HE President Yahya A J J Jammeh,
President of The Republic of The Gambia,
Office of The President State House Banjul,
The Gambia West Africa.
The Gambia is 42 under-utilized experience.
Can you hear me?
Mr President,
The Gambia our homeland has once marked another spot on the world's historical calendar. Are we growing younger as a nation? No. Are we an old nation? No. The Gambia as a piece of land is as old as any other part of mother earth. However,as a country with political and historical identity,it is one of the youngest on mother earth. It is a nation that removed itself from the yoke of Colonial domination in 1965 February 18th. You are a person who says in your biodata, that, you were born in that very year on a different date,May 25th 1965. Certainly my brother these days and dates are so significant for both the general and the specific. For the general May 25th means something for Africa. For the specific 1965 means something for The Gambia. There is no need for me or anyone else to conduct any "fragmentation" as far as the meaning of these dates,days and years are concerned. History and historians have already archived and documented these meanings in the most appropriate way. The only answer here is reading.
Mr President,
Days and dates are always meaningful in life or history per se because of the events they are attached to. There are so many days and dates that pass by but we do not register them in the anals of history. Some are kept and used as reference because of what happened. These happenings dear brother can either be good or bad. They can either deliberate or accidental.
History is an ongoing process that or the "secretary" of life. It can also be considered the "diary" of life. This is why it is only this diary that we use as reference when revisiting what careful or careless leaders or rulers did to people. This is why words like hope exist for the future tense and words like regret exist for the past tense.
I can almost or swear on any of the holy books that you would not want Gambia and Gambians to attach your name to these historical regrets after your departure. You may instinctively say you do not care but I personally know how much you like praises.
This is why I can bet,you will prefer a praiseworthy Yahya Jammeh after your tenure rather a Yahya Jammeh who's left nothing but regrets for our nation. This indeed is true for any person let alone someone who has since been on a seat of power for the past 12 years.
Mr President,
Please remember the old adage before reacting to anything good or bad. That is,"...... Never mind,leads to the city of Had I known..." Yahya! here I will call your name with an exclamation mark to remind you that you are human therefore, not extra-terrestrial. You are human therefore, not too high not to come down one day. You are human therefore needs nothing more the sixth sense to touch the unexpected. There are special attributes that are not for humanbeings. However,good the latter maybe they just do not fit us because we are incomplete. This is where power's intoxicants derail us when no one says no at a time where a no is necesssary. This is where wisdom can help us live thru the wilderness of life where power's intoxicants are frozen in our chambers of hidden arrogance or pride. This how totalitarianism turns itself into a deadly solitary confinement for you as a leader. Why? Because when you are a totalitarian with excessive force no one dares interprete your dreams or nightmares for you. This is how any leader including you Mr President never sees any similarities to what ended other powerful regimes even if the signs are present and so clear.
Mr President,
I will end this letter with a teaching from the mind of an African elder. This is it:-".......Sugar does not cure malaria,it is nivaquinin that does......." Quinin is bitter but it cures. The same way facts are,they too cure through genuine criticism. The experience we have achieved has so far been under-utilized. Respect has evaporated,mercy has been buried and responsibility is lame.
Why? Because of intolerance and greed emanating from might.
Can you hear me Mr President? The choice is yours.
Please accept the assurances of my loyalty to The Gambian nation.
Signed by
Essa Bokarr SEY.