We the Gambian people gave The President the prerogative to pardon prisoners, so when he misuses those rights and privileges given to him we are duty bound and have the right to condemn it with all our might.

Listening to Government Spokesman Ebrima Sankareh justifying and making very unfounded comparisons with different events about the prisoner pardon saga, I concluded that we are doomed. People like Sankareh who have been in the struggle, fought against what he was defending today make me ask the question “Were we all fighting for the same thing? “

According to Sankareh, President Barrow refused to sign the pardon until these rapists and murderers are forgiven by their victims and their families.
What a painful news and request to grant by the victim’s families?
A prerogative of mercy delegation and the only reason they were there was to ask them to pardon their perpetrators who were convicted by the laws of the Gambia, how painful !
What a betrayal!
What a vulnerable situation for these victims who are supposed to be protected by The President of The Gambia. The only time a delegation from the State visits them is to ask for a favour. Sankareh made it sound as if a special task force is set up for this . The Prerogative of Mercy Board has been in existence well before President Barrow. So don’t go insulting our intelligence. Since you brought it up I would like to ask did the Prerogative of Mercy Board meet and what informed their decision to release the rapist of a 4year old child! So they did not meet the victims family until the President asked them to? What if they said no? Should they not have had the consent of the family before asking for consent from The President?

Sankara asked some question to us the activist as to Why we did not make noise on the Amnesty given to the Lockerbie Bomber:
“Most of our activists are educated in England and America but I never saw any one of them raised a finger against the UK Government or wrote a newspaper article“ Government Spokesman Ebrima Sankareh .
What a flimsy and cheap comparison, and an insult to the victims and the Gambian people by Sanakara. I want to bring Sankara’s memory back to the period he is talking about. While the UK was dealing with the Lockerbie bomber We as Gambian activists in the Diaspora were also fighting against a President who was murdering, rapping, torturing our people during that period, just to refresh his mind. What does he know about the individual efforts of Gambians in the UK.Such cheap generalisation to score cheap points will not hold water.

“Prison is not always a place of punishment but a correctional facility” Sankara, again , and I ask …….
What rehabilitation facilities are in place at Mile 2 ?
A place where people with minor cases are still languishing in remand without appearing in any court?
A place where juveniles are remanded and come out as hardened criminals. Since the infamous visit by ministers from the first Barrow Administration with a lot of promises and hot air what has been done or archived?

“Place was not conducive for the health of the inmate” I ask the questions: how many Gambians are struggling with health issues in the prison that commit minor issues and deserve to be pardoned ?
How many other Gambians have been languishing in jail because they do not have friends in high places or were convicted instead of their Minister?
Does paying a fine justify being pardoned? Should the former PS have been tried alone or along side his minister ?
How many people are in Mile for offences with the value being under D100,000?
So if the value is deemed below Sankareh’s treshold and by default the Presidents it’s pardonable !

Sanakara ,help the President to do the right thing, tell the President the truth and stop making unjustifiable excuses. Stop insulting our intelligence, Gambians are fully aware and intelligent enough to defend the positions that we take. How can the President pardon convicted murderers and rapists whilst several people who have committed minor offenses still waiting for a court appearance?

He said the President initially refused to sign the order . So what/ who changed his mind ? Don’t tell me the Imam’s and Priests cause that’s done before it gets to the President.

I now ask the difficult question and it pains me to do so . We all remember when a rapist was to be pardoned and the said individual’s parent was very influential in Government . There was an uproar and rightly so and the prisoner was not pardoned . So what has changed ?
Is it because the vulnerable 4year old child’s parents are not influential ?
Or don’t have friends in high places ? There cannot be preferential treatment for the rich and the poor when it comes to such critical issues .

Mr President you have children !
I am talking about the rapist of a 4year old being released!!! Can you hear my pain through my words ! I am talking about women being raped and murdered ! Sankareh do not pee on the toe’s of Gambians and tell us it’s raining !
Have you guys got any sympathy for the women and vulnerable children in the country?
Someone serving 14 years of a life term , as per Sankareh this guy was imprisoned when he was 29 ! So what Sankareh , so what! His victim was denied the right to live , breath, be happy …….

Sankareh if you cannot look The President in the eye and tell him the truth please refrain from going to the radio to add insults to injury.

I hope all of you are sleeping well at night after unleashing murderers and rapists into our society.

President Barrow , your children are well protected, we The Gambians made that possible only for you to turn round and put us and our children in danger !
How wicked is this irony.