Spinning is an art
Dear editor,
The chief State spin doctor, Dr. Sankareh, is not good at spinning. First impressions count and there is often no second chance to make a second impression. In two press releases he dropped clangers. In the latest, relating to the 60 mosques per year, the President and BYM, he issued a long press release which I think is weak in content, devoid of truth, deceitful, poor as a damage control device and utterly unnecessary as it didn’t refute what it intended to do.
We heard the President. He was on record. I listened to the speech on GRTS TV….. He said he would build or construct 60 boreholes, 60 gardens and 60 mosques in the year; 5 boreholes, 5 gardens, 5 mosques per month. He said the money is already in hand, “in the country”. In very audible Mandinka. The President didn’t mention his Borrow Youth Movement. He used the “I” statement. He spoke about the project with a certain glee, to the applause of the cheering crowd. These were unambiguous statements. In clear Mandinka.
If Dr. Sankareh wants to go to great to impress the Government, to be the master spin doctor, then he ought to be doing more intensive, careful, better back ground checking of the facts in the open and which he is privy to. Then he can couch his press releases in a language which is devoid of literary obfuscation, high falutin, flowery words but convincing and artfully woven to “confuse” the people about the other truth, to get a buy in on the government’s, the President’s, statements which are criticised. It requires a man or woman skilful in the art of spinning to do great damage control. Dr. Sankareh does not seem to be good at that art.
To save himself from these embarrassments, Dr. Sankareh must advise his employers to be measured in what they say, to be unambiguous in what they say, to know that they would be accountable for what say. In this age of ICT, none can hide, none can go unrecorded. You want to deny what you say or do, the records will be played.
And none is opposed to mosque building by private citizens or CSOs. It is not just the business of the State or the functions of the President to build mosques. We have a political contract with the Government and mosque building is not included in that contract. The Government has its blueprint, the National Development Plan, and mosque building is not one of the 8 strategic priority areas or even mentioned therein. The raison detre of the State is clear and mosque building is not part of.
Let citizens and NGOs build mosques or churches. Not the Government
Njundu Drammeh
Re: UDP’s Jadama counters Hamat
Dear editor,
Hon Bah’s message to the people of NBR is totally misleading! The people of Baddibu especially around N’jaba Kunda should be addressed as people not as Mandinkas! For someone to reject any idea or ideology should be based on their personal opinion not on tribal lines! We have to respect each other, tribe means history, but will never demonstrate one’s achievements!
Mr Bah, everyone who understands the situation well will agree with me that a great number of those who reject the idea of Barrows’ youth movement are not actually Mandinkas! I find it troubling when you want to “Mandinka-nise” the situation!
Once upon a time, when Jammeh was ….., Anyway was the president, everyone including yourself knows the support base he has in the Mandinka communities, yet he said all he wanted to say! Which I believe contributed to a lot to his downfall!
Mr Bah, do you want to tell me that the non Mandinkas in the North Bank of The Gambia i.e Fulas , Wollofs etc don’t really matter as far as you are concerned?
Remember when you attributed sex tourism to a friendly nation? The then foreign minister now vice President had to clean up the mess.
Do you remember when you made a miscalculated message/comment about our sister country Senegal? The same person in question has to clean up the mess again!
Can we please try and see THE GAMBIA, not tribes?
Mr Bah, I am saying the above because you are a very important person in the history of our motherland! When you speak, the world listen!
I thank you very much!!
AB Sajar
Re: UDP’s Jadama counters Hamat
Dear editor,
It is important that we as a nation learn and adjust appropriately. While we are trying to control the proliferation of tribalism in our country which inevitably is the major menace to our intercommunity cohesion, some self made figures are tearing that collective effort apart. As we go to our constitutional reviewing processes, I challenge all but most importantly the committee responsible for the review process to consider inculcating a provision that will require all senior presidential appointments go through confirmation by the national assembly, so that people’s actions and deeds catch up with them as they testify before the national assembly. Senior government officials must not only pay allegiance to the presidency but to the masses of the people.
Lamin Fofana
Tubakolong
Based in USA
