By Mathew K. Jallow, Associate Editor

I appreciate all the reactions to my article, “Different Recollections of the Same Story,” but I wrote it with the full understanding that tribalism, like racism here in America, is a sensitive issue, which fires up people’s passions. One of the reasons the article was written is to educate our people about what transpired before many of them were born, or were perhaps too young to fully comprehend the political and social dynamics that surrounded them. Among the responses I expected, was outright denial that any of my allegations had ever occurred, but we have far too much evidence to just sweep under the carpet. In writing the piece, I also aimed to provoke a debate, not to irritate old wounds, but rather to discuss the past with the hope we will never repeat it again. Rather than giving Jammeh a reason to justify and perpetuate his tribalism, I was hoping that he would learn from the mistakes of the past; the very mistakes that brought his murderous and incompetent regime to power. At this point, I would particularly like to take issue with Suntou Touray’s advise to me to please forget the past. The only problem with that proposition, Mr. Touray, is that it sounds too convenient, but it is not practical nor is it beneficial. Luckily, however, our brains are wired in a way that constantly reminds us of the past each time we are confronted with new situations, and it is this that informs the decisions we make. Yahya Jammeh, for one, is well aware of how the Jawara regime operated, but instead of learning from it, he has chosen to use the same failed governance template at his and our country’s detriment. Progress is the act of learning from the past in order to move forward into the future, but Jammeh has learnt nothing, whatsoever.

Moving on. In the past two weeks alone, Jammeh has appointed just as many Jolas to senior government positions, and it is clear with these new appointments, that he is showing defiance by rubbing it on our faces. Both his new appointees do not possess the requisite qualifications to handle the jobs they are appointed to. Having a law degree alone does not qualify Benedict Jammeh to be our Inspector General of Police; moreover just two months ago, Jammeh said he was going to promote civil servants on the basis of merit. What did Benedict Jammeh who returned from the U.K. recently, do to merit this major appointment? When both Sidney Riley and Edward Gomez returned from studying law, they both had to have on the job training for years before one of them moved up to be the IGP. Shouldn’t Benedict Jammeh be learning from the new recruits, corporals, sergeants, and other senior officers about the duties and responsibilities of a police before assuming such a high profile position? I think so. As to the appointment of Ebrima J.T. Kujabi as Press Director, I see not a scintilla of evidence that qualifies him for such a position. Again, who can imagine Mr. Kujabi walking in the shoes of such luminaries as Jay Saidy and my former teacher Marcel Thomasi? Jammeh ought to know that not everyone who has a college degree is smart; in fact, some of the dumbest people around are the ones with college degrees. We see them everyday. They are in Jammeh’s Cabinet, and others accept appointments from him for other positions in the Civil Service. Anyone who accepts a position from Jammeh after this record of brutality and incompetence is in my book, an idiot. It is just as simple as that. Everyone who is not a Jola should be man enough to resign their position and allow Jammeh to recruit Jolas to fill every position there is in the Civil Service. Since he wants to run the country with the Jolas, allow him to do just that.

Finally, over the past several years, I have been given many labels that don’t fit my profile. Nearly five years ago some subscribers to a website wondered why I hated O.J. and Halifa Sallah, and they are both Fulas like myself; well of sorts. When I write about Jammeh’s tribalism, I am called an anti-Jola tribalist, and when I write about the type of government we had under Jawara, I am again called, you guessed it, an anti-Mandinka tribalist. Over the past few years, I have written things critical of the Banjulians too, but the only response I ever got, was in support and it came from, guess again, a Wollof from Banjul. There is no use taking things personally, or being hypersensitive for the revelation of historical facts, rather it pays to be open-minded, because then one learns something. I write to inform and educate, and not for any malicious reason. When some people were promoting O.J and Sallah to head a united opposition long before the formation of NADD, I was vehemently opposed to this idea, because although they are both Fulas, I thought Ousainou Darboe was a more qualified person to head a united opposition. I did not hear anyone calling me an anti-Fula tribalist. In my immediate

Family, we are married to a Mandinka from Brikama, Wollofs from Serekunda, Jola from Foni, Serere from Banjul, and a Serahule from Mauritania; all in the same household, and children from there marriages are my nephews, nieces, aunts, children and grandchildren. So, calling me a tribalist does not hurt me now as it used to, and neither will it stop me from writing historical or current accounts and events. I see my role as an educator to the younger generation, and if I can make just a few of them think in terms of our country, instead my tribe, then I would have succeeded in my efforts.

  Editor's Note: Next Week, Sprcial Focus On The Missing Journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh & School Teacher Tamba Fofana.