB and Sahou are two contrasting individual, a good case study can be conducted on them. 

BB’s record in Kiang is remarkable; he won in 1987 by 3,653 votes, again in 1992, he won by 3,511 votes. The guy could have been wining so long as he contested, I bit even today. Fame is addictive!! 

To the family and supporters of BB and Sahou, the intention of this small work of mine is not to castigate the two gentle men old enough to be my Dad but an academic exercise on former public officials. Feel free to debunk my assumptions and claims. 

  

  

  

  

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