Jammeh exit good riddance for Gambian people, Africa

At last, the erstwhile Gambian President Yahya Jammeh did succumb to international pressure and left the presidential palace and go to exile to allow Mr Adama Barrow, who defeated him in last year’s December 1 election, to take over. It is good riddance for the Gambian people and for Africa. Yes, the despot had reduced himself to an embarrassment for the Continent.

Having been beaten in the polls, he had initially acknowledged defeat. He had even, American style, phoned Mr Barrow to congratulate him. The world had celebrated the gesture, an extremely rare one in a continent where incumbents—parties or individuals —hardly ever lose in the polls, even when they garner lesser votes.

However, the celebration was short-lived. Why, a few days later, he rescinded his acquiescence, claiming gross irregularities! And he had the temerity to postpone the January 19 swearing-in ceremony, ostensibly to await court determination of the suit he had filed to contest Barrow’s victory.

It is the conduct of leaders like Jammeh that give Africa a bad name, the type who give white supremacists the nerve to talk of “the need to recolonise Africa”. It was heartening to see the West Africa Economic Community (Ecowas) gathering troops on The Gambian boarders ready to force him out of the State House in Banjul and—preferably—to a jail house.

Africa heaved a sigh of relief on when on Saturday, he bowed to pressure, thanks to talks with Guinean President Alpha Konde and Mauritania’s Mohamed Ould Abdel—and of course, the Ecowas military action scare.

It is our hope that other Jammeh’s of our Continent have learnt that one cannot forcibly hang on to power for ever. More importantly, we believe that other regional blocs in Africa will have learnt from Ecowas that it is possible to use their unity to remove tin pot dictators who believe they have title deeds for their country’s leaderships even as they proclaim democracy.

Masauni order on drugs apt

The order by Home Affairs deputy minister Hamad Yussuf Masauni to Mbeya police to take measures that will ensure an end to illicit drug business is very apt.

He even suggested that law enforcers could start with drug abusers, then work backwards in order to net those who deal in the illegal and destructive trade.

Most of us are witnesses to how the use of addictive drugs has reduced some of our once energetic and promising young men and women into pitiful humans. Drug abuse enslaves people, dehumanises them, leaving them almost useless in every sense of the word. The order by the deputy minister, therefore, should be implemented with utmost seriousness. The law enforcers should work day and night, become more innovative and ensure that drug trade and abuse is contained.

Many families that have been hurt by the trade. This means, a big section of the society has been affected by addictive drugs, and this should give every one of us the reason to be part of the war.

Wananchi should cooperate with the police and provide them with information that could lead to the arrest and prosecution of the big fish behind the wicked business. It is imperative to tighten control in all official and unofficial entry points—panya routes—to the country. We must all be united in this fight.