By Nyanchor Sanneh
Very unfortunate that GDAG has withdrawn from CORDEG. The reputation of CORDEG has already been tarnished after their sham election. So many ugly behind the scenes incidents happened that already disqualified the Executive Committee. Lawyer Lamin Darboe summed up the truth. Did anyone read a response from the trinity, Burr Sine Saine and his two aides to defend the Vision Statement Documents? What can they possibly come up with? Here comes the good Lawyer’s brilliant observation. Please read on.
“In the run-up to Raleigh, the conveners of the conference were marketed as STGDP, based in Atlanta, and GDAG, based in the host city. After Raleigh, DUGA-DC was retrospectively included among the conveners. No explanation was ever advanced. Even more crucially, when CORDEG’s leadership team was unveiled, GDAG, the other principal to Raleigh, came out utterly empty handed in the executive and sub-executive line up. Again, no explanation whatsoever even though this turn of events is potentially the most fatal development going to CORDEG’s very questionable credibility.
In case any of attempt to advance the democratic process as having spoken on the leadership issue, I strongly suggest that a fair and visionary group would exercise heightened and appropriate sensitivity in the overall circumstances it was confronted with as far selecting its top echelon team. To its regrettable peril, CORDEG blatantly ignored common sense! For example, CORDEG purportedly ‘elected’ three socially and culturally connected individuals in the persons of Dr Abdoulaye Saine (Chair), Ms Sigga M Jagne (Vice-chair), and Abdulai Jobe (Secretary General), and probably imposed them on the group as the untouchable Executive Committee (EC). Were the participants in its so-called executive elections on prior notice that “the EC is CORDEG’s top-tier administrative group, responsible for overall policy, strategy and implementation of CORDEG’s programs and projects, with the Secretary General (SG) serving as the hub for CORDEG’s specialiased Committees/Directorates”.
These three very close friends are “also responsible for Foreign Affairs/International Diplomacy, strategic partnerships and overall management of CORDEG”. Or were the responsibilities attached to the positions after the elections? If the latter, the overall process does not pass the smell test! Stated unequivocally, Dr Abdoulaye Saine, Ms Sigga M Jagne, and Abdulai Jobe comprise CORDEG’s equivalent of the UN Security Council with power to veto anything they don’t like.
The public deserves clarification on whether the so-called “vision” statement predates the elections, or whether the “vision” statement was crafted after the elections. I cannot accept that some of the independently minded individuals I encountered in this struggle, and who participated in CORDEG’s so-called elections, would have voted for such a perverse arrangement had they known they were endorsing a dictatorship of three social and cultural chums in the sense that the “Steering Committee”, and the “Specialised Committees/Directorates” are utterly redundant in the area of crucial management decision making. In light of the above, I emphatically reject the claim in the so-called “vision” statement that CORDEG “enjoys wide mandate and legitimacy, as the recognised representative and voice of the Gambian opposition the world-over”.
Those who contend for the proposition that unity is the highest value we should aspire to in our fight against atrocious public lawlessness in Gambian public life are counselled to embrace the more admirable philosophy of objective reason and fairness as the highest foundational values of any viable national space. As currently constituted, CORDEG’s “vision”, and top leadership team, lacks both reason and fairness! CORDEG will therefore struggle for traction. Don’t take my word for it. I am more than content to leave the verdict in the hands of that great arbiter of human affairs – time.” LJDarboe
It is a shame for us gambians.we want leadership.some people as long as they did not lead or not among the any group.then they will start talking.why should we bring eithic in cordeg membership.
mr sonko because thats how some gambians are like. they do not care about the gambia just themselves. So many gambians claim to be highly educated yet very tribalist. too many paper qualifications but no wisdom.
We must not let them drag the gambia down after this fool. Most of them are struggling here in the west but want to go to the gambia and hold top jobs. them few years later, you hear they have some of the most expensive homes at some of the most expensive locations in the gambia. They call is ‘blessing from God’. Professor Kah and the gang- a living example…..
