Re: Voters urged not to re-elect NAMs who voted against draft constitution
Dear Editor,
Your reporter Omar Bah wrote that a prominent Gambian pro-democracy activist, Jeggan Grey-Johnson, has urged voters to reject National Assembly Members who whimsically voted against the draft constitution.
The choice of re-drafting a whole new constitution without a national consensus through a referendum is not only undemocratic in itself, but an insult to our sovereignty as a people.
Coming out of a gruesome dictatorship, the people of Chile went to a referendum to determine whether or not to entirely scrap the Pinochet era constitution or to make fundamental amendments to it. They even voted in the same referendum to determine the composition of the body that should draft the new constitution should that be the people’s verdict.
How can a group of people decide to replace our constitution and then assign people of their choice to do that? In the end, we had a draft that was nothing less of a scheme to institute judicial aristocracy in the country.
The National Assembly was within its legal mandate to throw it out. This country will not be run by the dictates or whims and caprices of a group that feel superior in thinking or whatever to the rest of mankind.
Let them vote the way they want and let others vote the way they desire. You people have no shame!
Pa Kalifa Sanyang
Jeshwang, KM
Dear Editor,
This is itself a mockery of democracy to tell people not to have their choice. Who is Jeggan Grey-Johnson to tell people who to vote or not to vote for? This is an expression of his incessant hatred. You people never write anything that benefit The Gambia but only have hidden agenda. If readers don’t know you, we know you as a proxy. You are not a pro-democracy activist but an anti-democracy activist.
Jawara Diko IV
Manchester, United Kingdom
Re: Gambia could miss WAEC exams over US$11 million arrears
Dear Editor,
According to Tabora Bojang, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, disclosed to lawmakers that pupils and students in The Gambia risk missing both the West Africa Senior Secondary Secondary Schools Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Gambia Basic Education Certificate Examination (GABECE) this year due to arrears owed to the West African Examination Council.
President Barrow cannot rule this country. It’s impossible for him because there are many selfish individuals surrounding him who are only bent on enriching themselves. Gambians can only be ruled by a hardliner for this country to develop. All the people around President Barrow are greedy and up to no good. Period. And there is nothing positive coming from the ministries. It’s disheartening what is happening in The Gambia at the present time.
Bakary Kandeh
Dublin, Ireland
Dear Editor,
You cannot eat your cake and have it. The Gambia has decided. Now, let the teachers and the people in the education sector decide. We have not seen anything yet. Some of these very teachers were the ones who asked President Jammeh to step down in 2016/2017. Today, the same teachers and soldiers are crying. Let them be patient. They have not seen anything yet.
Sidaty Sonko
Marakissa, Kombo Central
Dear Editor,
In The Gambia of today, wherever you go, every day, there is a new scandal. Is the government going to form another commission of inquiry as well over these WAEC arrears?
Balla Musa Colley
Serekunda, KM
