I Am Destroying The Myths Of Westminster And The Capitol – Sankanu!

By Bubacarr Sankanu, Germany 

Hello Pa Nderry Mbai,  

I felt once more vindicated and knighted after realizing that our Elizabethan Gentleman Micheal Scales, Esquire, is among the greatest, most prominent and dedicated members of my growing fan club! 

I can say anyone who wants to see the problems of Gambia solved within the contexts of proactive debate, peaceful dialogue, decency and decorum loves the Gambia beyond all reasonable doubts. Michael you are a true Gambian by heart. 

I do write within a dense offline schedule hence the petty omission or addition errors. Notwithstanding, I will keep all my fans, aligned with the various online Gambian papers, happy by maintaining my crazy taboo-breaking edutainment style; my energy permitting! 

Engaging Jammeh in Dialogue

My Brother Micheal, the cases of press freedom and persecution of journalists fall under the Human Rights problems I stated as downsides of Jammeh’s governance. You went into details, I did not but we are all on the same level. I equally mentioned how I would like to see the human rights issues addressed: by engaging Jammeh in peaceful dialogue. I am made it my civic duty, as I identify myself “Jammeh’s unofficial adviser at large” in the interest of our Country, to engage our Young President in peaceful productive dialogue. I worked with him and I can give a better first hand human profile of Jammeh than some of the people sitting comfortably before their computers pretending to be club mates of Jammeh’s father!  

Jammeh is open for dialogue but people are not brave or confident enough to talk to him without insults. They rely on heresy and second hand reports more than making steps to reach him seriously. He is the President of all Gambians and every citizen has the right to talk to him directly or indirectly. I can count at least five (5) serious national issues I informed Jammeh of and I can feel the subsequent positive changes on the ground in the Gambia. Jammeh is just being manipulated by some lobbyists, womanizers and cronies. Only a person who understands the nitty-gritty of power politics like me can figure this out. Jammeh is being made the scapegoat of The Gambia’s problems in his capacity as Head of State bearing the highest moral responsibility; the real gangsters are hiding behind the curtains of power! 

Micheal, we are all human beings. If two people approach you; one is arrogant, rude and confrontational and the other is serene, diplomatic and cultured, which of them will you embrace? Who among the two will you confide in or return respect? I am adopting the latter towards our President as it is in line with my support for constructive and participatory nation building. Jammeh listens to those who are ready to speak to him in the language he understands. If someone shouts “Yahya, you dictator, stop torturing/killing Gambians and go back to Casamance before we hang you…” he or she will achieve nothing but mere indecency and confrontation. I will say “my Brother President Jammeh. How are you doing today? I believe we should start doing something about our Human Rights challenges”. You can feel the difference. The latter version is the arts and secret of progressive communication and my ideal style. Jammeh understands me and I therefore see no reason under the sun why I should join the club of his Taliban styled fanatic haters/opponents/critics. If you have a noisy neighbour and you complain against him; will you continue to bully the neighbour if he becomes mute like a meditating monk? 

Responsibility and Dialogue

Micheal, I am an advocate of reasonable journalism and I fully recognize the risks of the profession. I also accept the fact that one can make one or two compromises for the sake of common peace and harmony. We, the custodians of the pen, carry burdens of responsibilities towards our society as a whole not just to the exclusive ruling class. Persecution is part of the profession and today even journalists working for the Gambia Government are not spared. This shows how things have deteriorated in terms of press freedom. 

Jammeh’s globally documented human rights records give every Gambian, not just journalists, some legal basis to seek asylum or protection in another country that ratified and respects the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951. If the person is sincere and defends his or her application decently, he or she will be granted protection. He or she could then have the legal means to send money back home to his or her family part of which would end in with Jammeh’s Government as tax revenue. It is therefore a win-win engagement. This does not however serve as carte blanche for people to start hating or encouraging others to hate their own families and relatives. The Jammeh who is being insulted round the clock is not feeling anything. The foreign policy makers in Berlin, London, Paris or Washington, D.C., rely on their embassies and consulates for information on how to associate with the Gambia Government. People can dream and fantasize on the internet they will have little impact on the ground as long as the official offline channels are operational! Jammeh is not feeling the high cost of living and all the reported daily hardships at home.  

