Oh here he comes
Seeking our votes
With endless promises
Of making our lives better
He said he is not a politician
But a servant of the people
Power to the people he says
Now we voted for him
He don't care about us
He sits in his palace
Sorrounded by his soldiers
Sharpening his sword
Ready to behead any opponent
He loots our economy
While people are dying of hunger
Prostitution getting higher
Unemployment getting higher and higher
Journalists killed
Politicians exiled
Civilians jailed
No more democracy
No rights
No freedoms
That is our sytem of government.
Power
Because of the high fence
Because of armed soldiers around you
Because of your long machette
You think that you own our country
You govern us the way you want
Talk to us the way you want
And do everything you want
Because of your powers
Hey, have you forgotten
That we are a country
And not a jungle
We have laws, so rule by them
Be thoughtful, be wise
The Bible says what goes
Around comes around
Continue being a monster
And you shall reap
What you are sowing
This is but a gentle reminder.
Tuesday 6 November 2007
Jemus de healer
Recent pronouncements by Yahya Jammeh (Jemus) that he has found cure to Aids, asthma and other diseases came as no surprise to me and of course many Gambians who have been keeping a close eye on the brutal dictator.
I was not surprised but was disappointed that the dictator waited until now to make it public. Since coming to power in July 1994, Gambians have seen a ruthless and blood thirsty dictator who repeatedly claims that Allah (God) is his world bank. Yes the mighty and ever rich financial banker who provides loans with high interest demands to build Arch 22 and other projects that yield no returns and will not improve the living conditions of average Gambians. Yet the very Gambian people most of whom in their majority cannot provide three decent square meals daily are paying the loan to the mighty banker.
What would have stopped the weird looking President from going that far? Remember this dude claims to have supernatural means. A man who claims to have dinned on many occasions with djinns living in some funny trees in the bush covers of Kanilai. The same djinns he claimed to have made his hair fell off when they were mysteriously preparing to give him the presidency hat.
Again, this is the same mystic creature who claims to have divine powers that shows him things about to happen even in a hundred years time. Yes, the same Jammeh who posses mysterious powers that renders any military arsenal aimed at him to be useless. Yet he roams around Banjul with over 25 heavily armed body guards ready to shoot and never hesitate to pull the trigger on any taxi driving while the majestic president idly patrols the highways of Gambia.
Yes, here is a president whose sees the future but cannot stop locusts from ravaging the country's farm produce, cannot stop the murder of veteran journalists Deyda Hydara which he claimed to have been carried out by foreign elements.
It is not the same man who goes even to the UN summit with a sword and satanic beads, who promised to turn The Gambia into an oil-producing nation to supplement its main export, peanuts, and yet Banjul has been unable to find any crude oil in its shores?
The same Jammeh had promised to: " transform The Gambia into a financial centre, a tourist paradise, a trading, export-oriented agricultural and manufacturing nation, thriving on free market policies and a vibrant private sector, sustained by a well-educated, trained, skilled, healthy, self-reliant and enterprising population and guaranteeing a well-balanced eco- system and a decent standard of living for one and all under a system of government based on the consent of the citizenry." For over a decade since coming to power, none has been achieved so far.
I raised all the above points to prove one thing. The President lied to the nation and to the whole world. He has made us the laughing stock of the world and I call on him to step down.
Coming back to the Aids issue, we are all aware of the increasing HIV/AIDS infection rate in the country. Many Gambians have died and many more continue to die everyday since the disease was discovered in Banjul. In response to the pandemic, millions of Dalasis is being spent to fund the National Aids Secretariat.
For 20 years now, medical researches around the globe have tried and are continuing to do all they could to find cure for the world's deadliest disease by which bodies' defence systems ravaged its immune system to the point where everyday infections become life-threatening.
Like Prof Coovadia, a member of South Africa's Treatment Action Campaign who heads the HIV research team at the University of KwaZulu Natal said, "A response within three to 10 days and a three-day course is almost inconceivable for a disease like HIV/Aids. It was tragic that The Gambia had a political environment that allows a minister of health and a president to violate every foundation of science and public health. The entire exercise is circumscribed by secrecy - that's not how science works. It would be impossible to measure the negative impact of Mr Jammeh's claims, but it could lead to risky sexual behaviour, instead of following preventative advice," he said.
Another funny thing is the staunch support being given to crazy Jammeh by the secretary of state for Health, Tamsir Mbowe. Well, I don't blame SoS Mbowe because he is serving his master. We all know what will happen if he disagrees. Secondly knowing the true colours of Jammeh, which Gambian medical institution will dare say that the condition of the HIV positive people being treated by Jammeh have not changed? Well if he can order the sacking of two journalists for doubting his cure, then a medical practitioner who exposes his lies will be buried six feet deep.
Jammeh needs to know that we are now in the 21 century. We are in a century where people are wiser and will not accept to be fooled in broad day. He said during the 2004 World Aids Day, our religious leaders, family heads and all of society should strive to be aware of Aids, to understand the consequences of the epidemic, including examining personal attitudes and actions as well as becoming knowledgeable about the scientific and socio-cultural facts about the disease. What happens to that advice now that Jammeh tells the world he is able to cure HIV/AIDS?
He should also not forget the call he made on all leaders to use spiritual teachings and religious scriptures to emphasise morality in society as well as compassion, healing and support for people living with the disease.
Jammeh needs to be reminded that a mad president cannot lead a nation. It is unto us Gambians to cure Jammeh's madness before it spreads to advanced uncontrollable proportions.
I was not surprised but was disappointed that the dictator waited until now to make it public. Since coming to power in July 1994, Gambians have seen a ruthless and blood thirsty dictator who repeatedly claims that Allah (God) is his world bank. Yes the mighty and ever rich financial banker who provides loans with high interest demands to build Arch 22 and other projects that yield no returns and will not improve the living conditions of average Gambians. Yet the very Gambian people most of whom in their majority cannot provide three decent square meals daily are paying the loan to the mighty banker.
What would have stopped the weird looking President from going that far? Remember this dude claims to have supernatural means. A man who claims to have dinned on many occasions with djinns living in some funny trees in the bush covers of Kanilai. The same djinns he claimed to have made his hair fell off when they were mysteriously preparing to give him the presidency hat.
Again, this is the same mystic creature who claims to have divine powers that shows him things about to happen even in a hundred years time. Yes, the same Jammeh who posses mysterious powers that renders any military arsenal aimed at him to be useless. Yet he roams around Banjul with over 25 heavily armed body guards ready to shoot and never hesitate to pull the trigger on any taxi driving while the majestic president idly patrols the highways of Gambia.
Yes, here is a president whose sees the future but cannot stop locusts from ravaging the country's farm produce, cannot stop the murder of veteran journalists Deyda Hydara which he claimed to have been carried out by foreign elements.
It is not the same man who goes even to the UN summit with a sword and satanic beads, who promised to turn The Gambia into an oil-producing nation to supplement its main export, peanuts, and yet Banjul has been unable to find any crude oil in its shores?
The same Jammeh had promised to: " transform The Gambia into a financial centre, a tourist paradise, a trading, export-oriented agricultural and manufacturing nation, thriving on free market policies and a vibrant private sector, sustained by a well-educated, trained, skilled, healthy, self-reliant and enterprising population and guaranteeing a well-balanced eco- system and a decent standard of living for one and all under a system of government based on the consent of the citizenry." For over a decade since coming to power, none has been achieved so far.
I raised all the above points to prove one thing. The President lied to the nation and to the whole world. He has made us the laughing stock of the world and I call on him to step down.
Coming back to the Aids issue, we are all aware of the increasing HIV/AIDS infection rate in the country. Many Gambians have died and many more continue to die everyday since the disease was discovered in Banjul. In response to the pandemic, millions of Dalasis is being spent to fund the National Aids Secretariat.
For 20 years now, medical researches around the globe have tried and are continuing to do all they could to find cure for the world's deadliest disease by which bodies' defence systems ravaged its immune system to the point where everyday infections become life-threatening.
Like Prof Coovadia, a member of South Africa's Treatment Action Campaign who heads the HIV research team at the University of KwaZulu Natal said, "A response within three to 10 days and a three-day course is almost inconceivable for a disease like HIV/Aids. It was tragic that The Gambia had a political environment that allows a minister of health and a president to violate every foundation of science and public health. The entire exercise is circumscribed by secrecy - that's not how science works. It would be impossible to measure the negative impact of Mr Jammeh's claims, but it could lead to risky sexual behaviour, instead of following preventative advice," he said.
Another funny thing is the staunch support being given to crazy Jammeh by the secretary of state for Health, Tamsir Mbowe. Well, I don't blame SoS Mbowe because he is serving his master. We all know what will happen if he disagrees. Secondly knowing the true colours of Jammeh, which Gambian medical institution will dare say that the condition of the HIV positive people being treated by Jammeh have not changed? Well if he can order the sacking of two journalists for doubting his cure, then a medical practitioner who exposes his lies will be buried six feet deep.
Jammeh needs to know that we are now in the 21 century. We are in a century where people are wiser and will not accept to be fooled in broad day. He said during the 2004 World Aids Day, our religious leaders, family heads and all of society should strive to be aware of Aids, to understand the consequences of the epidemic, including examining personal attitudes and actions as well as becoming knowledgeable about the scientific and socio-cultural facts about the disease. What happens to that advice now that Jammeh tells the world he is able to cure HIV/AIDS?
He should also not forget the call he made on all leaders to use spiritual teachings and religious scriptures to emphasise morality in society as well as compassion, healing and support for people living with the disease.
Jammeh needs to be reminded that a mad president cannot lead a nation. It is unto us Gambians to cure Jammeh's madness before it spreads to advanced uncontrollable proportions.
I write what I want
I wish to apologise to my esteem readers for my long absence due to poor health. But I say Alhamdullilah that I have recovered fully.
While I lay in bed recovering from my illness (don't ask me what illness), I received so many E-mails regarding the last piece I authored captioned A National Disaster. While I don't bother about criticisms, I think it is time for me to make some few clarifications.
I want Gambians to know that I am only a journalist and not a politician. I write base on the ethics of my profession and nothing else. I am no one's protégé or boy-boy and I will continue to write nothing but the truth. As Gambians, I think it is incumbent upon all of us to express ourselves especially exposing the wrong deeds of the Jammeh regime. President Jammeh is our servant and not our king. He is voted into office to deliver and we have a right to question any decision he makes. He is paid a monthly salary from our taxes and as a result he is not greater than anyone.
In The Gambia today, it is sad to note that we have a bunch of selfish dudes who because of their selfish desires hates to see anything critical of the Mighty Jammeh. And as a result, they will do anything within their powers to get rid of any journalist or media house that tries to inform Gambians nothing but the truth. Freedom of Expression is our fundamental right and we must never allow it to be taken away from us. We must speak out because silence means we agree with whatever the regime does.
The Gambia is our homeland and it is our responsibility to have a say in the way the Jammeh regime is running the affairs of our country. Now coming back to my last piece, its so upsetting to see so-called patriotic Gambians asking why I should have wrote about the poor results. Look my dear friends, any national examination in which a mere 25 out of 6358 students representing 0.39 per cent of candidates attained credits in nine subjects is a disaster. And it is the responsibility of any sound-minded Gambian to talk about it.
The results only give a bleak future to our youths who cannot gain any meaningful job today in the country not to talk of admission into the Gambia College or University. I insist that public schools are today not delivering the good. That is the reason why only poor Gambians send their children to these schools. If they are good as the government claim, why are senior government officials not sending their children there? Why should President Jammeh's four or five-year-old daughter leave all the nursery schools in Banjul to attend the American Embassy School on Kairaba Avenue?
I still maintain that the APRC government has failed woefully in bringing out quality education to Gambian children. The standard of our country's education has been decaying since the AFPRC/APRC came to power, believe me or not. Yes, I say this because education which should have been government's top priority is not given the attention it required. A lot of emphasis today is put on defence.
