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| Mustapha Kebbeh Star Jammeh |
In it's August 28th online edition, the DO tried, in the most brazen of fashion, to redefine the word "intimate" to mean "allege" in their desperate attempt to wiggle out of their claim that Bombada and Brikama United were among the clubs nominating or supporting the nomination of Lamin Kaba Bajo.
If we are to accept DO's definition, it would make little sense for the source who is closely acquainted (which is the meaning of intimate) with issue at hand to have "alleged" that Lamin Kaba Bajo was VP of Bombada FC and that bothe Bombada and Brikama United were supporting his candidature. Someone closely acquainted with Brikama football and its officials would have spoken with DO with a bit more authority. But it doesn't matter to DO who has already received its matching orders from "the top" to promote the candidature of the APRC regime.
The paper took issue with the fact that Bombada FC saw fit to dispute DO's spurious claim that the club was supporting the candidature of Kaba Bajo when Bombada's "unconditional" support of Mustapha Kebbeh's candidature for the presidency of Gambia Football Federation (GFF).
DO also took issue with Bombada's view that the position of their club was "grossly misrepresented" by the paper which is to be expected from an official mouthpiece of a regime that would like to meddle further in the Game by injecting APRC (political) party apparatchik disguised as football experts.
In what appeared to be the paper's last stance was when it was told in a letter from Bombada FC that Kaba Bajo was never a vice president at the club, in accepting it as fact, DO retorted, yes, "but we stand by the credibility of our source"; the same source that also lied about the two Brikama-based clubs supporting the candidature of Lamin Kaba Bajo. The Daily Observer has refined the art of obfuscation and deceit to an enviable level, if you ask us.
The ensuing avalanche of criticism that descended on them as a result of the propaganda piece was to be expected. There are many football lovers who are afraid to voice their opinions publicly for fear of being sent to jail. After all, almost all of the candidates and GFF officials have been jailed, except Lamin Baka Bajo. Although DO is claiming that their editorial was prompted by Bombada's letter and not by social media debates or online publications, the blow-back was nonetheless furious in coming, and at a lightening speed.
Gambians will not be fooled and neither will the patrons and lovers of football who care about its development and advancement by the obvious power grab by the APRC. DO is an integral part of that power grab, being the propaganda and official mouthpiece of the Jammeh regime. And as part of the campaign machine, the paper was caught embellishing Lamin Kaba Bajo's resume by concocting a story it knew was untrue from the start. Consequently, the paper should admit it, apologize and move on to their next propaganda piece.
Kaba Bajo may be good at other things, but neither football nor its management is one of them. He should stick to what he does best i.e. continue to be a party apparatchik of a regime that has mismanaged the economy and are how hellbent of mismanaging football. After all, he has been with the regime since he joined the U.S Navy boat that took Sir Dawda and others to Dakar in July 1994 only to return to be part of the A(F)PRC regime.
FIFA, we hope, will put an end to this circus-like atmosphere once and for all.