If people are not irreversibly stupid and self-centred, they should realize that once Jammeh’s human rights records meet the set international benchmarks, they will no longer have easy rides to cry for asylum abroad! Only the direct victims of atrocities and their dependants will then smile out of the immigration offices. So as the saying goes, when digging the grave of your enemy, if you make it deep do not be surprised if you find yourself fighting with your enemy over more space in it! Those who are sincerely criticising the Jammeh System in order to encourage checks and balances and to promote the welfare of Gambians are just doing their innocent jobs and I wish them all the best. 

It is not a crime for people to publicly love, support and hate or oppose Yahya AJJ Jammeh; it is a matter of choice and right. Like I said before, anyone who feels he or she is brave enough to go kick Jammeh out of power as soon as possible let him go and do it. Some lousy people are crying for Jammeh to resign so they and their cohorts can walk majestically into our State House in Banjul and rule over the Gambians who are going through the rain and sunshine of Jammeh’s Rule; it is just too cheap, too egoistic, too hypocritical and too cowardly. This parasitic monkey dey work baboon dey chop regime-change game will not be played in our Gambia as long as I have the time and the energy to challenge myopia! I hear people pouring insults on our parliament; it is their democratic right to do so. But I am just wondering why the competent legislative experts who feel they can give Gambians a better National Assembly are still waiting if not idling! It is easier to complain than to shoulder responsibility. I for one will never change my position of giving our young and weak democracy a fair chance no matter how long it takes and mo matter how much political blood people cry! Micheal Scales, which hanky-panky warrior has the God damn right to idle at say the North Pole and dictate to Gambians what is good and bad for them? 

Now if a dissident calls for the immediate removal of Jammeh by force, he or she risks being slapped with charges of treason whenever he or she enters the jurisdiction of The Gambia. One is free to shout “London’s burning” but this does not mean people should go and smoke Regina Elizabeth II out of the Buckingham Palace until she cries “Philip, my Prince, another anno horribilis!” 

If Jammeh musters the courage to say “Journalists are illegitimate sons of Africa”, then it has to do with those who made themselves enemies of the state by calling for military coups. It has to do with those Rwandan journalists who misused the noble profession of journalism to propagate civil war. Jammeh’s insults of journalists are unfortunate and regrettable but we journalist should to give him reasons to keep insulting us. If a reporter insists on trading rumours as quality news, if a reporter insists on exposing classified state secrets than could provoke civil strife/war, he or she makes him or herself a dustbin of insults. I will never allow Jammeh to insult me, use and dump me or throw a six-feet-deep farewell party for me. My brain is well –armoured in my skull. I dumped my glamorous state TV job when I could not practice responsible and professional journalism. Should Jammeh give me a high profile job, I will deliver diligently according to the listed terms of reference with some flexible human compromises. But if realize that I have to compromise my dignity and ethics beyond repair I will tell Jammeh “my Old Boy, it’s time for me to go back to my private life, thanks for the confidence me…!” In fact I find it easier to work with Jammeh than with someone like say, George Bush of the U.S.A. Bush parades himself as an apostle of democracy but in reality he behaves dictatorial. Jammeh confessed to being a “dictator of development” and I like it. For I know how to deal with a dictator better than with an unpredictable democrat! Jammeh has made life easier for me and I feel so good! He is more honest, to me, than Bush in this regard! 

I am outside the target group of Jammeh’s anti-media insults and I believe all the media practitioners who are doing their jobs well do not feel personally attacked by Jammeh’s freedom of expression. I know in every profession there are undesirable elements that trample upon the ethics and standards of the game to achieve their personal objectives at the expense of others. Such kinds of nuisances are the ones exposing every player to high-handed hostility. Honestly, if I were Jammeh, I would tell all the people abusing their various professions, from Archaeology to Zoology (A to Z), to bring me their…for my special virginity test! Calling irresponsible people illegitimate is a compliment! 

