JAMMEH IS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY!!

Former Independent Newspaper Publisher Drops The Bombshell

By Pa Nderry M’Bai

Email: panderrymbai@gmail.com

Tel# 0011-919=749-6319

“Jammeh does not need anybody’s mandate to rule as long as he wants. He frequently says so himself. I think Jammeh’s greed for power, his selfishness, and his lack of personal integrity were most responsible for his decision to renege on his promise to put term limits for the presidency. A man of integrity does not renege on his solemn promise, especially one made to an entire nation,” said former Independent Newspaper Publisher Baba Galleh Jallow.  Speaking in an Exclusive Interview with Freedom Radio, Mr. Jallow said legacy is doomed—thanks he (Mr. Jammeh’s) power abuses, and tyrannical rule.  “Jammeh is definitely not on the good side of history simply because his record as Gambian president has been horrendous. For example, all the killings and disappearances, all the abuses of the rule of law, all the uncouth statements he has made – all of these, among other things, are part of his historical record, and they are not good. It is a fact of life that there is always a balance sheet and historically, the heavier side of the balance wins out. He might have done a few good things, but his evil deeds far outweigh his good deeds and will determine his place in history,” the former Independent boss tells the Freedom Newspaper. Below is the full text of the interview. Please read on…

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FR:  Good evening Baba.  What is your general assessment of the Jammeh regime? Is this a surviving or a failing government in your own view?

Baba G Jallow: In my opinion, the Jammeh state is already a failed regime. It may survive or be surviving, but only through an imposition of the peace of the iron grid, through unfair practices and the muzzling of dissent.

FR:  What are the major shortcomings of the Jammeh regime in terms of governance?

Baba G Jallow: I think it is impossible to list all of the Jammeh regime’s shortcomings in a single interview. I think Jammeh is holding Gambians hostage because he reneged on his promise to put presidential term limits in the country’s constitution. There is also the fact that Jammeh has no respect for the rule of law and the rights of Gambians. His regime is one of the most repressive in the world and he is certainly one of the most, if not the most unenlightened president in the world. He thinks he can rule The Gambia through his own mind and only his mind and that proves that he is extremely delusional.

FR: But Jammeh recently celebrated 16 years in power. How come there is governance deficiency in The Gambia and yet he continues to win elections?

Baba G Jallow: Well, a combination of factors are responsible for his continued “winning” of elections. One is that he is determined to “win” elections anyhow, which means that as far as he is concerned, the elections are merely a formality to justify his rule. There is also the fact that he monopolizes virtually all the public resources and facilities available for the conduct of elections to the exclusion of the opposition parties; such as the radio and television services, government vehicles, and public funds. We also know that he intimidates the Gambian people and threatens them with denial of development projects if they do not vote for him. But over and above all these factors, I think the nature of the Gambian political or civic culture is why Jammeh continues to ride roughshod over the backs of the Gambian people. The great majority of Gambians still see Jammeh as a God-ordained Mansa or Burr and that conception comes with a great deal of damaging political baggage. I believe that The Gambia needs a radical overhaul of our political mindset, a great deal of political enlightenment, if we are to avoid having selfish tyrants like Jammeh holding our country hostage.

FR:  What kind of future do you envisage for The Gambia in the next five years?

Baba G Jallow: At best, an uncertain future. One hopes that something good happens; but the future is definitely uncertain.

FR:  President Jammeh sounded very confident during his “Dialogue With The People Tour.”  He said “no elections, marabouts, or coups” could unseat him from power.  What do you make of Jammeh’s remarks?

Baba G Jallow: I think those remarks are merely the characteristic rantings of a man afflicted with hubris – extreme arrogance. Jammeh has no idea how he will get out of power. He was merely trying to further stupefy the Gambian people by suggesting that he knows exactly how he will leave power. They are mere empty bragging.

FR:  Don’t you think Jammeh’s statement might have an adverse impact on the electoral process—given the fact that the conditions for free and fair elections are not feasible under the circumstances?

Baba G Jallow: Oh yes, I think so. As I said, for Jammeh, the electoral process is merely a formality, a mere legitimizing device for his dictatorship. The Gambia’s current political culture does not permit for free and fair elections. For that to happen, the people’s political awareness needs to be significantly enhanced.

