By Madi Jobarteh
Without surprise Sulayman Camara of the NPP and the Minister of Information Ismaila Ceesay have issued statements in which they defended the unconstitutional and witchcraft remarks of Pres. Barrow against Ousainou Darboe. Both of them said Barrow’s statements are mere political talk. To defend Barrow, Sulayman quoted Darboe as saying he was destined to lead the Gambia, and that he would make the Gambia ungovernable. For Ismaila, he said Barrow is a harmless man who is friends with Darboe. Both of them completely ignored the terrible nature of the President’s comments, justifying it as normal in politics.
If indeed Sulayman Camara and Ismaila Ceesay were honest, they would have told the President that his comments were despicable which broke every fiber of human decency and law. They would have advised the President to take courage with honesty to face Gambians to retract his awful comments and apologize to Darboe and all citizens.
When genuine and honest leaders misspoke, their advisors make them recognize their error and then withdraw them. Is Pres. Adama Barrow honest and courageous enough to realize his mistake and take responsibility to correct himself? Time will tell.
But one needs to remind Ismaila Ceesay how Pres. Barrow went on a rampage against him in 2018 when he described Barrow as a leader who had no idea of governance and was clueless. At the time, every Gambian came to the side of Ismaila to condemn the intolerance and immature rantings of Barrow.
But Barrow did not wish Ismaila to die and bury him. Yet everyone stood with Ismaila. But today, Barrow has not only wished Ousainou Darboe to die, but he has also taken an oath for that objective for which he has signed a contract. In fact, the death of Ousainou alone will not satisfy Barrow until he goes to the cemetery to bury Ousainou Darboe for good! How dare Sulayman and Ismaila brush aside these ungodly, evil and unlawful comments as mere political talk?
In our Constitution, as well as in Islam and Christianity and in our cultures, there is no space for wishing someone death, even as a joke. We know the Jola, Serer and Fula share a joking relationship, just like Badibunkolu and Kiangkolu, but no one ever hears any of them wishing the other person death and burial! How therefore can anyone justify a President wishing an opposition leader death? In which part of politics and democracy can one find death wish to be a permissible statement?
What Ismaila Ceesay and Sulayman Camara of NPP are doing therefore is to aid and abet irresponsible leadership, encourage abuse of the Constitution and set the stage for tyranny to emerge in the Gambia once again. No decent citizen, much more an intellectual, should accept indecency and abuse. Rather the role of intellectuals is to speak the truth to power. Surely Sulayman and Ismaila have demonstrated that they are not worthy of the academic qualifications and the patriotism they claim.
Since taking office, Barrow has been notorious for disregarding basic human decency and constitutionalism. Yet Barrow is surrounded by highly educated Cabinet ministers, permanent secretaries and advisors. The question is, are these intellectuals honest and courageous enough to put the President in line or have they also sold their souls just to keep a position and its benefits? It was the intellectuals surrounding Yaya Jammeh who defended and justified his irresponsible and evil leadership. Are we seeing another set of intellectuals doing the same for Adama Barrow too? History is recording.
For The Gambia Our Homeland
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Madi Jobarteh