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Gambia Needs a Serving President
Monday, 11 July 2011 16:29
Observes Sarjo Bayang, UKNews that Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has alarming numbers in woman lining up to receive fertility treatment from him recently is quite worrying for the nation. If Mr Jammeh is more confident of serving as herbal therapist than staying a misfit on the seat of the nation’s presidency, there is no better time for him to call it quit.
Generously stating Gambia needs a president who knows the job. Gambia needs a president whose attention is focused. Gambia needs a president who respects differences between personal and national interest. We are looking for a president who has all the time to pay great attention and will not be distracted. Gambia needs a president who will not take private business at the expense of denying opportunities for genuinely striving career entrepreneurs. Gambia is
looking for a president in one job and not a multitasking busy for nothing meddler. Election is just at the corner. Over the last 17 years, Gambians and rest of the world already know what Mr Yahya Jammeh is capable of. Put bluntly, Mr Jammeh is not a presidential material. It is clear that Mr Jammeh’s primary motivation has always been one of seeking a convenient exit route from personal economic disadvantage. Since he became head of Gambia government from time of the July 1994 coup to this day, Mr Jammeh has grossly abused the position of president to engage in commerce and trade, changed laws to suit his whims and caprices, in very damaging ways.
To those who insist that Mr Jammeh is bringing development and deserves retaining, that is very lame excuse. It is also an insult to many intelligent and capable Gambians all around the world. This is not politics as usual. Jammeh has to be reasonable with Gambians and run through the exit doors in graceful strides. He does not have to wait for any forceful encounter.
From monitoring what others are saying and through writings by Gambians in different sites, it is clear that people are disgusted with Mr Jammeh. Matters get worse when you see some people thinking of civil unrest as remedy to Mr Jammeh’s clinging on power. This is no moment to beg Jammeh for his own good and best thing for Gambia as a nation of peaceful people.
Looking at the current political outfit, there is very little chance that even the most cordially united opposition parties stand any chance of beating the storms. Here is how it makes sense to see what is at stake. In all the past 17 years it has been political campaign by Jammeh’s propaganda machinery. Before declaring his candidature to contest elections, Mr Jammeh while still in army uniform had his colourful portrait printed on government hospital ordered drugs distributed to all health points. That was his way of image selling. To great extent, it worked for him. We are now looking at 17 years of active political campaign for self perpetuation. In the process Jammeh installed systems and instruments of denying genuine opposition parties free access to public media. Not just that but mere political rally using basic public address systems attracts criminal offence leading to severe jail sentence. At the same time, public servants are known for abusing their high office to promote Jammeh’s personal agenda for self perpetuation. It has been that bad all the years.
Now in this very year of elections, opposition parties have just 10 days to access public media. Taking the last 5 years alone adds up to 1825 campaign days for Mr Jammeh and his AFPRC party. To have 10 days shared between 5 parties including AFPRC reduces campaign days for each competing party at 2 days each. That is not just unreasonable. It is equally far from being feasible for opposition parties to sell their agenda in the squeeze of time slot for the population to make any sense of what they want to serve.
Clearly stating, Mr Jammeh has demonstrated his attachment to money making and image building than any readiness to respect and perform the demanding role of president. He wants to be rich and has business interest in numerous ventures to ensure private wealth creation. He wants to be seen as doctor and fertility expert that now attracts barren women and HIV/AIDS patients lining up for his placebo. Given the fact that Mr Jammeh’s claims of having cure for whatever he does, nothing stops him from carrying on. What is bad for Gambia is the fact that a serving president is not the most suitable treatment provider. Now that election time is due, Mr Jammeh should not be permitted to muddle up Gambia when we know he does not have what it takes to run the position of president.
Gambia is faced with dangerous situation and setting seriously very bad precedence. Should Mr Jammeh be allowed to carry on multitasking as president, business man, army commander, holder of multiple public office portfolios, herbal treatment provider, and patron of everything? Without needing to seek any constitutional arbitration, Jammeh’s conducts stand in sharp conflict with role of president in many ways. For Gambian opposition parties to seek elections under this state of affairs, that itself is serious matter and quite unsuitable.
Gambia is looking for a president who knows the job and respects limitations. Being president is no free ticket for arbitrary encroachment on everyone’s role. Above all, 17 years is already more than enough time for Gambians to know that Mr Jammeh can’t do any better. To carry on like this is recipe for national catastrophe. Nobody wants that. Therefore Mr Jammeh has to give up the seat for genuine politicians to redeem the nation from the wreckage he brought about in last 17 years. Where Mr Jammeh refuses to see sense, Gambians don’t have to be naïve. Gambia needs a serving president.
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