Halifa Takes Up Jammeh's Challenge: Who is the Real Mis-Informer?

http://allafrica.com/stories/200308040894.html

The Independent (Banjul)
NEWS
August 4, 2003
Posted to the web August 4, 2003

By S.B. Camara
Banjul

Honourable Halifa Sallah has sent President Jammeh's allegations to the
bins when at a press conference Friday, he tendered his certificates and
credentials to journalists, confirming his academic achievements in
Sociology and Psychology in the United States in the 1970s.

After days of political suspense following the Gambian leader's brutal
swipe at him and other opposition leaders, Honourable Sallah finally
convened a press conference during which he presented his credentials for
the benefit of the whole world to judge if the president's allegations were
true or a mere figment of his own imagination, which would further expose
him as irresponsible and unfit to lead the nation.

In a rally almost two weeks ago President Jammeh had asserted that the
PDOIS' political secretary was a so-called sociologist whose qualification
was questionable and challenged him to publicly present his credentials.

Halifa's certificates were scrutinised by local journalists who could vouch
for his acquisition of a Master's Degree in his early twenties, with a
major in Sociology and a minor in Psychology in 1976 at the time when few
Gambians had acquired such academic records.

Honourable Sallah explained that his academic pursuit would have continued
but for what he called unforeseen circumstances, his "conscience" was
fixated with the task of nation building, a cause that was untrammeled in
its importance over even his own personal interests.

"The purpose of the press conference is to ensure that Gambian politics is
not sent into the abyss of immaturity by answering to any allegations that
were made. I am not out to impress anyone nor am I competing with anyone
for the gallery," he claimed.

"I do not even know what I have done to deserve President Jammeh's
unwarranted attack on my integrity when he was a witness to the type of
services we were rendering in writing plays, dramatising them and raising
funds to assist school children," he pointed out. He also recalled his days
rendering teaching services at the Schools of Nursing, Public Health and
the University of The Gambia.

He also recalled his selfless service at the Social Welfare Department,
which gave rise to charitable institutions like the CCF, which today boasts
of sponsoring thousands of needy school children in The Gambia.

Honorable Sallah chronicled his educational career and answered questions
from journalists before his certificates were tendered bearing his full
names and proving that he acquired his Diploma at Rahum Gap Narcooche High
school, Georgia, U.S.A at the age of 17 in 1970. He went for his Bachelors
and subsequently his Masters at the School of Ozarks, with major in
Sociology and minor in Psychology.

Halifa believes that to ensure a decent society with dignified men and
women the politics of character assassination should be given no place.

He emphasised the need for "a change in politicians' conceptions at the
highest level".

"Nine years of governance should have given President Jammeh the political
maturity that is required of a head of state. He is not making this country
stable, it is mature politics that will make the country stable. But
anytime he talks, he infuriates and anytime he talks, he disabilities the
nation," he observed.

"President Jammeh's allegations, trying to create an impression that I
don't have knowledge is very insignificant because the essence of knowledge
is to translate it into practice and I think my practices have already
confirmed what I am capable of contributing to our nation building", he
lamented.


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