Don’t Bastardise Our Gambian History

Hon. Jatta had squabbles with the Junta!

I think it is better to know what one is saying to avoid telling lies. Immediately I started reading Fabaks piece, I saw two points which are all lies. That is why I don’t even want to read further because there is no point reading something that will make no sense at all.

In the first place, you said in the second paragraph of your article that only the PDOIS stood against the July 22 coup and that none of the heads or public figures of the UDP or any other party went against it. Did you forget that nearly 30 people comprising of mainly PPP supporters were arrested for planning a demonstration against the AFPRC junta. These were PPP members and supporters who have been and are still playing very vital roles in the Gambia’s new political dispensation. They are key players either in the UDP or in any other political party.

Besides, do you forget that you fled to Europe and left the struggle to unseat a brutal dictator in the hands of the very people you are now trashing. The freedom you are celebrating today would not have happened if everyone followed your footsteps. The Gambia would have been a fluke. If everyone fled the country, who will fight the fight? Who will become a candidate that voters will vote for? Voters are the most important element in this struggle. Not any party or person.

You should be honest enough to count the sacrifices being made by the group of people you are belittling. How many of those people are targeted for assassination? How many of them were jailed or tortured to coma? How many of them were rendered poor by the dictator? How many of them spent the whole of the 22 years struggling just to set us free?

I know some of these people publicly appealed for open strike against the junta less than 72 hours after the illegal seizure of power in July 1994. The fact that these people were bereft of their right to speak or be heard doesn’t mean they are not against the coup. The fact that PDOIS leaders had a newspaper you came to the conclusion that Sedia and Halifa were the only people who stood against the junta.

If you have issue with Alieu Manjang and Max, please settle that with them base on genuine arguments. People respect you so you need to return some, if not all, to them. Let us all thank Allah for what He has done for the nation. I rest my case.

Lamin Joof

Ends

16 Comments

  1. Mr joof , fabaks like to make outlandish claims and he has never been truthful in his presentation. I have reminded them that PDOIS leadership protest was about attempted ban on foroyaa newspaper which was an organ of PDOIS.
    You are right that some 30 ppp supporters have attempted to demonstrate and were arrested and taken to court. These people never supported jammeh despite the hardships they went through in the last 22 years .
    My question is why PDOIS Leadership never protested against the ban of political parties or activities instead protested against ban of foroyaa? Political activities is about the life and decisions of citizenry while the ban on foroyaa was about freedom of expression and business interest of PDOIS. Freedom of expression or media was not affected at the time but it was encouraged by the junta. Journalists have accessed to jammeh and his gangs . I think it would have been wise to protest against the ban on political parties since PDOIS leaders were politicians but they failed to do that. PDOIS leadership eventually supported new constitution, advocated and even pioneer the formulation of draft constitution. They never publicly condemned the coup.
    I think the real heroes are those men and women who attempted to protest against military junta but were arrested and taken to court. Their court case dragged on for many many months . They showed first ever defiant to military dictatorship. They have no business interest to protest about but they genuinely believe that the country was in the wrong hands. These are silenced heroes but not some agent of military dictatorship who helped to campaign for violators of old constitution in order to have a new constitution which suited the agenda of human rights violators and abusers.

  2. Mr Lamin Joof, with all due respect you haven’t say anything yet to refute what said. Below is what I said in that article…

    ” History already has it that PDOIS does not even has a representative in parliament neither was any of its members serving in the PPP government when the coup occurred on July 22nd 1994, Yet it was the only party that stood against the coup makers in defense of our democratic and constitutional rights and exert pressure on them for a return to constitutional order. This was at a time when most of the founding members of UDP [United Democratic Party] were either serving in the PPP government or in parliament or were senior members of the parties that constituted the UDP. None of this people whom the people voted into position of authority took a stand against the coup in its infancy either in defense of their own constitutional rights or of the people.”

    Mr Joof you said…

    ”Did you forget that nearly 30 people comprising of mainly PPP supporters were arrested for planning a demonstration against the AFPRC junta. These were PPP members and supporters who have been and are still playing very vital roles in the Gambia’s new political dispensation. They are key players either in the UDP or in any other political party”.

    The question is Mr Joof please among this nearly 30 people that went to protest in front of the American Embassy who and who were founding members of UDP [United Democratic Party] and were either serving in the PPP government or in parliament or were senior members of the parties that constituted the UDP. ? can you please name them for us ?

