By Bax
Ejike Asiegbu is entitled to his opinion about Yaya Jammeh, but he should do us all a favour and not try to justify the unjustifiable..
Ejike Asiegbu cannot claim to be unaware of the dire political and economic situation that The Gambia is currently in, under Yaya Jammeh, nor can he feign ignorance of the poor human rights records of the regime, and its continued flouting of national and international laws/protocols.
After all, a good number of his own “cousins” from Ghana were cold bloodedly butchered by his so-called “Pan Africanist” president, whilst the ECOWAS Court in Abuja has made numerous rulings on human rights violations against the regime, which it has continued to disregard and treat (the court) with contempt.
Indeed, a token of gift, as an expression of appreciation for services rendered or efforts contributed, is a practice that is well understood by the Gambian people (as by many African people), but Jammeh’s irresponsible misuse of our meager national resources, in his futile pursuit in African statesman status, through largesse and pomp, should not be mistaken as Pan Africanism, nor should it be perceived as “gifts of appreciation from the Gambian people. And if that is Mr Asiegbu’s idea of a Pan Africanist, then he has a lot to learn about Pan Africanism.
Moreover, why has artists and other personalities, African and non-African, made it a hobby to jet into Banjul ever so often, to patronise Yaya Jammeh and receive his “gifts”? Is he the only “Pan Africanist” president in the entire continent?
I do not begrudge these opportunists for their targeting of The Gambia, and I don’t even think we should distract ourselves by engaging them, but I want Mr Asiegbu, his compatriots and people like him, to know that it is immoral, unethical and utterly shameful for anyone (especially fellow Africans for that matter) to prey on, and benefit from, the historical misfortune of the Gambian nation that capulted an idiot and embecille like Yaya Jammeh, into high public office. Their behaviour is embarrassingly shameful and inexcusable and the Gambian people will never forget their role in the looting and mismanagement of our meager resources, and the destruction of the lives and futures of our children and their children’s children.
I will echo Prince Sankanu’s wisdom that Jammeh will depart the Gambian political scene one day, and then we shall see how much of a pan Africanist he will be to Ejike and his likes, without his deep pockets that are filled with our country’s resources.
I will also echo his warnings that the land belongs to us and we will not hesitate to repossess it, when required. However, they can enjoy the Dollars and Pound Sterlings they receive from Jammeh. There is not much we can do about that.
Finally, I am baffled by what seems to be a misunderstanding, by a seemingly well educated man, of the issues Prince Sankanu raised in his piece. Mr. Asiegbu’s attempts to manufacture xenophobia and hatred, where there exist none, against the Nigerian people is an indication of the type of person we are dealing with here.
Prince Sankanu’s concern and write up was directed, not at the Nigerians and Ghanaians as a people, but against a specific group of individuals from these countries, who patronise Yaya Jammeh andattempt to sanitise his battered image, for their personal selfish interests.
Ejike’s devilish attempts, to twist Sankanu’s genuine concerns about the theft of our resources to suit his narrative, in order to create confusion, suspicion and bad blood between Gambians and Nigerians will not work.
The partnership between the two sister countries and their people has been cemented well before the appearance of this charlatan on our political scene and long may that continue. Perhaps, Ejike should do a bit of research about the sentiments Lt Yaya Jammeh expressed against Nigerian officers who were in charge of The Gambia National Army in 1994 and then he will understand the fraud that Jammeh really is.
For the records, there are many genuine and hardworking Nigerians and Ghanaians in The Gambia, who have contributed immensely, and are contributing in no small measure, in our national efforts and endeavours at development since independence. Gambians appreciate their efforts and invaluable service to our nation, rendered in the spirit of true pan Africanism.
Unfortunately, there are handful of our brothers and sisters from Nigeria, whose greed and love of the material world, have reduced them to criminals and fraudsters wherever they are, and in the process, have thus tarnished the good name and image of a great country with a proud people and history.
