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.