    Are they parliamentarians or ministers of the then PPP government or executive members of NCP, GPP, PDP or what ?

    Mr Joof you said..

    ”I know some of these people publicly appealed for open strike against the junta less than 72 hours after the illegal seizure of power in July 1994.”

    Who are these people Mr Joof ? Parliamentarians ? Cabinet Members ? No doubt this is your own imagination. Not real !!!! If you insist then I will suggest that someone near you should assist you to see a psychiatrist.

    Mr Joof who are the people who surrendered themselves to the coup makers and were taken to the GPMB complex where they constituted themselves into a village, appointed an Imam and Alkalo and played a drama before a visiting AFPRC Junta leader ? are they the people who publicly appealed for open strike against the junta less than 72 hours after the illegal seizure of power in July 1994 ?

    Who is trying to bastardise are history if not you Mr Lamin Joof ?

    You claimed that I fled to Europe and left the struggle to unseat a brutal dictator in the hands of the very people I was trashing, that the freedom I am celebrating today would not have happened if everyone follow my footsteps.

    For somebody who advise that it is better to know what one is saying to avoid telling lies right at the beginning of your article, how did you conclude that I have fled to Europe ? For your information I have never left my country except once in 2010 and that for only eight weeks. And since then I have been in the forefront of the struggle and met and talked to many of the people you think I am trashing to see how we can come together to put an end to Jammeh nightmare.

    So Mr Joof, what I was doing is to state the facts as they were even though some of you may not like that. It is never my intention to belittle the contribution of anyone to the struggle against tyranny in our country rather what I am doing is to refute and expose those who are engage in that very act or even worse-lying about them.

    • Fabaks said “PDOIS is the only party that stood against the coup makers in defense of our democratic and constitutional rights and exert pressure for them to return to constitutional order “,
      Fabaks , this is the most ridiculous claim you have ever made. How can you dishonestly said such untruthful statement? So are you suggesting that the ppp supporters who demonstrated against military junta never cared about constitutional violation?
      Look , everyone appreciate PDOIS leadership protest against attempted ban on foroyaa newspaper which was an organ of PDOIS as well as served as business interest and political medium for the party ( which it is as I write this post ) but for you to make untruthful statement above discredit your credibility and honesty . I hope you withdraw such foolish claim . It make you look like someone who will say and do anything to defend PDOIS.

      • Max, with all due respect your dishonesty is beyond bounds. I am beginning to believe that this is something that runs in your blood. I wish it is something that can be treated with conventional medicine so that you can see the doctors to get yourself treated.

        Max, why did you decide to quote me out of context if it is not meant to distort the truth which you are unable to deny? why did you left the sentences before and after the quote?

        This is what I have said which can be clearly read above..

        ”History already has it that PDOIS does not even have a representative in parliament neither was any of its members serving in the PPP government when the coup occurred on July 22nd 1994, Yet it was the only party that stood against the coup makers in defense of our democratic and constitutional rights and exert pressure on them for a return to constitutional order. This was at a time when most of the founding members of UDP [United Democratic Party] were either serving in the PPP government or in parliament or were senior members of the parties that constituted the UDP. None of this people whom the people voted into position of authority took a stand against the coup in its infancy either in defense of their own constitutional rights or of the people.”

        Max, try as much as you can but you can never refute with honesty what I have said here.

        Max, Please hear yourself again…

        ”Look, everyone appreciate PDOIS leadership protest against attempted ban on foroyaa newspaper which was an organ of PDOIS as well as served as business interest and political medium for the party ( which it is as I write this post ) but for you to make untruthful statement above discredit your credibility and honesty.”

        Note ” an organ of PDOIS” and ” Political medium for the party [ which it is as I write this post]”.

        Here you have admitted that Foroyaa is part and parcel of PDOIS and yet a little earlier you said….

        ”My question is why PDOIS Leadership never protested against the ban of political parties or activities instead protested against ban of foroyaa? Political activities is about the life and decisions of citizenry while the ban on foroyaa was about freedom of expression and business interest of PDOIS. Freedom of expression or media was not affected at the time but it was encouraged by the junta. Journalists have accessed to Jammeh and his gangs. I think it would have been wise to protest against the ban on political parties since PDOIS leaders were politicians but they failed to do that. PDOIS leadership eventually supported new constitution, advocated and even pioneer the formulation of draft constitution. They never publicly condemned the coup.”

