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Death and the President's Convoy
Tuesday, 13 July 2010 00:27
By Yusupha ChamThe unconfirmed news of another death, allegedly involving the Presidential motorcade brings back to focus the daily fatal risk that Gambians are exposed to from the hasty driving of Jammeh's convoy. And its victims, as reported in this case, sometimes include the very security men and women who travel with him.
According to our sources, the latest to die as a direct result of the manner of driving by the convoy is one Paul Bass, believed to be an NIA operative. Though the exact nature of the accident is not clear it almost certainly has to do with speeding.
Since no one is going to be held accounted for this taking of another Gambian life, and also as he embarks on another tour, I find it fitting to send a clear message to President Jammeh that his very movement in our towns and villages are a serious concern.
Since they took power, the amount of people who lost their lives in Gambia as a result of the AFPRC/APRC convoys is well over a dozen now. I can vividly recalled one night on the Senegambia Highway when an Arab like business man in a red car panicked and plunged into his death when he, headlong, collided with a monstrously looking Chevrolet Blazer at the head of Jammeh's convoy, as he headed for Banjul from a state banquet at the Kairaba Beach Hotel. Another time, a young Sintet village soldier died while escorting a presidential convoy. These along with a young girl in the provinces and many more unreported deaths as a result of Jammeh's convoy would be disheartening to anyone who has any human feelings.
It makes me wonder who is after the president’s life to warrant this kind of speeding on our motorways. Come to think of it Western leaders are by far at more risk than Jammeh. But just take a look at PM David Cameron's convoy or former PM Brown and Blair some of which I happened to see during the last election campaign.
They are mostly tinted glass cars that go around making little noise or attracting little attention. In fact security is about secrecy, avoiding undue attention while secretly combing the route for any possible threat. Though these SSS agents are fully armed, one can hardly see their weapons while they travel on UK roads. But take a look at Jammeh's convoy today if you are reading this in Banjul. You will first be harassed by high sounding, sinister looking black Chevys Or Hummers with devilishly gladded bespectacled and trigger happy men, sometimes women, brandishing RPGs, anti-air craft missiles, swords, AK 47s and all sorts of weapons as if they are heading for a battle. This is not security. This could possibly be a ploy to intimidate innocent people and mystify oneself. A good security procedure has no room for these sorts of things. I wish you a good tour.
By the way, where are you heading to today? Hope is not CRR so that I can warn my people off the road.
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Comments
Comment
It’s realty that our mad ‘sheick-Bakassa’ of Kanilai has no regards for human life except his own. These happenings are all lessons for the masses that will certainly come to realise the sad facts about this cocaine skull bandit whose only agenda’s is self at ALL cost/expense. But it’s good history documents these happenings for the records for future inquiries & prosecutions.
Pulled by a thousand slaves...many of which were crushed to death on route.
Have the griots started building his pyrimid yet.?
Sad,,,very!!!
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