COMMENTARY 

The Gambia: another misplaced priority

By D. A. Jawo

One of the major topics under discussions in The Gambia today, apart from the bizarre and stone-age “government policy to screen witches” is no doubt, the dishing out of millions of Dalasis to the players and officials of the Under-17 squad who recently won the African Under-17 trophy played in Algeria.

Of course, all Gambians and friends of The Gambia were elated when the boys clinched the cup for the second time; a feat only achieved by two of Africa’s giant footballing nations of Nigeria and Ghana. Therefore, it was an achievement deserving jubilation.

However, the decision by the “Professor” to give out one million Dalasis to each of the boys and their officials with so much fanfare at the July 22 Square in Banjul raises a few pertinent moral and ethical questions.

One of those questions is of course where the “Professor” got all that money he is so generously dishing out. We all know that his annual salary is far less than a million Dalasis and as such, there is no way that he can make such money from his legitimate income.

However, one may of course say that apart from his numerous agricultural activities, most of which is of course being realized from “voluntary labour” by Gambians of all works of life, the “Professor” is also now engaged in virtually all types of business, including bakery, butchery, cement etc, (which also is another ethical and legal issue that needs to be looked at). However, the question everyone tends to ask is whether he could make all that money from such farming and business undertakings, and Gambians are definitely craving for such answers.

Another pertinent moral question is whether it was prudent to give kids of under 17 years of age such huge sums of money when there are far more deserving things to take care of. In addition to the numerous other priorities, including rehabilitating the appalling road network and other public facilities in all parts of the country, that money could no doubt have gone a long way in providing some rudimentary sporting facilities in some of our major towns, a majority of which lack such facilities, which would have not only benefited the whole country but would have also helped in the training of more Gambian youngsters to become better footballers and other sports personalities. Therefore, there is no shortage of more deserving problems throughout the country which that money could have gone a long way to alleviate rather than being given to those kids.

There was absolutely no need for the “Professor” to try to compete with Africell in making more Gambian millionaires. This is by all accounts another misplaced priority, if one could call it that.