        Again note ”why PDOIS Leadership never protested against the ban of political parties or activities instead protested against ban of foroyaa?”

        Don’t find anything wrong with this two statements of yours?

        What were the charges against PDOIS leadership in court? Was it not engaging in political activity which was banned by degree number 4?

        • Fabaks, I neither misquoted you nor taken your statements out of context. Please read your statement below where you said,
          ” yet PDOIS was the only party that stood against the coup makers in defense of our democratic and constitutional rights and exert pressure on them for a return to constitutional order “.
          The above statement was not factually correct and it was misleading . It was a lie. Lawyer Darboe of Gambia’s bar association and Gambia’s medical organization all gave a statement to condemn the coup . Some ppp supporters demonstrated against military junta and they were arrested. To tell you the truth , you reminded me of another PDOIS disciple , yero Ba who made so many outlandish claims here before .
          Please take ownership of your statement and accept the fact that you are indeed not truthful in this statement.

  3. Fabaks, I was waiting for your response to know whether you left the country for exile or not before I react to Mr Joof.

    As you pointed out, it is indeed interesting that a person who accused you of lying (which is not true) would concoct their own lies to make a point. Moreover, Mr Joof would have earned my respect, if he had demonstrated an impartial desire to refute every “bastardisation” of our history, but this doesn’t seem to be the case, as he is silent on falsehoods concocted against the PDOIS leadership. That says a lot about his motives.

    He also claimed that the PPP demonstration took place within 72 hours of the coup, and though I cannot categorically deny this claim for now, I nevertheless, doubt its truthfulness very much. I will continue searching for the stories on that event to establish the truth, and I hope anyone who has anything on it can help us. 72 hours after that initial coup news, was a period of great uncertainty, with only supporters of the coup and curious people venturing out mostly.

    Fabaks stated that only PDOIS:

    (1) stood up… and (2) exerted pressure… on the Junta, and that second part of his claim is important to establish whether he lied or not. If he had stopped at claim (1): only PDOIS stood up, he would have been wrong, because some members of the PPP also did stand up, even if half heartedly and ineffective.

    But the 2nd part makes his claim absolutely TRUE. Only PDOIS, of all the parties of the first Republic, continually exerted pressure on the Junta up to the end of the Transition Period. Their activism did not stop at one incident, but carried on to the end.

    None of the other parties were visible during that period, and worse, some of the officials had even joined the Junta and took very prominent positions, either in government or within the civilian movement.

    The late Buba Baldeh (RIP), Cabinet Minister on July 22nd, was among the delegation that toured the country to inform the nation that Jammeh was going to run for President. BB Darboe served as Finance Minister, even if briefly, and I know his apologists would make excuses for him. Prominent PPP members and probably NCP, GPP members as well, were among guests at state house to prevail on Jammeh not to go back to barracks, but to contest the elections.

    The onus is now on you to provide names of prominent PPP, NCP and GPP members, who took part in that demonstration or a stance against the Junta and later became founder members of the UDP. That’s Fabak’s claim. He did not refer to the general membership of 1st republic parties. He meant the officials, who later got together to form the UDP.

    Let’s get the names to proof that he lied.

  4. Dodou Jawneh

    Yes PDOIS fought for the Foroyaa to remain operational but on almost all other issues, they were in tandem with the junta and and APRC. So we can ask was this resistance aimed at securing a business interest or for regaining people’s freedom? Secondly lot more people have fought against the dictatorship in various ways than the author is willing to acknowledge. This started from day one of the coup until when Jammeh fled the country. The very latest acts of resistance are still fresh in people’s memory and therefore require no reminder. But Darboe, representing the law professionals and Dr Ceesay the medical doctors, both issued statements of condemnation against the coup in its first week prompting the junta to promulgate a decree banning such statements.

    • Thank you Mr Jawneh , the point you made about the PDOIS leadership protest to ensure foroyaa remained operational is exactly the same point I continue to emphasize, that is it was the business interest of foroyaa they fought for but not political interest . PDOIS never condemned the coup in the first place, they supported, advocated and pioneered the military junta’s constitution. They encouraged Gambian people to support the military junta’s constitution.

    • Max & Dodou Jawneh…

      1. Anyone can claim that x did this, x did that…very easy, but proof is important for substantiation. So let’s see the statement that Darboe and Dr Ceesay released to verify for ourselves.

