some guys wine and dine with Jammeh and after falling out with him, they
suddenly appear to be the biggest opposition. E. I. Chongan
Now that the dust has settled on
executions in the Gambia and the release of Dr. Amadou
Scattred Janneh, it is now time to revisit the case of the good old doctor.
I have read two interviews with the
doctor after his release and yet was astonished by the questions he was asked.
When Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh,
as SOS for Information etc, referred to some Gambian journalists as sloppy and
as high school graduates not knowing what they were doing and also promised to
deal with it effectively, I did not know what he meant. But after reading these
interviews, it became clear to me.
Dr Janneh was the SOS for
Information etc. from 2004 to 2005 and many of the atrocities and persecutions
against Gambian journalists was in this period but that was overlooked by the
interviewers. Pa Nderry Mbai, who bagged a degree in Mass Communication and also
the CEO, Managing Editor and Producer of the Freedom Newspaper, was more
concerned whether Dr. Janneh had a Fan at Mile 2. Had Pa Nderry done his
research properly, he would have known that, at Mile 2, inmates would have more
solace in a coil of Moon Tiger than an electric fan. Inmates battle tsetse
flies during the day, mosquitoes at night and the mutu-mutu day and night.
Dr. Janneh has emerged from this
as a victim of Yahya Jammeh, but in actual fact he is simply a victim of his own
arrogance and egocentricity. Dr, Janneh knew that if he goes to bed with a
stray dog, he will wake up with fleas. Pa Nderry had even gone so far as to
compare Dr. Janneh with the Greek philosopher, Socrates. I think that is
stretching it too far. I think Pa Nderry should keep himself to what he knows
best, and leave the Classics to the classicists. There is nowhere in his works
that shows that Socrates betrayed the trust and confidence of his peers. The
sooner we confront these turncoats with the facts of their treachery, the
earlier the Gambia will be free of tyranny. We
should never forget that the Baron got his absolute power through the
machinations of kaleidoscopic sahi laka-laka like Dr. Amadou Scattered
Janneh.
What happened during Dr. Jannehs
tenure as S.O.S. for Information, Technology and Communication?
The
man was appointed on Thursday, 8th April 2004.
On Saturday and Sunday,
10th and 11th April 2004, (Yes!! 10th and
11th April) he received well-wishers who came to congratulate him for
his appointment.
Tuesday 13th April 2004, of all
days, was his first day in office.
Wednesday 14th April
2004 the Independent Newspaper was firebombed
Friday 19th April
2004, Dr. Janneh gave an interview to DO in which he referred to Gambian
journalists as Sloppy and high school leavers. He also expressed his desire to abolish
the Nation Media Commission, thus giving him total control of the media. And his
opportunism in becoming one of those he once called Aimless People Ruining our Country.
On Monday 9th August
2004, D.A. Jawo, as President of the GPU, received a threatening letter with the
message: "Very soon we will teach one of your
journalists a very good lesson.. Demba did all he could to inform all
journalists of the threat. The police were also notified.
On Saturday, 15th
August 2004, Ebrima Sillah was awakened by arsonists who burnt down his
house.
On Tuesday, 14th
December 2004, two dreadful bills were passed which virtually gagged the free
press in the Gambia. Ask yourself who the
architect and author of these moves were. In every correct democracy, it falls
on the portfolio of the S.O.S. for Information, etc. to handle anything relating
to the media. The two bills were the Criminal (Amendment) Act 2004 and the
Newspaper Registration (Amendment) Act 2004. These legislations were enacted
when Dr. Janneh was the S.O.S.
Two days after these draconian
laws were passed, on Thursday, 16th December 2004, Deyda Hydara was
mercilessly assassinated. Why? Had it anything do with Deydas determination to
fight these laws in the courts?
These were just some of what
journalists encountered in the first eight months of Dr. Jannehs fifteen months
in office with those he once called the Aimless
People Ruining
our Country.
In a follow-up to this piece, I
will deal with the consequences of Dr. Jannehs actions against the free press
in the Gambia and also the thought that if this man was not fired he would still
be there serving the person he called The Boss. We will talk about the dangers
of these born-again opposition loudmouths.
Prince
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