My gut feeling is that Mr Ejike Asiegbu is one of those Nigerians and I for one, have no time for such a person lacking conscience. My advice is don’t let this fraudster, without a concience and his likes, make you generalise and stereo-type Nigerians as a whole. We are one and the same people.
Ends
Mr sellout Asiegbu bring back our land !!!
Thank you Bax for putting the records straight.
However all these scavengers, griots and sychophants in Senegambia, West Africa and beyond know that Jammeh is a BIG FOOL who, one just need to shower praises and unearned titles and go away with millions of $$$$ and €€€€ and lands.
As soon as they turn their backs, they will happily and secretely boo him and curse him as the biggest fool Gambians have as a president. This is the fact. All of them know Jammeh is a killer and thief period.
You will not see them in post-jammeh era as there will be no dead meat to party on or stupid fools to prey on..
Bax, my in-law,
The destruction of “Humanism” in Nigeria was a direct result of the brutal Civil War in that country.
In circumstances of brutal violence and starvation children grew up cooking RATS to survive. Nigeria became a man-eat-man country without any “conscience” as a direct result of that war.
The “rich Nigerians” who rob their nation to buy private jets and mansions in London and LA are all products of that “conscience-less” generation – and so are the “criminals” who have made Nigeria infamous World-wide.
A nation that had enough oil to turn into a Dubai of Africa, and to whom we looked to help us militarily fight Apartheid, is a complete mess because Nigerians looted their motherland. Yesterday’s news is that Boko Haram has taken another town in Nigeria. Africa’s Super-Power cannot defeat a group of armed bandits because of corruption! By the way it was Little Cuba who defeated Apartheid’s War Machine for us in Angola and Namibia.
As far as Nigeria, and much of our beloved continent is concerned, Ayi Kweu Armah said it 50 years ago:
“THE BEAUTIFUL ONES ARE NOT YET BORN”. ,,,,,,,,
And Luntango adds:
INSPITE OF ALL THE BLEACHING THE HEART REMAINS EVIL (I was going to say “the heart remains black” but that may be misunderstood!).
EVERY HONEST NIGERIAN AND GAMBIAN SHOULD KINDLY READ AND SHARE THE ARTICLE BY BACK ON THE KAIRO NEWS LINK ABOVE
I am glad that Gambians are speaking out. The paid propaganda campaigns from Nollywood is backfiring on them.
DEAR PRESIDENT JAMMEH OF THE GAMBIA, keep wasting your money and time on the greedy psychopaths, liars, sacred cows and hypocrites within your inner circles who are filling your ears with fabrications against me.
They CANNOT win against me, no matter how much you back them. I am on the side of the truth, social justice and fair play. I am not those desperate to enjoy your contracts, monies and positions at the expense of my nobility, dignity and stature. I am not a saint and I am not interested in becoming one but my conscience cannot let me ignore social injustice.
President Jammeh, I made it clear to you since 2012 that I am NOT interested in regime change without attitudinal change in The Gambia and I have no time for the struggle to end your rule. With all these, it looks like my mere name and personality threaten most of the liars who have hijacked your ears.
However, the unintended consequence of continuous consumptions of imaginary tales against me from your trusted praise-singers, is that these sycophants you are relying one will provoke the fall of your government faster than you can imagine. The domestic and foreign vagabonds will run away the moment you cease being president of our Gambia. Blaise Campaore of Burkina Faso over-abused the patience of his people and his greed backfired on him.
Dear President Jammeh, this parasitic Ejike Asiegbu claims that I “hate” you. With all due respect Your Execellency, can you please show the civilized world least one example of my hated towards you? I will be in Gambia this December 2015 and if you like you can send your National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to show me proofs of Mr. Ejike Asiegbu’s fabrication that I hate you.
