TALE OF TWO CITIES: BANJUL AND KANILAI
This is not about
Charles Dickens book, it’s about the Gambia. Gambisara will instead relate the major story about Edmond Dante’s to events in Banjul
and then attempt to create a personal way forward. The Count of Monte
Cristo is a story about a sailor, Edmond Dante’s, who was betrayed
during the prime of his life and career by the jealousy of his friends.
His shipmate, Danglars, coveted his designation as the captain of the
mighty Pharon. Ferdinand Mondego wished to wed his Mercedes, who was a
affiance to Edmond.
Danglars and Ferdinand wrote a letter accusing Edmond of carrying a letter from Elba to the Bonapartist committee in Paris.
Caderousse, a neighbour, learned of the plot but kept silent. On his
wedding day Edmond was arrested and taken before a deputy named Ville
fort, a political apostate, who, to protect himself, had Edmond
secretly imprisoned in the deepest dungeons of the Chateau D'If. There
Dante’s' incarceration was secured by the plotting of his enemies
outside the prison, particularly towards Ville fort, who wished to
cover up his own father's connections with the Bonapartists. Dante’s
suffered for fourteen gruelling years in prison. While in prison, he
was determined to escape and began digging a tunnel in hopes that it
would lead to freedom. During this exercise, he met an
elderly inmate named Abbe Faria whose attempt to dig his way to his salvation had led him only to Edmond's cell. The two meet daily and an incredible relationship flourished. The old man taught Edmond history, mathematics, and languages. In Edmond's fourteenth year, Faria became mortally ill. The wise elder told Edmond where to find a massive buried fortune. When Faria finally died, his body was placed in a burial sac. Edmond
seized the opportunity of escaping and replaced Faria's corpse with
himself. Jailers threw the sack into the sea which allowed Dante’s to
escape. He is rescued by a passing ship which gives him a position on
the boat. After paying homage for the noble act, Dante’s recovered the
buried treasure and became extremely wealthy. He returned as the
mysterious Count of Monte Cristo and dazzled all of Paris
with his extreme wealth and social graces and also he ingeniously
managed to be introduced to the cream of French society, among who he
goes unrecognized. But, Monte Cristo, in contrariety, recognized all of
his enemies, which now are all powerful and influential men. Therefore,
he was slowly plotting the ruin all the four men who had caused him to
be sent to the Chateau D'If. To be continued.
How
do we relate the lessons learnt and putting them into perspective
within the Gambian society hence it used to be the smiling coast of Africa? The Gambia
is faced with a dilemma that we found difficult to rectify on the one
hand, while on the other, we easily identified it. Its problem is
President Yaya Jammeh and his APRC regime, President Jammeh knows that
more than anyone. People who live in the Greater Banjul Area and those
on postings in the growth centres across the country know this fact.
While those who have the opportunity to travel out of the country, know
its urgency, not talking of those on diplomatic missions around the
world as they attempt to compare the state of affairs of their host
countries and that of their native Banjul. The big question now is how do we get an alternative person at No. 1 Marina Parade in Banjul
to change the status quo? Are we waiting for someone in Mile 2 to come
to our rescue? Are we waiting for Major Bajinka and his colleagues on
AWOL to come to our rescue? Do we continue to rely on our votes come 22nd/09/06?
Gambisara
prefers the latter, but is wary about the reality that Gambian voters
have a different doctrine when it comes to the topic, voting.
The civic education is limited to informing Gambians of the white
elephant projects embarked upon by the APRC regime. They feel short of
telling people what the constitution entails, why they should pay their
taxes (rates), and what will they get in return when they pay their
taxes, etc. Gambisara had the opportunity to visit some villages in the
URD, CRD, & LRD among them Pasamas Angele, Koina, Garawol, Dingiri,
Niani Kayai, Katamina, Kabada in the Jarra, Burong, Jali, Janneh Kunda
and Kuli Kunda in Kiang. It is disheartening to report that 7 out of 10
people of all those spoken to found it hard to understand their rights
as citizens of the country. Many say is what
PDOIS used to tell us. Gambisara will visit the UN House located in
Cape Point to know the indicators they use to produce the human
development index for the Gambia. It was not difficult for Gambisara to draw a conclusion as based on his opinion on how the regime arrived at the state the Gambia found itself in. The simple answer is “Square pegs in round holes”. E.g.:
- Mr.
Abdou Touray, a seasoned development worker from the grassroots handled
various portfolios to be elevated to the position of Permanent
Secretary at Finance. Gambisara feels that Mr. Touray could have been
better utilised at the SPACO or even given the PS portfolio at Local
Government. Though SPACO directly reports to finance, but they get
their input from departments within the Local Government purview, i.e. Department of Community Development, NGO’s and those groups into development work.
Abdou’s best colleagues in this field from 1976 until their sacking,
notably Ansumana Kunjo and Foma Ceesay for allegedly being opposition
sympathisers remained in these fields due to their capabilities. Mr.
Touray is a genius, but could have been better utilised elsewhere.