The government today spend millions of tax-payers' money in procuring state of the earth military equipment rather than improving the state of our country's education. President Jammeh and his cronies need to realise that arms never move a country forward. Our neighbouring Senegal is today developed and is continuing to outpace us in all sectors not because of its large army or sophisticated weapons, but because of the educated people it has.
In the Gambia today, it is sad to note that some of the few Ph D and Masters degree holders the country proudly boast of have been transformed into political prostitutes, who are only interested in getting richer and richer at the expense of the Gambian taxpayers. How many times have we seen secretaries of states, permanent secretaries and directors of government departments being kicked about without any explanation? How many secretaries of states, permanent secretaries and directors of government departments have ever challenged President Jammeh when he tries to make a wrong decision on their departments?
As far as I am concern, all secretaries of states, permanent secretaries and directors of government departments are scared of President Jammeh. They say yes to anything he says, be it good or bad and that is the reason why the country is going from bad to worst. President Jammeh needs to swallow his pride and listen carefully to all criticisms. He should remember that Lawyer Darboe, OJ Jallow, Hamat Bah, Lamin Waa Juwara and Sidia Jatta are not his enemies. They all have a common interest to develop The Gambia. He should invite them at least every six months to map out ways to develop the country.
After all, The Gambia belongs to all of us and not to him. President Jammeh should further stop harassing, swearing Billahi Wallahi Tallai or threatening to bury his opponents six feet deep. We are no longer in the Stone Age. We are in the 21st Century and even kids have now stopped swearing on each other when playing street football.
President Jammeh needs to know that some of his cronies do not have the interest of The Gambia at heart or are afraid to speak out their minds. They only say things that pleases him and he must therefore lower his grace and stop being arrogant. Dictatorship is a thing of the past and he must learn from end results of Charles Taylor, Samuel Doe, Idi Amin, Hussein Habre and his brother, Sani Abacha. He should remember that he will one day reap the seeds he sow either good or bad. Let's be tolerant and love each other.
While I lay in bed recovering from my illness (don't ask me what illness), I received so many E-mails regarding the last piece I authored captioned A National Disaster. While I don't bother about criticisms, I think it is time for me to make some few clarifications.
I want Gambians to know that I am only a journalist and not a politician. I write base on the ethics of my profession and nothing else. I am no one's protégé or boy-boy and I will continue to write nothing but the truth. As Gambians, I think it is incumbent upon all of us to express ourselves especially exposing the wrong deeds of the Jammeh regime. President Jammeh is our servant and not our king. He is voted into office to deliver and we have a right to question any decision he makes. He is paid a monthly salary from our taxes and as a result he is not greater than anyone.
In The Gambia today, it is sad to note that we have a bunch of selfish dudes who because of their selfish desires hates to see anything critical of the Mighty Jammeh. And as a result, they will do anything within their powers to get rid of any journalist or media house that tries to inform Gambians nothing but the truth. Freedom of Expression is our fundamental right and we must never allow it to be taken away from us. We must speak out because silence means we agree with whatever the regime does.
The Gambia is our homeland and it is our responsibility to have a say in the way the Jammeh regime is running the affairs of our country. Now coming back to my last piece, its so upsetting to see so-called patriotic Gambians asking why I should have wrote about the poor results. Look my dear friends, any national examination in which a mere 25 out of 6358 students representing 0.39 per cent of candidates attained credits in nine subjects is a disaster. And it is the responsibility of any sound-minded Gambian to talk about it.
The results only give a bleak future to our youths who cannot gain any meaningful job today in the country not to talk of admission into the Gambia College or University. I insist that public schools are today not delivering the good. That is the reason why only poor Gambians send their children to these schools. If they are good as the government claim, why are senior government officials not sending their children there? Why should President Jammeh's four or five-year-old daughter leave all the nursery schools in Banjul to attend the American Embassy School on Kairaba Avenue?
I still maintain that the APRC government has failed woefully in bringing out quality education to Gambian children. The standard of our country's education has been decaying since the AFPRC/APRC came to power, believe me or not. Yes, I say this because education which should have been government's top priority is not given the attention it required. A lot of emphasis today is put on defence.
The government today spend millions of tax-payers' money in procuring state of the earth military equipment rather than improving the state of our country's education. President Jammeh and his cronies need to realise that arms never move a country forward. Our neighbouring Senegal is today developed and is continuing to outpace us in all sectors not because of its large army or sophisticated weapons, but because of the educated people it has.
In the Gambia today, it is sad to note that some of the few Ph D and Masters degree holders the country proudly boast of have been transformed into political prostitutes, who are only interested in getting richer and richer at the expense of the Gambian taxpayers. How many times have we seen secretaries of states, permanent secretaries and directors of government departments being kicked about without any explanation? How many secretaries of states, permanent secretaries and directors of government departments have ever challenged President Jammeh when he tries to make a wrong decision on their departments?
As far as I am concern, all secretaries of states, permanent secretaries and directors of government departments are scared of President Jammeh. They say yes to anything he says, be it good or bad and that is the reason why the country is going from bad to worst. President Jammeh needs to swallow his pride and listen carefully to all criticisms. He should remember that Lawyer Darboe, OJ Jallow, Hamat Bah, Lamin Waa Juwara and Sidia Jatta are not his enemies. They all have a common interest to develop The Gambia. He should invite them at least every six months to map out ways to develop the country.
After all, The Gambia belongs to all of us and not to him. President Jammeh should further stop harassing, swearing Billahi Wallahi Tallai or threatening to bury his opponents six feet deep. We are no longer in the Stone Age. We are in the 21st Century and even kids have now stopped swearing on each other when playing street football.
President Jammeh needs to know that some of his cronies do not have the interest of The Gambia at heart or are afraid to speak out their minds. They only say things that pleases him and he must therefore lower his grace and stop being arrogant. Dictatorship is a thing of the past and he must learn from end results of Charles Taylor, Samuel Doe, Idi Amin, Hussein Habre and his brother, Sani Abacha. He should remember that he will one day reap the seeds he sow either good or bad. Let's be tolerant and love each other.
A Derailed Revolution
It was all peace in our little pride
Until the day that strange cub came
Where we were silver plain he was dotted
And where our manes flow, he was bald
Even when we gave him a tiara of dried leaves
His strangeness shone with more egrigity
But we accepted him for his verve
Although we do not know the strange cub
He was a most rococo vassal.
When the King growls he tumbles
He delights in trelishing the king's mane
And sucking his dusty paws in his watery mouth
The strange cub became a lion
And as for his strangeness, we got used to it
In his days as a lackey He combed the king's mane and our secrets
One day at the turn of the season
After the harvest, he killed the Lion King
And the strange cubs become the strange king
Of our much quiescent little pride
He said he was the promise and came
Not to change but enforce the law
Though he squeaks where we roar
We could not break the spell of our new King
He built a dome over our watering hole and excreted on our oracles
Rendering them impotent
Freedom is the first law he ruled
And gagged all those who say but
Prosperity is the second law, he ruled
And extracted all the golden teeth From all those who wear one
Equality is the third law he ruled
And killed all those who prowl like him
Cunning lies, canny lie, so went on the story of our much quiescent little pride
Fail, fail, and fail is the only word I can use to describe the July 22nd revolution that brought President Yahya Jammeh and his AFPRC/APRC government to power in 1994. I cannot think of any better adjective to describe a regime that despite 13 years in power is unable to provide a good standard of living for the average Gambian.
The regime has failed to live up to its slogan of accountability, transparency and probity. It has become unaccountable, nontransparent and unable to get rid of the ills it claimed were riffed in the previous Jawara regime. This regime is worse than the Jawara regime and the once happy people of The Gambia are today living in a sad and miserable society; where a greater percentage cannot even afford to acquire a decent meal for the day. In other words, the revolution has brought nothing meaningful but retrogression, hardship, and endless suffering to the Gambian people.
What can be described as bad under the erstwhile Jawara regime is at its worst state today. Corruption is at its highest with the president and his cronies hijacking the country's economy which is squandered and diverted into personal use. The president and his associates, who were nowhere near the rich ladder before coming to power, are today the richest and most wealthy people in the country. They own vast assets and properties and businesses both in the country and abroad.
The July 22nd revolution was not brought about to alleviate the suffering of Gambian people. It was conducted by a group of unpatriotic, selfish, greedy, and power hungry soldiers who were only interested in becoming wealthy and powerful. They have become so intoxicated with power that they crush their political opponents and anyone who has the dares stand their way. Never do they intend to exit the corridors of power, for it is a dream come true. The national cake belongs to them alone. All those calling for a fair distribution of the cake are branded enemies and unpatriotic citizens.
In order to protect their unreliable future, the regime has enacted legislation that immune the president and his cronies from any criminal prosecution for any wrongs they have committed or deemed to have done while in office. This gives the leadership the carte blanc to do anything it wants as it is not accountable to anyone. All Gambians are accountable to the president, who treats them with utter contempt, like his forbidden children. He swears at them Billahi Wallai Tallai, lock them up at the Mile Two Central Prisons without facing any due process of the law, and even threaten them with death for merely opposing him.
Based on misguided and over zealous policies, the government has failed to meet many of its targets. Development is politicised and many of the development projects were embarked upon without taking into consideration the needs of the people. For example, while thousands of Gambians remain unemployed, the government spent millions of Dalasis in building Arch 22 in Banjul, which neither provides employment opportunities for Gambians nor provide revenue to the government. While Arch 22 has not increased the number of tourists visiting Banjul, thousands of Dalasis are spent on its maintenance while little is being generated from it.
While I welcome the construction of schools especially in the provinces, where I originated from, yet some of the schools can only be seen as white elephant projects. They only have quantity and not quality and do not provide the much needed education to Gambian children. Take for example, while many of the upper basic schools built by the revolution boasts of high enrolment, they lack qualify teachers, libraries and other educational materials. As a result only a small percentage of students get good results to make it to Gambia Senior or St Augustine's Senior or Nustrat Senior Secondary, which are regarded as the best schools in the country. With regard to public senior secondary schools, the number of students graduating with no credits in eight subjects is rising at an alarming rate. These students do not have a bright future. All what they face is a bleak future where they cannot go to university or get any meaningful marketable skills.
Although the government continues to rant about the quality of these schools, government officials prefer to send their kids to private schools like Marina International, Ndows Comprehensive, and other expensive schools that produce good grades. Education in The Gambia today is divided between the rich and the poor. I say this because public schools that produce poor grades are for children from poor backgrounds while private schools are for children from wealthy backgrounds.
On the health services, while government has built hospitals and health centres, yet many of these hospitals and health centres like the schools are not well equipped. They are continuously hit by persistent drug shortages, lack of qualified doctors and ambulances. Many Patients die of preventable diseases like malaria and the infant mortality rate gets higher.
In some cases, patients are asked to buy fuel for ambulances to transport them to major hospitals and due to the poor state of our public health services, many Gambians now prefer to seek medical care in private pharmacies and health centres.
The Gambia's agricultural sector is at its worst state. Cultivation of groundnuts which is the country's main export has declined rapidly due to disastrous trade seasons. The continuous failure of government to put in place effective agricultural policies has severely affected the livelihood of farmers. Many farmers today struggle to put food on their tables and the skyrocketing prices of basic commodities is causing a lot of suffering in the farming communities.
Despite spending millions of Dalasis on the Jahally Pacharr and Kuntaur rice projects, Gambians are far from being food self-sufficient. The price of rice Gambia's stable food increases week in week out. The country continues to import almost everything we eat from neighbouring countries.
Until the day that strange cub came
Where we were silver plain he was dotted
And where our manes flow, he was bald
Even when we gave him a tiara of dried leaves
His strangeness shone with more egrigity
But we accepted him for his verve
Although we do not know the strange cub
He was a most rococo vassal.
