Gambia: Twenty-five reasons why Yahya Jammeh Must Go

By Mathew K Jallow

Fellow Gambians, after seventeen years of murders, executions, tortures, incarceration, intimidations, the looting and plunder of Gambia’s meager financial and natural resources and living in constant fear of arrest, going to jail and death, the time has come for Gambians to take back our country and regain our rights to be a free people. The time has come for us to stand up and exercise our rights as free citizens in our own country. The time has come for us to refuse to any longer be afraid of Yahya Jammeh and his military and security criminal henchmen. The time has come for us to exercise our God-given rights to engage in the political life of our country. The time has come to free ourselves from Yahya Jammeh’s bondage by saying enough is enough; NO MORE.

Fellow Gambians, We have seen how Yahya Jammeh has turned the Gambia Public Transport busses that were given to us into his personal property. We have seen how Jammeh took the yellow sand-mining truck given to us and turned them into his personal property. We have seen how Yahya Jammeh spent one billion dalasis to educate Foni girls where he and his Jola tribesmen come from but denied the same opportunities to other Gambian girls. We have seen how Yahya Jammeh confiscated the properties of countless Gambians and turned them into his personal property. We have seen how Yahya Jammeh bought a huge 100 million dalasis mansion in Washington, DC; for his family when far too many Gambians are suffering from hunger. We have seen Yahya Jammeh build an eight storey tower for his family in Guinea-Conakry when Gambian children are rummaging dumpsters for food to eat.

Fellow Gambians, since coming to power Yahya Jammeh has brought as much harm and ruin to our country as Idi Amin Dada or Mobutu Sese Seku or his friend and mentor Moumar Khadaffi did to their countries. But today, we have an opportunity to regain our freedoms and never let Yahya Jammeh’s threats cow us into fear again. The whole world is looking to see what we will do with Yahya Jammeh. Will his threats make us recoil into our holes or will we stand up for our freedom and refuse to be victims of fear? Yahya Jammeh’s idea of governing is to make us afraid all the time so he can do whatever he wants. Let us tell Yahya Jammeh we have been afraid and intimidated for too long, but now that has to stop. Let us tell Yahya Jammeh that from now on, we refuse to be silent when fellow citizens are arrested, imprisoned or killed for nothing.

Fellow citizens, the last time we mobilized to support for Balangbaa, Gambians refused to go out to the Saturday Setsetals and the military boys and girls came out to clean the streets and stand heavily armed around town. Balangbaa scared Yahya Jammeh to the extend he talked about the movement at the National Assembly. Balangbaa is once again calling Gambians to free ourselves from slavery. By himself, Yahya Jammeh has no power. He depends on our sons and daughters, nephews and nieces, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, aunts and uncles, and friends and neighbors in the military for protection. This week Yahya Jammeh again threatening us by saying he will not tolerate violence when he is the only one who is guilty of bringing violence that has taken the lives of nearly hundred Gambians and fifty foreigners in our country. We Gambians have always been a peaceful people until Yahya Jammeh brought death, destruction and may-hem to our country that has ruined untold families.

Fellow Gambians, Balangbaa is asking all Gambians, especially the youth to go out on the streets by the tens of thousands to declare your own freedom by voting for Ousainou Darboe for president. Balangbaa is supporting Ousainou Darboe because he has the best chance of defeating the murderer Yahya Jammeh. Balangbaa asks the youth of Bakau, Serekunda, Sukuta, Lamin, Brikama, Brufut, Gunjur, Bwiam, Sibanor, Barra, Farafenni, Kerewan, Soma, Bansang, Kuntaur, Bansang, Basse, Fatoto and every town and village in between Koina and Kartong, and between Sutukoba and Barra to cast their votes for Ousainou Darboe. When you walk into the voting booth with your voting card, remember the twenty reasons listed below, why you MUST vote for Ousainou Darboe.