FR:  Do you see Jammeh relinquishing power peacefully? If no, why not?

Baba G Jallow: Certainly not, unless he dies peacefully in his sleep or of other natural causes. Otherwise, he will have to be literally uprooted from power like a harmful weed.

FR:  What is the difference between the defunct PPP government, and the ruling APRC under Jammeh’s leadership?

Baba G Jallow: Well, there are many differences. I think one of the most important is the fact that the PPP leadership was more cultured than the current leadership. Sir Dawda at least cared what people thought of him and his government and he wasn’t as ignorant and evil-minded as Jammeh. There is also the fact that the PPP government was not as oppressive as the APRC government.

FR:  It appears that Jammeh is repeating the blunder of PPP rule in that he wants to rule as long as he has the mandate of The Gambian people. In your view, what must have changed Jammeh’s mind on the proposed two-term limit for the Presidency as envisaged during the early days of the coup?

Baba G Jallow: Well, Jammeh does not need anybody’s mandate to rule as long as he wants. He frequently says so himself. I think Jammeh’s greed for power, his selfishness, and his lack of personal integrity were most responsible for his decision to renege on his promise to put term limits for the presidency. A man of integrity does not renege on his solemn promise, especially one made to an entire nation.

FR:  As a historian and a political science graduate, is President Jammeh on the good side of history? If no, why not?

Baba G Jallow: Jammeh is definitely not on the good side of history simply because his record as Gambian president has been horrendous. For example, all the killings and disappearances, all the abuses of the rule of law, all the uncouth statements he has made – all of these, among other things, are part of his historical record, and they are not good. It is a fact of life that there is always a balance sheet and historically, the heavier side of the balance wins out. He might have done a few good things, but his evil deeds far outweigh his good deeds and will determine his place in history.

FR:  If you were to offer a piece of advice to Jammeh to shape his legacy, what would you tell him?  

Baba G Jallow: I will tell him to step down now. He has no moral authority to be the Gambian head of state in 2010. If he steps down now and hands over power, history will record that he has done the right thing. Better late than never. But of course, Jammeh will not follow such advice. He is too shallow to recognize good advice. And so he is doomed.

FR:  Does Jammeh stand any chance of rebuilding his legacy in the face of all the controversies associated with him, like the poisoning of suspected witches, the killings, tortures, cutting off the ears of gays, lesbians, and the false HIV/Aids cure?

Baba G Jallow: Well, I know that he can’t undo the past and I think that unfortunately, he is incapable of self-rectification. I would say he is beyond redemption.

FR:  Does Jammeh’s tyranny have boundaries?  Who are the hardest hit by Jammeh’s oppression?

Baba G Jallow: Every Gambian is a victim of Jammeh’s tyranny, whether they know it or not; whether they are close to him or not. Every act of tyranny inflicts damage on the Gambian nation. But he himself is the worst victim of his own tyranny because tyranny is a process of self-destruction. The tyrant is always destroying himself even though he thinks he is building himself.

FR:  Now let shift gears to the one billion dollar cocaine bust in The Gambia. What do you make out of the cocaine scandal?

Baba G Jallow: Well, the facts of this scandal are hazy and so I do not feel very competent to comment on it. I can only say that it gives credence to the argument that there is a serous state of national insecurity in Jammeh’s Gambia.

FR:  Are you impressed with the way the Jammeh regime handles the cocaine bust?

Baba G Jallow: I am not impressed with anything the Jammeh regime does.

FR:  What needs to be done to salvage The Gambia from becoming a drug hub?

Baba G Jallow: A lot needs to be done, especially bringing about effective changes to the country’s overall security situation, which is much more than mere border or military and police security.

FR:  I am sure you have been reading the Freedom Newspaper.  What do you make of the Government’s move to write attestation letters to clear businessman Amadou Samba’s name from the cocaine investigations?

Baba G Jallow: Well, I can say for sure that the decision to write any letters for anyone must have come from Yahya Jammeh. No government official does anything without direct presidential authorization. So I guess if any letters are written, Jammeh must have an interest in having them written. Why this should be so in a cocaine-related case is anybody’s guess.

FR:  Interestingly, the letters prepared by Interior minister Ousman Sonko and the Deputy Director of the National Drug Enforcement Agency Khalilu Njie clearing Mr. Samba’s name from the purported investigations as they called it were never published by the local press. Were they helping or destroying Samba by failing to publicize the letters in the local media? What do you suspect here Baba?