- Mr.
Kortu Cham to be promoted to a similar position. He used to be accused
of mismanaging his former office’s allocated funds. It used to be said
that Mr. Famara Jatta, the current Governor of the Central Bank, when
he used to be the SoS for finance used to deny him access to funds as
he was addicted to overdraft. If this is to go by, why don’t he get the
sack, but instead promoted to a more lucrative position. Gambisa was
gob smacked when Mr. Cham said at a workshop organised by his former
office, the NEA designed to validate a document which was to be
submitted at the Sustainable development conference in Johannesburg in South Africa
in August 2001. When serious comments were made, he said in Wolof, you
approve it or not we will go. Saihou Trawally, not the one at
Population Secretariat, but an employee of the NEA who stood next him
was amazed. Kortu Cham hastily left the Kairaba Hotel. Like I mentioned
before, public officials are only interested with their per diems. Etc.
The
idea of bringing these 2 case scenarios is for the public to be
political activists in their own way and tell those close to them
realities, especially those in the remote parts of the country.
Professional community development workers should not be used as
administrators; accountants should not be used as intelligent officers,
etc. These are different disciplines of both in study and practice.
Educationists will be in a better position to answer that argument.
This is where the authority and integrity of the office of the
Secretary General lies for the simple fact that the office heads civil
service. Gambisara would like to ask if various codes of conducts are
adhered to, the answer is a big NO. This is where the Gambia entangled itself.
Gambisa
believes that the offices of the Secretary General and PMO are too
political and is full of management deficiencies. Due to this
deficiency, the Gambia
sees the appointments of seasoned politicians like Amulai Janneh as
Commissioners (Governors). The recycling continues as the recycle bin
cannot be emptied. These people goes round to the villages telling them
about the white elephant projects, but not telling them the reason why
many people opt for the north Bank route instead of the south Bank to
travel to Basse, because of the regimes lack of resources to do the
job. Gambisara said it to a group of people in 2001 that the
Soma-Mandina-ba road project will not be talked about until 2006.
Praise singers, Mr Jahumpa and his sister, Jahumpa-Ceesay are now
preaching these topics on a daily basis. This shows that Kanilai is more powerful than Banjul. Gambisara feels to accuse the so-called Gambian technocrats occupying public offices. They cannot deliver and will not
relinquish their positions. Their training was a waste of valuable
resources as all they do is enriching themselves at the expenses of the
masses. Gambisara is accusing them because they help put the Gambia
in this sorry state. They know the proper marketing skills to market
farmer’s nuts, how to alleviate poverty, how to create
environment-friendly projects to reduce waste within the GBA which can
lead to massive employment generation, they can write great project
proposals which attracts good amount of funding, etc.
Gambisara now knows that the rift among our opposition political leaders has gone under the rocks:
- That
the security services under the command of CDS Tamba, be neutral during
the political campaign and ensure incident free. It was reported that Col. Tamba stressed the importance of discipline in the military, describing it as the bedrock for any successful institution. “Discipline
is to be earned and not deserved. It’s earned through self-respect and
respect to the civilian community you are serving,” he went further,
“An Armed Force that maintains a good and cordial relationship with
civilians stands to gain a lot of support and trust. The only way
troops can win the hearts and minds of the communities is through
self-respect and politeness in our approaches”.
He then warned the soldiers to desist from intimidation and harassment
of innocent civilians in order to maintain the confidence repose in the
GAF. If this statement is anything to go by, then Col. Tamba’s
reputation is at stake especially towards events leading to 22/09.
- That the IEC should ensure a fair airtime on the GRTS both TV and Radio for all political parties
with immediate effect NOT
for the campaign period only. It should further implement the
resolutions on the Memorandum of Understanding signed by all political
parties, and stress to the APRC that they are not allowed to use civil servants during political campaigns.
- Under no circumstances should those nominated boycott elections like the UDP did
in 2001 which had a part to play in our current situation.
- That
there should be no peaceful demonstrations of any kind prior to
elections, though this is guaranteed by our constitution, but if this
happens, Yaya Jammeh and the APRC will have his wish of arresting all
opposition leaders, declare a state of emergency and cancel the
elections. Lets not easily forget about the events leading to April
10/11 2000.
- That
Bajinka and his team on AWOL should calmly stay where they have been
given refuge and should not bother coming with arms. Gambisara wants
food and shelter and not running to Dakar for help.
Gambisara is reliably informed that authorities and intelligent officers in Banjul
are connecting the dots as to who is this person. I will use this
medium to appeal to Jammeh and the APRC not to arrest anybody as they
cannot get me. Gambisara is on a mission and until that mission is
accomplished, no chance. May be if the government can order the arrest
of Mariam Jammeh and Aziz Tamba, then you may be lucky to get me. The
easiest is for Jammeh in person to the URD, shortly before Basse, He
will see Gambisara. For comments on private eye or to Gambisara, send
your email to gambisara1@yahoo.com or editor@freedomnewsaper.com. 