1. Since coming to power in 1994, Yahya Jammeh has murdered over one hundred Gambians and fifty foreign nationals.
2. Over twenty Gambians arrested by the NIA on the orders of Yahya Jammeh have disappeared from the face of the earth since 2005 and they are all feared murdered.
3. Yahya Jammeh ordered Deyda Hydara assassinated and to this day his family, friends and the media fraternity are mourning his tragic loss.
4. Former Finance Minister Koro Ceesay was brutally murdered on the orders of Yahya Jammeh and his body was burnt in his government issued vehicle.
5. Chief Ebrima was arrested at the Daily Observer in 2006 and never been seen again and is feared dead and Yahya Jammeh knows something about it.
6. Since January this year, Yahya Jammeh has murdered Sgt. Illo Jallow of Dungal village, Niamina; Baba Jobe of Jarra Karantaba; Dembo Sibi of Numuyel, Kantora and five children - two of them a brother and sister.
7. Since coming to power, Yahya Jammeh has exiled hundreds of Gambians to Europe, America and other West Africa countries; especially Senegal.
8. Yahya Jammeh has destroyed the civil service and all our government institutions are redundant; doing nothing because they lack guidance and resources.
9. Yahya Jammeh has employed barely educated people in most high positions in government, whose only qualifications are being of his Jola tribe.
10. Yahya Jammeh has confiscated dozens properties belonging to other Gambians and titled them to his name.
11. Yahya Jammeh bought a 100 million dalasis mansion in Washington DC for his family with money that belongs to The Gambian people.
12. Yahya Jammeh built a huge eight storey tower in Guinea-Conakry for his family with money stolen from the Gambian people.
13. Yahya Jammeh has built a palace and a supermarket in Morocco for his wife’s family with Gambia government funds.
14. There is a reign of fear in our country as everyone is scared to even mention the name of Yahya Jammeh’s in public for fear of being arrested.
15. Gambians are banned from expressing their political views vocally or through protests and demonstrations, which are our Constitutional rights.
16. Yahya Jammeh has reduced Gambia’s civil servants to slaves by coercing them to labor on his farms for free.
17. The Gambian military and security forces have become a source of cheap labor for Yahya Jammeh’s working as farmers rather than being soldiers.
18. The only jobs available to Gambian youth is in the military and security forces; which are there to protect Yahya Jammeh and keep him in power despite the fact Gambians are fed up with his regime and want change.
19. Yahya Jammeh has murdered many Gambians in the Foni area and fed their dead bodies to crocodiles in his Kanilai zoo.
20. Since 1994, over twenty Gambians arrested by the NIA have disappeared from the face of the earth and all are feared murdered.
21. In 2009 Yahya Jammeh let Guinean witch-hunters loose on innocent Gambians especially in the Kombos and Fonis and more than ten died after drinking witch-doctor medicines.
22. Since coming to power Yahya Jammeh’s speeding motorcade and biscuit throwing has killed about fifteen children and five adults.
23. Today, Gambians cannot afford three square meals a day now and hunger and starvation has become a reality for many Gambian families.
24. Everyday untold numbers of innocent Gambians are dragged into court tried and sent to prisons where many have died of diseases and hunger.
25. Yahya Jammeh runs The Gambia like his personal property owing businesses in: construction, public transportation, sand-mining, food processing, distribution of food to hotels and the open market, travel, butchery, sale of meat products, bakery, bread distribution, import & export, clearance of goods at Ports, retail stores, gas and petroleum product sales, property development, rental and sales and international investments among others. Yahya Jammeh has forced many businesses to close because they cannot compete with him.

Fellow Gambians we must make these elections mean something. If no one wins more than fifty percent of the votes, we must demand a revote for the two leading candidates. We can no longer tolerate a minority government as we have done the last three election cycles. AND REMEMBER THAT A VOTE FOR HAMAT BAH IS A VOTE FOR YAHYA JAMMEH.

Coming soon: Ten reasons why we MUST elect Ousainou Darboe President.