Self defense

by PK Jarju

So far so good we still living today

But we don't know what tomorrow brings

In this crazy world

People dying like flies every day

You read about it in the news

But you don't believe it

You'll only know about it

When the man in the long black coat

Knocks on your door'

Cause you're his next victim

As you are living in this crazy world

.. Lucky Dube

This Tuesday, while reading the online papers, I came across an article on the February 5th edition of President Yahya Jammeh's newspaper, the Daily Observer, captioned Flagrant Injustice. While lashing out at the British High Commission for denying an entry visa to ill Gambian, Momodou, the paper stated: "Imagine how much money the British embassy in Banjul makes out of the pockets of the many poor Gambian students genuinely seeking scholarship in UK universities. This again contrasts sharply with the readily available visas for so-called dissident asylum-seeking journalists who end up becoming liabilities to the British citizens, as much as they remain forces of evil for their own countries. Is this how Britain intends to help The Gambia develop?....Also people that turn their backs to their countries, suddenly making themselves enemies of their home, are not only given asylum in the UK, but the country serves as sanctuary for them in their anti - development propaganda works."

I had to laugh aloud when I read this vile statement because Dida Halake, the paper's managing editor is doing the dirty work he is hired for by President Jammeh from his council flat in Leeds. It is very idiotic and stupid of him to try to compare Momodou's case with others. Dida has to know that his Master at State House is nothing but a corrupt and bloody dictator, who do not have the interest of the Gambian people at heart. Jammeh is not a blessing for the Gambian people.

How insane it is for an Ethiopian refugee to come to our very own country and insult us simply because we call for a democratic government that will govern the electorates in accordance to the laws of the land? Mr. Old man, if you are reading this piece, you got to know that we Gambians are not fools. We can be the most hospitable people on earth but never take our hospitability for weakness. We will not sit idly and watch a green snake like you come to our backyard and tell us that rubbish.

While he boost to anyone willing to listening that he holds a British passport, Dida was nothing in the UK but a mere primary school teacher in Leeds, West Yorkshire. He had to thank his lucky stars for being made Observer's managing director. He got the job not because of his intelligence. He got it not because he has any journalism experience. He got it simply through selfishness. For many years, we have seen him praise singing President Jammeh even when does things that are not in the interest of Gambians. And after all Jammeh does not care about one's qualifications when putting them in positions of public trust. As an incompetent leader himself, all Jammeh cares for is how much support you give to him and his APRC party.

As a man who have spent many years in Kenya and the UK, it is very ignorant and naive for Dida Halake to call Gambian journalists as anti-development. How stupid of him to think that we are enemies of the Gambia? How can a bloody foreigner come to our country and make such vile statement? Mr. Halake, we are not enemies of our motherland. We will never be. While you are nothing but a locust, who is only looking for green grass to chew, we are not. We will forever be proud to be Gambians and will do anything within our means to ensure that our country is not transformed into a kingdom rule by one mad man.

We have seen how corruption, nepotism and dictatorship led to the savagery resulting in the death of thousands of Ethiopians. And before you waste your time preaching us to love our country, why not preach love to your adopted home, Kenya, where thousands of people were killed.

Mar Halake, it is only a mad man who will try to put his own house on fire while his parents and kids are sleeping inside. Our criticism of the Jammeh is not in anyway geared towards bringing instability to our very own country. We have a gaddem right to criticize a tyrant like Yahya Jammeh, who thinks that he can rule us anyhow he wants. It is our God given right to express ourselves which Jammeh can never take away no matter how much he tries.

Like Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov, exile Russian top nuclear physicists once stated in an interview with John Simpson of the BBC: "The desire, the instinct to oppose brutality and repress freedom of though is unquenchable. Of course it can be be force to keept quite at times, when repression gerts worse. Not everyone wants to be a matrtyr but the instincts remains and will always remain. And when circumstances becomes a little favourable, it will raise its head again. You cannot crush the instinct, because its part of us - part of human condition. The desire to be free is one of the fundamental human desire." So Mr. Old man, there you go.

