A popular revolt or the court of God

Let’s talk politics when it is time for politicking, and let’s talk seriousness when issues of significance are brought forward. While there has never been any doubt that Yahya Jammeh’s government, as a matter of fact Yahya Jammeh himself, is directly responsible for the killing of Dayda Hydara and the many murderous acts in Gambia, this latest revelation, implicating his must trusted body guard, Alhagie Martin, must not by any means be treated lightly.

Of course it is an allegation, like the editor at Freedom said. But what are allegations for? The whistleblower knows very well that just by naming Alhagie Marting, the accused is not just going to be handcuffed and sent to jail. He knows Yahya Jammeh will not sanction the accused because he (Jammeh) sent him, according to the report. This is certainly only meant to be a very valuable piece of information that could kick starts an investigation into the matter. They say that every allegation comes with some degree of truth. If Martin is not directly responsible, he certainly has an idea about the whole thing.

As for me since the day I became irreversibly convinced that Gambia government, through agents Momodou, Dr Saja Taal and Pa Malick Faye, was responsible for the continued disappearance of Chief Manneh, in spite of Yahya Jammeh’s categorical denial on GRTS earlier, with his infamous bead and mysterious book in hand, I lost confidence in the man and all what he says. Of course before that I had had reasons to believe that many things, very many things, were amiss in that country. But I had always gone with the feeling that he was largely innocent of them, and I do not think I am alone in that. What I experienced within my last days in Gambia confirms that all what these agents of death are doing are being done in his name. Otherwise the least he can do is to question them like the way he orders the questioning of suspects of anti-APRC feelings. When allegations are made against his cronies, Yahya Jammeh does not question them. Why?

The first thing that comes to my mind now is Jammeh’s immediate next move after this startling revelation. My fear is that Colonel Martin might go the same path as the blood thirsty duo (who were poisoned to death after serving as Yahya Jammeh’s executioners, effectively effacing valuable evidences) whom the whole of Gambia knows where behind the tortures and extra judicial killings that took place between 1994 and the time of their own ignominious demise.

Let’s say all this is all speculation. But it is certainly a case that has been forwarded. If the free world is really serious about bringing Dayda’s killers to book, and effectively putting to an end, once and for all, this madness that is going on in Gambia, this issue should be taken up seriously. Martin should be questioned and investigations commenced to that effect.

Before 1994, cold-blooded murder was relatively unheard of in what was a relatively peaceful Gambia. Potential criminals have over the years become spirited and encouraged by government sponsored acts of terrorism. Yes, terrorism!

If after the heartless acts of murdering an innocent and harmless journalist – if this latest allegation is true - Martin could go ahead and attempt to take the life of another person in the form of a harmless lawyer, he should be stopped by all means immediately. I am not an authority in Psychology, but the basic knowledge I have in it let me know that people like Martin, having been used to spilling blood, are prone to the urge of committing such sickening crimes. And since Yahya Jammeh has used you, he has an edge over you, which he uses as a bargaining tool. In this case since Martin can not escape punishment if he is found guilty, he certainly will not come forward to tell the truth by himself. And Yahya Jammeh will continue to have him do anything he desires.

No wonder the guy is constantly distressed. Someone who used to be closed to the system presently at the Daily Observer once remarked that Martin suffers from some Psychological trauma. According to this person, Martin has engaged in a lot of ‘‘dangerous operations.’’ I am now trying to make a link. These are not my words; that are those of some one who knows how the system operates.

Some deadly drunken and obviously ignorant security personnel told me in Kanilai, ‘‘we do not care what anybody else thinks, all we care about is what the ‘Oga’ (meaning Yahya Jammeh) wants.’’ I was unfortunate to exchange words with that brut of a beast as I negotiated the release of a journalist friend of mine from one of the independent papers, who had smuggled himself, as it were, into Kanilai. I was speaking of course as a student leader having led a group of students to the president’s farm. Imagine this guy was in Kanilai to cover activities of the president’s agricultural venture which are supposedly aimed at uplifting Gambians from poverty. But as far as the Jammeh government is concerned, according to that military man, the Daily Observer and GRTS are the only media that reports well about the president, his party and his government, and therefore these are the only media they would consider.

This guy threatened to ensure that this particular media house got into some trouble, bragging that it would just take him seconds of call and the house of that paper would be ransacked by the NIA. I talked him out of that, with the detained journalist friend of mine my priority.

‘‘Imagine the number of young Gambians who would lose their job if you do that,’’ I appealed. He had promised that he would make sure that the boy was transferred to the NIA, saying to me, ‘‘you know what will happen if he gets there.’’

The threatening calls I got from Momodou Sanyang, the closest murderous agent of Yahya Jammeh today, is another topic of discussion.

All these go to show the degree of treachery that characterizes the consciences of the people who claim to love the Gambia more than the people who supposedly installed them into power. This madness must stop!

And I want to observe the fact that this revelation, given its time of emergence, when members of the security forces in Gambia are clearly the most disgruntled and uncertain …. must have come from some one within who knows exactly what happened. The sheer preciseness and simplicity of the letter also explains a lot.

One way Gambians in the Diaspora can exert pressure on these murderers bunch and discourage them from their act could be to engage foreign diplomats to adopt the same policy they have been adopting in countries like Zimbabwe and Kenya – travel ban and if possible freezing of assets. These people prey on Gambians and make money out of it only to go abroad and buy properties with blood money. This madness must stop!

In conclusion, I just want to say that one day all these people will face justice; if not in the court of the people in a popular revolt, then obviously in the court of the Almighty God. The ignoble role they are playing in the Gambian scheme of things will never go unnoticed.

Enduring legacies are left to be noticed by sincere God fearing humankind, and, that is measured by posterity. Where are theirs?

This is just the beginning. The day you will find yourselves behind bars, with your cronies testifying against you, then you will realize that God really exists.