Dear editor,
When a state institution mentions the name of a citizen as a threat and marked for containment it is not uncommon in many societies for some overzealous citizen to feel encouraged to attack that person. When a sitting President’s supporters openly call for assault on critics it could give encouragement, directly or indirectly to some wayward guy to want to attack an innocent person. We have seen these examples in many places around Africa and beyond.
Recently we heard one Jebel Ceesay who claims support for the President and his party openly mentioned Nyang Njie among others to be arrested and beaten up with a barrage of insults. Meantime we also saw a list emerge out of the NIA in which Nyang Njie’s name is listed as one of the targets to be implicated in drugs crime. Why are these happening?
Yet until now the NIA has not come out to distance itself from that list. Until now neither the President nor his party has come out to distance themselves from Jebel Ceesay’s incitement to violence remarks and to condemn such politics of violence. Therefore if someone, even for any reason decides to attack Nyang Njie then we cannot rule out the enabling environment created by the State for such madness to happen.
Nyang Njie is a decent, patriotic, honest and determined citizen. He is non-violent and law-abiding. He has not used violence or insults in his noble job of holding the State at all levels accountable.
His recent remarks about Banjul was not an insult to the people of Banjul. Rather Nyang’s comments were exposing the corruption and dishonesty of those in power in betraying Banjul and the Gambia. He spoke the truth and every sober Gambian knows that.
Hence for some bloke to have the audacity to even attempt to attack him is simply because he has been directly or indirectly encouraged by the indications out of the State itself. This is because why now and not in the past? If Nyang had been silent would this happen or not? If you as a citizen and the Gambia Government does not recognise that, some of us are too well informed to understand the nature of things.
Therefore we will also be watching the IGP in how he handles this case. I am not asking for any special treatment for Nyang but as a popular critic of the State, we will see how well the IGP handles the matter. Will he handle it as a legitimate normal case or will there be undue influence as to unfavourably deal with the matter to Nyang’s disadvantage. We are watching.
Meantime Pres. Adama Barrow bears ultimate responsibility for the safety and security of Nyang Njie and the rest of the citizens.
Madi Jobarteh
Kembujeh
