Freedom Newspaper (Raleigh, North Carolina)
25 December 2007
interview
"Well just as I said earlier my answers before speak for themselves on this issue.Mr Mbai when I left many were harping on that (laughter). Today can those people count how many others has Yahya ejected from his so-called good books? Infact does Yahya have any good book? That is my question to you or anyone else? Where is Baba Jobe? Where is Edward Singhatey? How about the former DG Civil aviation Maimuna Taal? The woman is hard working and sound. Has Yahya not fallen out with her? He has. Has Yahya not shunned good men and women who have done more for The Gambia than I Essa? Yes he has. A husband can divorce one or two and still be excused. However, a husband who divorces wives every day in a year should look at his own marital record instead of blaming his in-laws. Take Yahya's case as the example given here and analyze if for yourself (laughter)," says Ambassador Essa Bokarr Sey.
He was speaking in an Exclusive interview with the Freedom Newspaper. Below is the full text of the interview.
Freedom Newspaper: Good day Ambassador Sey. What is your honest opinion about Governance in The Gambia today?
Essa Sey: Well Mr Mbai governance does not only stop at repeat versions of endless elections. There is more along the way. Lets say one of Africa's brightest sons the late Davidson Nicole of Sieraleone said this to me in 1994 at the British Council in Freetown the following during a conversation..."...youngman governance or democracy simply means access to resources..." Mr Nicole was absolutely right. If people do not have access to resources then what is the meaning of those resources? Resources vary. We have natural ones and indeed the most important are the people themselves, therefore the nucleus of any meaningful path towards development is the human resource itself.
When we say leadership, it means people are following. Wherever one leads, there are followers. That is why geography has human and physical geography. Stones, trees and hills are static they do not follow because they are inanimate. These are what we call natural resources. We as animate or living things are far more important than the hummers and jets being used everyday. Mr. Mbai...Have you ever met a dalasi note or dollar note roaming in the streets searching for a hungry person to feed him or her? You will never see that! Human beings use brains, come together and create currencies or other artificial things or aspects.
The moment we humans raise these things or aspects above our value or the value of others who may not have them means something is wrong some where. Therefore governance does not mean highways,bridges,hospitals and the like. It starts with rule of law and the respect for fundamental human rights and the values guarding the very existence of any given society. Laws should not be clubs and claws, laws should be the hubs of the wheels helping pull the chariots of time. We the people are the spokes! No spokes no wheels, no hubs no spokes! As simple as that.
Freedom Newspaper: President Jammeh said he cares less about how the West defines democracy. That Africa has its own democracy. What is your view on this?
Essa Sey: Mr Mbai, there is where Mr Jammeh got it all wrong. The west is not defining democracy, the west is promoting it. How can he the same person refer to the Greeks as the pioneers in that regard then turn around saying Africa has its own democracy? You see one thing I find strange about Jammeh is the strong feeling he exhibits showing himself as an Ambassador of Africa when his interest is at stake? That is subjective, it is not objective at all. When one says Africa? What exactly is the person trying to see in this context? Doesn't Africa copy good things too? You see the universal picture affects every body these days. Serious minds will never attempt "Africanizing" things for their own personal interest.
Mr Jammeh has to understand that, patriotism or "Africanism" has been raped by so many leaders before him but history tried and sanctioned those leaders at the end. He may say he cares less out of frustration but in reality we all know the "bottomless pits" and things below such echoing bluffs! I for one will not even waste my breathe on that one because I know that he cares if and when his political interest is at stake. Was he not the champion on the war against terrorism in January 2003? What happened along the way? His letters(signed versions) are still here with us. There are westerners who criticize their governments far more than we as Gambians dare criticize his. Is that what we will call African democracy?
Sundiata Keita of Mali was more tolerant than any so-called ruler in Africa today! Is Mandela not African? Didn't he serve for 26 years? What vindicated him? Democracy! That democracy as universally respected! Look Mr Mbai I do not like seeing "uniform" approaches being used for the sake of greed and zeal. Selfless approaches usually make lesser noise than selfish ones! Certainly I for one know that Mr Jammeh cannot even stand near me when it comes to Pan Africanism. He may have the opportunity of making more noise but that does not give him the visa of being a Pan Africanist! No! on my side I stand to deny him that privilege. If he wants he can challenge me on a debate on that any where at any time. Certainly knowing Jammeh he will frown on that one. However, if he really understands what true Pan Africanism means then he should honour my invitation so that him and I can debate on the issue. Caring less about the west? Jammeh saying so? Anyway legacies judge leaders, so let him look at his own and see if his principles vis-à-vis the West are not full of fungi?
Freedom Newspaper: What kind of democracy do you want to see in The Gambia?
Essa Sey:The democracy that was defined on a universal plateau of sound minds. The democracy that brings peace,love,harmony and progress. The democracy that will not see a President reading speeches while fuming in anger. The democracy that will be so tolerant and versatile. The democracy that will entrench term limits, but not the one that will stamp 40 years extra time for a President who is 40 years old. the democracy that will see checks and balances but not the one that will see checks without balances. The democracy that will respect public opinion but not the one that will shun the voice of the people. The democracy that will allow dissent but not the one that will put wax on the ears of the leader and then see enemies out of criticism or genuine observation. The democracy that will encourage journalism but not the one that will replace journalism with vandalism. The democracy that uses people as the base and leaders as servants! That is the one I wish for Gambia our Gambia! If Mr Jammeh chooses to do all these then I will call him a democrat. For now I cannot call him a true democrat. Why? Because he gets angry when reading his Tobaski speeches. He should have left that in the hands of law makers. He should have spoken at the mosque, speak peace and do good. On Tobaski day or Eid-el-Adha The Prophet taught every believer to make peace, stay in harmony and entertain his or her family. If Mr Jammeh sees himself as the President then he should see every citizen as a member of his family. No head of a society or family speaks angrily to his or her people in an angry tone on feasts like Tobaski. He should study Islam or his own culture more and more. Let him not stop at the incantations or "sirk" let him gather more knowledge before uttering any word next time.
Freedom Newspaper: How would you rate Jammeh's developmental programs? Are these projects making any impact on the lives of Gambians?
Essa Sey: Yes there are things done during his time which we all need. Of course I am not going to be so hateful by saying that,he has done nothing! Even if he developed a kilometer on each road it means something. My beef with Mr Jammeh is not about infrastructures only. My beef with him is that he personalizes those projects. That is false and ungrateful if he does so. Mr Jammeh alone could not have developed anything. Let him stop this feeling of "me-me-me!" No one is denying that it is after 1994 that we had a TV station. However, Mr Jammeh should also remember the days some of his envoys spent 24 hours round the clock negotiating those projects. He is the leader, Yes but he is not alone when it comes to these development projects. The developers are the tax payers! After the HIPC debt relief was announced why were they jubilating in Banjul? This is why I once advised him to stop using Allah's name when talking about banks!
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I am seriously disturbed by the latest revelations directed by Essa Sey and many others who have served in Jammehs administrations.No one should not trust the soliders who were part and parcel of the APRC government.They are all the same people.All of them had abuse Gambians on a daily and consistant basis.Essa Sey is known today because of yaya jammeh.He should not be a traitor.Am so dissappointed Mr Mbai for the kind of question you asked Mr Sey.Mr Sey was involved in a visa fraud and so many corruptions at the time of his tenue as ambassador in Washington.Is not… [Read Full Text]