When the King growls he tumbles
He delights in trelishing the king's mane
And sucking his dusty paws in his watery mouth
The strange cub became a lion
And as for his strangeness, we got used to it
In his days as a lackey He combed the king's mane and our secrets
One day at the turn of the season
After the harvest, he killed the Lion King
And the strange cubs become the strange king
Of our much quiescent little pride
He said he was the promise and came
Not to change but enforce the law
Though he squeaks where we roar
We could not break the spell of our new King
He built a dome over our watering hole and excreted on our oracles
Rendering them impotent
Freedom is the first law he ruled
And gagged all those who say but
Prosperity is the second law, he ruled
And extracted all the golden teeth From all those who wear one
Equality is the third law he ruled
And killed all those who prowl like him
Cunning lies, canny lie, so went on the story of our much quiescent little pride
Fail, fail, and fail is the only word I can use to describe the July 22nd revolution that brought President Yahya Jammeh and his AFPRC/APRC government to power in 1994. I cannot think of any better adjective to describe a regime that despite 13 years in power is unable to provide a good standard of living for the average Gambian.
The regime has failed to live up to its slogan of accountability, transparency and probity. It has become unaccountable, nontransparent and unable to get rid of the ills it claimed were riffed in the previous Jawara regime. This regime is worse than the Jawara regime and the once happy people of The Gambia are today living in a sad and miserable society; where a greater percentage cannot even afford to acquire a decent meal for the day. In other words, the revolution has brought nothing meaningful but retrogression, hardship, and endless suffering to the Gambian people.
What can be described as bad under the erstwhile Jawara regime is at its worst state today. Corruption is at its highest with the president and his cronies hijacking the country's economy which is squandered and diverted into personal use. The president and his associates, who were nowhere near the rich ladder before coming to power, are today the richest and most wealthy people in the country. They own vast assets and properties and businesses both in the country and abroad.
The July 22nd revolution was not brought about to alleviate the suffering of Gambian people. It was conducted by a group of unpatriotic, selfish, greedy, and power hungry soldiers who were only interested in becoming wealthy and powerful. They have become so intoxicated with power that they crush their political opponents and anyone who has the dares stand their way. Never do they intend to exit the corridors of power, for it is a dream come true. The national cake belongs to them alone. All those calling for a fair distribution of the cake are branded enemies and unpatriotic citizens.
In order to protect their unreliable future, the regime has enacted legislation that immune the president and his cronies from any criminal prosecution for any wrongs they have committed or deemed to have done while in office. This gives the leadership the carte blanc to do anything it wants as it is not accountable to anyone. All Gambians are accountable to the president, who treats them with utter contempt, like his forbidden children. He swears at them Billahi Wallai Tallai, lock them up at the Mile Two Central Prisons without facing any due process of the law, and even threaten them with death for merely opposing him.
Based on misguided and over zealous policies, the government has failed to meet many of its targets. Development is politicised and many of the development projects were embarked upon without taking into consideration the needs of the people. For example, while thousands of Gambians remain unemployed, the government spent millions of Dalasis in building Arch 22 in Banjul, which neither provides employment opportunities for Gambians nor provide revenue to the government. While Arch 22 has not increased the number of tourists visiting Banjul, thousands of Dalasis are spent on its maintenance while little is being generated from it.
While I welcome the construction of schools especially in the provinces, where I originated from, yet some of the schools can only be seen as white elephant projects. They only have quantity and not quality and do not provide the much needed education to Gambian children. Take for example, while many of the upper basic schools built by the revolution boasts of high enrolment, they lack qualify teachers, libraries and other educational materials. As a result only a small percentage of students get good results to make it to Gambia Senior or St Augustine's Senior or Nustrat Senior Secondary, which are regarded as the best schools in the country. With regard to public senior secondary schools, the number of students graduating with no credits in eight subjects is rising at an alarming rate. These students do not have a bright future. All what they face is a bleak future where they cannot go to university or get any meaningful marketable skills.
Although the government continues to rant about the quality of these schools, government officials prefer to send their kids to private schools like Marina International, Ndows Comprehensive, and other expensive schools that produce good grades. Education in The Gambia today is divided between the rich and the poor. I say this because public schools that produce poor grades are for children from poor backgrounds while private schools are for children from wealthy backgrounds.
On the health services, while government has built hospitals and health centres, yet many of these hospitals and health centres like the schools are not well equipped. They are continuously hit by persistent drug shortages, lack of qualified doctors and ambulances. Many Patients die of preventable diseases like malaria and the infant mortality rate gets higher.
In some cases, patients are asked to buy fuel for ambulances to transport them to major hospitals and due to the poor state of our public health services, many Gambians now prefer to seek medical care in private pharmacies and health centres.
The Gambia's agricultural sector is at its worst state. Cultivation of groundnuts which is the country's main export has declined rapidly due to disastrous trade seasons. The continuous failure of government to put in place effective agricultural policies has severely affected the livelihood of farmers. Many farmers today struggle to put food on their tables and the skyrocketing prices of basic commodities is causing a lot of suffering in the farming communities.
Despite spending millions of Dalasis on the Jahally Pacharr and Kuntaur rice projects, Gambians are far from being food self-sufficient. The price of rice Gambia's stable food increases week in week out. The country continues to import almost everything we eat from neighbouring countries.
How Baba Jobe was fed to the sharks27 Sep 2007
by PK Jarju
Part one
Introduction:
In the wake of the July 22nd military coup that brought Yahya Jammeh and his AFPRC/APRC government to power in 1994, the economic life of the once prosperous West African country began to sink deep and deeper into the wide blue sea prompting fears that the junta wouldn't even be able to pay the salaries of civil servants.
Life was no longer the same for the ordinary Gambians who couldn’t afford their daily three square meals. The refusal of the junta to return the country to civilian rule was greeted with economic sanctions from the West. To make matters worst, Britain, the country's colonial master, slapped a travel ban on its citizens after branding The Gambia unsafe in the wake of November 11 alleged coup attempt. This made the country’s economy that depends heavily on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange to plunge deeper into the red. Thousands of Gambian youths who depend on the once flourishing tourism industry to feed their extended families were left unemployed.
As the country’s economic woes continued, the military junta under the leadership of Yahya Jammeh, then Lieutenant, began to devise modalities to salvage the country from this atrocious political climate. Shun by many democratic countries, a review of the country's foreign policy was made and the junta opened up diplomatic ties with communists and socialists countries.
Libya whose leader, Colonel Maumar Qaddafi also came to power in a coup in1963 was among some of the leaders approached. With the junta taking a hard stance against Britain and the US, who were seen as enemies of Africa at the time by Qaddafi, the Libyan leader received the junta with wide arms. Qaddafi hated the West which accuses of plundering the riches of Africa and leaving behind nothing but diseases and backwardness for Africans to combat. He wasted no time in pumping millions of dollars into the country's economy as well donated uncountable tones of wheat and rice that were distributed across the country by the junta.
As Qaddafi himself stated in his book, My Vision authored by Edmond Jouve: I feel profoundly African and I belong to this continent with every fibre of my being. And to defend the dignity, liberty and independence of Africa, we grant substantial material and moral aid. In fact, Libya has agreed donations, credits and bank deposits to dozens of African countries; we have supported their economies and their currencies. It has also granted study scholarships and medical assistance, created banks, mixed companies and invested capital in their projects without making any profit.
Libya which was over the years accused of arming many militia groups across the country wanted to export its type of democracy to The Gambia where the leader is seen as the guide. Qaddafi wanted The Gambia to adopt a Libya type democracy in which the revolutionary council will play the role of persuasion and encouragement where the masses are concerned. Gaddafi's main idea is that power belongs to the people and that all Gambians should be members of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC). He believes that the majority of people do not react spontaneously unless they are incited to do so.
This lead to the creation of the July 22 Youth Movement which was headed by Baba Jobe, who lived in Libya for many years. And by adopting a similar role like the Libyan Popular Congress, many of the July 22 members underwent series of military trainings in Libya and where made commissioners in all divisions across the country. Members of the movement were also blessed with police responsibilities and they respond with force on anything deemed not to be in the interest of the state.
Baba Jobe was also appointed assistant secretary Office of the President. As he revealed in his testimony at the economic crime trial: "As assistant secretary general, Office of the President, my responsibilities was to help the government and the president directly through my connections with the Arab world." Through Mr. Jobe, the junta was able to get financial help from Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and other Arab countries, which were used to fund the construction of schools, Arch 22, Banjul International Airport, Gambia TV and other projects used by the junta to win the hearts and mind of Gambians.
Baba Jobe was also instrumental in attracting many Arab and Lebanese investors including Mr. Basha of Spectrum Group International who imported many tones of the AFPRC Rice and other cooking ingredients that were sold across the country at a cheaper rate. And in order to beat the cartels that were selling rice at high price due to the increase import charges imposed by the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, the Youth Development Enterprise Limited (YDEL) which later changed its name to Youth Development Enterprise (YDE) was set up. Though owned by President Jammeh, Baba Jobe ran the day to day affairs of the company in consultation with Jammeh.
To attain its objective of helping government to stabilise commodity prices, an agreement was made with the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs which allows YDE to import rice, cooking oil and onion into the country to be sold below the market price especially in the provinces. In return, the Finance Department was to waive all customs and port charges due to the company.
Based on this marriage of convenience, the YDE imported tones of rice and other cooking ingredients for many years without paying a butut to the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) and Customs and Excise Department. Part of the company's profit was spent in maintaining the presidential jet, New Millennium International Airline (now under UN sanctions), the pre-financing of the 2003 groundnut trade season, hajj packages to hundreds of Gambians, the presidential meet the people's tours, excursion trips of the National Patriotic Student Association (Napsa), sponsoring APRC meetings and rallies across the country among others.
No one knows exactly how much the Youth Development Enterprise generated from its business, but it is believe to have made millions and millions of Dalasis most of which are unaccounted for. Baba Jobe and President Jammeh were the best of friends. Baba was blessed with more powers than the vice president and had more privileges than the President. The APRC was his life and he spent millions of YDE's money in wooing many opposition supporters to the APRC.
Being so powerful more than a king, Baba was blinded by his powers. He show no mercy on the opposition and their supporters whom he branded as enemies of The Gambia. He spearheaded the arrest and torture of many opposition figures and also engineered the sackings of suspected opposition supporters from the civil service. He was feared more than Jammeh and his name was sang by all griots. His YDE office on Kairaba Avenue was always full with APRC supporters day in day desperate for money or work.
As a close friend of Jammeh, Baba was given the responsibility of running most of the president's businesses like the New Millennium International Airline. He had used the airline on numerous occasions to transport many members of the July 22 movement to Libya for military training as well as trafficking arms from Liberia to the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), which committed the most brutal and heinous crimes in Sierra Leone. The New Millennium International Airline has made many trips to Kono, a mining town in Sierra Leone where it exchanged arms with diamonds.
The diamonds are later sold in the black market in Belgium and other Scandinavian countries. And from 1999 to 2001, there was a rapid growth in diamond export from the Gambia which attracted suspicion from the United Nations. The Gambia government admitted the export of the said diamonds which it said were legally owned by Sarahules, who have for many years been involved in legal diamond trade. However in June 2001, a UN investigation team found Baba Jobe and some close associates of Charles Taylor guilty of arms trafficking in violation of UN Resolution 1343. A travel ban was slapped on Baba Jobe, which infuriated the Gambia government.
The Gambia government openly defended Baba Jobe and President Jammeh himself had accused the world body of trying to punish an innocent man. With many foreign embassies in Banjul refusing to issue travel visas to Baba Jobe, the Gambia government refused to withdraw his diplomat passport and had on numerous occasions allowed him to travel to Libya.
