My brothers and sisters of Foni, I want you to all read this message from beginning to end and pass it to whoever should get it.
Before going further I want to first introduce myself so that you will know that the person writing this is not a stranger but a born citizen and true son of Foni.
I am Bubacarr Sambou a Gambian of Jarrol village origin in Foni Jarrol District. I am a Bainunka by tribe and I belong to a noble family of Sambou Kunda, the family that has been rulers of Foni Jarrol District for Centuries before and during the time of colonial rule. Seven of my ancestors served as chiefs of Foni Jarrol District. Therefore, I am indeed an original citizen of Foni.
NOW MY MESSAGE TO FONINKAS
With all due respect, I want to put to all of you that from our leaders down to every responsible person in Foni that we are not grateful to The Gambia. That we have betrayed all Gambians and if we don’t repent and apologize to The Gambia Allah will surely judge us.
Recently Foni has become almost every day news headlines not for anything but resistance to change that is inevitable. Are we really genuine to ourselves? Are we fair to our children who shall be our future? Is this the way we are going to pay the Gambians back after supporting a son of our land for 22 years?
How soon can we forget the kindness of the majority of Gambians who supported a son of our land after embarking on an unlawful coup d’état? Instead of everybody going against him and his team, they supported him to the maximum regardless of where he came from (Foni).
He has since then been winning elections by overwhelming majority and everybody even the oppositions then accepts it with good faith without any problem only to give peace a chance. Sometimes they are even mistreated but yet they accept results of those elections and encourage their supporters to do the same.
My brothers and sisters of Foni, how could we? Knowing full well how Yaya Jammeh came to power and get supported by all Gambians regardless of ethnicity or whatsoever because there was a need for change; how could we continue behaving as if we are ignorant of the fact that the Gambia needed changed at a time when Jammeh lost elections.
Instead of telling him the truth we defended him blindly because we thought he was a kind of god that must be worshiped forever. Then he was forced out when we thought he was unshakeable and that no human can do anything to him. Is that not enough for us to now believe that he was just an ordinary human like you and I who is gone forever and for good?
Why are we still resisting change? What is so special that Yahya Jammeh did for us that nobody can ever do for us? Nothing and you know what I mean.
In fact, during the 22 years of Jammeh’s leadership how much has the people of Foni suffered in his hands. Have we forgotten Lang Tombong Tamba who was a pride of Foni, what has Jammeh done to him? We have all seen it. Have we forgotten Bun Sanneh another pride of Foni, what has Jammeh done to him?
We have all seen it. Where is Abdoulie Kujabi, a pride of Foni, what has Jammeh done to him? We have all seen it; where is Lamin Sanneh, Ndongo Mboob, Modou Lamin Nyassi, Masireh Jammeh, Haruna Jammeh, Ebou Colley (Chief of Bondali), and many more who were true sons and daughters of Foni. We have all seen how the heartless man we are killing ourselves for dealt with them.
Have we forgotten so soon how Jammeh paraded our mothers, grandmothers, fathers, grandfathers and accused them of being witches and wizards, which was the cause of so many deaths because some of them could not withstand the humiliation.
Have we forgotten so soon how Jammeh enslaved the people of Foni by making a lot of families in Foni be without lands that they can farm because he has taken every good land he landed his eyes on. Thus forcing them all to have no choice but work on his farm in Kanilai and get paid with food stuff.
Have we forgotten so soon how Jammeh has divided us from being one people, one family and one Foni in to being tribes and villages of different classes of importance?
My brothers and sisters of Foni, can we open our eyes to see that we are in a boat that is leading us to a dark future.
Do we think that Yaya Jammeh is the only good son of Foni and no one else?
Do we want Yaya Jammeh to be the first and the last son of Foni to ever be President of The Gambia?
Don’t you think our actions today can scare Gambians so much that their minds will never be comfortable for a Foninka to rule them again regardless of tribe?
If the whole Gambia can support a son of our land when we needed their support, I call it the greatest level of ungratefulness and hypocrisy that we are resisting a change that everybody wanted. We have betrayed The Gambia and if not forgiven we shall perish.
I grew up with the belief that Foninkas don’t go against a ruling government. During the time of former President Jawara, Foni was behind him, Jammeh’s time came Foni was behind him to the extent of making the region a ‘No go area for Opposition’.
I have voted for Jammeh and his MPs in Foni since I started voting in 2001. It was only this last presidential and parliamentary elections that I changed with the conviction that change was obvious and it was the wish of all lovers of The Gambia and well wishers.
Now that there is a new President why are we still resisting and not allowing life to go on? In fact, making life uncomfortable for us the real Foninkas because a true son and daughter of Foni who is a true citizen of The Gambia will not support what is happening in Foni today.
I am not calling you to leave your party to join any other party, but what I am saying is that Yahya Jammeh is gone for good never to return as President. As a matter of fact, the new government being so lenient with APRC party to the extent of allowing us decide that we still want them as our Members of Parliament is respect enough for Foni that we should be grateful of.
If you are not concern, I am concerned, the youths and children of Foni are concerned and we want our future to be guaranteed by being part of the building of a dream Gambia that will be free from torture, free from discrimination, free from “Do me I do you”, but a Gambia where no one will be judged by where you come from or the tribe you belong.
I will therefore conclude by calling all youth of Foni that we should stand against resistance and know that the Gambia without Foni is no Gambia because Foni is part of The Gambia. But we should equally know that Gambia is not going to wait/delay to grow only because Foni is still not coming. The Gambia shall prosper whether Foni is ready or not, so let us not allow ourselves to be fooled and our future be shattered because of the greediness of some people.
