President Mahama urged to intervene in The Gambia
The Leader of The Gambia Moral Congress (opposition party), Dr Mai Ahmad Fatty, has petitioned the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President John Dramani Mahama, to take up the issue of the Gambia before it degenerates into violence.
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The situation in The Gambia, he said, “Would run into violence soon if nothing is done about it, and the impact would flow into the region.”
Dr Fatty, who interacted with journalists in Ghana, asked for the imposition of conditions on The Gambia, a member of ECOWAS, to compel the government to comply with ECOWAS protocols.
The opposition leader who is a lawyer and a human rights activist said ECOWAS protocols such as good governance and conflict prevention mechanism must be enforced to free the people of The Gambia from oppression and dictatorship.
That was because, according to him, the over 20 years of the reign of the incumbent government, led by President Yahya Jemmeh, had led to the institution of a state of anarchy where innocent citizens were tortured, imprisoned and now “The Gambia is bleeding. Will you leaders of ECOWAS and our neighbours let it bleed to death?”
He said: “For over two decades, the people of The Gambia have been living in a state of fear. We are not here to criticise the government of The Gambia. We are not asking you to fight for us but we are asking you to support us in our fight.”
Using stones to vote
The man who said his vision to lead his country was inspired by Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Martin Luther King Jnr and other renowned world leaders said he wanted to see The Gambia transformed into a great nation where the people could live without fear.
He condemned the current electoral process where voters had to use stones, saying: “The population of The Gambia is about 800,000 but we do not know how many of the special stones shaped like marbles are in the country. We don’t know where they are.”
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He explained that the election process involved the use of drums labelled according to the contesting party where voters put their stones, “at the end of the voting the drums are transported to a counting centre at the regional headquarters and along the road magic can happen.”
Coup attempt
He said the coup attempt on December 30, 2014 was as a result of the people losing hope in the current system “but we condemn any unconstitutional move to seize power.”
“The chairman of ECOWAS must take up the issue of The Gambia. It will be one of the great legacies he will achieve during his tenure.”
He commended President Mahama for his role during the outbreak of Ebola and the efforts to bring peace to countries in the sub-region that are experiencing crises.
He urged the leaders of ECOWAS to be “bold and courageous to take the bull by the horn to bring the government of The Gambia to book.”