Everyone Has A Role To Play

By Demba a Jawo,former Gambia Press Union President 

Mathew was once described by Sheriff Bojang in one of his profile columns as a "Rebel Without A Cause". However, from his interview with The Freedom newspaper, he seems to have proved to everyone that he indeed has a cause. I was quite impressed by his interview, even though I had a few areas I was not fully in agreement with him. One of those areas was his criticism of Halifa Sallah. I guess he does not know Halifa on a personal level because he is the most genuine politicians I have ever come across. He means every word he utters and there is absolutely no doubt that he means quite well for The Gambia.

MATHEW JALLOW

As regards OJ, I think he also deserves some commendation for being steadfast, otherwise, there has been numerous attempts to get him to switch sides, leading to his arrests and detentions just to get him to capitulate but he resisted all of it. Therefore, whatever 'crimes' he committed under the PPP regime, which many others are also guilty of, even some people within the APRC, he has made up for it. Therefore, he deserves to be pardoned by people like Mathew and given another chance.

Indeed, every genuine Gambian is praying for the different factions of the opposition to come together before the next elections, because that is the only way they can stand any chance of giving the APRC a run for its money. Otherwise, it would look like abdicating their responsibilities to the people, most of whom are no doubt eager for some political change.

However, as I often say, we as journalists should be non-partisan but active observers who would not hesitate to analyse the situation as well as prescribe solutions where necessary. We should all hope and pray however that the process leading to the next elections would be smooth and peaceful and that Gambians would be given the chance to freely and fairly express their will. However, that can only happen if the political playing field is levelled, and all the political leadership strictly abide by the MOU recently signed between the APRC and the opposition under the chairmanship of Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo last February. Any deviation from that could lead to a heightening of the political barometer, which would not be in the interest of anyone.