Echo Analysis

The Gambia- Where We Want to Be

(Part II)

By Hamadi Maatong, Gambian Affairs Contributor

Why would the current government want to debase Gambian legal experts by consistently appointing mercenary judges and “cow-tower” Gambian judges, leaving the great young Gambian legal minds out? We all do have our own strong opinions on this matter but I am a firm believer in not loading our legal system with Nigerian “judges”. Recruit judges from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and the Pacific Rim region and we could learn and gain a lot from their services. From my perspective, hiring Nigerian judges en masse is not good value for money, smacks of a sellout and does not sit well with most Gambians. I take solace in the fact that bright, young and forthright Gambian lawyers find themselves moving up in the international legal scene where they make a world of difference for the common good. Thus one may conclude that shoving Gambian judges off of the ship of state to make space for the Oga-Mi bunch does bring some rewards.

Was Judge Moses Richards not doing a good job under very difficult circumstances? Surely, one would get mad with him where his ruling does not favor one’s case or where he was not towing the official line but he does come across as fairly sober and objective. Let’s think his family background for a second. His dad worked in the medical field for years and retired honorably. All the while offering medical treatment and helping ordinary folk with medical issues. But alas, Moses would not be given the chance to prove his worth and had to be shoved aside to make way for a half-baked Nigerian judge.

Gambians have surely evolved from the simple minds that they were presumed to be since independence to become more critical of governments and officials past and present.

Modou Bojang, Ousman Badji, Jaye Sowe, Musa Suso, Kujabi and others, all worked to intimidate folks with caustic rhetoric. Even Tuti Faal-Jammeh, the former first lady, was in on the act. To these folks, I always offered the Mandinka proverb that “KUNUNDING MERR-MERR-LAA, AFANGO LEH KAALA KILO TEY” (A messy bird ultimately breaks its own eggs). Today, we know where Modou Bojang, with his poor record, has sought refuge in Wisconsin!! With the advent of the AFPRC, all prominent Gambian elders “KELIFAS” turned coats and threw themselves at the foot of the APRC table, showing their shabby faces on re-runs of video tapes and DVD’s. Self-appointed leaders, make shift Islamic Councils and phony Banjul and Kombo elders lobbied frantically for a dinner date at the State hHuse. Unfortunately, Gambian leaders have historically been short sighted and bereft of good advice and ideas and again will get ahead of themselves in typical fashion, stumble and fall. Thus we got BABA JOBE, whose official designation before his meteoric rise under Jammeh, was Assistant Secretary, President’s Office without a portfolio. Baba Jobe not only found his way out of the “without portfolio” status but garnered more and worked his way up to an Errand Boy and confidant that did not need any protocol to access the State House. Using his ties with Libya, BABA, ferried young Gambian men and women through the Niger desert with the aid of the Libyan World Mataaba organization to covertly train in subversive and other clandestine, lord-knows-what activities. The object was to have fear, through vigilante youth groups, permeate Gambian society. Unfortunately, these folks came back half polished with an insatiable lust for Libyan Dinars, Dalasis and clout. The same Baba that did not have a thousand Dalasis to his credit a few years back and a penchant for Nissans could suddenly pay cash for a new Nissan Patrol, Nissan Maxima, a bank in Jarra (Jarranka Arankesso) and a couple of pick up trucks at a sitting. He also, all of a sudden, became a Gambian gun slinger that carried firearms in the open to intimidate anyone that dared to challenge his authority. Rumors have it that he even snapped and broke Waa Juwara’s finger en route to detention at Mile 2 Prisons. Ironically, the same Waa Juwara has since become the Mister Buga Dara that he has always been from way back when he did his first stint as Divisional Commissioner under the PPP. I have always questioned Waa’s integrity and commitment to NADD and now he has landed.  Where is the “MBARODI” that he called himself? I see a “Gerrtugal”, a chicken instead. Or is it more of “JEE BIILAA NING WAAMO BENTA”?  We should always be careful what we wish for others as the same may befall us someday!! What was feared most about Baba was that he became too powerful and wielded too much influence behind the scenes. Thus the “Jaranko” from Kani Kunda had to go!!

