I condemn in the strongest terms the arrest and detention of Momodou Justice Darboe, the Deputy Editor of The Voice Newspaper and Musa Sheriff Hydara, the paper’s Editor-In-Chief.
More disappointing is the fact that they have reportedly been charged with False Publication and Broadcasting. It is evident from the publication that they also published denials of the other side and gave NPP leaders an opportunity to react. All objective readers can see that there was no attempt to tarnish the image of the President. It was a speculative report about the political future of the President.
The President should avoid being perceived as using the State Security to persecute his personal grievances. Threatening civil action through a lawyer and simultaneously arresting the proposed defendant clearly tells Gambians that this is a personal matter of concern to the President and he is using his power to pursue it. This is not right.
Gambia is a member of the V20 (20 most vulnerable nations in the world). The country is facing a severe crisis from increased poverty and inflation, lack of jobs and failing infrastructure. The world is on the brink of a new plane of conflict in the Middle East. This will likely have an impact on petroleum prices in addition to the Russia Ukraine war on world trade logistics. Poor and vulnerable nations like The Gambia must be alert and prepare to navigate these waters. It is disappointing in the face of these real challenges to see that the focus of our Government is on this issue instead.
As a public person it is normal for there to be continuous scrutiny and speculation about your motives and plans. Take myself for example, I am continuously subject to slander and defamation by political operatives, both in the press and in opposition parties. NPP militants routinely make false broadcast about what they believe are my ill intentions within UDP. Must the IGP also arrest such actors?
Politics and public life must come with personal maturity and a thick skin. As public servants we must all focus on the plight of the Gambian and how to rescue the country from the emergency we are clearly sinking into.
Most worrying is that the discussion of ‘succession’ can cause such a steer which should be a normal conversation in a democratic dispensation.