      2. What other issues were they (PDOIS ) in tandem with the Junta and APRC, Mr Jawneh? Surely, you must know that making allegations without substantiation amounts to deception.

      3. There may be others, either within the general membership of first republic parties, professional bodies or civil society, who took a stance against the Junta, and the writer never stated otherwise. So I do not see the point of objection here.

      The writer indicated very clearly that his response (to Alieu SK Manjang) was prompted by allegations against PDOIS and its leadership and it is therefore reasonable that he limits himself to that purpose alone, if he so desired.

      What is unreasonable and unfair, is to expect the writer to address issues or mention individuals or groups that have not been subject of Mr Manjang’s original article. If any of you want the writer to mention those others, you should complain to Mr Manjang for omitting those who were in cohort with the regime, and may very well have been active in some opposition parties during the struggle.

      4. The writer was very deliberate in his claims and it is important to remind ourselves.

      He stated: ”History already has it that PDOIS does not even have a representative in parliament neither was any of its members serving in the PPP government when the coup occurred on July 22nd 1994, Yet it was the only party that stood against the coup makers in defense of our democratic and constitutional rights and exert pressure on them for a return to constitutional order. This was at a time when most of the founding members of UDP [United Democratic Party] were either serving in the PPP government or in parliament or were senior members of the parties that constituted the UDP. ”

      It is crystal clear to any sincere person that the writer was referring to the officials of existing political parties and politicians at the time of the coup, and who among them stood up against the coup makers and continued to exert pressure on them.

      Even if you can produce the statements from Darboe and Dr Ceesay, you will also have to proof that they were officials of the PPP, MPs or opposition parties, to disprove the writer’s claim. Again, the onus is you guys to earn any respectability here.

      5. Finally, the whole world knows that PDOIS took a deliberate stance to defy Decree No.4 and this is part of what it was says:

      “THE ARMED FORCES PROVISIONAL RULING COUNCIL hereby decrees as follows:

      Short title

      1. This Decree may be cited as the Political Activities (Suspension) Decree, 1994.

      Suspension of Organs of Political Parties

      2. Pursuant to section 23 of the Constitution of The Gambia 1970 as modified by the Constitution (Suspension and Modification) Decree, Decree No.1 of 1994, the Organs of all Political Parties which were in existence prior to the coming into force of Decree No.1 shall cease to exist.

      Political activities

      3. No person shall in any manner carry on or, engage in any political activities

      Political propaganda

      4. No person shall engage in any political propaganda by means of a news paper publication or any other media form for spreading the ideas or ideology of any political party.”

      Sections 5 (1&2) established the offenses and Section 6 established the penalties.

      So it is clear that the Decree was not a suspension of business activities of any newspaper, including Foroyaa and hence, continually claiming that PDOIS defied the Decree to protect its business interest amounts to pedalling lies in broad day light.

      And whilst we await your proofs, perhaps a little reminder to vindicate the writer is in order here:

      When the AFPRC decided to dissolve the National Investment Board (NIB) and replace it with the National Investment Promotion Authority (NIPA), guess who was appointed to the Chair of the five member board of directors:

      Mr Amadou Sanneh (Accountant General at the time). Yes, you got it. Mr Amadou Sanneh, who became an executive member of the UDP and current Finance Minister.

      So think carefully, when you search for your agents of the dictatorship.

  5. Fabaks, I do understand that Lamin Joof doesn’t waste his time responding as all those who made a comment or a response proved him right in one way or the other. Starting with you yourself, you said you went to Europe just for eight week in 2010, since then how can we say or believe that you are here. Before you can prove that I for one will believe in Mr Joof that you fled the country, since it is clear that you one time went out of the boundaries of this country.
    In addition, you cannot denied the fact stated by Max that Lawyer Darboe and Dr Ceesay, both issued statement against the coup in defence of the country and the constitution. Is Lawyer Darboe not playing a leading role in UDP? This proofs that any point mentioned by Mr Joof is true. And in those days, Lawyer Darboe and Dr Ceesay are either PPP or NCP but none of the is PDOIS.
    Therefore, we need facts not just words or defending oneself.
    I for one believed that we all stood against the dictator in one way or the other. I further believe that there are political parties or members of political parties who played a better role than the PDOIS leadership. To me the role played by some figure heads of PDOIS is questionable.