As long as I remain a gallant chevalier I will discipline any fool who wants to make “gutter journalism” a standard of living. I will bulldoze, without mercy, any human being who tries to discredit me or insult the intelligence of the Gambian voters at home! 

Jammeh and The Opposition

Coming to the opposition, shortly after the last presidential election, I wrote a commentary in which I made reference to the opposition people in Ghana and Senegal. How did they do it? People cannot tell me Rawlings of Ghana just crossed his fingers and let the opposition win? Was Abdou Diouf of Senegal dancing “ndaga” until the opposition defeated him? People can sing the national anthem if they want, the opposition in these areas did not enjoy the proverbial levelled playing field as widely propagated. In fact who said life is fair? A student who cannot afford school fees or the one being chauffeur-driven to school? Animal farm dies, animal farm lives! 

Like I said, I am not a hypocrite. If I were president, do you think I will be swimming in the pool like late Idi Amin of Uganda while my opponents are working to kick me out of power? I will put pepper into their eyes, pour extra-salt into their drinks and I will spank them if they become too noisy! If they want to kick me out of power through democratic elections, it is their nightmare. They have to devise strategies on how to beat me with the limited resources at their disposal. It is about making sense out of nonsense. People talk about lack of access for the opposition to GRTS. Look, in the 30 years of the PPP system, Gambia had no TV station and there were not many active media outlets. Why didn’t the opposition under former President Jawara enjoy the celebrated levelled playing field? Parties like the PDOIS had her own media outlets; why didn’t they win parliamentary seats at time of Jawara but only at the time of Jammeh when they are not enjoying the adored open access to the prestigious GRTS and radio airwaves? Why are the other opposition parties not setting up their own alternative organs to directly reach the voters? In Senegal Abdoulaye Wade’s PDS (Parti Democratique Sénégalaise) had the “Sopi” organ before winning the presidential election. People are not sincere and they find it easier to play hide and seek with the truth than take responsibility! 

The opposition leaders cannot tell me they will not celebrate if they get the so-criticized “rubber stamp” parliament of the day. If people start being honest we will have least problems on this planet. The opposition teams have the burden of telling the concerned voters why they are the better alternative by being more creative, more determined, more brave than the government! If I were an incumbent, I will fight to keep my job and they have to fight to get my job. It is real life politics. Sorry no carrots but survival of the toughest and, primus inter pares! If our Gambian opposition people prove to me that they are ready to give Jammeh a democratic headache, I may inject some doses of adrenaline into their nerves, but for now my bad boy Brother Jammeh is just doing his job like every other defending champion! 

What guarantees can Ousainou Darboe, Omar Amadou Jallow (O.J.), Hamat Bah, Lamin Waa Juwara, to name but a few, give that if they replace Jammeh, they would not terrorize the next generation of politicians who would oppose them? Even if they paint the sky red, I will not be convinced. They are promising the people milk and honey but the reality is they will break this promise whenever they win full control of goverment. I will only vote for a serious alternative when I am personally convinced that Jammeh can no longer deliver and needs to retire; campaign promises do not impressed me. I have in-government experience and I know being out of power is different from being in power! Leading a government is not the same as leading a lousy opposition group with ample time to complain about everything in life including their own shadows! While the opposition people are still fighting (latest case of Lamin Waa Juwara and Foroyaa), Jammeh is having serious fun. He starts his day by motivating elders sweating on his farms. At lunch he drives the whole world mad over HIV/AIDS, hypertension, etc. Before go into bend, he enjoys a refreshing soirée in the company of beautiful ladies. Is my Brother’s Kingdom not the coolest place to be? 

On a crazier note, I personally identify myself, GENERATION WISE, more with Yahya Jammeh than with all the deadwood politicians our Gambia ever produced excepting our former Vice President and Finance Minister Bubakary Bunja Darboe alias “BB”; my political idol. In my opinion, all the original top members of the Noisy Angry Divided old Dudes’ (NADD) alternative should be babysitting their grandchildren until such a time we (Jammeh and I) decide to give them some part-time pensioners’ jobs. We are honest dictators and not democratic hypocrites! 

