Editorial:

We wish President Jammeh a speedy recovery in his new diabetics ailment. The President should remain strong and comply with his diabetics treatment program. Sticking to one’s treatment program, can help prolong the lives of diabetics patients. Therefore, The Gambian leader should take note of these important guidelines. We want to commend Health Ministry officials for disclosing Jammeh’s health status to the Freedom Newspaper. For a longtime we have been saying that Jammeh is sick. His recent weight loss, was not as a result of dieting, but on the whole, he is suffering from diabetics.

It’s a known fact that the President’s mother Ajaratu Asombi Bojang, is also suffering from diabetics.  She was diagnosed with the disease three years ago. Her heath condition has been deteriorating ever since.

The President should not feel too bad that he got diabetics. The disease is heritable. His parents must have passed it on to him. The President’s kids are likely to be affected by diabetics, since their father has the disease.  

In order to ascertain the health status of his kids, the President should consider exposing them to diabetics test. If it turns out that baby Muhammed and his sister Mariam Jammeh are living with the disease, they should be given early treatment.

Diabetics patients have chances of surviving, provided that they complied with the treatment regime. Being a diabetics patient, does not necessarily mean that’s the end of one’s life. Of course, there is life after diabetics. Positive living and compliance to one’s treatment program, is crucially imperative.

Government supporters should join us to pray for the President. There is no doubt that President Jammeh is the leader of this country. His demise would render this country ungovernable. There is a lot of hostility, grudge, and animosity, hate and vengeance among the populace. All these is possible, thanks to  our sick President.

While Mr. Jammeh’s health is a major concern to all of us, we should strategize future succession for Jammeh. We as a nation, should be able to put the necessary mechanism in place to replace President Jammeh, supposed he died today. Very few Gambians are concerned about this, but it’s worth giving a thought.

We have a window of opportunity to avoid any future Governance crisis. The Ruling APRC should spearhead such leadership succession mechanism. It should be everybody’s business to participate in such an important national exercise. Leaders come and go, but the state remains.

Under the constitution, the Speaker of the House is mandated to succeed the President, in the event of death or infirmity of mind. Yes, there is a Speaker in the person of Fatou Jahumpa Ceesay. But how prepared is Fatou to execute such responsibility, in the event of Jammeh’s demise? Is  Fatou in the good books of the APRC? Will the Jolla military boys allow her to oversee the succession period? Does she posses the qualities of a true leader, considering her past private and public life?

These, might sound hypothetical questions, but such questions would pass the test of time. The bottom line is that few Gambians are thinking about Jammeh’s replacement. Everyone wants change of leadership, but very few people are concerned about the looming leadership crisis about to befall this country.

Finally, we call on President Jammeh to take his diabetics treatment program seriously. Any attempt on his side to violate the treatment regime, he might jeopardize his own health. Health is too important to be played with. We pray for  Jammeh’s speedy recovery. God bless The Gambia and her people.