    • The PDOIS record to return the country to normalcy is there for all to see, regardless of how you or anyone want to view it.

      Let’s see the statement issued by Darboe and Dr Ceesay and read the contents to verify for ourselves. Stop making unsubstantiated claims.

      I have produced parts of Decree No.4 and also quotations of the letter from Halifa to the Junta, dated 24th July 1994. If needs be, quotations can also be produced from the judgement delivered by magistrate Lamin Mboge to repudiate all false claims. These are all records.

      Please produce your records to proof your claims.

      • Bax said ” PDOIS record to return the country to normalcy is there for all to see ” .
        This above quote is another ridiculous statement among many of your outrageous statements you have been making since you joined this forum . So in all honesty, you believe that 22 years of military dictatorship was normal period for The Gambia, a period characterized by gross human rights violations and economic deterioration. During the first two years of military dictatorship, a period you called a normal period , there was systematic killings of innocent citizens, corruption and confiscation of properties. This was period you likened to be called a normal period , a period when our constitutional political rights were seized and men with absolutely no regards to our lives were in charge. This was period PDOIS leadership pioneered, advocated and supported the new military government to draft a constitution to entrench themselves in power . This is the lowest level of PDOIS participation in our country politics since independence. They have helped those who committed treasonable crime to entrench themselves in power as pseudo-democratic dispensation. This was the worst period for our country and worst record for PDOIS. This was worst period which set the stage for the rest of human rights violations that the country witnessed in the 22 years. I hope you reflect on your unfortunate and bizarre statement.

        • @Max : ” During the first two years of military dictatorship, a period you called a normal period ,….”

          Seriously bro, where did I say that the first two years was a normal Period?
          Or that Gambia was normal for 22 years?

          All I said was that PDOIS’ contribution towards normalcy is evident, but that’s not the same as what you’re claiming. If I say that someone’s contribution towards development in Gambia is there for all to see, does that mean that I am claiming that Gambia is developed? Of course not, for those with understanding, at least.

  6. Mr Jumma J,

    You are entitled to your opinion which I don’t have much problem with if you insist on holding to it, that is you. However it is in contradiction with the facts of history which I have stated in my statement which clearly reads…
    ”History already has it that PDOIS does not even have a representative in parliament neither was any of its members serving in the PPP government when the coup occurred on July 22nd 1994, Yet it was the only party that stood against the coup makers in defense of our democratic and constitutional rights and exert pressure on them for a return to constitutional order. This was at a time when most of the founding members of UDP [United Democratic Party] were either serving in the PPP government or in parliament or were senior members of the parties that constituted the UDP. None of this people whom the people voted into position of authority took a stand against the coup in its infancy either in defense of their own constitutional rights or of the people.”

    I believed you have the intellect to understand what I said here but you just decided to be beating about the bush. That is your choice my brother. The fact is you have not come up with anything yet to disprove what I have said. Where Dr Ceesay and Mr Darboe members of parliament or cabinet members at the time of the coup ? In which capacity and as officials of which party did they wrote to condemn the coup in defense of the country and the constitution as you claimed ?.

    About me fleeing the country the onus is on Mr Lamin Joof or any of you to to prove. Let him say whom I am and where in europe did fled to ?. Where am I from and where am I right now ?

    Or I could help him somehow to prove to him and others that he lied when he made that claim by referring him to Honourable Alagie Darboe of Brikama North Constituency and Ebrima Sanneh commonly known as Fabuu in USA, a well known UDP militant. This are people I worked with sometime in 2010 in the struggle to end the tyranny in our country. They should be able to tell him who I am and that he lied in his claim. And please let him give us a feedback on this forum.

  7. Max,
    Is Dr Ceesay and Lawyer Darboe members of cabinet or parliament then?

    Were they officials of any of the existing political parties then?

    Those PPP supporters you mentioned were they officials of the party and who are they?

    Is Gambia Bar Association and Medical and Dental Association political parties?

    You said you did not misquote or took my statement out context, then why did you leave out the sentences before and after it which you know every well are all connected?

    Look my brother, I gave a sincere advice here that we should always remember that we are going to be accounted by our creator for whatever we do or say here. Therefore we should fear him and be honest and truthful. We should know that we can only deceive others and ourselves but not Allah.
    With these I rest my case on this particular issue Max.

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