Between 2001 to 2003 records from the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) say 22 vessels carrying rice, oil, potatoes, and onions landed at the Banjul port in the name of the Youth Development Enterprise (YDE). YDE had a credit account with GPA and records show that not a single butut was paid into that account. Despite the non-payment of its mounting debts, the company's imports were cleared from the port. In other words, YDE was accorded preferential treatment. Baba Jobe only paid for two imports that were made on his name. D299, 000 relating to the discharge of cargo from MV Adele and D623, 000 for the discharge of goods from MV Waranee Naree.
With regards to Customs and Excise, YDE opened a similar account and presented a blank Trust Bank Limited cheque bearing the signature of Baba Jobe as collateral. The management of Customs allowed him to clear his goods without submitting his Single Administrative Document (SAD) forms. Though not ever paying a butut, Ousman Mboge, managing director of Customs and Excise at the time, never gave orders for his men to suspend delivery of all YDE imports until it settle its previous debts.
For over three years, the soldiers, police and NIA officers Manning the ports to ensure that customs and port charges were paid by all trucks exiting the port, allowed YDE lorries to leave the port without even checking whether the required paper work were satisfactorily completed.
One would have wondered why GPA and Customs allowed such a blunder to happen? The answer is simple. Baba Jobe was running the president's business and asking him to pay his tariffs would be seen as challenging the president. Come on, Baba Jobe was the president's enforcer and it is only a civil servant who wants to wake up the next morning without a job, who will dare challenge him.
The non-payment of port and customs tariffs reached the desk of several international financial institutions including IMF and the World Bank which began to apply pressure on the regime. With the country's economy in the red epitomised by a sharp depreciation of the Dalasi against foreign currencies, President Jammeh sacrificed Famara Jatta, his Secretary of State for Finance and Economic Affairs. The Gambian economy was hijacked by some close associates of the president and Famara Jatta had openly admitted that there was nothing he could do to stop the free fall of the economy.
Melting ice
The once solid friendship between President Jammeh and Baba Jobe began to melt down after the 2001 general elections. The president was concerned with the position of power Baba Jobe commanded within the youths and the APRC. In order to maintain a safe distance, Baba Jobe was made majority leader and National Assembly Member for Jara Central. With his office now at the National Assembly Building on Independence Avenue, Baba Jobe was often left in the dark.
Secondly, with Baba Jobe under UN sanctions, he was of no use to Jammeh. He cannot fly around the globe with the New Millennium Airline to run the mafia activities of President Jammeh. With the UN recommending the freeze of his assets, Jammeh wanted to keep his distance from someone who is being regarded as an international criminal.
Some unconfirmed reports say the friendship suffered a final breakdown after Baba Jobe was named as being among the financial backers of the June 2003 attempted coup to overthrow Maaouiya Sid Ahmed Ould Taya, former president of Mauritania, who was a close ally of President Jammeh. President Jammeh was reported to have gone absolutely bananas. It is reported that he was even concerned about his own security taking into consideration the influence Baba Jobe commanded both in the country and abroad. Rather unfortunately for Baba Jobe, the issue coincided with an audit report of YDE's account which highlighted a series of financial irregularities.
With the pressure from international financial institutions mounting, President Jammeh got the way to destroy Baba Jobe without even touching him. Knowing the financial status of YDE, instructions were given to both the managing director of the Gambia Ports Authority, and the director general of Customs, to demand payment from YDE.
Reacting to the demands, Baba Jobe said: "We were very surprised when we got letters from GPA and Customs asking us to pay for our imports. We had a gentleman agreement with the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs some years ago, which allows us to sell our goods far below the market price in return for the non-payment of import charges."
The GPA's director of finance, Aziz Samba sent series of letters to YDE demanding payment for their imports. And in one of their correspondences dated September 27, 2003, Mr. Samba on behalf of his boss threatened to institute legal actions against YDE if the debt was not paid. GPA's attorney, Ida Drammeh, also wrote some demand for payment letters to YDE. And concerned with such demands, Baba Kanteh, YDE's managing director wrote to GPA requesting a discount on the D26, 193, 241.13 which was the amount outstanding. Mr. Kanteh also proposed a monthly payment of D100, 000 beginning from November 15, 2003. Both requests were flatly rejected by GPA.
Customs on the other hand communicated some figures to YDE as the total amount of unpaid tariffs. Insiders said YDE management disputed the amount and requested invoices to be sent to them for the imports made between 2001 and 2003. On receiving the invoices, YDE representatives including Buba Baldeh, secretary to YDE board and Buba Senghore held several meetings with Malamin (Tongy) Sanyang, a senior collector and other Customs officials in order to reconcile the amount stated as outstanding with the invoices.
Meanwhile, realising the implications, Baba Jobe in October 2003 held a board meeting at the YDE office on Kairaba Avenue during which matters concerning the payment demands were discussed. In a bid to avoid liability, Baba Jobe relinquished 100 per cent of his YDE shares, which he distributed between Hamidou Baldeh, Buba Senghore, Momodou Sulla, and two others. And funnily enough, neither of them even paid a butut for the shares.
As the net began to close on them, Baba Jobe and his YDE team held meetings with Dodou Bammy Jagne, then permanent secretary at the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, Alieu Ngum, Secretary General Office of the President and some government officials to devise a payment plan.
The fall of a giant
On Thursday, November 13, 2003, Mai Fatty, Baba Jobe's lawyer, was in the middle of a case consultation in his Law Associates Chambers on Satellite House, Banjul, when his cell phone rang.
"Honourable", he said as he flipped open his red Sonny Erickson. "How are you today?"
"I'm not fine. I have just been picked up and detained at the police headquarters," Baba Jobe replied with a soft and calm tone.
"Honourable can you please stop joking. I'm in the middle of a meeting with some clients," the young lawyer said.
"I swear to Allah. I'm serious," Mr Jobe said.
For a couple of minutes, Mr. Fatty sat on his seat staring at his would-be clients. For him and many Gambians never thought that the most popular figure in Gambian politics would ever be arrested. How can the president's right hand man be arrested? How can the most feared Baba Jobe, who gets away with everything; even murder be detained by the police?
Well it was not a joke, but a true story that shall be told for many more years to come. Baba Jobe was arrested by State Guard soldiers under the instructions of President Jammeh. He was arrested for issuing a cheque to GPA, which was dishonoured by their bank. However, prior to issuing the cheque, Baba Kanteh, YDE's managing director was reported to have made it clear to GPA that the cheque cannot be cashed as there was no money in their account.
Although both GPA and Customs have denied reporting Baba Jobe to the police or filing any case against him, he was detained by the police, who said they were investigating reports of non-payment of port and custom tariffs by YDE. His arrest attracted huge gathering of APRC National Assembly Members and hundreds of onlookers who were trying to see another development in Gambian history. While Baba Jobe was held at the Fraud Squad where he spent the night, the Inspector General of Police, Landing 13 Badjie gave strict orders that he should not be allowed to talk to anyone.
Due to the love they had for their majority leader, some National Assembly Members like Ramzia Diab and Nyimansata Sanneh-Bojang spent the night in Law Associates Chamber, where Mai Fatty was preparing his bail application. The following morning, Baba Jobe was arraigned before Justice Madabuchi Abuchi Paul together with Baba Kanteh and the YDE on six counts of economic crimes. A not guilty plea was entered and a bail application was made by Mr. Fatty. However, something dramatic happened.
When the director of Public Prosecution, Chief Akomaye Agim, (now high court judge) rose to object to the bail application, an NIA officer sitting behind him pulled his robe and handed him a note. After reading the note, the DPP told the court that the state will not object to the bail application. The said note is said to have been from the Secretary General. Apparently, Abdoulie Kujabi, (then NIA director general and a friend of Baba Jobe), who was at the time in the UK had managed to persuade President Jammeh for him to be granted bail. Kujabi was said to have been concerned about the rift the case would bring within the APRC and the threats it may cause on national security.
The trial began a few days later with Baba Jobe's defence team, which included Ousman Sillah as head, Edward Gomez, Lamin Jobarteh, Mai Fatty, Lamin Camara and Lamin K Mboge ripping the prosecution witnesses apart. Ousman Sillah in particular, employed a hard cross examination technique which makes state witnesses tremble in the witness box.
Meanwhile, following his return to the country, Abdoulie Kujabi was said to have tried to broker a behind the scene deal between the state and Baba Jobe, which would have included YDE paying the full amount it owed to GPA and Customs with interest and the state dropping the charges.
However, this did not go down well with Edward Singhateh and other original members of the revolution who for many years were living under the shadow of Baba Jobe. Determined to get their enemy out of the way, a close associate of Baba Jobe was bankrolled to provide information on the activities of the majority leader. On December 20, 2003, Baba Jobe had a meeting with some of his close associates at his residence in Manjai Kunda during which some issues threatening to national security were said to have been discussed.
In pursuit of their evil desire, Singhateh in collaboration with some security officers were alleged to have organised the shooting of Lawyer Ousman Sillah on Friday, December 26, 2003, who was perceived an obstacle to their scheme of seeing Baba Jobe sink. Shortly after Sillah's shooting, details of Baba Jobe's meeting with his associates were sent to President Jammeh, which alleged that Sillah's shooting was conducted by Baba Jobe's associates in a bid to tarnish President Jammeh and the government's image.
Jammeh was said to have gone absolutely bunkers and ordered for the immediate arrest of everyone who was at the said meeting including Baba Jobe. And on Saturday, December 27, 2003, while returning from a visit to his native village of Jarra Karantaba, Baba Jobe and his colleagues were arrested by police officers at Sibanor before being escorted under tight security to the Police Training School in Yundum, where they were detained. Lawyer Mai Fatty was also arrested and detained for one night at the NIA headquarters, while Kuru Kongira was detained for many days at the NIA headquarters and was released some weeks later due to ill health. Baba Jobe's driver, who was believed to have been a member of Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), was detained for some weeks before being deported to Liberia.
A High Court order issued by Justice Wallace Grant for the unconditional release of Baba Jobe and his men was ignored by the state. It was not until three months later when all the men except Baba Jobe were released after a similar application was granted by Justice MA Paul. Baba Jobe's detention was made legal on the basis that it would jeopardise with investigations into a case of national security.
As the Gambian and international media were having a feast over Baba Jobe's arrest and prosecution, President Jammeh launched his satanic Operation No Compromise that saw the sackings and arrest of many of his partners in crime. Among them, Abdoulie Kujabi, director general of the National Intelligence Agency, Momodou Clarke Bajo, Lang Conteh, governor general and foreign exchange manager of the Central Bank of the Gambia, respectively; Ousman Mboge, managing director of Customs and Excise among others.
Tarik Mousa of TK Motors, who was dubiously awarded most of the government contracts like printing of number plates and passports, was bundled out of the country in the most bizarre manner. Tarik was given his deportation orders while on board a flight at the Banjul International Airport after been released from detention.
Baba Jobe, Lang Conteh, Momodou Clarke Bajo and some share holders of Whechit Faling Bureau de Change, where in January 2004 charged on five counts of economic crimes. They were said to have conspired and used their Whechit Faling Bureau de Change to embezzle millions of Dalasis from the Central Bank of the Gambia. However, the men never stood before any judge to answer to the charges. The state according to the director of public prosecution, Akomaye Agim, decided to withdraw the case after the accused persons paid all the money due to the state with interest.
Lang Conteh was later charged separately on some counts of economic crimes. He made a plea bargain with the prosecution and was fined and jailed for six months in prisons.
Hanged by his attorneys
Meanwhile, following the shooting of Ousman Sillah, lead counsel for the defence team, Edward Gomez, who was the most senior lawyer among the remaining team, took over the mantle of leadership. Gomez, who never hides his support for President Jammeh and the APRC, was initially representing YDE and Baba Jobe's co-accuse, Baba Kanteh.
