The senior wife of the Gambia’s remanded opposition leader of the United Democratic Party has told his husband’s untold story. This is a story Lawyer Ousainou Darboe has never made public.
“I want Gambians and the world to know that Ousainou Darboe is an honest and upright person, a person who values and respects human dignity and believes in justice. But he is also a man who hates injustice,” Mai Ndure-Darboe said.
She explained how her husband refused to betray justice in his early years of his career at Justice Ministry. Mr. Darboe resigned as the Administrator of Curator’s office after a brawl with his boss who wanted him to bend the law in someone’s favour. He refused flatly and told his boss “I’ll strictly follow the law,” much to the anger of his boss. The now deceased boss asked why Ousainou would embarrass him in public. But Darboe’s reply was that he was asked in public.”
The boss refused to assign Ousainou any responsibility after the brawl. “Darboe would go to work and deal with an empty desk. He couldn’t withstand the humiliation and quickly tendered resignation,” Mai said.
Upon hearing the news, former President invited Ousainou to state house asking him to explain what exactly happened. Sir Dawoda Jawara wanted Ousainou to rescind his resignation until he completed investgation. Mr. Darboe appreciated Jawara’s efforts. “As a noble Ousainou said he could not tweak his words, more so work under the same corrupt boss. He said he might come back to work for the government in a different capacity. What I’m saying is the fact, Sir Dawda is still alive. He can deny if my statement is incorrect.”
Mai remains a solid rock of Ousainou Darboe, the husband “who has never put tears on our cheeks. In his Eid message, Ousainou praised me and Sally for standing by him during this very challenging and trying time. But I think we are the ones who should praise a husband who has never put tears on our cheeks. Throughout our marriage with him, Ousainou Darboe stood by us – in times of good and bad. We cannot therefore pay such a kind husband. Only Allah can reward him. As the saying goes: goodness must be rewarded with goodness,” Mai said.
“Ousainou we stand by you. You’ve prepared us that you’d be locked up. Whatever the case, we’re proud of you and will stand by you and your colleagues who want to uplift suffering for every Gambians, including women, youths and elders. The Gambia will triumph no matter how long it takes.
“Yaya Jammeh should know that the power he is abusing belongs to the people. Gambians have had their eyes opened. We’ve seen skyrocketing of basic food in the country. Let Yaya Jammeh understand that the opposition is only his opponent but not his enemy,” Mai said. She said Jammeh’s enemies are his torturers and cabinet ministers. “If the cabinet wants truth to prevail they should advise you on your thuggery. They clap for you in the open but do different thing behind your back. Your problem is that those working for you do not want anything good for you and the country.”
Ends
What a powerful untold story! I guess there are many more stories still buried under the carpet. Uncle Ousainou you’re nothing but a Real Noble. Allah will protect you, for He rewards good deeds. It is painful but Mai’s statement has calmed down my worries. Thank you Auntie Mai.
I suspect that even his fiercest opponents and critics do not doubt his admirable qualities, as a decent human being, and that was probably one of the many reasons he was identified and chosen to lead the newly formed UDP back then..
But running a country and government is not only, and much more than, humanly qualities, which are definitely very important, but it is also about ideas : of economics; of politics; of governance and government; of reform and development : physical, social, political, etc..
Sir Dawda Jawara is a great human being with admirable human qualities, but his government’s failure to deliver the political, social and economic reforms, as well as, durable infrastructure that Gambians yearned for at independence is what led to July 22 in ’94..
We need to be aware of this when we scrutinise individuals who present their credentials for leadership before us, and select those who visibly demonstrate, either on their political platforms, in messages of one form or the other, in debates, in discussions, etc, that they possess superior ideas than their opponents…
Otherwise, we may succeed in changing individuals occasionally, but not resolve the problems we face, and that’s been the story of Africa and much of the “Third World”..
I should have added…”superior workable and realistic ideas…”
Sometimes, like a jig saw puzzle, a single event or piece of information can suddenly expose what seems like a connection (where there was none), and present a completely different perspective of events, which until them, seemed to be unrelated and unconnected events…
And that is what happened to me when I listened to an online radio discussion forum recently.
An ex-member of Jammeh’s security apparatus revealed that the NIA (APRC) always infiltrates UDP functions by sending operatives to UDP events, disguised as UDP supporters…That is a very serious revelation indeed, but it is probably just the tip of the iceberg..
If I was a UDP decision maker or influential member, I will certainly be worried about such a revelation, especially, in light of other events or information before the public..
Bax, that kind of infiltration is irrelevant. The ideas and programmes of the party is in the open. UDP has had a fair share of own infiltrators in the likes of Waa Juwara or Rambo Jatta , but these infiltrations haven’t dent the popularity of the party. In the contrary, I believe that the matured manner UDP handle spying, underscore the maturity and competence of the party to approach such petty issues with sense instead of violence.
Do you really think infiltration is irrelevant…? Seriously, if you are UDP, then I will advise you to take this revelation seriously…
Waa and Rambo were infiltrators…? Wasn’t Waa a founding & Executive member of the UDP…? You’re talking about infiltration at the Executive level…!!! That is very serious..
Just think about Mr Amadou Sanneh and what happened him …? How did anyone know that the youth who was leaving the country had an asylum support document…? Isn’t it possible that this was an NIA operation to entrap UDP officials…?
I could go on to show that there is corroborative evidence to suggest that the regime might be involved in activities far more sinister than we may think..
One thing we may all agree on is that Jammeh has never shied away from expressing his desire to eliminate his opponents: either to kill them or put them away for good.
One has to wonder, therefore, whether opportunities he was always presented with to do just that, are COINCIDENCES or PREPLANNED MANIPULATIONS…Don’t take anything for granted where Yaya Jammeh is concerned. He is a criminal and he has resources at his disposal..