Hurricane Jammeh

Once again, the Quadrangle in Banjul was badly struck by another hurricane Jammeh, which for a moment, left almost everyone in the country shaken.

As if last week's removal of Yankuba Touray was not bad enough, Jammeh's electric broom swept off key figures of his regime once thought to be untouchable. Among them, Bala Gaye, secretary of state for Finance, Abdou Karim Savage, chief justice and Fatoumata Jahumpa-Ceesay, speaker of the National Assembly.

As always, hurricane Jammeh sent no warning before it struck its victims and there is no one to give an explanation to the public. I felt sorry for the victims of the hurricane and more sorry to my friend or lets say my 'aunty', Fatoumata Jahumpa-Ceesay.

These people as Jammeh always does, were badly used, turned into public enemies then sent packing to an angry and unsympathetic public. But will the Gambian people learn a big lesson from the treatment of this people, who were once elevated into the seventh heaven and did everything for Jammeh? I don't think so.

It must have struck my aunty like a thunderbolt when she received her marching orders, but no matter what the circumstances resulting in her removal are, she should hold her head high.

Love or loathe her, the woman was a loyalists. She was APRC true and true. She joined the AFPRC/APRC regime as a great supporter of its leader and was remove with the same-if not higher respect and admiration for her party leader.

I have had the opportunity to meet FJC as she is better known by the Gambian media on many occasion both official and private and even though I disagree with some of her views, yet I have nothing but respect for her.

She may not be the sharpest woman in the country, but she always knew what she was doing. She was committed to the APRC regime and have done everything she could to promote the cause of the party both at home and abroad. She loves President Jammeh, a love that runs deep in her veins and was never shy to show it.

Jammeh was too dear to her and she once confessed in a newspaper interview that she is willing to serve Jammeh in any capacity even as an office cleaner.

Despite Jammeh's appalling human rights record and the disgraceful way and manner in which he is governing the country, FJC regards him as the best man for the country and dislikes everyone who criticises him.

Unlike many senior figures in her party, FJC was never afraid to take on Jammeh's opponents, especially the opposition. Her blind support of President Jammeh and the APRC have sometimes made her a national hate figure and if positions are allocated to people based on their loyalty to their leaders, FJC should have been vice-president.

I know that she will be getting a lot of stick from many people in the coming days and weeks taking into consideration the way and manner in which she conducted herself during her short-stint as speaker of the National Assembly. Her record was terrible. She was partisan and have shamelessly used the house to strengthen the hands dictatorship in the country.

Despite her appalling record, am still finding it hard to come heavy on her for whatever she did or said during her tenure in the house. She was just doing what a large majority of Gambians are doing in their respective jobs at home. Serving Jammeh first and the Gambia second.

Our country is sinking because of sycophants like her and the future of my children, your children and that of every young Gambian is being ruined because of people like her. They don't have any conscience. What a shame.

FJC's removal as speaker will have an enormous impact on her life and her future. But whatever happens, I have no feeling that the lady will abandon the APRC nor linger in wilderness for long. She will stick with Jammeh and will continue to champion the cause of the APRC. People like her are much much better inside the field than on the side lines. She will bounce back maybe at an ambassadorial level, who knows.

With Jammeh, everything is possible.



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Sometime last week, I received an email from a Gambian police officer, currently serving with the UN mission in Darfur, Sudan. His email was in response to an article I wrote sometime ago entitled From Where I Stand.

The officer wrote: "I have been reading your articles since when you were working for The Independent Newspaper and the Daily Observer. Your article on AllGambia Newspaper was touching and as Gambians I will advise you to be strong and be determined. Nobody can hurt you, the only person who can hurt you is yourself. Keep it up. I love reading your writings."

Encouraging words Mr Officer. Thanks.