Cousin Jobe thanks for your invaluable contribution. How very useful and inspirational! Have a good day and bye 4Now, KB Jobe. >----Original Message Follows---- >From: Pa Modou Jobe <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list > ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: 2nd Constitutional ammendment act. >Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2001 17:27:25 -0000 > >Cousin Jobe >You are a poisonous confusionist cast into the middle of this forum to >baffle members with your hypocritical and unstable allegiances. One >moment >you vouch for Dictator Yaya, the next moment you pretend to express >dismay >at the rotten regime's abortion of justice and common sense. Whoever >you >are, know that your dirty tricks have been understood and that you can > >fool >mortals but you can't fool the All Mighty God or your own conscience. >Keep >up the strutting sir! Keep up the self-deception! It does work for some >time. >Pa Modou. > > >From: Kebba Jobe <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: 2nd Constitutional ammendment act. >Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2001 17:12:21 -0000 > >Now that the ALD is over as well as the rancour surrounding it, I would >like >to re-open the debate on the present constitutional ammendments being >inacted. I believe the second constitutional ammendment bill that has just >been passed by our national assembly has very far reaching consequencies >for >all. > >One of the ammendments deals with the right of individuals to be charged >and >brought before a court of law within 72 hours of being arrested or be >freed. >The new ammendment to this particular legislation allows the ncarceration >of >any one for an indefinite period as long as that person has been charged >within 72 hours. Unfortunately, this piece of legislation was rubber >stamped >by our NAMS as usual. This is indeed very sad. > >If you people recall, I once mentioned 2 very infamous legislations passed >in Ghana under Dr. Kwami Nkurumah and in Nigeria under Yakubu Gowan. The >one >that Nkurumah introduced was called the Preventative Detention Act (PDA). >This was brought about to sort of control those the government considered >detractors bent on derailing/subverting the government. Unfortunately this >law was later to be used extensively to eliminate or incacerate anybody who >was considered a trouble maker. One of the most famous vitims, and there >were many, was Dr Dankuah who actually proposed and defended the adoption >of >the name of Ghana from Gold Coast after independence. This second >ammendment >is exactly what the PDA was to Ghana. What is even worst about this is its >vagueness. There is no time limit for detention and any security agent can >just pick you up and detain you indefinitely. The inherent barbarity in >some >of our law enforcement officers and low self esteem makes it even more >frightening. > >In Nigeria, that infamous sedition decree passed by Yakubu Gowan during the >Biafra war was left untouched and unrepealed by successive governments >until >Sani Abacha used it to eliminate Ken Sara Wiwa and eight others. I was in >England at the time when Chanel 4 interviewed the prosecutor of the case as >to why he insisted on the death penalty after the Ogoni 9 were convicted. >His response, when it came, was very chilling. He told the interviewer that >the only penalty he could have asked for was the death penalty. He also >revealed how the decree was so designed to speed up the trial of any >charged >under it, that the level of proof to be provided by the prosecutor need not >be very exhaustive. The burden of proof was so easy that "No QC could have >freed or prevented their execution", he said. What was most unfortunate >about the whole thing was that successive governments both military and >civilian never bothered to repeal that decree. > >Since this particular section of the constitution is entrenched and must >therefore be brought up in in a referandum, it is very important that it is >exhaustively discussed to sensitize Gambians on the need to throw it out >just like the indemnity act. I pray that this be treated as a national >issue >and not a party or APRC issue. If we treat it with the importance that it >deserves it may even yield an additional benefit in that these >irresponsible >national assembly members will be seen for what they are, VERY >IRRESPONSIBLE >LEGISLATORS. Another thing that I cannot understand is why despite the fact >that their renumerations cannot be altered to their disadvantage coupled >with the fact that they cannot be made Secretaries of State while they are >NAMs during the lifetime of the present term of the government, these >people >continue to treat their representatives with such contempt. They are a big >disgrace to the Gambia people. If nominated members such as the deputy >speaker and Ahmed Kebbeh can speak their minds about these obnoxious bills, >why can't those elected by the people decide to ignore their appeals and >cries for them to throw out such bills? > >Have a good day and bye 4Now, KB Jobe. >_________________________________________________________________________ >Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >You may also send subscription requests to >[log in to unmask] >if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your >full name and e-mail address. >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------