Unlike Ousman Sillah, Edward Gomez, who perhaps was looking for the position of Attorney General and Justice Secretary, took a lame approach to the case. Ignoring the very basics of the case, Lawyer Gomez tried to establish a relationship between the state, Baba Jobe and YDE. And in order to convince the court of the close relationship between the three, he tendered some invoices pertaining to the payment of salaries of staff and maintenance of the presidential jet, New Millennium Airline, the pre-financing of the 2002 groundnut trade season, HAJJ packages to hundreds of Gambians, the presidential Meet the People's tours, excursion trips of the National Patriotic Student Association (Napsa), sponsoring APRC meetings and rallies across the country among others.
Although the said documents were accepted and mark as exhibits by Justice Paul, he made it clear to the defence team that they were not relevant and cannot help the case, Lawyer Gomez continued to piled document after document before the court, which saw huge financial payments being made by YDE to the state on the orders of President Jammeh. He only tried to make a strong defense during his final address to the court when he said the decree on which Baba Jobe, Baba Kanteh and YDE were charged was particularly promulgated by the AFPRC junta to tackle the issue of under invoicing and other corrupt vices, which was prevalent during the transition and not tax evasion.
Baba Jobe was also given wrong guidance throughout the case. He was blinded by the large legal team he had and was perhaps too scared to say anything that would implicate President Jammeh. Never did he attempt to expose President Jammeh or link his connections with YDE. He sometimes gave wrong answers to questions asked by his lawyers and in certain instances said more than he was supposed to say.
Meanwhile, knowing that there was nothing they could do to prevent Baba Jobe from sinking, his lawyers were said to have had series of behind the scene arguments about who should get what and how much from Baba Jobe. A certain lawyer (name withheld) got a Pajero and several thousands of Dalasis. One lawyer fooled Baba Jobe into signing an irrevocable power of attorney that gave him the right to do anything he wanted with his assets among other things. A senior lawyer of his defence team failed to show up to address the court on why Baba Jobe was innocent. Some lawyers of the defence team even did not bother going to court at the latter end of the case as they were too busy attending other cases.
Baba Jobe's lawyers also failed to fight for them to be allowed unlimited access to him at the Police Training School where he was detained since his arrest at Sibanor. They only met him for one hour or 30 minutes at the high court when he turns up for his court appearance. This gave them little opportunity to hold briefings as well as give proper guidance to their client.
All taken away
Since his arrest with his colleagues on December 27, Baba Jobe was put under 24-hour security. He was denied access to even his wife by the police, who were acting under strict orders. He was escorted every Monday to Wednesday to Banjul to face his economic crime case.
For fear of an uprising among disgruntled July Youth Movement members, armed officers of the police intervention unit were always deployed at the high court premises with the orders to shot and kill any rioter. Armed State Guard officers were also deployed at the Denton Bridge and other strategic places within the Greater Banjul Area. The officers searched every vehicle heading to the capital, thus causing heavy traffic jams on the Serrekunda-Banjul highway.
With the case nearing an end, some wealthy Libyans close to Muammar Gadaffiwere said to have visited the country in a bid to settle the matter out of court. Their request for audience with President Jammeh was flatly rejected and both GPA and Customs and Excise were reported to have also refused to meet the delegation. After days of fruitless attempts, the Libyans flew out of Banjul with disappointment.
To make matters worse, an application seeking the unconditional release of Baba Jobe filed by Lawyer Edward Gomez was denied by Justice Paul. And two days before a judgement was made on his economic crime case, Baba Jobe was taken to Mile Two Central Prisons, where he issued a statement through Lawyer, Mai Fatty expressing his frustration and lack of confidence in the whole judicial process.
And on March 30, Baba Jobe was convicted on five counts of economic crimes and jailed for eight years in prison. He was also ordered to pay millions of Dalasis to Customs and Excise and GPA in default of which he was to serve an additional three more years in prison and his assets frozen. His co accused Baba Kanteh was acquitted and discharged on all counts.
In order to further humiliate Baba Jobe before the whole world, the state television, GRTS, which never covered the whole court proceedings, was sent to the high court to screen his final fall. While newspaper reporters were ordered out of the crowded court premises, GRTS was allowed to freely take shots including when Baba Jobe was boarding a waiting prison pick up.
To hinder any prospect of appeal, Justice Paul for many months failed to serve copies of his judgement to Baba Jobe's lawyers. He gave a silly excuse that the 40 page document was hand written and was yet to be typed by his secretary.
Shortly after the conviction of Baba Jobe, the Gambia government which had for many years disputed UN Resolution 1343 that accused Mr. Jobe of armed trafficking complied with the UN order for his assets to be frozen. His family was evicted from his residence in Kotu. Ironically, two years earlier, the Gambian representative at the UN had lobbied for sanctions to be lifted on Mr. Jobe.
Baba Jobe was abandoned by all his friends including those close to him. Some YDE members including Kuru Kongira, Hamidou Baldeh, Buba Senghore and Modou Sula even visited President Jammeh in Kanilai to apologise to him. To show their support for the APRC, they embarked on a country wide tour during which they made all sort of sick remarks against Mr. Jobe.
Meanwhile, while Baba Jobe's defence team was waiting for copies of the judgement to decide their next move, the state acted differently. Instead of waiting for Baba Jobe to pay Customs and GPA, President Jammeh, who owned YDE, ordered the closure of the company. The NIA was made in charged of collecting YDE's debts instead of Babe Jobe's lawyers. NIA officers secretly arrested and detained many YDE debtors at its headquarters in Banjul. Many debtors were alleged to have been tortured and threaten into settling the debt.
Interestingly, despite the non compliance of Baba Jobe to settle GPA and Customs, the state did not bother pursuing the matter in court.
Admission
Following the conviction of Baba Jobe, President Jammeh used his annual Dialogue with the People's Tour to mock his former right hand man whom he accused of betrayal. Jammeh admitted locking Baba Jobe in the five star hotel [Mile Two Prisons] for his mismanagement of YDE's fund.
Also commenting on the issue in Pakaliba in June 2004, the former secretary of state for Trade, Edward Singhateh, was quoted by the State House Website saying: "the issue of Baba Jobe does not concern anyone, because the two [Baba Jobe and President Jammeh] know each other when President Jammeh was head of the Military Police under Jawara's administration.
"The Gambian leader has high regards for Baba Jobe the reason of which he was given the Youth Development Enterprise to manage and help government to stabilise commodity prices, but things went otherwise. What we saw on local newspapers are just small in terms of YDE resources mishandled by Baba Jobe. The depreciation of the dalasi was caused by Baba Jobe, who was colliding with some senior officers at the Central Bank in the foreign exchange transaction. Baba Jobe has betrayed the whole country and if he had taken my advice earlier, this would not have happened to him."
Baba Jobe himself at one point admitted in court that the reason why he was in court was not about tax evasion. "I know the reason why I am brought to court. The issue is not about the non payment of ports and custom charges, because we have more money in our account than what we are said to have owed the two institutions. It is between me and the higher authorities and I will not say who and why."
These admissions show that Baba Jobe was completely innocent of the charges he was convicted of. He should have been charged for mismanagement of YDE funds and nothing else. His arrest and conviction shows the extend of which the Gambian judiciary is controlled by President Jammeh, who uses his mercenary judges like Madabuchi Abuchi Paul, Okoi Itam, Akomaye Agim among others to punish anyone who fall out with him.
Justice Paul
Justice Madabuchi Abuchi Paul migrated from Nigeria to the Gambia during the transition period. He was alleged to have left Nigeria under a dark cloud and had found it hard to get a job in the Gambian legal system. Though an intelligent guy, all Gambian lawyers refused to give him a job in their chambers. A devoted Christian, Paul later got a job at the Asset Management and Recovering Commission (AMRC) before being called to the bench. Upset with his appointment, many Gambian lawyers refused to attend his inauguration ceremony citing his lack of qualifications and experience.
Justice Paul later became a friend of the then Chief Justice Muhammad Arif, and from November 2003 to June 2004, he was assigned all criminal cases at the high court. Some of the high profile cases he heard at the time are the sedition case of Lamin Waa Juwara, Batch Faye, and Abdoulie Sonko among others.
While hearing the Baba Jobe case, Paul was given a brand new Pajero by the state and provided with four armed plain cloth officers. Despite being a junior judge, he was selected by the chief justice to represent The Gambia at the Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges Association meeting as well received other privileges that were not given to senior judges.
To reward him for jailing Baba Jobe, the geezer was awarded the luxurious contract of probing into the activities of public servants excluding the president. He is currently a Court of Appeal judge and is tip to become chief justice in near future
by PK Jarju
Part one
Introduction:
In the wake of the July 22nd military coup that brought Yahya Jammeh and his AFPRC/APRC government to power in 1994, the economic life of the once prosperous West African country began to sink deep and deeper into the wide blue sea prompting fears that the junta wouldn't even be able to pay the salaries of civil servants.
Life was no longer the same for the ordinary Gambians who couldn’t afford their daily three square meals. The refusal of the junta to return the country to civilian rule was greeted with economic sanctions from the West. To make matters worst, Britain, the country's colonial master, slapped a travel ban on its citizens after branding The Gambia unsafe in the wake of November 11 alleged coup attempt. This made the country’s economy that depends heavily on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange to plunge deeper into the red. Thousands of Gambian youths who depend on the once flourishing tourism industry to feed their extended families were left unemployed.
As the country’s economic woes continued, the military junta under the leadership of Yahya Jammeh, then Lieutenant, began to devise modalities to salvage the country from this atrocious political climate. Shun by many democratic countries, a review of the country's foreign policy was made and the junta opened up diplomatic ties with communists and socialists countries.
Libya whose leader, Colonel Maumar Qaddafi also came to power in a coup in1963 was among some of the leaders approached. With the junta taking a hard stance against Britain and the US, who were seen as enemies of Africa at the time by Qaddafi, the Libyan leader received the junta with wide arms. Qaddafi hated the West which accuses of plundering the riches of Africa and leaving behind nothing but diseases and backwardness for Africans to combat. He wasted no time in pumping millions of dollars into the country's economy as well donated uncountable tones of wheat and rice that were distributed across the country by the junta.
As Qaddafi himself stated in his book, My Vision authored by Edmond Jouve: I feel profoundly African and I belong to this continent with every fibre of my being. And to defend the dignity, liberty and independence of Africa, we grant substantial material and moral aid. In fact, Libya has agreed donations, credits and bank deposits to dozens of African countries; we have supported their economies and their currencies. It has also granted study scholarships and medical assistance, created banks, mixed companies and invested capital in their projects without making any profit.
Libya which was over the years accused of arming many militia groups across the country wanted to export its type of democracy to The Gambia where the leader is seen as the guide. Qaddafi wanted The Gambia to adopt a Libya type democracy in which the revolutionary council will play the role of persuasion and encouragement where the masses are concerned. Gaddafi's main idea is that power belongs to the people and that all Gambians should be members of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC). He believes that the majority of people do not react spontaneously unless they are incited to do so.
This lead to the creation of the July 22 Youth Movement which was headed by Baba Jobe, who lived in Libya for many years. And by adopting a similar role like the Libyan Popular Congress, many of the July 22 members underwent series of military trainings in Libya and where made commissioners in all divisions across the country. Members of the movement were also blessed with police responsibilities and they respond with force on anything deemed not to be in the interest of the state.
Baba Jobe was also appointed assistant secretary Office of the President. As he revealed in his testimony at the economic crime trial: "As assistant secretary general, Office of the President, my responsibilities was to help the government and the president directly through my connections with the Arab world." Through Mr. Jobe, the junta was able to get financial help from Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and other Arab countries, which were used to fund the construction of schools, Arch 22, Banjul International Airport, Gambia TV and other projects used by the junta to win the hearts and mind of Gambians.
Baba Jobe was also instrumental in attracting many Arab and Lebanese investors including Mr. Basha of Spectrum Group International who imported many tones of the AFPRC Rice and other cooking ingredients that were sold across the country at a cheaper rate. And in order to beat the cartels that were selling rice at high price due to the increase import charges imposed by the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, the Youth Development Enterprise Limited (YDEL) which later changed its name to Youth Development Enterprise (YDE) was set up. Though owned by President Jammeh, Baba Jobe ran the day to day affairs of the company in consultation with Jammeh.
