By  Tahira Touray Accra , Ghana
West Africa. 

Dear Mr Mbai,

Allow me firstly to appreciate the excellent work you are doing towards the development of our beloved Gambia. I 'religiously' browse your widely read online newspaper to bring me up to speed with happenings in The Gambia, but most especially for your relentless fight against impunity from any and everyone regardless of their positions and political affliations. Please keep up the good work ! 

I wish to react to the current exchanges between
Samsudeen Sarr and others such as Suntu. I have observed that anytime momentum is being gained on discussions that are potentially helpful to our country's development by way of exposing the excesses of the dictatorship and providing alternative good governance strategies, Samsudeen must come up with
frivolous diatribes that border on his arrogant and ethnocentrist ego. It is this escapist tendency we the contributors must not nuture.

I can say with all certainty that Samsudeen is an
angry and bitter man who cannot but continue to sulk
from the unexpected and unceremonious exit given him
from the Gambian army. Samsudeen is as corrupt and
arrogant as Yahya Jammeh. In fact given the chance, he
probably would still  be serving in that army and
committing grave atrocities against innocent Gambians.

Mr Editor, i do not wish to make unsubstantiated
accusations against Mr Sarr. I wish to challenge him
using a specific case i am privy to. I am a Gambian
businesswoman resident in Accra but regularly visit
home.

Mr Sarr cannot deny having a Nigerian 'friend' who had
some business relationship with the late Dr. Lamin
Saho (Nafa)who has been the subject of Samsudeen's
recent smear campaign.

Based on a disagreement between Dr Saho and his
partner, the latter reported to Samsudeen Sarr. As any
decent friend is expected to do, Sarr should have
advised his 'friend ' to seek a compromise or failure
to which he could seek redress in court. Instead,
being true to his character, Samsudeen immediately
ordered for Dr Saho's commercial van (subject of the
dispute) to be impounded and for the latter's
incarceration at MILE TWO for SIX long and horrendous
months without trial!

Furthermore, using his leverage as a top army officer
against a background of a desparate MILITARY JUNTA
seeking to justify an undemocratic takeover by
vilifying all former politicians, Sarr solicited mass
media dissemination of false accusations of economic
crimes against a fine gentleman. Despite the
vindication of Dr Saho through attestations from
partners and business colleagues he was alleged to
have duped, Nafa remained in prison and subsequently
released without charge or indictment. During his
detention, Dr Saho was denied due medical attention
and subsequently developed debilitating health
conditions from which sadly, he could not recover
until his demise late last year.

The least Samsudeen can do at this point in time is to
seek forgineness from Dr Saho's family but not to
shamelessly persist in tarnishing the reputation of a
man who has contributed immensely to the development
of The Gambia and to his native Baddibu in particular.

I am tempted to ask, Is Samsudeen the kind of person
that post- Yahya Jammeh Gambia needs in restituting
sanity to that Smiling Coast? I dare say NO!

Mr Editor, we the contributors to and readers of
freedomnewspaper should resolve  not to bring glory
and satisfaction to an ethnocentrist whose only goal
is to stoke the flames of ethnic rancour in The Gambia
and in the process feed his arrogant and corrupt ego!

More revelations should Samsudeen dare!

Many thanks for giving me space and regards,

Tahira Touray
Accra , Ghana
West Africa.