Emblem of leadership in Africa: pomposity, courtesy and cruelty

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Emblem of leadership in Africa: pomposity, courtesy and cruelty

Wednesday, 17 March 2010 00:58

By Kemo Cham
One of the most nauseating realities of our time is the surfeit of pretence in our societies. No, pretence is too mild; dishonesty actually is quite the word. It is in no short supply here in Africa, very much so among politicians from every extreme – in opposition as well as those presently presiding over the plunder of states coffers; from Cape to Cairo; Dakar to Addis Map_Africa

Ababa.
This is not just one of those usual boring complaints about the endemic corruption emblematic among African leaders; it is in fact about the highly possessive effect of the illicit riches which appear to be taking its toll on the thinking faculties of our leaders, which have effectively transformed a greater section of their community into masters of plain lie telling, deceit, sham, treachery, and above all utter lack of shame.
The other day, I woke up, touched to the bone, when confronted with an article about Gabon’s President Ali Bongo trying to assume the moral high ground, calling corruption ‘‘Africa’s cancer.’’ Actually, Mr Bongo calling corruption cancer is not the issue; the fact that he appeared to distance himself from it is what is farcical. This has become a trait in all of them; I mean all African leaders. They are the main problem, yet they refuse to accept that they are.
I couldn’t help but wondered how Secretary of State Hilary Clinton could have put up with such a morally insolvent fellow in a meeting where ridding Africa of corruption was a subject of discussion. But on a second thought, I suppose they can’t be ignored. For the sake of diplomacy, such meetings are important so as to serve as occasional reminder for our largely indifferent leaders of their obligations to safeguarding the fundamental values of humanity. Besides, it is not in the interest of oil-thirsty United States to ignore a country like Gabon.
Apart from the 41 years of looting the Bongo family presided over in Gabon, the whole world saw Ali Bongo, aided by marauding old school politicians loyal to his late father, stole the presidency from the rightful owners. What then can be more corrupt than his mandate as president?
And now, the same Ali Bongo is pledging to use his country's presidency of the United Nations Security Council to highlight democratic reforms and his idea of fight against corruption, according to a report published by the US State Department, March 8, 2010.
Now this is the problem with international institutions like the UN; a composition of the good and the bad, all of them constantly pledging to reinstate sanity to the confused state of affairs they themselves are responsible for.
The UK Telegraph, on June 8, 2009, described the late Omar Bongo as a ‘‘diminutive, dapper figure, who conversed in flawless French and alternated between pomposity, courtesy and cruelty as required.’’ This three worded description is the most perfect I have ever come across that suit today’s generation of African leaders. The totality of their demeanor is premised on deceit.
The Telegraph went on to say that Bongo Senior treated Gabon ‘‘as a self-obsessed landlord treats his private estate. He considered everything inside its borders to be his personal property and elevated corruption to a method of government.’’
The demise of Omar Bongo was naturally bound to bring in a glimmer of hope for change for the Gabonese people. But that would almost certainly mean a change in the entire leadership. So that hope died away prematurely when the Bongo cohort handpicked Ali with the sole hope of completing his father’s mission. What else would have inspired the politicians to go through all the pains to defy popular call by the people and stage the ‘democratic’ coup that brought the younger Bongo to power?
Now who is Ali Bongo to talk about fighting corruption when his presidency is at the mercy of the corrupt Gabonese politicians?
By the way, which other country in Africa is any different from Gabon, anyway?
Just the other day, Yahya Jammeh was on the Kanilai/Gambia Radio and Television Services (K/GRTS), trying to convince God-knows-who that he was against illegal detention and all the injustices that abound in Gambia. This is no attempt at merely criticizing; it shocks when the suspect in crime appears to be taking the moral high ground.
The question is: who should Gambians blame for the loads of unexplained arrests and detentions currently ongoing in Gambia?
Well, with my own experience, I know quite well that it won’t take a single moment unnecessarily longer for Lang Tombong Tamba or any such people who have been in custody past the constitutional time limit to be charged or released, if Yahya Jammeh demands. So what is holding him?