To attain its objective of helping government to stabilise commodity prices, an agreement was made with the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs which allows YDE to import rice, cooking oil and onion into the country to be sold below the market price especially in the provinces. In return, the Finance Department was to waive all customs and port charges due to the company.
Based on this marriage of convenience, the YDE imported tones of rice and other cooking ingredients for many years without paying a butut to the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) and Customs and Excise Department. Part of the company's profit was spent in maintaining the presidential jet, New Millennium International Airline (now under UN sanctions), the pre-financing of the 2003 groundnut trade season, hajj packages to hundreds of Gambians, the presidential meet the people's tours, excursion trips of the National Patriotic Student Association (Napsa), sponsoring APRC meetings and rallies across the country among others.
No one knows exactly how much the Youth Development Enterprise generated from its business, but it is believe to have made millions and millions of Dalasis most of which are unaccounted for. Baba Jobe and President Jammeh were the best of friends. Baba was blessed with more powers than the vice president and had more privileges than the President. The APRC was his life and he spent millions of YDE's money in wooing many opposition supporters to the APRC.
Being so powerful more than a king, Baba was blinded by his powers. He show no mercy on the opposition and their supporters whom he branded as enemies of The Gambia. He spearheaded the arrest and torture of many opposition figures and also engineered the sackings of suspected opposition supporters from the civil service. He was feared more than Jammeh and his name was sang by all griots. His YDE office on Kairaba Avenue was always full with APRC supporters day in day desperate for money or work.
As a close friend of Jammeh, Baba was given the responsibility of running most of the president's businesses like the New Millennium International Airline. He had used the airline on numerous occasions to transport many members of the July 22 movement to Libya for military training as well as trafficking arms from Liberia to the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), which committed the most brutal and heinous crimes in Sierra Leone. The New Millennium International Airline has made many trips to Kono, a mining town in Sierra Leone where it exchanged arms with diamonds.
The diamonds are later sold in the black market in Belgium and other Scandinavian countries. And from 1999 to 2001, there was a rapid growth in diamond export from the Gambia which attracted suspicion from the United Nations. The Gambia government admitted the export of the said diamonds which it said were legally owned by Sarahules, who have for many years been involved in legal diamond trade. However in June 2001, a UN investigation team found Baba Jobe and some close associates of Charles Taylor guilty of arms trafficking in violation of UN Resolution 1343. A travel ban was slapped on Baba Jobe, which infuriated the Gambia government.
The Gambia government openly defended Baba Jobe and President Jammeh himself had accused the world body of trying to punish an innocent man. With many foreign embassies in Banjul refusing to issue travel visas to Baba Jobe, the Gambia government refused to withdraw his diplomat passport and had on numerous occasions allowed him to travel to Libya.
Between 2001 to 2003 records from the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) say 22 vessels carrying rice, oil, potatoes, and onions landed at the Banjul port in the name of the Youth Development Enterprise (YDE). YDE had a credit account with GPA and records show that not a single butut was paid into that account. Despite the non-payment of its mounting debts, the company's imports were cleared from the port. In other words, YDE was accorded preferential treatment. Baba Jobe only paid for two imports that were made on his name. D299, 000 relating to the discharge of cargo from MV Adele and D623, 000 for the discharge of goods from MV Waranee Naree.
With regards to Customs and Excise, YDE opened a similar account and presented a blank Trust Bank Limited cheque bearing the signature of Baba Jobe as collateral. The management of Customs allowed him to clear his goods without submitting his Single Administrative Document (SAD) forms. Though not ever paying a butut, Ousman Mboge, managing director of Customs and Excise at the time, never gave orders for his men to suspend delivery of all YDE imports until it settle its previous debts.
For over three years, the soldiers, police and NIA officers Manning the ports to ensure that customs and port charges were paid by all trucks exiting the port, allowed YDE lorries to leave the port without even checking whether the required paper work were satisfactorily completed.
One would have wondered why GPA and Customs allowed such a blunder to happen? The answer is simple. Baba Jobe was running the president's business and asking him to pay his tariffs would be seen as challenging the president. Come on, Baba Jobe was the president's enforcer and it is only a civil servant who wants to wake up the next morning without a job, who will dare challenge him.
The non-payment of port and customs tariffs reached the desk of several international financial institutions including IMF and the World Bank which began to apply pressure on the regime. With the country's economy in the red epitomised by a sharp depreciation of the Dalasi against foreign currencies, President Jammeh sacrificed Famara Jatta, his Secretary of State for Finance and Economic Affairs. The Gambian economy was hijacked by some close associates of the president and Famara Jatta had openly admitted that there was nothing he could do to stop the free fall of the economy.
Melting ice
The once solid friendship between President Jammeh and Baba Jobe began to melt down after the 2001 general elections. The president was concerned with the position of power Baba Jobe commanded within the youths and the APRC. In order to maintain a safe distance, Baba Jobe was made majority leader and National Assembly Member for Jara Central. With his office now at the National Assembly Building on Independence Avenue, Baba Jobe was often left in the dark.
Secondly, with Baba Jobe under UN sanctions, he was of no use to Jammeh. He cannot fly around the globe with the New Millennium Airline to run the mafia activities of President Jammeh. With the UN recommending the freeze of his assets, Jammeh wanted to keep his distance from someone who is being regarded as an international criminal.
Some unconfirmed reports say the friendship suffered a final breakdown after Baba Jobe was named as being among the financial backers of the June 2003 attempted coup to overthrow Maaouiya Sid Ahmed Ould Taya, former president of Mauritania, who was a close ally of President Jammeh. President Jammeh was reported to have gone absolutely bananas. It is reported that he was even concerned about his own security taking into consideration the influence Baba Jobe commanded both in the country and abroad. Rather unfortunately for Baba Jobe, the issue coincided with an audit report of YDE's account which highlighted a series of financial irregularities.
With the pressure from international financial institutions mounting, President Jammeh got the way to destroy Baba Jobe without even touching him. Knowing the financial status of YDE, instructions were given to both the managing director of the Gambia Ports Authority, and the director general of Customs, to demand payment from YDE.
Reacting to the demands, Baba Jobe said: "We were very surprised when we got letters from GPA and Customs asking us to pay for our imports. We had a gentleman agreement with the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs some years ago, which allows us to sell our goods far below the market price in return for the non-payment of import charges."
The GPA's director of finance, Aziz Samba sent series of letters to YDE demanding payment for their imports. And in one of their correspondences dated September 27, 2003, Mr. Samba on behalf of his boss threatened to institute legal actions against YDE if the debt was not paid. GPA's attorney, Ida Drammeh, also wrote some demand for payment letters to YDE. And concerned with such demands, Baba Kanteh, YDE's managing director wrote to GPA requesting a discount on the D26, 193, 241.13 which was the amount outstanding. Mr. Kanteh also proposed a monthly payment of D100, 000 beginning from November 15, 2003. Both requests were flatly rejected by GPA.
Customs on the other hand communicated some figures to YDE as the total amount of unpaid tariffs. Insiders said YDE management disputed the amount and requested invoices to be sent to them for the imports made between 2001 and 2003. On receiving the invoices, YDE representatives including Buba Baldeh, secretary to YDE board and Buba Senghore held several meetings with Malamin (Tongy) Sanyang, a senior collector and other Customs officials in order to reconcile the amount stated as outstanding with the invoices.
Meanwhile, realising the implications, Baba Jobe in October 2003 held a board meeting at the YDE office on Kairaba Avenue during which matters concerning the payment demands were discussed. In a bid to avoid liability, Baba Jobe relinquished 100 per cent of his YDE shares, which he distributed between Hamidou Baldeh, Buba Senghore, Momodou Sulla, and two others. And funnily enough, neither of them even paid a butut for the shares.
As the net began to close on them, Baba Jobe and his YDE team held meetings with Dodou Bammy Jagne, then permanent secretary at the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, Alieu Ngum, Secretary General Office of the President and some government officials to devise a payment plan.
The fall of a giant
On Thursday, November 13, 2003, Mai Fatty, Baba Jobe's lawyer, was in the middle of a case consultation in his Law Associates Chambers on Satellite House, Banjul, when his cell phone rang.
"Honourable", he said as he flipped open his red Sonny Erickson. "How are you today?"
"I'm not fine. I have just been picked up and detained at the police headquarters," Baba Jobe replied with a soft and calm tone.
"Honourable can you please stop joking. I'm in the middle of a meeting with some clients," the young lawyer said.
"I swear to Allah. I'm serious," Mr Jobe said.
For a couple of minutes, Mr. Fatty sat on his seat staring at his would-be clients. For him and many Gambians never thought that the most popular figure in Gambian politics would ever be arrested. How can the president's right hand man be arrested? How can the most feared Baba Jobe, who gets away with everything; even murder be detained by the police?
Well it was not a joke, but a true story that shall be told for many more years to come. Baba Jobe was arrested by State Guard soldiers under the instructions of President Jammeh. He was arrested for issuing a cheque to GPA, which was dishonoured by their bank. However, prior to issuing the cheque, Baba Kanteh, YDE's managing director was reported to have made it clear to GPA that the cheque cannot be cashed as there was no money in their account.
Although both GPA and Customs have denied reporting Baba Jobe to the police or filing any case against him, he was detained by the police, who said they were investigating reports of non-payment of port and custom tariffs by YDE. His arrest attracted huge gathering of APRC National Assembly Members and hundreds of onlookers who were trying to see another development in Gambian history. While Baba Jobe was held at the Fraud Squad where he spent the night, the Inspector General of Police, Landing 13 Badjie gave strict orders that he should not be allowed to talk to anyone.
Due to the love they had for their majority leader, some National Assembly Members like Ramzia Diab and Nyimansata Sanneh-Bojang spent the night in Law Associates Chamber, where Mai Fatty was preparing his bail application. The following morning, Baba Jobe was arraigned before Justice Madabuchi Abuchi Paul together with Baba Kanteh and the YDE on six counts of economic crimes. A not guilty plea was entered and a bail application was made by Mr. Fatty. However, something dramatic happened.
When the director of Public Prosecution, Chief Akomaye Agim, (now high court judge) rose to object to the bail application, an NIA officer sitting behind him pulled his robe and handed him a note. After reading the note, the DPP told the court that the state will not object to the bail application. The said note is said to have been from the Secretary General. Apparently, Abdoulie Kujabi, (then NIA director general and a friend of Baba Jobe), who was at the time in the UK had managed to persuade President Jammeh for him to be granted bail. Kujabi was said to have been concerned about the rift the case would bring within the APRC and the threats it may cause on national security.
The trial began a few days later with Baba Jobe's defence team, which included Ousman Sillah as head, Edward Gomez, Lamin Jobarteh, Mai Fatty, Lamin Camara and Lamin K Mboge ripping the prosecution witnesses apart. Ousman Sillah in particular, employed a hard cross examination technique which makes state witnesses tremble in the witness box.
Meanwhile, following his return to the country, Abdoulie Kujabi was said to have tried to broker a behind the scene deal between the state and Baba Jobe, which would have included YDE paying the full amount it owed to GPA and Customs with interest and the state dropping the charges.
However, this did not go down well with Edward Singhateh and other original members of the revolution who for many years were living under the shadow of Baba Jobe. Determined to get their enemy out of the way, a close associate of Baba Jobe was bankrolled to provide information on the activities of the majority leader. On December 20, 2003, Baba Jobe had a meeting with some of his close associates at his residence in Manjai Kunda during which some issues threatening to national security were said to have been discussed.
In pursuit of their evil desire, Singhateh in collaboration with some security officers were alleged to have organised the shooting of Lawyer Ousman Sillah on Friday, December 26, 2003, who was perceived an obstacle to their scheme of seeing Baba Jobe sink. Shortly after Sillah's shooting, details of Baba Jobe's meeting with his associates were sent to President Jammeh, which alleged that Sillah's shooting was conducted by Baba Jobe's associates in a bid to tarnish President Jammeh and the government's image.
