Jammeh Betrayed The Goodwill Of Gambians

By Kansaikou Samateh

Some of us are forced into political activism. President Jammeh’s betrayal of the good and civil nature of Gambians pushed lots of youths into taking the stance of opposing him. Dictator Jammeh cultivated a mind-set rooted in clandestine betrayal of every decent and upright Gambian. His 22 years of Presidency created so many characters in the Gambia, one wonders whether the country will ever be the same again.

The Jammeh effect on the Gambia is across many dimensions. The bulk of people now cannot trust each other. Mutual political agreements broken on smaller grounds, all because President Jammeh makes sure, everything fails. The country is now stranded at the deep blue sea. There cannot be any other remedy apart from the complete and total removal of President Jammeh from power.

The fabrics of the Gambian society is damaged and to repair it, Gambians have to dump every single Jammehrism (personality of greed, selfishness, wickedness, and betrayals).

Few years ago I was diagnose with a serious illness. The hospital in the Gambia found it hard to provide me an accurate diagnoses. The MRC, The Edward Francis Small Hospital, all struggle to tell me what is wrong with me. This is 22 years after the self-proclaim ‘dictator of development’ occupied our Presidency.

I could not be treated in the Gambia. I suffered immensely, nearly lost my life. My salvation came when I was able to travel to England for treatment. Within days of my first check up, I was given treatment, the illness contain. Yet contrast all the months I visit the main teaching hospital in the Gambia. No cures, no medication or treatment. This is after a loud and pompous President kept telling us that, the Gambia will be a superpower and Silicon Valley.

As Gambians we are embarrassed to have Yahya Jammeh as our President. Mr Editor, allow me to address Yahya Jammeh a little.

Mr President Jammeh, your inconsistency, unreliability and ungrateful traits have not only jeopardised the fate of your loyalists but your spin doctors, who have fought for you by sacrificing their relationship with the public.  The lessons The Gambians have learned in your bid to betray and damn your stakeholders and loyalists are enough for anyone to refuse your offer of employment, if there is no threat or insecurity of rejecting it.

Mr President, the constitution of any democratic state does not allowed the president to engage in business, since he would not pay tax and to avoid his attention being distracted from state affairs. However, you are a different President, who does not only engage in private businesses but monopolises some of them at the expense of the citizens. The Abuko abattoir, your bread bakery, etc are good examples that manifest your vaulting ambition of amassing wealth for yourself at the expense of the state.

We call on you Mr President to release all the Imams and journalist under your custody. We call on you to step down and save the Gambia from any further bloodshed. The silent hell Gambians are in should end now. I know you lack the moral conscience to decide such a momentous decision, however, for your own sake, and that of the Gambia, resign from office and allow a caretaker government to unite the country. The Gambia is at the brinks of further isolation and divide, and the final analysis will not end well if you fail to step down and allow for a peaceful handover of power.