Folks all this chaos does not augur well for our dear Gambia as a manager or director can be promptly fired for ALLEGEDLY granting approval for a request that is clearly within his mandate. So much uncertainty pervades the air that nothing meaningful gets done. Merit no longer dictates who gets the job and party rancor has so much taken hold in the way we do business today. So, it is of little surprise to see Anthony Carvalho heading the GGC, a structure that serves no purpose at all other than shore up the stakes of the political machine. Surely one can always dust off and fire up an old oil milling and let the smell of groundnut oil and cake waft through the air onto Banjul and the Kombos. Then come the usual stance of taking credit for and harping about big plans for the export of groundnut oil. Did William Jammeh, Modou Dibba and others not promise similar grandiose plans? Certainly, some segments of society will buy that but when it becomes clear that the product could not be sold on account of quality issues or the process not being economically viable, hopes get dashed again.

Anyone remember Sir Dawda being called “Banku Tiyo” (the owner of the country) by the late Sanjally Bojang and other PPP stalwarts. The term at the time was meant to compliment Sir Dawda’s titles but never got to his head as anyone could count the properties in his name.

And YES Matthew, Sir Dawda comes across as the darling President and statesman when compared to what we have today but the fact remains that we are not comparing apples to apples. While I remain critical of the Jawara administration, Sir Dawda epitomized finesse, humility and modesty. I respected Sir Dawda for these qualities and I still do!! Unfortunately, he was the lone captain of a ship whose crew never shared his vision of the journey ahead. Seemed to me that the captain was herding a bunch of pirates and never took time to identify or nurture competent leadership with shared values to run the ship. The Pakalinding event bore testimony to that and I kept scratching my head to find answers as to whether the event was stage-managed or the ranks of the PPP were so spineless and bereft of confidence as demonstrated by those falling into states of delirium at the announcement of Sir Dawda’s impending departure..  

In Gambian party politics, matters have indeed taken a turn for the worse with partisan politics taking center-stage. Strong arm tactics are employed on opponents in the form of sustained threats on local employers and banks forcing them to avoid doing business with those seen to be too cozy with or supporting opposition party activities. In small Gambia where everyone knows neighbors by name and the government being the largest employer, there are clear and dire consequences for dancing with the opposition. Sure, there were BIG MEN and Blue-eyed boys in the PPP era that no one could lay a finger on!! Even the World Bank and IMF knew about these big boys that no one in the PPP government was willing or had the balls to go after. What Gambians could not get a handle on in the APRC era either is whether this is a crop of real patriots or a bunch of hungry “Almudus” with empty tin cans leading the way. If only we had known some would say. We saw this coming most would say and expressed that this was a done deal when Sir Dawda left on the US navy frigate. This was not a case of dealing with rag-tag coup makers as was the case with KUKOI, or should we on hindsight say “KUUFING DOMINIQUE SANYANG” (Please disappear for good).  With the Nigerian military team having been in the Gambia for that long and still on the ground as events unfolded, one did not need any tactical training to determine the outcome. Today, we see sprouts of the Nigerian hegemonic and economic brouhaha looking to bloom in The Gambia!! “I be or I no be”?

A Gambian executive once said that the threat of sacking could serve to motivate people. Indeed fear could be a motivator but in The Gambia as we speak, that does not necessarily hold true for the sackings, the shuffling and the game of musical chairs has become the hallmark of buffoonery. Everyday folks go about their business of “TESS-TESS”, armed with their Jujus and “SEVENTEEN KHUL-HUWAS” in order to put food on the family table and paying little regard to who gets fired or hired by the regime. Frankly the antics have become a good piece for a comedy. In Mandinka, there’s the saying “LUO KOMA LOLAALU, LEMU LUU TINYA LAALU TI”! What Manding does not tell us is that “LUO KOMA LOLAALU” could also be the “LUU DADAA LAALU”. Thus in our basic Gambian mindset and culture, we could find the Luo koma lolaalu playing a pivotal role in the APRC adhocracy. The spate of sackings bears the hallmarks of instability and does not augur well for a dysfunctional public service crying out for remediation. One gets to feel that the state of the Gambian public service calls for a “SERIGN DARA” whip cracker to instill discipline and clean up the mess but it is hard to comprehend the logic behind hiring an official with all the fanfare only to fire the same days later. The enigma in this whole drama is that a figurehead in the Gambian civil service is the best one can aspire to be as it may bring with it fortunes that can literally turn one’s life around. Thus the constant jockeying! What else can elevate a semi-literate individual from a “KRINTIN” dwelling on Haddington Street (SAYKABA) or Hurst Street to a three storey, multi-million dalasi mansion in Fajara but a Gambia government job? The KRIO community was well aware of this well known secret when their sons and daughters found new jobs after high school. The first question parents asked was “NA GOVAMENT”? When the kid answers yes, the parent replies “I TELL GOD THENKI, UNCLE ESAU YOU PIKIN DON GET WOKE” whereas a negative answer draws “OYA, UHMM, LEH WE SEE, GOD GO BRING BETTEH YA MI PIKIN”!!

