Banjul:7/20/08-Mr. President, the recent arrest and continued detention of Ansumana Marenah known by his sobriquet as Julakay, once again bring to fore your regime's naked and unashamed violation of the Constitution of the land.

Newspaper reports, Your Excellency, say at the beginning of last week that your men have restricted the liberty of Julakay by arresting and subsequently placing him in what you called lawful custody without advancing any reason as akin to numerous arrests and detentions before it.

While we do not want to serve as defense counsels for Julakay, your own party's desk officer for a region that propelled you to power by polling the highest number of votes in the last presidential polls, your blatant, flagrant, brazen and unbridled disregard of the dignity of the people of your land and their highest law book make us cringe with repulsion, horror and sorrow.

Mr. President, arresting and detaining people without due process is wrong. We do not need refresh your mind about this as it is you; your very self, who swore shortly after your return to State House that you will respect the laws of the country at all costs. Why is it so early for you to fumble?

Indeed Your Excellency, justice tempered with truth should have no color or a tag appended to it. It should be blind to everything but the truth. It should be puritanical and purgatory through and through. It should, without doubt, favor no one but the truth. This is why we said at the onset, Mr. President, that we do not want to hold brief for Julakay. It is not unlawful to arrest him and even restrict his movements for sometime if he is suspected of committing any offence or offences.

What is unlawful, Mr President, is your Government's proud posture of refusing to charge or release him within 72 hours as provided for in the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia. Gambia is not a country in anarchy. It is a dignified polity with set rules for every game. You should now stop ruling Gambia like your own kingdom and her people with iron-fist, Mr. President.

One of our quarrels with you is your tendency to always take people back ways to the eighteenth century when we are well into a new millennium.

Your Excellency, we are in an era when nations and leaders of nations are striving harder to gain international recognition by respecting the rights and the dignity of their people and people of other nations.

We definitely urge you to stop ruling The Gambia like how dictators- Samuel K. Doe of Liberia, Mobutu Sese Seko of Congo and Edi Amin of Uganda- terrorized, brutalized and dehumanized their peoples. You should definitely respect the Constitution because it can really serve your interest once you leave the stage.