This Ejike Asiegbu and his fellow gangsters who are deceiving you are part of the “godfatherism” system that is keeping Nigeria in a state of mess. Unless he changes it on his Twitter profile after this post, Ejike calls himself a “godfather.” The charlatan also claims to be a civil rights activist but does not understand how to read the documented reports on the human rights situation of The Gambia. All he cases about is the money and free land that was grabbed from the poor to boost his wannabe godfather ego. The behind-the-scene fact is that Francis Duru and his gang BEGGED for the land but as dishonest as they are, they are trying to make us belief that it was a surprise “grift” from their President. I dont expect sincerity from people who accept the glorification of looters of public assets as national religious.
INSULTING OUR GAMBIAN FILM PIONEERS OF THE 1960
Ejike Asiegbu insulted us Gambians by creating the impression that we only knew about film-making some 8 years ago when his fellow scavenger Francis Duru organized a workshop with some people. This is an insult to the legacies of the late EBRIMA SAGNIA and his fellow pioneers of the GAMBIA FILM UNIT who were making Gambian films since the 1960s, decades before Francis Duru was born.
This is what scavengers do. They will snatch away your meagre resources, support impunity against you, deny your dignity and try to re-write your history with their nasty propaganda.
Let me leave the sincere people to read this powerful rejoinder from Bax on Kairo News. I understand more Gambians are preparing additional responses to the Ejike Asiegbu and Fancis Duru mafia gang:
***
Prince Bubacarr Aminata SANKANU
facebook.com/princebubacarrs
princebasankanu@gmail.com
Sankanu said ” president jammeh , I made it clear to you since 2012 that i am not interested in regime change without attitudinal change in The Gambia and I have no time for the struggle to end your rule. With all these , it looks like my mere name and personality threaten most of the liars who have hijacked your ears ”
Mr sankanu , the respond that majority of the people made about your article is NOT about your personality or you in particular , it is about The Gambia which we all felt has been abused , economically scavenged , culturally destroyed , resourcefully depleted and systematically taken advantage of by these video scavengers or economic prostitutes. Therefore , your personality is irrelevant in the context of wider Gambian issue. I commended you for speaking on the issues . Whether you are interested to end jammeh’s dictatorial rule or not , genuine Gambians are making effort to ensure that there is regime change in The Gambia so that we do not have these scavengers or hustlers deplete our meager resources . Most people agreed with you because we felt that in this particular article you speak for us and it is your constitutional rights to do so . There is no need for you to ask jammeh to proof to the world that you hate him because Ejike’s described you as hateful . It would be better for you take your personality out of this in order not to be seen as someone who is after his personal interest . The interest of Gambian people supersede anyone’s personal interest . why are you so worry about your name if you are telling the truth to power ?
Thank you very much my Dear Compatriot Bax,
To start with, how do you think I can take my personality out when it has always been a defining factor of ALL my arguments? May be you missed out something in my long-running cat-and-mouse contacts with the Jammeh system.
The problem is that the personality issue cannot be easily separated based on my ground experience. As I noted in my Whats on Gambia interview, if you bring out an issue of NATIONAL INTEREST, people around Jammeh will frustrate it because you dont serve their personal interests. You forgot the narrative that any person who serves the government is branded “enabler” and any person who speaks truth to power is seen as “anti government”?The praise-singers are the ones who are labelled “patriotic” by the Jammeh system.
If personality is irrelevant in the debates and discourse why did you then use the following lines on Ejike Asiegbu above: “My gut feeling is that Mr Ejike Asiegbu is one of those Nigerians and I for one, have no time for such a person lacking conscience. My advice is don’t let this fraudster, without a concience and his likes, make you generalise and stereo-type Nigerians as a whole. We are one and the same people.” (Bax)?
Anyway, long before the Nollywood scavengers, I have been submitting ideas on how to build our national film industry but because of my personality, Jammeh is being advised to kill my plans. The late Ebrima Sagnia (formerly of the Film Unit and GRTS) can bear me witness when I sent him a draft national film industry development policy framework and code of ethics for them to use as working documents. I also came up with the idea of GAMBIAN FILM VILLAGE.
