Gambia Moral Congress Issues Christmas Message
Office of The Office National Executive Chairman 24th December, 2009
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GMC National Executive Chairman, Mai N.K. Fatty
PRESS RELEASE (APD00012): Season’s Greetings
I have profound privilege and honour to forward the compliments of the Secretariat and the membership of GMC both within our country and those outside to you all. I would like to dedicate the honour of this year’s festive season to all Gambians in the Diaspora particularly those who are compellingly prevented by on-going political persecution from joining families and friends to celebrate the season within our sovereign national territory. While your compatriots bask in your love and patriotism, we also feel your agony, and most importantly share your aspirations for a better Gambia where freedom and compassion shall reign. Your commitment and service to your Nation and its peoples and your legendary sacrifice in the pursuit of better living conditions for all Gambians has been heard and felt with pride and optimism in every town, village and hamlet from Kartong to Koina. On their behalf, and with humility, I thank you not only for the remittance life-line, but also for your persistent productive search for durable solutions in transforming the current debacle.
We may passionately disagree in the process of our political discourse, but the good news is that it is our very own Gambian family conversation. We should never forget the solidarity of friends of The Gambia who have been with us through the tumultuous terrain. Let us continue this positive discourse in the search for solutions with a view to achieving consensus on the best way forward, and conduct so with the abiding spirit of tolerance and accommodation of divergent views, characterised by our usual Gambian sense of courtesy. That is the beauty of democracy; respect for other’s views, and avoiding personalising issues which has the tendency of deflection. After all, we are like passengers in the same vessel under a captain bent on sinking our vessel. Thankfully, each of you has assumed your respective obligations in saving both the vessel and passengers. This is not the time for division and rancour but for unity and purposefulness, and in understanding that the frustrations provoked by on-going crises may inadvertently create crevices for certain expressions relating to such frustrations. Let us therefore be very patient with each other under the circumstances, guiding each other towards principle while retaining our eyeballs on our common target.
As we approach the New Year, let us give thanks and appreciations to God, and renew our commitment to the cause of our peoples. The year 2009 has recorded significant gains in our struggle for collective dignity. Let us not niggle on lost opportunities or on what could have been, but rather concentrate all our collective efforts on the remarkable possibilities and challenges ahead. If we have to succeed as a people, we must work together as one people, united by common destiny, always putting the overwhelming interests of our country above all else.
From the online discussion boards to the indefatigable online media to the practical efforts on the ground by all stakeholders, each of us must feel proud of our individual and collective contributions over the past twelve months. I am confident that the New Year shall witness further intensification of our efforts. With our united drive, the situation on the ground shall inevitable change sooner than later.
Sovereignty belongs to the people. Long Live the Republic of The Gambia.
Mai N.K Fatty
National Executive Chairman