Editor,

After several unsuccessful attempts to call in order to congratulate His Excellency the president, Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, on his victory in the 2001 presidential election, I decided to send him a letter. This is in line with my belief that God had chosen him long before The Gambian people chose him. I hereby reproduce the letter I sent him then.Mr President, I have been your admirer over the past decades or so. From the day you walked into the Accountant General Office in 1995, where I was working as a secretary, I have admired you. You were young then, yet so strong and determined to lead our beloved country The Gambia.

I have always prayed for you that God gives you the wisdom and guidance to enable you achieve your mission for which he had chosen you. I am going to pray for you more, now that you have been chosen once more, which is obviously as a result of your hard work and dedication to the needs of The Gambian people to lead us as a nation.

May Allah protect you. He is the wisest and knows the best for all.  May He give us the best of everything that is the best for you and us as a nation. The peace and stability of the  country is our concern. I want you to do all what it takes within your power to safeguard and maintain the peace and stability that has been existing in our beloved country.

My definition of peace, as it is spelt here starting from the last letter, goes like this:

5. P - Progress, Prosperity:
Without 1, 2, 3 & 4 we cannot achieve progress and prosperity.  One must be in the path of progress to be able to prosper.

4. E - Education:
Whatever form, education is important and a must.  It is a meaningful tool for the future development of our country.  We all should endeavour to be educated.

5. A - Agriculture:
Food for all is what we want.  We should toil the land to have enough to eat.  The land is available for our use.  We cannot learn in empty stomach much more to think of progress and prosperity.

6. C - ,:
Caring for one another is prescribed to us by the Almighty. We must endeavour to care for one another in sickness and good health, in happiness and sorrow. We are one big family and must stay as one.

7. E - Equal:
We are all equal in the eyes of the Almighty who created us. We should be treated equally and should treat one another as equal. Wish to others what you wish yourself.