By: Nfansu Camara
In 2016, the well-meaning sons and daughters of the Gambia rolled up their sleeves and stood up against the draconian regime of the former president Yaya Jammeh that created the channel for President Barrow to take charge of the affairs of the country.
The Gambians from all walks of life had taken an uncompromising position to dislodge the regime that was infamous for terrible human rights violations, corruption and systematic abuse of power and many others. 2016 was a historic moment for the country as we dislodged the iron-fist regime with a solid conviction of eradicating the vestiges of undemocratic government. History informs us about the past and the possibility of having a glimpse on what the future holds.
8years down the line, the country that was liberated from the hands of a dictator found herself in the hands of people who had betrayed themselves, their conscience and the people they claimed to lead or govern. Therefore, it is fitting to say that the replacement is worst than the replaced because they had disowned the purpose for which they have been elected. No proper and serious institutional and administrative reforms have been made since this regime was ushered into power.
What we’ve seen and witnessed in this regime is the blatant disregard for the rule of law and democracy. The laws that were used as a weapon to suppress dissenting voices by the former regime remained unchanged and are still being used to deny citizens their rights to freely exercise their constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms. We now live in a society where corruption and corrupt people are glorified, protected and encouraged while the decent and honest people are vilified. Isn’t that an episode of reversion to autocracy?.
Today, on the 8th of May, patriotic and concerned citizens who are demanding for accountability and transparency as to how and when and by whom the assets of the former president were “auctioned” or “sold” following the detailed investigative report published by an investigative journalism outlet, The Republic, which uncovered how the former president’s confiscated assets were dubiously and corruptly sold. The report unveiled that “the buyers are the sellers.” You don’t need a rocket science to understand whether there had been corruption or not in that transaction.
These patriotic and true sons and daughters of the land who are courageously calling for accountability and transparency in the disposal of the assets of the former president were responded with massive arrests just to intimidate them and to defeat the purpose of the clarion call for a transparent and accountable disclosure of the list that contains the names of “the sellers and buyers of the assets of the former president.” When has it become a crime to demand for accountability and transparency from the people who have been elected or appointed to marshal the ship of state in a direction that will usher in an inclusive and responsible leadership?.
These unlawful and unconstitutional actions of the police and the police authorities indicated a destitute of institutional, legal, economic and security reforms that was the primary reason that brought Gambians in 2016 under the same political banner to dislodge the dictator and also to ensure proper and effective transitional justice programs that will prevent “an episode of regression” in this country. That poses a serious and troubling question, has this government willingly taken a serious step in ensuring that the raft of reforms they itemized in 2016 are fully implemented?.
These youth people who have been denied the birthright to freely express their opinions and dissatisfactions are still kept incommunicado and being distributed to different police stations without being accessed. Was this the crusade of 2016?. Is this the Gambia we had toiled and moiled to deliver?. The people have been robbed in a broad daylight and when they want to stand upright to defend the republic and the constitution of the land. Few oligarchs will impede any attempt to hold the elected and appointed representatives to account. Fraud!!.
It has now been proven beyond reasonable doubt that we have a state system that only serves and operates for those who work in the system while the supreme interests of the overwhelming majority of the country are overlooked. We demand accountability and transparency in the decisions and actions of our elected and appointed leaders or should I befittingly say “misleaders?.”
The youths are the foundation stone upon which the nation is built. This should send a very disturbing message to our leaders that when we have been deliberately robbed and denied their rights, the violent approach will be the option at their disposal. Protest is the only weapon for the unheard, the abused, the robbed, the misled and oppressed.
This sets a dangerous precedent for our democracy that is gradually experiencing an episode of regression to autocracy. Transitional justice experts will tell you that when deliberate and effective reforms are not taken in the first regime of the post-undemocratic regime, the tendency for that regime to experience “democratic backsliding” is high.
Protect the republic!!. Release the patriotic sons and daughters unconditionally!!.
History is here to judge or misjudge those who betrayed the country and her people. This is a clarion message to the state authorities.