Jammeh was said to have gone absolutely bunkers and ordered for the immediate arrest of everyone who was at the said meeting including Baba Jobe. And on Saturday, December 27, 2003, while returning from a visit to his native village of Jarra Karantaba, Baba Jobe and his colleagues were arrested by police officers at Sibanor before being escorted under tight security to the Police Training School in Yundum, where they were detained. Lawyer Mai Fatty was also arrested and detained for one night at the NIA headquarters, while Kuru Kongira was detained for many days at the NIA headquarters and was released some weeks later due to ill health. Baba Jobe's driver, who was believed to have been a member of Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), was detained for some weeks before being deported to Liberia.
A High Court order issued by Justice Wallace Grant for the unconditional release of Baba Jobe and his men was ignored by the state. It was not until three months later when all the men except Baba Jobe were released after a similar application was granted by Justice MA Paul. Baba Jobe's detention was made legal on the basis that it would jeopardise with investigations into a case of national security.
As the Gambian and international media were having a feast over Baba Jobe's arrest and prosecution, President Jammeh launched his satanic Operation No Compromise that saw the sackings and arrest of many of his partners in crime. Among them, Abdoulie Kujabi, director general of the National Intelligence Agency, Momodou Clarke Bajo, Lang Conteh, governor general and foreign exchange manager of the Central Bank of the Gambia, respectively; Ousman Mboge, managing director of Customs and Excise among others.
Tarik Mousa of TK Motors, who was dubiously awarded most of the government contracts like printing of number plates and passports, was bundled out of the country in the most bizarre manner. Tarik was given his deportation orders while on board a flight at the Banjul International Airport after been released from detention.
Baba Jobe, Lang Conteh, Momodou Clarke Bajo and some share holders of Whechit Faling Bureau de Change, where in January 2004 charged on five counts of economic crimes. They were said to have conspired and used their Whechit Faling Bureau de Change to embezzle millions of Dalasis from the Central Bank of the Gambia. However, the men never stood before any judge to answer to the charges. The state according to the director of public prosecution, Akomaye Agim, decided to withdraw the case after the accused persons paid all the money due to the state with interest.
Lang Conteh was later charged separately on some counts of economic crimes. He made a plea bargain with the prosecution and was fined and jailed for six months in prisons.
Hanged by his attorneys
Meanwhile, following the shooting of Ousman Sillah, lead counsel for the defence team, Edward Gomez, who was the most senior lawyer among the remaining team, took over the mantle of leadership. Gomez, who never hides his support for President Jammeh and the APRC, was initially representing YDE and Baba Jobe's co-accuse, Baba Kanteh.
Unlike Ousman Sillah, Edward Gomez, who perhaps was looking for the position of Attorney General and Justice Secretary, took a lame approach to the case. Ignoring the very basics of the case, Lawyer Gomez tried to establish a relationship between the state, Baba Jobe and YDE. And in order to convince the court of the close relationship between the three, he tendered some invoices pertaining to the payment of salaries of staff and maintenance of the presidential jet, New Millennium Airline, the pre-financing of the 2002 groundnut trade season, HAJJ packages to hundreds of Gambians, the presidential Meet the People's tours, excursion trips of the National Patriotic Student Association (Napsa), sponsoring APRC meetings and rallies across the country among others.
Although the said documents were accepted and mark as exhibits by Justice Paul, he made it clear to the defence team that they were not relevant and cannot help the case, Lawyer Gomez continued to piled document after document before the court, which saw huge financial payments being made by YDE to the state on the orders of President Jammeh. He only tried to make a strong defense during his final address to the court when he said the decree on which Baba Jobe, Baba Kanteh and YDE were charged was particularly promulgated by the AFPRC junta to tackle the issue of under invoicing and other corrupt vices, which was prevalent during the transition and not tax evasion.
Baba Jobe was also given wrong guidance throughout the case. He was blinded by the large legal team he had and was perhaps too scared to say anything that would implicate President Jammeh. Never did he attempt to expose President Jammeh or link his connections with YDE. He sometimes gave wrong answers to questions asked by his lawyers and in certain instances said more than he was supposed to say.
Meanwhile, knowing that there was nothing they could do to prevent Baba Jobe from sinking, his lawyers were said to have had series of behind the scene arguments about who should get what and how much from Baba Jobe. A certain lawyer (name withheld) got a Pajero and several thousands of Dalasis. One lawyer fooled Baba Jobe into signing an irrevocable power of attorney that gave him the right to do anything he wanted with his assets among other things. A senior lawyer of his defence team failed to show up to address the court on why Baba Jobe was innocent. Some lawyers of the defence team even did not bother going to court at the latter end of the case as they were too busy attending other cases.
Baba Jobe's lawyers also failed to fight for them to be allowed unlimited access to him at the Police Training School where he was detained since his arrest at Sibanor. They only met him for one hour or 30 minutes at the high court when he turns up for his court appearance. This gave them little opportunity to hold briefings as well as give proper guidance to their client.
All taken away
Since his arrest with his colleagues on December 27, Baba Jobe was put under 24-hour security. He was denied access to even his wife by the police, who were acting under strict orders. He was escorted every Monday to Wednesday to Banjul to face his economic crime case.
For fear of an uprising among disgruntled July Youth Movement members, armed officers of the police intervention unit were always deployed at the high court premises with the orders to shot and kill any rioter. Armed State Guard officers were also deployed at the Denton Bridge and other strategic places within the Greater Banjul Area. The officers searched every vehicle heading to the capital, thus causing heavy traffic jams on the Serrekunda-Banjul highway.
With the case nearing an end, some wealthy Libyans close to Muammar Gadaffiwere said to have visited the country in a bid to settle the matter out of court. Their request for audience with President Jammeh was flatly rejected and both GPA and Customs and Excise were reported to have also refused to meet the delegation. After days of fruitless attempts, the Libyans flew out of Banjul with disappointment.
To make matters worse, an application seeking the unconditional release of Baba Jobe filed by Lawyer Edward Gomez was denied by Justice Paul. And two days before a judgement was made on his economic crime case, Baba Jobe was taken to Mile Two Central Prisons, where he issued a statement through Lawyer, Mai Fatty expressing his frustration and lack of confidence in the whole judicial process.
And on March 30, Baba Jobe was convicted on five counts of economic crimes and jailed for eight years in prison. He was also ordered to pay millions of Dalasis to Customs and Excise and GPA in default of which he was to serve an additional three more years in prison and his assets frozen. His co accused Baba Kanteh was acquitted and discharged on all counts.
In order to further humiliate Baba Jobe before the whole world, the state television, GRTS, which never covered the whole court proceedings, was sent to the high court to screen his final fall. While newspaper reporters were ordered out of the crowded court premises, GRTS was allowed to freely take shots including when Baba Jobe was boarding a waiting prison pick up.
To hinder any prospect of appeal, Justice Paul for many months failed to serve copies of his judgement to Baba Jobe's lawyers. He gave a silly excuse that the 40 page document was hand written and was yet to be typed by his secretary.
Shortly after the conviction of Baba Jobe, the Gambia government which had for many years disputed UN Resolution 1343 that accused Mr. Jobe of armed trafficking complied with the UN order for his assets to be frozen. His family was evicted from his residence in Kotu. Ironically, two years earlier, the Gambian representative at the UN had lobbied for sanctions to be lifted on Mr. Jobe.
Baba Jobe was abandoned by all his friends including those close to him. Some YDE members including Kuru Kongira, Hamidou Baldeh, Buba Senghore and Modou Sula even visited President Jammeh in Kanilai to apologise to him. To show their support for the APRC, they embarked on a country wide tour during which they made all sort of sick remarks against Mr. Jobe.
Meanwhile, while Baba Jobe's defence team was waiting for copies of the judgement to decide their next move, the state acted differently. Instead of waiting for Baba Jobe to pay Customs and GPA, President Jammeh, who owned YDE, ordered the closure of the company. The NIA was made in charged of collecting YDE's debts instead of Babe Jobe's lawyers. NIA officers secretly arrested and detained many YDE debtors at its headquarters in Banjul. Many debtors were alleged to have been tortured and threaten into settling the debt.
Interestingly, despite the non compliance of Baba Jobe to settle GPA and Customs, the state did not bother pursuing the matter in court.
Admission
Following the conviction of Baba Jobe, President Jammeh used his annual Dialogue with the People's Tour to mock his former right hand man whom he accused of betrayal. Jammeh admitted locking Baba Jobe in the five star hotel [Mile Two Prisons] for his mismanagement of YDE's fund.
Also commenting on the issue in Pakaliba in June 2004, the former secretary of state for Trade, Edward Singhateh, was quoted by the State House Website saying: "the issue of Baba Jobe does not concern anyone, because the two [Baba Jobe and President Jammeh] know each other when President Jammeh was head of the Military Police under Jawara's administration.
"The Gambian leader has high regards for Baba Jobe the reason of which he was given the Youth Development Enterprise to manage and help government to stabilise commodity prices, but things went otherwise. What we saw on local newspapers are just small in terms of YDE resources mishandled by Baba Jobe. The depreciation of the dalasi was caused by Baba Jobe, who was colliding with some senior officers at the Central Bank in the foreign exchange transaction. Baba Jobe has betrayed the whole country and if he had taken my advice earlier, this would not have happened to him."
Baba Jobe himself at one point admitted in court that the reason why he was in court was not about tax evasion. "I know the reason why I am brought to court. The issue is not about the non payment of ports and custom charges, because we have more money in our account than what we are said to have owed the two institutions. It is between me and the higher authorities and I will not say who and why."
These admissions show that Baba Jobe was completely innocent of the charges he was convicted of. He should have been charged for mismanagement of YDE funds and nothing else. His arrest and conviction shows the extend of which the Gambian judiciary is controlled by President Jammeh, who uses his mercenary judges like Madabuchi Abuchi Paul, Okoi Itam, Akomaye Agim among others to punish anyone who fall out with him.
Justice Paul
Justice Madabuchi Abuchi Paul migrated from Nigeria to the Gambia during the transition period. He was alleged to have left Nigeria under a dark cloud and had found it hard to get a job in the Gambian legal system. Though an intelligent guy, all Gambian lawyers refused to give him a job in their chambers. A devoted Christian, Paul later got a job at the Asset Management and Recovering Commission (AMRC) before being called to the bench. Upset with his appointment, many Gambian lawyers refused to attend his inauguration ceremony citing his lack of qualifications and experience.
Justice Paul later became a friend of the then Chief Justice Muhammad Arif, and from November 2003 to June 2004, he was assigned all criminal cases at the high court. Some of the high profile cases he heard at the time are the sedition case of Lamin Waa Juwara, Batch Faye, and Abdoulie Sonko among others.
While hearing the Baba Jobe case, Paul was given a brand new Pajero by the state and provided with four armed plain cloth officers. Despite being a junior judge, he was selected by the chief justice to represent The Gambia at the Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges Association meeting as well received other privileges that were not given to senior judges.
To reward him for jailing Baba Jobe, the geezer was awarded the luxurious contract of probing into the activities of public servants excluding the president. He is currently a Court of Appeal judge and is tip to become chief justice in near future
Oops! Jammeh at it again
My attention has been drawn to an article published on the October 17th edition of the Daily Observer captioned Jammeh calls for Islamic solidarity. In the story, President Jammeh during a meeting with Muslim elders at State House, called on the Islamic Ummah to be steadfast, bold and united in the spirit of Islam to condemn any form of attack on the Islamic religion.
President Jammeh: What is in his head?