Ejike Asiegbu claims that I “hate” Jammeh because he was told so by his paymasters that ” this person by the name Sankanu hates Jammeh and that is why he is complaining…”
Do you know that it has taken me 3 years to register my charitable development organization in The Gambia because all the various offices both in Basse and Banjul would not work on it because of my name? Do you also know why GRTS killed my programme proposal that should promote our film industry? It is because a person called SANKANU is behind it. They wasted six months of time fine with lazy excuses. When I met them, they would say that everything is fine but once I step out of the office, they would call State House to “bitch” against me. I dont want give names but I have insiders who can confirm me and I challenge the system for trying to use my personality and refusal to surrender my dignity, to frustrate my contributions to national development. Can they just let the ideas work for our national interests.
In Gambia it is all about “this person is this, this person is that”. Just like with the tribalism problem. If someone floats an idea of national relevance, you will hear “this is Mandinka, this is Wollof, this is Fula. This is Terrikaffo, that is Banjul mafia,” you name the rest.
May be you have not been following the behind-the-scene politics of our Gambian film industry. My personality has always been a factor in all the issues relating to Gambian film scenes. “Sankanu is anti government” so we will not take his ideas not matter how good they are in national interest. Do you know that I was working with some Gambians on a film project but they were scared away because someone within the Jammeh system warned them to stay away from “this person called Sankanu”?
Just recently, I wanted to involve a promising young Gambian writer in a project that I will be working on. He told me point black “because of your personality, I will have difficulties accessing…” the things I told him to look for. I also requested another Gambian to do some official paper work on my behalf on the ground, he told me it is risky for him because of my name. Last month, a government official (name and department withheld) who encourage me to submit papers as part of the film industry development, got angry because, I simply wrote an introductory letter to another government department. When one of my representatives went to his office, he started bitching about my supposed anti-government stance instead of seeing that what am working on is in our NATIONAL INTEREST!
I have been putting national interest first hence I have not been having a smooth ride. If I wanted to put my personal interest above our common ones, I would have been a sycophant and taking home part of the largesses that the scavengers are sharing. My refusal to surrender my dignity is based on the advices I get from some genuine people.
I am fighting for ATTITUDINAL CHANGE with is also a project of national interest though more difficult than the raw regime change you mentioned. Is the fight for attitudinal change NOT a genuine national cause?
Whatever the case, I am NOT relenting in speaking truth to power whenever I deem fit as I have proudly demonstrated with my latest write up on the misuse of our meagre resources. Dont be surprised when you hear that I experience tough times in Gambia during my next trip as this write up against Nollywood could be used against me by the Jammeh system to frustrate my work for our local film industry.
NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TRY TO KEEP MY PERSONALITY OUT OF THE NATIONAL DISCOURSE, IT WILL BE USED AGAINST ME. THIS HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE JAMMEH SYSTEM SINCE 1994!
I am not perfect and certainly not a saint. Am continuously looking for ways of improving my shortcoming. If you have some sincere and brotherly ideas on how you think I can take my personality out of the discourse especially in my areas of expertise and passion (film industry), feel free to teach me. I am a perpetual student.
Warmest regards,
Prince Bubacarr Aminata SANKANU
P.S. Apologies for the typos
Bax, this is the kind of statements I expect from those who truly care about Gambia and destructive nature of imbecile like Dictator jammeh but not sympathetic to him and his officials and their families . This time , you and I agreed. I hope mr sankanu do not see your rejoinder as your personal endorsement of his personality but it is about The Gambia that we are all talking about . Great piece . I hope you continue to speak like this when it comes to issues or crimes committed by jammeh himself .
Thanks Max.
I am NOT seeing Bax’s rejoinder as his personal endorsement of my personality or world-view. I did not challenge the Nollywood scavengers to score personal points as I know that my article will in fact affect my personality by making me a target of more vindictive attacks, discrimination and marginalization by the Jammeh system and its imported scavengers.
