Madi replied to Fatu Camara
Madi Jobarteh vs Fatu Camara
Fatu Camara I don’t know what you mean by “hostility” but I don’t see any hostility against Pres. Adama Barrow and his Government.
The fact is Pres. Barrow and his Government are legitimate targets for scrutiny, accountability, criticism, condemnation and even praise from each and every citizen.
I have not seen any political party, CSO, media house, journalist or activist pick up arms or engage in violent action against Barrow or NPP or his Government. So there’s absolutely no hostility except if you define hostility as criticism.
We are a multiparty democracy and that means political opponents will be severely critically of each other. That severe exchange cannot and must not be equated with hostility much more to serve as basis of these illegal arrests.
If anything it is Pres. Barrow and his party and Government that could be described as being hostile towards political opponents, journalists and civil society actors. How many times have his supporters or agents physically assault journalists or close down media house, etc.
So I think posts like these divert attention away from the real issues and provide a subtle justification for illegality.
Barrow must be told that if insults are his problem then let him contain his own party supporters first. On behalf of and in the name of his party, his supporters insult political opponents and critics just as we hear similar insults from his opponents as well. I have personally been a subject of insults from NPP supporters as well from other parties. But he does not arrest his party members when they insult. But we see his political opponents being arrested instead. That’s selective justice and unbecoming of a president and government in a democracy.
Apart from that, the President should not, under any circumstances say he will order the IGP to arrest people because he has no such authority or power.
He cannot and must not say he will re-arrest people who were bailed by the courts. That statement tantamount to a coup d’etat because it means usurping the authority and power of a state organ!!
The President cannot and should not label any legally registered political party as a threat to national security. That means effectively saying such a party is an armed group or a terrorist organization hence should be deregistered and banned. In a democracy political parties must not describe each other as evil, negative or threats because they are constitutionally created to form government.
Let’s help ourselves by understanding issues in their true and proper definition and nature.
Fatu replied to Madi
Madi Jobarteh if you haven’t seen anyone pick up arms against Barrow or NPP then it clearly means criticism.
It is very dishonest for any Gambian to say they haven’t seen the amount of insults, false allegations and accusations against President Barrow and his government. Maybe I can see it because I do not belong to the herds mentality.
Fee ken doffut fee, we can all see clearly what’s happening. Let us be honest and be fair to each other. I have no dog in this fight on both sides but many of our activists and journalists are a disappointment, they have all been bullied to the point of being blind followers. Honest people are seeing both sides.
Your comment is too long, can’t read and respond to it all. You saying to me that we should help ourselves by understanding issues is laughable.
Madi Jobarteh replied
Fatu Camara I have already acknowledged that insult is in our politics from both ends. And certainly I do not you have even a fly much more a dog in the fight. Let’s focus.
A comedian called Baba Jah came on Fatu Network and rained the most severe insults on Ousainou Darboe and he was not arrested. But before that a lady in Kafenda only said ‘Barrow is not a Muslim for swearing with his left hand’ and she was arrested, detained and charged. Why? The cases are numerous.
The examples of insult on both sides are toxic and reprehensible. That’s not in dispute. We must condemn insults.
But what is unacceptable is to arrest these insulters and leave those other insulters. That’s injustice to say the least.
Therefore if it is insult one wants to talk about, let’s open a debate for that.
But these illegal arrests cannot be explained in the context of ‘hostility’ against Barrow. What kind of hostility did Barrow face that Ousainou Darboe, Halifa Sallah, Essa Mbye or Mamma Kandeh etc did not face? Apparently the insulters against Barrow get the stick but the insulters against Darboe, Sallah, Mbye or Kandeh get the carrot!
So yes we can see what’s happening. But who is causing it?
About activists and journalists being “disappointment” is an opinion that is not the issue here. But if “honest people “ seeing both sides then those “honest people” should condemn insults from both sides. If they cannot do that, so be it, but these illegal arrests cannot be justified in the name of “hostility” against Barrow.
Fato replied
Madi Jobarteh to you nothing is an issue except when it is to you. Maybe you are missing a lot on social media and WhatsApp groups, whatever a comedian called Baba Ja said to Darboe, Barrow heard worse including his mother who is not a politician. People hear what they want to hear maybe that’s the case here.
We have all been bullied and I have never heard you utter a word. Madi, please have a great day, I have things to do right now. And who is justifying arrests with insults, please be honest at least
Who’s wrong ?