While I agree that there is a need for the Muslim ummah to be united as we are all descried as Brothers by the Holy Prophet, Muhammad (SAW), I completely disagree with President Jammeh's description of the war on terror as a war against Islam. The war on terror is not against Muslims, who observed the five pillars of Islam and follow the teachings of Allah and His noble Prophet (SAW). It is a war against Muslim extremists who hide behind our peaceful religion to kill and maim innocent people in the streets, shopping centres, entry ports, and even schools.
Terrorism is not a new phenomenon in Europe. In Britain, Ireland and Spain alone, thousands of lives have been lost to terrorism over the past 30 years. This experience has taught us that the only way to defeat terrorism is to confront it. Terrorism is a threat to all states and to all peoples. It poses a serious threat to our security, to the values of our democratic societies and to the rights and freedoms of the citizens, especially through the indiscriminate targeting of innocent people. Terrorism is criminal and unjustifiable under any circumstances. And recognising these dangers, the Gambian National Assembly in 2002 enacted an anti-terrorism legislation.
Islam has always been a religion of peace and has never tolerated the wanton destruction of properties and lives. Take for instance, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) prohibited his soldiers from killing women and children, and he would advise them: {...Do not betray, do not be excessive, do not kill a newborn child.} And he also said: {Whoever has killed a person having a treaty with the Muslims shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise, though its fragrance is found for a span of 40 years.}
Also, the Prophet (SAW) has forbidden punishment with fire. He once listed murder as the second of the major sins, and he even warned that on the Day of Judgement, {The first cases to be adjudicated between people on the Day of Judgement will be those of bloodshed.}
In light of these and other Islamic texts, the act of inciting terror in the hearts of defenceless civilians, the wholesale destruction of buildings and properties, the bombing and maiming of innocent men, women, and children are all forbidden and detestable acts according to Islam and the Muslims. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the vast majority have nothing to do with the violent events some have associated with Muslims. If an individual Muslim were to commit an act of terrorism, this person would be guilty of violating the laws of Islam.
President Jammeh can try to play politics with religion but he cannot fool us. Has he forgotten that The Gambia is ally in the war on terror and that the battle against terrorism is not only being fought by the US and Britain. It is a global war which includes Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon; you name them.
How insane is one who shouts Allahu Akbar and blows him/herself up together with innocent people in the name of Allah? That is more than criminal and every decent human being should never stand by and watch such evil minded people to continue recruiting and corrupting the minds of Muslim youths. Muslim extremists are like a disease and we should never go near them.
How can’t President Jammeh recognised Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorists organisations when they continue to blow themselves up and innocent Israelis in the name of liberation?
For God sake, we are in the 21st Century and any person or organisation that embarks of the indiscriminate killing of people and destruction of public properties is nothing but a bloody terrorists.
Islam is today being highjack by some evil hearted Muslims who think that blowing themselves up is the key to entering paradise. President Jammeh needs to know that Islamic fundamentalists are trying to associate such an ungodly act with Islam. And as long as Muslim extremists continue cause wanton destructions, they will be hunted down and lock up.
With regard to the prosecution and hanging of Saddam Hussein, I am not surprise to see President Jammeh trying to make a childish defence against one of the world’s worst dictators. Saddam and Jammeh both have one thing in common. They are all vicious and blood thirsty dictators who take pleasure in burying their opponents six feet deep. Both Jammeh and Saddam have no regards and respects to the rights of their subjects. As rulers, they regard themselves as prophets and kings who have the god given right to do anything they want with impunity.
Saddam should thank his God that he was allowed to stand trial before an Iraqi court, which sentenced him to death for some of his crimes. Like Jammeh, some of Saddam's victims did not have the chance to stand before a judge to defend themselves. Those who got the chance were leapfrogged before mercenary judges who just sent them to the gallows.
The Situation in Iraq is worsening day in day out not because of the Americans and the British. The suicide bombings and beheading of ordinary Iraqis are not cause by the coalition forces but by selfish Iraqis who do not want to see any progress. In Iraq today, it is not the coalition that is killing Iraqis, but Muslim Shites killing Muslim Sunnis with the backing of Iran, which not surprisingly is a key ally of the Gambia.
The number of Muslim deaths will always skyrocket as long as Muslim extremists continue to blow themselves up day in day out in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Indonesia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia; you name it. The number will also increase as long as blood thirsty dictators like President Jammeh, continue to kill, arrest, and torture innocent civilians without giving a monkey to the country's laws.
The terror squads we have in Iraq have some similarities with the killer boys in the Gambian army, who take pleasure in killing journalists, burning newspapers, and persecuting innocent people who have the balls to challenge the Jammeh regime. And like the Iraqi death squads, the killer boys have succeeded in sowing fear in the minds of the civilian population. Criticise the regime and you are buried six feet deep.
While lecturing us on the Islamic rule, President Jammeh failed to realise that though we are a Muslim dominant country, we are governed by a constitution not shariah. And if we are to follow the shariah teaching, then President Jammeh will no doubt be found guilty of corruption, injustice, greed, hypocrisy, murder among others.
If President Jammeh wants to start punishing people who sing and dance while worshipping Allah like the Bai Faals as we call them in Jollof, then I think he must start with himself. This is because he was shown on TV dancing the bucarabou in Kanilai with his satanic praying bead in his hand.
How can a president who organises wrestling matches between men and women, as well as host many festivals in Kanilai which bring together thousands of hot blooded men and women all over country and beyond start teaching us about morality? How can a president who advocates youths to use condoms talk about shariah? How can a president who wants to outlaw Muslim students from wearing the veil talk about shariah? How can a superstitious president like Jammeh who wears millions of jujus talk about the greatness of Allah? How can a president like Jammeh who busy himself watching wrestling matches and dancing in Kanilai while the time for prayer is up preach us about God? How can a president like Jammeh who orphaned children, widowed women, and made parents childless tell us to fear God? How can a president who orders the kidnapping, torture and detention incommunicado of his opponents talk about shariah?
Mr. President, take a proper look at yourself first before talking God in front of our respected Muslim elders.
Peace.
President Jammeh: What is in his head?
While I agree that there is a need for the Muslim ummah to be united as we are all descried as Brothers by the Holy Prophet, Muhammad (SAW), I completely disagree with President Jammeh's description of the war on terror as a war against Islam. The war on terror is not against Muslims, who observed the five pillars of Islam and follow the teachings of Allah and His noble Prophet (SAW). It is a war against Muslim extremists who hide behind our peaceful religion to kill and maim innocent people in the streets, shopping centres, entry ports, and even schools.
Terrorism is not a new phenomenon in Europe. In Britain, Ireland and Spain alone, thousands of lives have been lost to terrorism over the past 30 years. This experience has taught us that the only way to defeat terrorism is to confront it. Terrorism is a threat to all states and to all peoples. It poses a serious threat to our security, to the values of our democratic societies and to the rights and freedoms of the citizens, especially through the indiscriminate targeting of innocent people. Terrorism is criminal and unjustifiable under any circumstances. And recognising these dangers, the Gambian National Assembly in 2002 enacted an anti-terrorism legislation.
Islam has always been a religion of peace and has never tolerated the wanton destruction of properties and lives. Take for instance, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) prohibited his soldiers from killing women and children, and he would advise them: {...Do not betray, do not be excessive, do not kill a newborn child.} And he also said: {Whoever has killed a person having a treaty with the Muslims shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise, though its fragrance is found for a span of 40 years.}
Also, the Prophet (SAW) has forbidden punishment with fire. He once listed murder as the second of the major sins, and he even warned that on the Day of Judgement, {The first cases to be adjudicated between people on the Day of Judgement will be those of bloodshed.}
In light of these and other Islamic texts, the act of inciting terror in the hearts of defenceless civilians, the wholesale destruction of buildings and properties, the bombing and maiming of innocent men, women, and children are all forbidden and detestable acts according to Islam and the Muslims. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the vast majority have nothing to do with the violent events some have associated with Muslims. If an individual Muslim were to commit an act of terrorism, this person would be guilty of violating the laws of Islam.
President Jammeh can try to play politics with religion but he cannot fool us. Has he forgotten that The Gambia is ally in the war on terror and that the battle against terrorism is not only being fought by the US and Britain. It is a global war which includes Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon; you name them.
How insane is one who shouts Allahu Akbar and blows him/herself up together with innocent people in the name of Allah? That is more than criminal and every decent human being should never stand by and watch such evil minded people to continue recruiting and corrupting the minds of Muslim youths. Muslim extremists are like a disease and we should never go near them.
How can’t President Jammeh recognised Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorists organisations when they continue to blow themselves up and innocent Israelis in the name of liberation?
For God sake, we are in the 21st Century and any person or organisation that embarks of the indiscriminate killing of people and destruction of public properties is nothing but a bloody terrorists.
Islam is today being highjack by some evil hearted Muslims who think that blowing themselves up is the key to entering paradise. President Jammeh needs to know that Islamic fundamentalists are trying to associate such an ungodly act with Islam. And as long as Muslim extremists continue cause wanton destructions, they will be hunted down and lock up.
With regard to the prosecution and hanging of Saddam Hussein, I am not surprise to see President Jammeh trying to make a childish defence against one of the world’s worst dictators. Saddam and Jammeh both have one thing in common. They are all vicious and blood thirsty dictators who take pleasure in burying their opponents six feet deep. Both Jammeh and Saddam have no regards and respects to the rights of their subjects. As rulers, they regard themselves as prophets and kings who have the god given right to do anything they want with impunity.
Saddam should thank his God that he was allowed to stand trial before an Iraqi court, which sentenced him to death for some of his crimes. Like Jammeh, some of Saddam's victims did not have the chance to stand before a judge to defend themselves. Those who got the chance were leapfrogged before mercenary judges who just sent them to the gallows.
The Situation in Iraq is worsening day in day out not because of the Americans and the British. The suicide bombings and beheading of ordinary Iraqis are not cause by the coalition forces but by selfish Iraqis who do not want to see any progress. In Iraq today, it is not the coalition that is killing Iraqis, but Muslim Shites killing Muslim Sunnis with the backing of Iran, which not surprisingly is a key ally of the Gambia.
The number of Muslim deaths will always skyrocket as long as Muslim extremists continue to blow themselves up day in day out in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Indonesia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia; you name it. The number will also increase as long as blood thirsty dictators like President Jammeh, continue to kill, arrest, and torture innocent civilians without giving a monkey to the country's laws.
The terror squads we have in Iraq have some similarities with the killer boys in the Gambian army, who take pleasure in killing journalists, burning newspapers, and persecuting innocent people who have the balls to challenge the Jammeh regime. And like the Iraqi death squads, the killer boys have succeeded in sowing fear in the minds of the civilian population. Criticise the regime and you are buried six feet deep.
While lecturing us on the Islamic rule, President Jammeh failed to realise that though we are a Muslim dominant country, we are governed by a constitution not shariah. And if we are to follow the shariah teaching, then President Jammeh will no doubt be found guilty of corruption, injustice, greed, hypocrisy, murder among others.
If President Jammeh wants to start punishing people who sing and dance while worshipping Allah like the Bai Faals as we call them in Jollof, then I think he must start with himself. This is because he was shown on TV dancing the bucarabou in Kanilai with his satanic praying bead in his hand.
How can a president who organises wrestling matches between men and women, as well as host many festivals in Kanilai which bring together thousands of hot blooded men and women all over country and beyond start teaching us about morality? How can a president who advocates youths to use condoms talk about shariah? How can a president who wants to outlaw Muslim students from wearing the veil talk about shariah? How can a superstitious president like Jammeh who wears millions of jujus talk about the greatness of Allah? How can a president like Jammeh who busy himself watching wrestling matches and dancing in Kanilai while the time for prayer is up preach us about God? How can a president like Jammeh who orphaned children, widowed women, and made parents childless tell us to fear God? How can a president who orders the kidnapping, torture and detention incommunicado of his opponents talk about shariah?
Mr. President, take a proper look at yourself first before talking God in front of our respected Muslim elders.
Peace.
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