You wonder if they are truely gambian most times……
As a Gambian i think Gambians should try to change themselves before thinking about removing this dictator from power .I have seen the politics in this tiny country since dictator Jammeh came to power .The politicians are all selfish ,none of them think about the condition of the country ,but rather their ideology or tribal affiliation and this is what have been helping dictator Jammeh for the past two decades. In politics We should have tolerance and respect each other rather fighting each other ,we should know that we are all fighting for one thing.In 2006 election when NAAD was formed ,i was in the Gambia and i was very much involved in the campaign , Yahya Jammeh knows by himself that he was going to loose ,he even signal that he is not going to hand over power ,all of a sudden at the last minute of the campaign they split ,when i heard it over the radio i cried in my house because i know it is over for the oppositions in the Gambia .Let us take example from Senegal .Abdoulie wade is not a dictator even though he have made some mistakes ,but what did the Senegalese oppositions did ?They forget all their differences and came together to defeat Abdoulie Wade .If we cannot come together and defeat this tyrant then what is our use of opposing him .
Mohamed Keita
Basel ,Switzerland
CORDEG can redeem itself if they are prepared to listen to critics and take on board legitimate concerns.
Thanks
FIRST POINT: These two statements (i.e. “the trinity, Burr Sine Saine and his two aides to defend the Vision Statement Documents?” and “”) are rhetoric peddling BIGOTRY from BIGOTS???
SECOND POINT: CORDEG DOES NOT HAVE ANY MANDATE & “IRREDEEMABLE” AND CAN ONLY OPERATE, CONTINUE & CONSIDERED AS CSO BUT WITH DUPLICITY AND CONFLICTING INTERESTS AGAINST YET TO BE CREATED THE PROPERLY MANDATED RALEIGH “STEERING COMMITTEE” ENVISAGED TO MOBILISE A UNITED NATIONAL FRONT!???
FIRST POINT: These two statements (i.e. “the trinity, Burr Sine Saine and his two aides to defend the Vision Statement Documents?” and “CORDEG purportedly ‘elected’ three socially and culturally connected individuals in the persons of Dr Abdoulaye Saine (Chair), Ms Sigga M Jagne (Vice-chair), and Abdulai Jobe (Secretary General),”) are rhetoric peddling BIGOTRY from BIGOTS???
SECOND POINT: For the records on 1st Point for ETHNICITY/TRIBE; Dr Abdoulaye Saine is SERRER (may be?), Abdoulai Jobe is WOLLOF (may be?) and Sigga Jagne is “MOOR” /”NARR or MAURITANIAN ROOTS DESCENDENT”(may be?). So they are not “CULTURALLY CONNECTED INDIVIDUALS” but GAMBIAN CITIZENS maliciously slandered.
THIRD POINT: CORDEG DOES NOT HAVE ANY MANDATE & “IRREDEEMABLE” AND CAN ONLY OPERATE, CONTINUE & CONSIDERED AS CSO BUT WITH DUPLICITY AND CONFLICTING INTERESTS AGAINST YET TO BE CREATED THE PROPERLY MANDATED RALEIGH “STEERING COMMITTEE” ENVISAGED TO MOBILISE A UNITED NATIONAL FRONT!???
CORDEG GIVE US A BREAK!WHETHER THEY ARE FROM THE SAME MOTHER AND FATHER THATS IS IMPORTANT BUT THE CRITERIA THE USED IN THEIR SELECTION IS INDEED A SHAM.ANYWAY I TALK ABOUT THE REPRESENTATIVE OF HOLLAND AND HOW HE HAS BEEN SELECTED,DEMBA DEM JUST RECEIVED A CALL AND HE IS SELECTED TO BE AMONGST THE STEERING COMMITEE.CORDEG DO NOT REPRESENT GAMBIANS BUT THEMSELVES PERIOD.AMERICA CANNOT LEAD THIS STRUGGLE NEITHER ENGLAND NO THOSE GAMBIANS IN SCANDINAVIA OR OTHER PARTS OF EUROPE.IF ANY DIASPORAN GAMBIA WANT TO LEAD THIS STRUGGLE THEN YOU MUST DO IT LIKE CHARLES TAILOR BUT NOT MANOEVRE OR MANIPULATION FOLKS.ALL THESE LIES AND HATRED IN THIS STRUGGLE HAS BEGAN BY THE DIASPORAN GAMBIAN,BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY KNOW WHEN THEY KNOW NOTHING,ABOUT THE GAMBIA.WHEN THEM SAY THIS THEM SAY THAT,WE BURN THAT!Since the early days of the coupe,daily observer.gambia l etc.