I still remember vividly the scene, when two pick-up trucks full of police officers where dispatched and surrounded the premises of the Daily Observer to arrest a colleague of mine, an unarmed journalist, in the person of Abdoulie John. And his crime: merely expressing his views against interference in the editorial policy of the paper by Momodou Sanyang, a prominent member of the group of extremely devious allies of Yahya Jammeh, the people who influence many of his [Jammeh’s] ghastly decisions. Between Sanyang and Ensa ‘Jesus’ Badjie, they made the whole terrifying Daily Observer staff believed that the order for John’s arrest came ‘‘from above.’’
‘‘Suma Raka (Wolof for my younger brother), you must comply or else you will be forced to. I am only doing my job,’’ Jesus shouted at John, when the latter attempted to question the reason behind his treatment by the plain cloth security men who accompanied the then police chief.
Like always, Jesus and his men where only doing their job for the ‘‘Big Man.’’
Perhaps no one could have put it more succinctly than Dahaba, one of the famous twin griots of the ‘‘Big Man’’, Yahya Jammeh, believed to be an NIA informant, who remarked at the scene of the arrest of Mr John: ‘‘People don’t know that here in Gambia what matters is President Jammeh.’’
Perhaps Dahaba was right. Only those who appear indifferent to the bad side of the way Jammeh runs Gambia fail to see the bigger problem. That is because they think they are not affected in anyway.
Nevertheless, I whole heartedly agree that you do not right a wrong with another wrong, so even if former IGP Ensa Badjie faulted by committing the crimes he actually did commit against Gambians, he certainly doesn’t deserve to be detained beyond the stipulated time limit without being charged. This is so notwithstanding Badjie’s own part in crucifying many perceived enemies of Yahya Jammeh just to guarantee the safety of his position. And Jesus is not alone in this. My hope is that all of them will learn from this experience, that nothing last forever. Not even if you forfeit your family’s happiness for Jammeh.
The Gambian people also need to understand that Yahya Jammeh is not the Jesus or Muhammad many tend to associate him with, the voices of freedom are. The voices of freedom include the Human Rights organizations who have themselves received a fair share of the aloofness of the Jammeh administration, and also the highly constraint media that remains defiant in the face of oppression.
If General Tamba, Jesus and other security chiefs arrested people and had the human rights bodies calling for justice, and now these vary same human rights people are calling for the same justice for General Tamba and Jesus, isn’t that enough of a reason to see who has the truth? The idea is fair treatment, and nothing more. No amount of material development can be of any value to a life characterized by uncertainty.
You can say you are not affected; but to say all is well in today’s Gambia is an unjustifiable line of thought.
This very cankerworm of dishonesty transcends the political line; it goes deeper in to the heart of the so called democratic champions, including the media. This is in fact what makes it all the more difficult a task to deal with especially in a country as polarized as Gambia.
What the Gambian people must know, however, is that Yahya Jammeh is just like every one of us; he just happens to be surrounded by conscienceless terrorist (I have no regret whatsoever for using these words against people like Momodou Sanyang who have set families apart and destroyed lives) who are no better than the bomb-touting morons who relishes at the absurd idea of blowing up plane-full of innocent people.
A union based on evil lasts just for a temporary period. We are seeing the party falling apart slowly but sorely.

Comments

0 #1 2010-03-17 16:17

Mr. Kemo Cham,did you forget of the Observer bus? who wrote all those nice words and developments achieved by Jammeh government that you yourself said would have not happened thanks to President Jammeh`s visionary leadership? Were you under RPG gun point at the time?For you to be where you are today who should you and me say a big thank you if honesty and sincerity to be the order of the day.
There is no Gambian who compare President Jammeh to Jesus or Prophet Muhammed(saw).If we have problems in our working place with our seniors should President Jammeh be accuse? If African leaders should be blamed for all these problems, what about we the citizens? what about the media leadership? I believe we are all to be blamed as we are the fire starters in the name of democracy,human rights and so called freedom of speach.
Do we practise freedom of speach of today to our own parents and families? While we point fingers others are watching.So.....

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