Lao-tse a Chinese Sage once remarked: “The reason rivers receive the homage of the mountains is that they keep below them…. So the sage, wishing to be above men, puts himself below them, wishing to be before them, he puts himself behind them. Though his place is above them, they do not feel his weight; though he is before them, they do not feel injured.”

Although the Chinese philosopher uttered these wise words over a thousand years ago, it rings quite true in the case of Interior Minister, Mai Ahmad Fatty playing the tough-guy to help boost his chances of becoming The Gambia’s next president. However, his actions and words generated quite the opposite of what he intended.

“Why is he trying so hard? His demeanor and words reek of desperation.” This was the question on the lips of many following his rage against the people of Foni for protesting against the presence of Senegalese soldiers in Foni and Kanilai in general.

A 54-year-old father, Harouna Jatta was allegedly killed when the soldiers started firing at protesters.

Speaking live on GRTS, Minister Fatty threatened Foninkas while insisting that “they either respect the law or be consumed by the law”.

His show of anger and showmanship left a bad taste in the mouths of so many. A Gambian law student in India wrote on Facebook: “Mai Fatty addressing the nation with clenched fist, incessant finger pointing, and spewing statements like "consumed by the law" is not going to solve the problem. Too much arrogance!”

Meanwhile, the ECOWAS regional body has extended the mandate of its military mission in the country for one more year during its recent summit in Monrovia.