Mr. Halake needs to realise that Jammeh is doing no one a favour by constructing roads or schools. He is doing what he is vote in for. That is why we pay our taxes. Dida has lived in Leeds for many years and never did he write a letter thanking the Leeds Metropolitcan Council for clearing his rubbish bin. Why, this is because they are doing what they are expected to do. If that is the case, does he think we a bunch of dummies who will heap praises on Jammeh for building a hospital in Fatoto, that only have paracetamol?

Dida Halake needs to know that the political situation in the Gambia is getting worse and worse by the day. It can be compared as being in a boat which is being driven by a mad captain in a stormy sea. People are being oppressed left right and centre everyday.

Where was Dida Halake when journalists like Alhagie Mbye of The Independent was arrested and tortured for over a week at the NIA headquarters not for setting Banjul International Airport on fire, but for writing an article seen critical of the regime. Where was Halake when my friend Malick Mboob was detained and tortured for over three months for just writing to the Freedom Newspaper? Where was Dida Halake when over a dozen innocent subcribers of the Freedom Newspapers were rounded up in the country and tortured by the NIA? Where was Dida Halake when armed soldiers set The Independent on fire? Is the closure of The Independent, Citizen FM and Sud FM justifiable? Where was Dida Halake when Deyda Hydara was brutality killed by NIA officers for just being a journalists? Where was Dida Halake when Ebrima Sillah's house was set on fire? Where was Dida when Chief Manneh, a bloke he knew very well at the Observer disappeared from earth after been arrested by the NIA? Why is the government wasting tax payers money in prosecuting Fatou Jaw Manneh? Is Dida not aware of Decree 70/71 and the new criminal procedure code which makes it a crime liable for six months in prison for just caricaturing someone? Well, I will excuse him if he is not aware of it as he might have been busy teaching kids in his Alhassan Madarasa how to support Yahya Jammeh.

Mr. Halake, Gambian journalists are today living in an atrocious political climate and you must have hammered 20 pints of larger if you think that all is well and fine. President Jammeh regards himself as God and wants every living soul in the country to bow down to him. And Dida Halake must be have gone completely crazy to see us as a forces of evil. We will never be cowed.

If there is any force of evil, it is Dida Halake. He is deliberately turning a blind eye while Jammeh is milking us to dry. He is careless about the oppression taking place in the Gambian. He does not care about the sufferings of our people. All he wants is too is to see Gambians been transformed into destitutes while Jammeh gets fatter and brutal.


Mr. Halake, we have seen many of your types and we know that you are only glorifying President Jammeh and his brutal regime for your own selfish desires. You will be on the next plane back to Leeds the very day you get the sack from the Observer.

Dida needs to know that Jammeh has brought nothing but untold sufferrings to the Gambian people. Poverty is increasing everyday with many families living under less than one Pound Sterling a day? While Dida is being paid D10, 000 a month, he needs to know that a large majority of civil servants are earning less than D1,000 a month. They are finding it difficult to survive the hardship which is epitomise by sky rocketing prices of commodity goods, high electric and water bills.
Our farmers are finding it difficult to put food on the table simply because their nuts are still unsold.

Mr. Halake you have been in the Gambia for many years and how many times have you had people losing their jobs just because they oppose Jammeh? How many times have you seen people being abtrararilly arrested and lock up at the stinking Mile Two Prisons for months without standing before any court of law just because they fell out with Jammeh? How many times have you heard of people disappearing from their families just for being opponents of the regime? Would you sit in your cozzy office and rant about forces of evil if your father, brother or uncle was one of these people buried in an unknown grave?

You are just being an ignorant wanker but you knew how unpleasant persecution is. You have witnessed it first hand in your native Ethopia and you have to be so grateful to Kenya for providing a safe heaven for you. While you are glad that those days are over, we in the Gambia are facing it. Yes big time.

Mr. Halake, have you forgotten that I am a signatory to your will and I know all about you. For the time being I let those things to be.
Peace
For comments, write to papak196@yahoo.co.uk