In essence, I have put my personality and interest under more attacks and danger in the INTEREST OF THE GAMBIA….
Bax is simply defending the TRUTH he saw in my write up within the spirits of sincere national discourse. He and you are enjoying the benefits of online anonymity hence your personalities are safe from the rough exposure that mine will be subjected to as am using my full identity to challenge monsters.
Warmest regards,
Prince Bubacarr Aminata SANKANU
Prince Sankanu says:
“Your Excellency, can you please show the civilized world least one example of my hated towards you? I will be in Gambia this December 2015 and if you like you can send your National Intelligence Agency (NIA) …”
Luntango says:
My Royal Prince, it is right that your drummers should announce your intended trips to the motherland. But as I advised last time, one Prince to another, keep a low profile. Be invisible. I have visited and returned without anyone knowing I was there. Keep a low profile. It is better that way. I wish you a safe journey – and look after your wallets this time!
Thanks Luntango, the thing is I for one cannot hide and sneak in and out unnoticed. Of course I will keep a low profile and avoid many places but my FACE is visible on every corner of the country. Announcing my trip ahead of time, is a way of avoiding misconception and the local traps. You know Gambian now, someone can go and lie that I sneaked into the country to fight Jammeh but if I make my trip OPEN, that lie factor will be challenged. Asiegbujust want created a new narrative of “hate” to appease Jammeh and attacking this fabrication is in the interest of social justice.
Max….I think we have to accept that we are different; have/subscribe to different values; see issues around us differently and react to them differently…
In short, let’s agree to disagree…and try, as much as possible, to find common ground, as in this case..
(Brother) Prince Sankanu…
Firstly, I think there’s been a bit of a mixture on your part, regarding who raised objections about, and alluded to, your “personality” being brought into this discussion….It certainly wasn’t me…You can quote me to proof me wrong and I.will not hesitate to apologise…
Secondly, I am quite aware, and have often pointed this out to Lafia, that a lot of things in The Gambia, including political party following and voting trends, revolves around personalities…Hence Gambian discussions geared towards finding aolutions to our predicament, are very much about personalities, as they are about any other issues, however unhealthy this reality may be ..
I don’t know Prince Sankanu in person, but I have no doubt that in today’s Gambia, your “name” will either facilitate or hinder any activities you wish to undertake in the country, especially if they impact on national development..
Thirdly, I agree with you and you.might even be “plagiarising my mind” (hahahaha), that political change will be meaningless without attitudinal change..Gambia requires revolutionary attitudinal changes if we are to move forward as a nation..No qualms with you about that whatever..
I think you and I are on the same wavelength here…
Bax, my in-law, you PDOIS lot are always behind the times! “Gambia requires revolutionary attitudinal changes” – that is what Alliance for Patriotic RE-ORIENTATION is all about (lol). Where have you been for the last 21 year!
Thank you very much my Brother for the wise words. Apologies for mixing “Maxs” and “Bax.” Yes, we are on the same wavelength on the above national issues. Stay blessed,
Prince BA Sankanu
Guys seem to be still doubting if Nigerians in the diaspora are the most swindlers all over the world. This guy don’t really care what type of government is in place in any African country once he has his share of steak in fridge, a selve of crocodile, python and lion skin shoes, classic three-piece suits, a 4×4 and to be called OGA, with mysticism and superstition as the guiding darkness to his road of greed and ignorance.
I bet right now that there are no private Nigerian citizen outside Nigeria, who will legally and tranparently deal or work with a dictatorship if not operating by organised crime, anywhere in the world as of nowadays. Many Nigerians won’t see access to corruption as a curse but indeed as a blessing and even see it necesssary that their names exalted for they being corrupt.
Asiegbu can clear himself with words but can’t be able to runaway from himself. He knows what I am talking about his alligator head.
