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 Politics: Gambian politics
 A TAKE ON JEMUS JAKUT
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Dalton1



3485 Posts

Posted - 08 Mar 2007 :  00:39:28  Show Profile  Visit Dalton1's Homepage Send Dalton1 a Private Message
COURTESY OF GAINAKO.COM


PRESIDENT JAMMEH NEVER SEIZES TO AMAZE THE WORLD;
...AS HE BASHES THE HOPES OF THOUSANDS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS IN THE GAMBIA
....By Demba Baldeh, Editor & Political Commentator, Seattle WA.......Posted March 7th, 2007


In today's editorial, Gainako's Editor, Demba Baldeh slaps Gambia's Current President, Yaya Jammeh, right on his face. HIV/Aids, the world's deadliest disease is a living incurable cankerworm. Such is attested by the much scientific evidence provided by many research institutions.
Therefore, it truly proves insanity for any coming from the 'blues' to pronounce himself an Aids doctor.
Below we reproduce the whole editorial

The President of the West African State of The Gambia Yahya Jammeh has once again shocked the entire world, this time not his claim of finding mineral oil reserves in the Gambia; not his threat of burying citizens of the Gambia six feet deep, nor is it a promise to turn Gambia into an economic heaven, but his shocking day break announcement to have found a cure for the deadly HIV/AIDS disease.

The President, after revealing his spiritual discovery at a meeting of diplomats, Medical personnel, other interest groups and staff of the Ministry of Health, informed the audience that his treatment is a combination of words from the Holy Qur'an and Herbal Roots. Without wasting anytime or waiting for reaction from the scientific or diplomatic community, the President went straight ahead and set a date for receiving his first badge of HIV patients to begin his experimental treatment.

This earnest commencement of treatment on patients supposedly with HIV/AIDS by Jammeh, sent electrical shock waves across the globe especially to the scientific world and the medical community, who have been working for years without finding yet a cure for this monstrous infectious disease. The news prompted online Gambian newspapers and forums to scramble for words to describe the President's sudden claim. Many received the news with disbelief and amazement, while others went up to the extent of calling him insane, crazy, and weird.

The news additionally compelled western news media like Sky news to send a reporter to the Gambia to interview Jammeh on his claims. ( http://news.sky.com/skynews/video/videoplayer/0,,31200-hurd_p2623,00.html ) That interview was conducted while Jammeh was treating one of his patients with his local herbs. His response to the Sky News reporter revealed a discomfort from the President on his willingness to share his evidence or lack thereof in convincing not only the world, but even his patients about the discovery of his treatment. For a moment, the interview showed Jammeh's arrogance normally displayed by African dictators who think they are not answerable to anybody, not even to the international community much more to their people.

Other Western news outlets like the Star tribune in Minneapolis in the state of Minnesota(http://www.startribune.com/389/story/1030812.html), The Seattle Post Intelligencer in Seattle, The state of Washington (
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/304497_gambiaaids21.html), among others, all weighed in and described the President's claim as 'weird' and 'unusual.' Jammeh was quoted saying "Whatever you do, there are bound to be skeptics, but I can tell you, my method is foolproof, mine is not an argument, mine is a proof. It's a declaration. I can cure AIDS and I will." The said reporter shocked by Jammeh's blunt response appeared amazed by the Jammeh's declaration without any scientific proof of his trial and error treatment.

As the world continues to be baffled by this unusual declaration not only from a sitting President, but also someone who is neither medically trained nor legally licensed to practice medicine, there is growing cause for concern on the impact of this treatment on these unfortunate HIV/AIDS patients. The biggest concern is that Jammeh makes his patients to stop taking the anti-retroviral drugs which are so far known to be the most effective drug against the HIV virus that causes the disease AIDS.

These expensive drugs are part of an aid package supplied free of charge by the World Bank through a grant called the Global fund for treatment of Aids, Tuberculosis, and malaria (GFATM) to hundreds of HIV infected patients in the Gambia. These drugs are said to be very expensive in other parts of the world and many African governments cannot afford to purchase the drugs for the growing HIV/AIDS population in their countries. Aids activists in the Gambia fear that
if more patients continue to stop taking their drugs, then the Global fund would no longer be available to these people who are in dire need of treatment to keep their hopes alive.

Another threat and probably the most disturbing about this whole declaration by Jammeh, is the impact his promise of treatment will have on thousands of HIV/AIDS infected mothers and their young children in the Gambia. HIV/AIDS is not only known to systematically destroy the human immune system, but also comes with other social consequences embedded in society.