Gambianized Democracy, A Presidential Monarchy!

I mentioned Westminster of the U.K and the U.S. Capitol (Congress) since some noisy people like using these two citadels of Western politics as yardsticks for measuring good governance in Africa and elsewhere. I am destroying this myth by telling people that there cannot be one holistic democratic system applicable to all countries across the globe. Of course the elements that correspond with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the principles of Rule of Law have universal value and are adaptable to most civilizations. I see democracy being most productive when it is adjusted to suit the varying prevailing conditions on the ground. The democracy we need in the Gambia cannot be a carbon copy of The U.S. Capitol or Westminster theatres. We may borrow the names like department of state, secretary of state and some constitutional sections; and that’s it. 

Only an idiot would like to transform the five administrative regions of The Gambia into five federal states with separate parliaments and state governments. For even of he or she sells his or her grandmother, he or she would not raise enough money to pay for this unnecessary federal bureaucratic machinery. My point is, we cannot have the same applied democracy as obtains in North America.  

I do not also think all the people posting anti-Jammeh insults on the internet will be amused when Gambians at home decide in a referendum to make Jammeh a constitutional monarch according to the British System with me as King Jammeh’s First Machiavellian Prime Minister! 

To be earnest, all we need is a Gambianized Democracy not a one-to-one copy of the British and U.S. American demo-crazies! Therefore, the Westminster and Capitol Hill styles are “irrelevant” to our Gambian reality! Until such a time my fellow members of our concerned Gambian Intelligentsia unanimously agree on a nomenclature, I will henceforth call our current applied Gambian democracy, “PRESIDENTIAL MONARCHY!” It is a system through which one is democratically elected president but operates equally as a traditional African monarch. My further arguments can be scrutinized under the section on “Jammeh’s Clothes…” below: 

Jammeh’s Clothes, Income Disparity, Nigerian Example

You asked: “Is it right that the President should be reported to be richer than the whole of the rest of the Gambia put together?” When I was on international exchange in Italy, my guest professor of “Global Challenges” said if he were to become president, he would like to be a president in Africa. After reflecting on what he said, I got his point. You see in Africa a president is seen as the father of the nation, a god and a king. He enjoys the best of the both worlds of rational Constitutional Rights and the emotional Divine Rights of Kings. Most of our voters understand/call Jammeh “Mansa” which is the Mandinka word for “King”. The Government is also known as “Mansakunda”, royal court or royal quarters in Mandinka. In essence, Jammeh is enjoying the maximum customary privileges of a traditional African king though he is an elected executive president with powers limited by our 1997 Gambian Constitution. Our traditionalist people are ever ready to give up their own constitutional rights just to bunya or honour Mansa Keh Jammeh. The decision of the executives of the dock and marine workers’ union to call off their proposed industrial action (strike) is one candid example. This is why I coined the definition “PRESIDENTIAL MONARCHY” for our unique Gambian political system. Jammeh will continue to enjoy these dual privileges as long as the advocates the Bill of Rights are not dominating the ranks of the local king makers and voters! 

Therefore, to seriously understand Jammeh’s “Villas, Lands, Private jets, and extremely well cut and bespoke Kaftan to boot” one needs not just see things from the point of Euro-American politics but also from the local anthropological and sociological settings. Whatever Jammeh is doing, our Gambian or African society has room for it. If he were President in Europe or North America, he would not be enjoying such unique privileges, though all presidencies/prime ministerial offices around the world are extravagant in their respective rights. 

So, my take is that Jammeh is just playing the roles our society designs for him. You must have heard that people are saying “Jammeh’s mother took her marriage seriously and did her job very well that is why Jammeh is able to transform his native village of Kanilai into an ultra-modern city!” Whether he emptied our National Treasury or personally minted the required amount of dollars, people are not interested in asking. Micheal, even if I answer your question with “it is not right” the reality on the ground will prove me otherwise. My honest stance on Jammeh’s luxurious life style is therefore that of pure ambivalence. In other painful words, I don’t care! 