My-in-law…
It’s more like, “Alliance for Un-Patriotoc Re-Orientation”…That’s what it really is, isn’t it ?
Attitude wise or not, everything has surpassed what we saw and know pre-1994 by unbelievable levels …
Flamboyance, corruption, abuse, greed, theft, sycophancy, inflation…almost everything..
We have attained “revolutionary (atitudinal) changes” with Jammeh and A(U)PRC, alright…Only that it’s the wrong type..
That was a serious lack of indepth understanding of the whole article caused by a careless emotional read through and would like to apologise to all in-lawships and Mr. Asiegbu himself for my careless error.
We can do this anytime we make such mistakes to accept we are human so perfection is not at all part of it. Sorry all followers once again for this horrible mistake. This is the type of apology good politician make and resign from office had it been the case.
I do not believe that without complete structural change of system which encourage corruption ,abuse of office , political sycophancy and total disregard of laws , that we can have revolutionary attitudinal changes in The Gambia . How can people change their attitudes when they see the leaders who are suppose to be role model , system of government or representatives of people are engage in corruption , lawlessness and abuse of citizen’s rights ? Structural changes are powerful means to achieve attitudinal changes because when we have good leadership in our country or system of government , people can look up to them through their exemplary behaviors , good policies and care for the masses . It is the same reason that we advocate to have good head of family or parents . Therefore ,I think our focus should be on change of the system which influences or leads to such bad behaviors . Example ,dictator jammeh’s regime has brought in abuse or human rights violations , murder , extreme corruption and lawlessness that we have never seen in The Gambia before and this can be classified as negative attitudinal change . You can engage in all kind of education to change people’s attitudes but you cannot succeed to achieve your desire result because of structural practice or system that encourage corruption and lawlessness. Therefore it becomes fools errand to engage in such efforts without giving priority to structural changes , change of system or regime. How can Gambians engage in revolutionary attitudinal change when we have such a systematic and structural problem which lead to such negative outcomes ? The reason why we are crying foul about Nigerian video scavengers is not only because of jammeh’s corruption of allocation of lands to these scavengers but also their movies are too bad for our culture in terms of morality and encouragement of negatives vices. The Video makers are themselves bad influences in our culture. We have also worst system in placed which encourages such negative acts. Therefore such system is the breeding ground or host to reproduce corruption , lawlessness , exploitation and abuse . I think mr sankanu and others who believe in theory of attitudinal change should think about theory of structural changes so that we can have less corruption , good system of government and human rights. Good system or structural set up encourages positive attitudinal changes .
Dida said , Bax, you PDois lot are always behind the times ! “Gambia requires revolutionary attitudinal changes “.
I think you are right . Bax and his PDois supporters Need to follow your claim lol. For 30 years , they do not have any significant impact despite their preaching of attitudinal changes , the same thing apply to other opposition parties. Repetition of the same failed strategy will only result to zero achievement. It is time for new strategy to effectively change the system for better. When PDois is in power, the attitude of their leadership will bring positive attitudinal Change.
Max…Advocacy for attitudinal changes does not negate the need and importance of the other changes, but rather, it is a recognition of its significance in the entire scheme of things..
Of course, systems, practices and methods may all need to change to improve standards ( and these changes must happen along side each other, rather than in isolation ), but personally, I believe that strategies to change our attitudes to government and our interactions with government and/or other state intuitions and officials, should be a top priority..
Systems are essential for good government, but systems don’t run/operate themselves and even the best of systems will fail to deliver, if the attitudes of officials are not right…and the mechanisms to monitor and enforce adherence are weak..
That is why people call for attitudinal changes but a whole host of other changes must also happen gradually to achieve meaningful changes..
You are entitled to your opinions about PDOIS…I don’t speak for PDOIS and I’m not a member…I just agree with them..
I hereby once again apologise to all fellow citizen for making such an irrelevant post to an article I have made a presumptive read through instead of a careful one. Please e3xcuse me for this human error.