The Gambia’s Information and Communication Ministry has re-assured Gambian and non-Gambians that their freedom of expression rights are still guaranteed.
In a statement, the government “acknowledges that Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, a political science lecturer at the University of The Gambia was invited by the police for questioning on Wednesday, January 31, 2018, over comments in an interview granted to The Voice newspaper issue of the same day.”
In the said interview story captioned ECOMIG Wouldn’t Prevent Long Term Security Risk If…, Dr. Ceesay said “the presence of the regional forces in the country will not prevent long-term security risks if the president does not win the trust of the army.”
He believes “Many Gambians do not understand the army during Jammeh’s era. I can tell you that over 75% of Gambia’s military men will not die for Jammeh. They just don’t have a choice. It was not just the army that was following Jammeh. What about the ministers who were around him? So many people thought that the whole army was loyal to Jammeh but soldiers will tell you that Jammeh had more sophisticated weapons at State House than all other camps put together.”
According to the government, “Dr Ceesay who was subsequently released the same evening following questioning on security related issues he referred to in the newspaper interview preferred to spend the night at the Police Headquarters, insisting that he needed to wait to talk to his lawyer.”
The government solicits the understanding of the general public in such matters and reassures Gambian citizens and non-Gambians resident in the country that their fundamental rights to free expression as enshrined in the Constitution will be respected.
Ends
These assurance is not worth the paper it is written on. The government can as well start the building of detention centers that can accommodate at least 2 million inmates.
WORRYING SIGNALS THAT MUST BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY
If the proposition is that we are just contented to overcome Jammeh insanity alone. Then I would agree with all of you who believe that we have registered tremendous achievements so far.
BUT if the proposition is that we see Jammeh’s rule as abnormal and a stray from normal path of a country. We should not merely measure ourselves with Jammeh legacy. We have to measure ourself with good people and countries being administered well.
And it is remarkable to observe the recent actions by Barrow e.g. in having erstwhile Jammeh enabler Musa Suso as presidential adviser; the arrest of Dr. Ismaila Ceesay purportedly under the direct directive of the president’s office; the creation of a barrow foundation by a sitting president etc, all points to unpredictability and behaviors we thought went away with Jammeh. Alas even if we are supporters of the coalition and by extension supporters of Barrow’s formerly party UDP, we must be alarmed at the steps being taken by Barrow and speak out if necessary.
Less we forget: The battle won is not a credit to Barrow alone. The battle won must be credited to the fallen heroes and the collective uprising of the people against the brutality with which Jammeh responded to legitimate opposition by the people to impunity. We must and we will guard the legacy of people who lost their lives to bring us out of Jammeh tyranny and we will jealously guard against the erosion of values they died for. And I expect UDP, being singular the party most affected by Jammeh evilness, not to condone such practices against which many of their compatriots died.
Of course we can see Barrow as one of us and surely we stand with him on the right path. But if he choose to take the path of sycophants to discredit the blood and soil wasted to redeem our country, I believe we must not stand by him. He must advise him well and good. Otherwise we must voice our opposition to him and weigh on him to reset the button.
IN THE LONG RUN, WEASELS AND LIARS NEVER HOLD THE FIELD, SO LONG AS GOOD PEOPLE STAND UP.