The income disparity issue is worrying and I believe Jammeh will find a solution. He knows anyone who wins the hearts of the foot soldiers and their low-level government workers has good chances of defeating him. He will do something about it. The problem is that the Gambia has this long standing practice of blanket salary increment “across the board.” With an increment of say 5%, the executive receiving US$1000 will still earns more (US$1050) than the junior staff earning US$200 (US$210). This can never bridge the rich-poor gap. I remember former Finance Minister Dominic Mendy having a plan of modernizing this practice by replacing it with a proportionate salary augmentation for public servants. As he planned it, instead of blanket general increment, each government pay scale will be adjusted separately in such a way that even the errand boy will make ends meet with his payslip without selling rumours and state secrets. Dominic Mendy is however a blessed technocrat and not a politician; he could not just survive the rough politics. I still believe Jammeh will give this important reform plan a serious consideration once the macro-economic situation at home allows it. Right now it is not possible for obvious reasons. 

Micheal, you mentioned the new Nigerian example of “asset declaration” before assuming public office. This in my opinion is only meant to encourage transparency; it will not defeat corruption. The new Nigerian president, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (UMY) is having legitimacy problems. He is doing everything possible so by the next elections Nigerian voters can say “okay the last elections were not perfect but OMY has delivered…he deserves a second term.” According to President Yar’ Adua’s official asset file, he is currently worth five (5) million U.S. Dollars. By the time he leaves office, he can worth say twenty (20) million U.S. Dollars and who dares accuse him of corruption? His legitimate businesses can “win” lucrative federal government contracts directly or indirectly. He is a brother to the legendary Hausa-Fulani General Sehu Musa Yar’Adua and belongs to one of the most influential clans in Nigeria with a diversified conglomerate including the yielding Platinum Habib Bank Plc (Bank PHB). I am seeing a revolving door scheme here! When his predecessor, Olusegun Obasanjo was taking office, he was reportedly having just a laughable sum of twenty thousand Nairas (US$162,00) on his savings. Today he is one of the richest Nigerians owning a phalanx of profitable businesses under the aegis of his Obasanjo Holdings Limited (OHL)!  

He should be credited for setting up anti–corruption bodies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The sad thing is his political opponents outnumbered those accused of corruption by the EFCC! His former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar was already a stinking multi millionaire at the time of assuming federal office. He is one of the handful Nigerian notables I hold in highest esteem for living by the Rule of Law. Though Obasanjo blocked his chances of becoming Federal President and tried but failed to use the EFCC to destroy him, Atiku placed his fate in the hands of the Nigerian Judiciary. The Turakin Adamawa has the money and clout to pay tugs and cause serious trouble like other nasty politicians but he is still following the Due Process of the Law; giving the young Nigerian democratic institutions breathing space to grow. Africa needs leaders like Atiku Abubakar who are prepared to live, lead and die by example! 

From my perspective, an asset declaration is not a deterrent. In fact, I see it a license to print your own money legally. It only says one should “declare” and not “dispose” one’s assets before taking public duties! All the oil mafias in George Bush’s cabinet including Dick Cheney and Condoleezza “Condi” Rice are indirect shareholders and directors of powerful investment banks and oil companies that are “winning” most of the juicy U.S. federal government contracts. Micheal, in which other fields in life can one engage in the legal thievery of tax payers with the full blessings of the public? I just love politics and these foolish rules! What we need is what the late President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana called “a strong public opinion against corruption!” 