Baba G Jallow: Again, it all comes down to what Yahya Jammeh wants done. If he wanted anything published, it will be published.

FR:  What does the cocaine bust mean for The Gambia?

Baba G Jallow: Well, it certainly means that there is a lot of drug trafficking going on in the country.

FR:  Talking about the issue of attestation letters, did the government issue you one when you were cleared from the so-called investigations into your Gambian citizenship status? 

Baba G Jallow: Well, I was never cleared and I did not need anyone to clear me from anything. And certainly no letters were written on my behalf by anyone and I did not need any letters from anyone.

FR:  What necessitated your citizenship to be called into question?

Baba G Jallow: I know it had to do with my opinions and comments on the Jammeh regime as published in The Independent newspaper. I have never committed any crime against the state or against any person to warrant questioning my nationality. It was pat of the regime’s desire to criminalize and silence me; and it failed.

FR: Who must have engineered the investigations?

Baba G Jallow: Again, I believe that it had to come from Yahya Jammeh or in this case, since everyone was trying to please him, from one of his cronies at the Interior department. The Immigration officers who first came to talk to me said they were instructed by the then director of Immigration one Mr. Faburay to come “check” my papers.

FR:  What is your view about the future of Gambia’s home based private press under Jammeh’s rule?

Baba G Jallow: Well, a truly independent press cannot operate effectively in an environment of political repression. So like the country itself, the future of the private press in The Gambia is uncertain.

FR:  Is the local press reporting the cocaine scandal as expected?

Baba G Jallow: I think they are doing what they can under the circumstances.

FR:  What are the implications of having a dormant media?

Baba G Jallow: A dormant national consciousness is one major implication. There are many others, all inimical to the national interest.

FR:  In less than one year, Gambians will elect a new President.  What is your overall assessment of the opposition?

Baba G Jallow: I think the opposition is working under very difficult circumstances. But I also think they are performing well below the expectations of most Gambians. I think they can do much better in many ways, especially in terms of forging a united front and in terms of being more assertive of their rights as legitimate political actors representative of a significant popular constituency in The Gambia.

FR: Why is the opposition unable to win elections in The Gambia?

Baba G Jallow: Well, I think there are lots of reasons for the opposition’s inability to win elections in The Gambia, some of which we have already highlighted in our conversation. I think if they can forge a united front and if they can become more assertive of their rights they will stand a better chance of winning elections. Of course, there are many other factors in play that it would be impossible to enumerate in an interview of this scope.

FR: Do you have faith in the opposition?

Baba G Jallow: I really don’t know how to give an appropriate answer to that question. I think in their current configuration, they do not stand much of a chance to unseat Jammeh. I think if they do what needs to be done, they will increase both their chances and the level of Gambians’ faith in them.

FR:  Any last words Mr. Jallow?

Baba G Jallow: Well, just to say that the Gambian online media community is doing a great job and should continue doing a good job. I think there is much room for improvement in terms of presentation of both written and audio material and that the editors of the various online media should look into ways of improving their output. I would also take this opportunity to commend our vibrant online community on the Gambia L and the Gambia Post. And in this connection, I would like to beg that we exercise greater tolerance for contrary views and opinions. I know it is hard to tolerate certain views diametrically opposed to ours; but we want to build a democratic culture and toleration of unsavory views comes with that territory. So for those of us opposed to Jammeh’s tyranny – and we are the majority on the L and Post, I would say let’s tolerate, even encourage our good friends like my dear friend Fankung and as Pa Musa Jallow calls him, “the recently inspired Sankung.” I also want to thank the patriotic Gambians on the STGDP, the GPU-USA and GPU-EU, GPU-Gambia, and the various movements for democracy coming up around the world for the great job they are doing. I believe that all of us are part of the real July 22^nd revolution, which has carried out a successful Countercoup against the Jammeh dictatorship. Its not over till it’s over, till Jammeh leaves power and we must brace ourselves for whatever it takes to see that inevitable eventuality.

 FR: Thanks Mr. Jallow for granting us this interview.

 Baba G Jallow: Always my pleasure Pa. Thanks for having me and good luck.