It is evident that many HIV/AIDS infected patients live with complete lost of hope in accomplishing anything in life. They wakeup everyday thinking about their mortality and how they are going to make it to another day without being isolated and dehumanized by their own family members simply because they are HIV infected victims. Majority of these victims are innocent babies and children who have no hope of getting out of the house into the play ground, much more going to school to get a decent education simply because they are sick day in and day out, and are sometimes without a healthy parent to look after them and provide basic necessities of life.

The magnitude of the emotional distress of living life without hope on any human being, especially parents is immeasurable to say the least. It is based on this emotional impact of giving thousands of these innocent victims a false hope of a cure for HIV/AIDS, that many called Jammeh's declaration into question and a cause for concern. Did Jammeh think about what the psychological impact of his trial-and-error treatment method would have on these peoples' lives? Did Jammeh think about the confusion and anarchy that his announcement has on HIV/AIDS activists who are working tirelessly to educate ordinary Gambians of the danger of this monstrous disease?

Furthermore, can and would Jammeh walk into the houses of Santa Yallah support society and other local HIV/AIDS support groups in the Gambia, look into the eyes of hundreds of victims and promise them a cure for a virus that has put their lives on the path to their inevitable mortality? Can Jammeh restore the hopes of these innocent young mothers with their babies literally dying before their time from the hardship confronting them on a daily basis? Would it not make sense for any decent human being to have some degree of evidence for a cure for such a devastating disease before declaring it publicly?

Finally, it is normal for the world to receive such publicity with a degree of skepticism, especially one coming from a scientifically untrained person. What is even more abnormal is that this declaration is coming from a sitting President who is presiding over a political environment that allows such mysterious, unsubstantiated evidence to go unchallenged. The ministry of health and the secretary of state's unconditional support of the President without a scientific proof of his cure certainly did not come without an embracement to our public health system.

The prudent thing for the secretary of state for Health to have done was to give the President the benefit of the doubt on his claim, but stick with the scientific evidence and caution against risky behaviors until a substantiated scientific evidence for cure is provided. The secretary should have advised his commander in chief that the country and its citizens have more credibility and technical assistance to lose should there be no evidence of a cure. The medical research council (MRC), one of the best medical research institutes in West Africa, should have been engaged in determining whether in fact the President's method has produced the much needed cure for the HIV virus that modern science is yet to discover. This mature and professional way of handing the President's claim would have given our nation the benefit of the doubt, respect, and positive publicity around the globe on this controversial claim.

It is important to conclude that Gambia has everything to gain should in fact one of it's citizens find a cure for this deadly virus, but for now and until it is proven otherwise, it has only caused us embarrassment and negative publicity that sends our proud citizens into hiding…

"There is no god but Allah (SWT); and Muhammad (SAW)is His last messenger." shahadah. Fear & Worship Allah (SWT) Alone! (:

Santanfara



3460 Posts

Posted - 08 Mar 2007 :  00:51:26  Show Profile  Visit Santanfara's Homepage Send Santanfara a Private Message
dalton ,i can't aggree more with the editors analysis. he heat the nail on the head. yaya is maaaaad.imagine yaya in the u.n head quarters ,how will other heads of states see him ?syco.

Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran

www.suntoumana.blogspot.com
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Santanfara



3460 Posts

Posted - 08 Mar 2007 :  00:51:26  Show Profile  Visit Santanfara's Homepage Send Santanfara a Private Message
dalton ,i can't aggree more with the editors analysis. he heat the nail on the head. yaya is maaaaad.imagine yaya in the u.n head quarters ,how will other heads of states see him ?syco.

Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran

www.suntoumana.blogspot.com
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sab



United Kingdom
912 Posts

Posted - 08 Mar 2007 :  15:54:01  Show Profile Send sab a Private Message
If I remember correctly at the African Union Summit in July 2006 not that many weeks ago ALL other African Heads of State gave him standing ovation - followed by overboard PR Press Congratulations - now what does that tell us about the rest of them?

sab

The world would be a poorer place if it was peopled by children whose parents risked nothing in the cause of social justice, for fear of personal loss. (Joe Slovo - African revolutionary)
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sab



United Kingdom
912 Posts

Posted - 08 Mar 2007 :  15:54:01  Show Profile Send sab a Private Message
If I remember correctly at the African Union Summit in July 2006 not that many weeks ago ALL other African Heads of State gave him standing ovation - followed by overboard PR Press Congratulations - now what does that tell us about the rest of them?

sab

The world would be a poorer place if it was peopled by children whose parents risked nothing in the cause of social justice, for fear of personal loss. (Joe Slovo - African revolutionary)
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