Capitalism & Community Service

Thank you for the capitalist tip. I know the situation in The Gambia and I will never hate or abandon our Homeland. I am from a very traditional community were mutual respect, self-reliance, solidarity and giving back to the community are among the sine qua non of the social order. My numerous kinsmen and women are complementing their social responsibilities without any publicity or noise. If one pays the annual compound rates for the whole community, another one would pay the Ramadan (fasting) expense of the whole family network. If one sends a number of young people abroad (preferably to the diamond trading regions of Africa), another would send a number of elders to the pilgrimage in Mecca. It goes on and on. There is a golden rule of self-help and entrepreneurialism and the government is not often needed to solve most problems; except when government involvement is inevitable! I will also do my own for the “crying Gambian children” but without publicity. It is against our family tradition to make philanthropic activities consciously public! 

Don’t worry about the “Dolce & Gabbana” fashion freak. I do not like being an advertisement slave of prêt à porté designer signatures. I like it anonymous or custom-tailored. Just to show my gratitude to my host country of Germany, I allow Hugo Boss, one of the exclusive outfitters of former Foreign Minister Joseph Martin “Joschka” Fischer, into my executive wardrobe. I also fancy more African clothes but the German/Central European weather is just wicked and jealous of our colourful African tissues! 

My “Wife” Speaker FJC & Fatou Jaw Manneh

Thanks once more for being among the sensible people who understood my defence of my beautiful lovely Speaker Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay (FJC). She bears my name as protective shield against nebulous character assassins. I believe people will as of now learn to differentiate her private life from her public duties. They will learn to criticize her fairly without making the mistake of destroying her selfishly. She has the right to globally sympathize with President Jammeh and if her brave unequivocal support for Jammeh is a crime, let people drag her to court. I am in her legal defence team!  

As for her “equal”, Fatou Jaw Manneh, I have not “neglected her”. I do not know whether it is destiny, coincidence or wonderful luck but these two elegant and brave FATOUS have left their lasting personal insignia on my life! It is just a long crazy story. As a bad boy, I would have loved to just marry both of them and have my peace. Unluckily for me, I am monogamist and please Micheal, pray for me to survive the temptations and social pressures of polygamy. It is a tough battle for young healthy man; if you understand how I mean! 

The fact is I would NOT like to groom these two women into rivals. They are both Gambians and are free to decide how to agree and disagree with each other whenever they see eye to eye. I have already made my mind. For Fatou Jaw Manneh, I have consequently opted for a “sister-brother” relation with no strings and hidden agenda attached. I will continue to respect and treat her as my Gambian sister. As for FJC, it is different. I keep getting the feeling that there is a child between us! Therefore, my natural male protective instincts towards her are stronger as I feel like adoring her, defending her, preserving her and keeping her out of harms way, every second! In effect, I cannot treat the two ladies as “equal”. What is good for the goose (FJC) in this case, is nauseating for the gander (FJM)! 

However as part of my brotherly commitment to Fatou JM, I made an appeal to President Jammeh on her behalf in which I called her “my sister-in-pen”. I started a commentary for her. I will complete it once her trial is over as it could be seen as prejudicare if I continue. One thing is certain Brother Yahya Jammeh knows very well that Fatou Jaw Manneh has no case to answer. But Jammeh being a spoilt brat like me, he is wasting Fatou JM’s time as his own form of punishment. Once Jammeh says “the bad Diaspora girl has had enough lessons for the other fools abroad”, he will call his Justice Minister for an acquittal, quash or speedy trial. Until then the magistrates will play hand ball with the case. 

In total, my relation to these two Gambian Amazone Queens can be summarized thus: Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay, I love beyond description and Fatou Jow Manneh, I respect as a sister! 

Travel Advice

Finally Micheal thanks for the life-saving travel advice into the U.K. I will commit suicide if my private member is sliced off as trophy by the “expired” white women of England! I know now I am their persona non grata but don’t worry, I will board the last nightly flight into the U.K. and take the first early morning plane out…I just hope the female airport personnel on duty have good functioning weapons of men’s destruction and are not expired! 

To you and to all my lovely fans including the brave editors I keep “confusing”, thanks for the peaceful, mature and productive dialogue! 

For Progress, Peace and Prosperity in Mansa KangKang Jammeh’s Kingdom of The Gambia! 

Bubacarr Sankanu, The Serene Prince…

bubacarr@gmx.net