Once again, the following letter purportedly from an ex-NIA agent, was mailed to almost all the diaspora-based online publishers, including the self acclaimed 'fair and balance' journalist, Pa Nderry Mbai. The letter reads:

Dear Editor,

I wish you all a happy new year and hope and pray that the tyrant called Yahya Jammeh be removed peacefully from power this year for the sake of sanity. Remember that Jammeh has nothing to lose in any political upheaval, therefore we must be very careful. Gambia is bigger than any single citizen, and so we must work together honestly to achieve our aims and ambitions like other countries in similar situation did.

We all know that Jammeh is not only blood-thirsty but also greedy, irrational and unpredictable. However, when I read a brilliant piece recently published by Senegambia News, I understood the editor's frustration. But I was a bit puzzled because not everyone helped entrench Jammeh‘s rule. Many Gambians and non Gambians alike have tried their best and placed their lives on the line to oust the dictator and restore peace and stability, but the country’s security forces have not been helpful in that regard.

As a former security agent, I remember opposition militants and very brave journalists who were attacked and jailed for criticising Jammeh. Even though these people knew their lives were at risk, they preferred to play their role as true citizens. Sometimes my heart bleeds because I think we must not forget them so easily as they must remain in our history books. So don’t call me a Jammeh supporter because I even went to the extent of giving journalists some names of NIA Agents who arrested and tortured them.

About Pa Nderry who is working hard to discredit the name of Gambian journalists, I fully agree with Senegambia News and other honest media outlets because many Gambians and non Gambians alike have been patiently waiting for someone to put this monster in his rightful place. Gambians are glad that at least in the new year, there are few editors amongst you who are not afraid, scared or intimidated to face Pa Nderry and let him know that he is nothing but a mere loser in trying to destroy innocent Gambians and attack people’s families and friends for absolutely no reason.

It is very hard for the media to recover from the damage caused to it by Pa Nderry. Maybe some editors are not fully aware of such destruction but readers will tell you anywhere you go that they don’t trust reading ‘the internet because Pa Nderry is a liar’. Gambia is a small country so if you print anything about someone else it will be easy for people to detect the reliability or truthfulness of that stories. Likewise if Pa Nderry fabricates stories from his bedroom, it is easy for reader to know as they are on the ground.

Many suggest that due to the fact that Pa Nderry never suffered any problem while living in the Gambia and had never been a threat or a good writer who was not recognised makes him very insensitive about the plights of others including former journalists. The media is very essential both nationally and internationally for our struggle and Gambians must not expect any assistance when we continue to allow this pester to keep abusing our noble media.

Brave Journalists have suffered so much in the hands of Jammeh and therefore you must not allowed it to pass under the drain by allowing Pa Nderry to discredit your profession. We depend on you for good news and you will really do us a disservice if you allow anyone to base stories on false, fake and fabrication.

Also, those who feel they are wise by defending Pa Nderry by keeping silent or acting as peace makers, friends or even supporting him behind closed-doors to attack and smear others - they should rethink because double-standard will never do us good. One day Pa Nderry will give them a slice of his cake.

Once again, thank you all and a happy new year. I also wish Cherno Jallow well in his new position.

Kali Bojang, Europe