Our newly elected Parliamentarians of Foni, I want to challenge you all to also participate in clearing up the mess for life to return to normal because it seems our people are hypnotised. It is time for us to reconcile as brothers and sisters. I believe we will listen to you people when you speak; so speak forthwith but of the positive in the best interest of us all. Don’t be selfish because your selfishness will cost us our future. Do it for us the youth, do it for your children, do it for our women.
As I pray for justice to guide our actions to prove mans brotherhood, I remain
Your true Son of Foni.
Bubacarr Sambou
Ends
Barry ahfeleh eyeh tonya fo morri keba allah ma allah ye gho
Congratulations mr sambou hope the people’s of foni will took ur advice. Gambia is bigger than all of us jammeh has gone but the gambia is here.
I think Jammeh, sadly, succeeded in selling an unrealistic dream to the Foni’s. It was a dream to even think that such a rule will be sustained. So the people of Foni had a rude awakening which, am afraid, will take time to fade. The healing will take time because sadly he had succeeded in sowing suspicion between mandinka and Jola. I.e Foni sandwiched between Kiang and Kombo, with the ethnic composition along these lines, is affected by the misfortune of wounded pride. And as Mr. Stambou rightly put it, it may even take generations to change perceptions thus Foni will be undeservedly held at arms length by the rest of country for a long time.
The people of Foni must now do damage control and put their acts together. The elites from this area like Mr Stambou, need to step in and sensitize the people. The rest of Gambia will encourage reconciliation but may runout of patience if the obstruction so should persist. Gambia never belonged to Jammeh. His demise is good for the country and must be accepted by all regions. This fact is non-negotiable.
Bubacarr Sambu, Minus the Sweeping, Oversimplifications, Broad Generalizations, Insidious and Subliminal Messages of Title dropping Grandiosity Signifying Self-Promoting Platitudes, I would agree that Badibu, Jarra, Kiang, The Kombos, the Banjul, Bakau, Serekunda, and Noumi, Need to Repent. STOP the Demonization Objectification and Selective Apportionment of the Blame Game on the Fonis and therefore, the Jola Ethnic Group, for the Collective Acts/Deeds of All Gambians, from all Corners of the Gambia and from all Ethnic Groups and Social Strata. Some of the Commentators unlike Yours Truly, have were at one point or another, gainfully employed by the Second Republic and would have continued working if they were not sent packing for one reason or another. I have not and can Truthfully and Honesty say that I had not benefited from the Second Republic either directly or indirectly. Can you and your Cheer leaders Truthfully and Honesty say that with your Hands on the Quran or the Bible depending on your Religious Believe or Affiliation? I think Not. It is Cynical, Opportunistic and Downright Dangerous, Irresponsible and Unethical Attempt to Single out Foni with Malicious Intent Wrapped up in a False Narrative of Nativism, while Insidiously and Subliminally try to Marginalize a Segment of the Fonis, Predominantly the Jola of Foni. The amount of time spent or investing writing up this Dangerous, Insane and Irresponsible Call to Violence if not Arms Against “Some Foningkas” in this case the Jola is all too Clear to those who can read between the lines. Note that Mr. Sambu made a point to Clearly state his Supposedly “Pedigree” of coming from a “Bainunka Royalty”. It is the age old Caste system of bygone Era that most Civilized Societies have abandoned that some in the Gambia like Sambu and his Benefactors and Kind Delude and Emerse themselves in a Nocturnal Emission of Self-actualisation. Must all Jola be expected to toe the line of those who would like to Subjugate them? How many Bainukas were so morally revolted and found the Second Republic so Repugnant that, they refused to Serve in the Second Republic? When those Angels are identified, all Gambians if they so desire Should ask for their Forgiveness. I dear say, such Gambians are either non existent or are Gambians who have Been in Diaspora Before and During The Second Republic. The Obession and Pre-occupation with The Jolas and former President Yaya Jammeh is Dangerous and Unhealthy. Enough, we need to Simmer Down and Channel our Collective abd National energy to a more Useful Endeavor. One Gambia, One People One Destiny. Gambia is more than the Sum Total of One Individual,One Ethnic Group and Region.
Thanks mr bojang. I cannot write any better. This so call sambou guy posted the rudest ever insult to anyone from foni.
Wow! This piece should be printed as an A3 Poster and distributed all over the country.
Thank Mr sambou for that talented advice Allah shall guide you.we want peace in the Gambia
Thank you Babucarr Sambou. Those are words of the honest, wise and the intelligent. No Swahili or Creole can say it better and clearer.
I guess Foni has accommodated or integrated a lot over the past two decades because real Foninkas; Jolas, Bainunkas, Mandinkas, Fulas, Sarahules and all I did not mention, as I know basically, are not greedy, cruel, violent and creepy people but indeed honest, humble and peaceful.
Good commend my boss, sambou, i know u most say the truth and u said it all, man of peace, lets give peace a chance.
You are one hell of a lair and an ass kisser,nothing short of that nature.Do we not have the right to choose and belong.You wanna tell me all foni citizens are behind Jammeh,certainly am not but I condemn your misleading remarks.We need to end this incendiary statements if we are to heal the nation and become one once again.
Comrades let’s not stop being objective. We are Gambians. Let’s see Gambia first before any tribe or whatever. Let’s stop bickering about which tribe does what and how. WE HAVE A COMMON PROBLEM. AND OUR PROBLEM is the fact that our dear Gambia is no longer the same. Now how do we track it back to the Gambia we used to boast as the Smiling Coast of Africa but we cannot achieve this when we resort to violence. So who ever is responsible for this constant chaos is not pioneering for the peace and tranquillity we are yearning for lets start working on progressing gambia let pray so that enemies of the Gambia continue to be exposed. Ameeeeeen
Thank you Mr Sambou for the wonderful advice and sense of unionism as a true son of Gambia