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The Sublime and the Ridiculous of Gambian Internet Journalism
Saturday, 05 March 2011 14:53
By Dida Halake, London, UKMuch of the journalism of The Gambian internet “newspapers” is thoroughly admirable. Take the example of Maafanta and the moving campaign to assist the family of the disappeared Daily Observer journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh, and the legal funds to support those Valiant Gamcotrap Ladies against spurious charges. Take the example of Freedomnewspaper’s superb and moving interview with the besieged Gambian Lawyer Lamin K Mboge – simply sublime. Memories of Steve Biko’s talks while under similar siege. Take the example of Jollofnews and the unstinting daily effort to ensure a superb news output on a daily basis. All this is simply heroic – and in the case of Freedomnewspaper’s “FreedLEAKS” simply vital when there is no other way in the country to expose official misdeeds and corruption.
But then, we have the ridiculous, the trashy, the simply reckless, by those of us comfortably settled in the rich West calling on the poor people back home to put their lives in danger by “rising against the regime”. This nonsense is best exemplified by the nonsense in today’s UK newspaper below from a seasoned Gambian journalist who has just returned from visiting a peaceful country.
Please let me make it clear that I am not calling for a regime entrenchment in The Gambia. But “regime change” is for those living in The Gambia. It was a single Tunisian trader, abused by the police, who set himself on fire and set-off the current revolutions across the Arab World. It was not rantings by those abroad. In The Gambia, it will be the excess of the regime that will set-off a rebellion, not internet warriors in the West. The killing of the young Gambian by paramilitaries recently is a case in point, as the killing of the schoolboy by the Fire Service in 2000 was a case in point. But the regime has learnt. The paramilitaries were arrested and charged with murder very quickly. Food is another spark for revolutions. But the regime has always been smart here too. Just this week President Jammeh called the Food Importers into his office and warned them that Food Hording and Price Rises would be tantamount to a Coup Plot! They promised to keep food prices low – otherwise it could be Matthew K Jallow’s 7-Star Hotel!
I can see the frustration of the Internet Intellectuals faced by the “Bush Professor”, but I have always told them that the Bush Professor is a very smart man – far, far smarter than any of them. He will do all he can to shut-off all avenues for a spontaneous Uprising in the Townships.
Of course, the tribulations and sufferings of Lamin K. Mboge, Femi Peters, The Gamcotrap Ladies, Pap Saine and others is equally shocking. But the Professor knows that the middle-class never risk their personal comfort by getting involved in an Uprising. The Middle-Class simply wait until the desperate poor throw themselves at the fire – and then the Middle-Class claim the spoils! The poor who killed themselves get nothing! That is what will happen in Tunis, in Egypt, in Libya, etc. The Gambia’s Professor-King knows this very well and has been absolutely brilliant at exploiting the situation. If Machiavelli was written today it would be based in The Gambia and the “Prince” would be said to deserve all his magnificent titles.
As I say, Internet Newspapers are great. And they are at their very best when they are newspapers. I have said before Pa Mbai’s News Scoops are simply unbeatable. But please spare your readers the rantings of failed politicians and “Regime Changers” (and the simply over-boozed!)
By the way, PDOIS have their GAZETTE in Foroyaa; Jammeh has his Gazette in the Daily Observer. Why doesn’t the UDP have its own Gazette/Newspaper and website for the last 16 years? It really sounds silly when they say the Opposition is not given coverage by the Point, Freedomnewspaper, etc. They should have created their own newspaper when Jammeh bought the Daily Observer. And even created their own TV and radio stations! If Pa Mbai can set up a radio and broadcast to The Gambia why can’t the UDP??
Anyway, here is a rather ridiculous example of a wish for “rebellion” in The Gambia, typical of Diaspora internet warriors and exiled politicians. Alieu’s direct comments are in bold and my comments are CAPITALISED.
Alieu Badara Sowe in The News (Portsmouth UK) 5th March 2011
‘As pictures of the rebels on the streets flash up, he whispers ‘yeees’ under his breath.’
“What I want more than anything is for what’s happening in Libya and what has happened in Egypt and Tunisia to spread south to my country … The people of The Gambia are watching all this and I just hope and pray that something similar happens there.”
ALIEU WANTS, PRAYS, FOR THE GAMBIA TO BURN - “Like Egypt, Tunisia, Libya”.
BUT:-
‘Ali, 43, holds dual nationality as a Gambian and British citizen and fled to Britain 10 years ago …’
“I love living in Portsmouth …”
SO ALIEU HAS JUST RETURNED TO UK FROM THE GAMBIA!
‘And he has just returned from his first trip back home since he left the West African state’.
“I was nervous before I went back but I didn’t have any real problems. I went to the magistrates’ court, the supreme court and met most of the political leaders”.
AND HE DID NOT REMAIN IN THE GAMBIA TO JOIN THE REVOLUTION. HE DID NOT REMAIN THERE TO CAMPAIGN FOR THE OPPOSITION IN THIS YEAR’S ELECTIONS. HE DID NOT REMAIN THERE TO UNITE THE OPPOSITION WHO WOULD WIN AGAINST THE DICTATOR IF THEY DID.
INSTEAD HE COMES BACK TO THE UK & PRAYS THAT GAMBIA BURNS!
Dida Jallow-Halake,
London, UK, 5th March 2011.
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Comments
YOU TALK NONSENSE ALWAYS U GRIOT
Well done Mr Halake.
"Rome" was never built in "24 hours".
The vacilations and pompus supercilious nay... IGNORANT "call to arms" by the Armchair Patriots is exposed.
Maafanta and Freedom Newspaper...and Jollof News....
Take a well earned bow.
The struggle continues.....
I salute you !!!
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