FATALISM, it seems, has taken hold in the Gambia leading sharp and able-bodied young professionals to resort to full time residency at the “MASLASI/JAAKAJI” with the trademark prayer beads, an Osama style goatee and head garb. Traits that would seemingly bring solace until something smacks them in the face for a wake up call!! However, there is a good body of Gambians that can clearly read between the lines and choose, unfortunately, to play the “LUO KOMA LOLALU” although it is questionable whether this stance does help AT ALL!! Folks, we are in the new millennium and Gambians without exception want to see real progress on the ground akin to what they see marking progress in other nations. On the internet, CNN, AL JAZEERA, FACEBOOK, and FEEDS available at the countless INTERNET CAFES and CELLPHONE Apps, nations are seen forging ahead. That is the good that is happening the world over and nothing is going to stop that!!! The Gambia is crying for strong leadership that will work to prove to skeptics that change can come about through tenacity, strategic planning, resilience and pooling resources for a common cause. Fragmented political parties are not necessarily the answer to the Gambia’s woes but strong well-meaning parties with a sound base, ideology and forthright leadership.

Meanwhile the current leadership harps about the Programme for accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE), touting fiscal policy that would support PAGE in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). A bunch of jargon that makes the head spin! Add a favorable IMF rating to the mix and the general feel is that we are well on our way to prosperity and out of poverty. The whole narrative sends your head spinning!! Folks the only way to pull Gambians out of poverty is to work to put food cheaper on the mat and AT A FRACTION OF OUR DAILY OR MONTHLY INCOME. IN THE ABSENCE OF A CHEAPER FOOD BILL, WE ARE NEITHER IN BUSINESS NOR ON OUR WAY TO PROSPERITY!! All that is contained in the recently introduced Public Finance Management Reform Policy are clearly policy pronouncements that bear little substance for the average Gambian or sleepy legislators and smacks of the spiced up, PPP era grandiose speeches tailored for the donor community. Quite frankly, the average Gambian either does not give cahoots about budget speeches or they simply do not care!! Anybody remember Programme Budgeting that was also dubbed the Program Budgeting System (PBS) under the Project Planning and Monitoring Unit (PPMU/MFEA)? This system is nothing new but a classic case of putting old wine in new bottles!!  

Our dear Gambia has, for umpteen years, been supported by budgets that are up to EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT donor funded. Now it is MODOU FOON’s (DIAZ) turn at the wheel to try his hand at the game of “dancing with the devil” on a stage where the Secretary of State has no say over the Treasury or the Central Bank but must contend with being a tow man. Then a long op-ed on his resume that smacks of GRIOT journalism appears in a local paper. This is the same Modou Foon that was tasked with designing a scheme for disbursing millions of dollars in World Bank funds, through a Central Bank mechanism, to Gambian Agribusinesses. Unfortunately, the funds were never disbursed ostensibly on the premise that the commercial banks had their own monies to lend and that the Central Bank, under the financial guidelines at the time, could not work out a mechanism to disburse the funds. Thus, shamefully, the funds had to be withdrawn. Poor Gambians!! Did that ever bother Mr. Foon’s conscience? No!! What was evident at the time was that the Central Bank caved in under pressure and manipulation from the local commercial banks who were quite happy lending at twenty plus percent rates of interest and poured depositors funds into treasury bills that allows government to borrow domestically and spend with little scrutiny. Nobody should believe the Central Bank when they tell us that the Bank DOES NOT use T-Bill funds to offer WAYS AND MEANS Advances to central government or in their own words “use the T-Bill mechanism to mop up excess liquidity to keep inflation down”. HOG WASH!! Any sane person would say. FOON now replaces KOLLEY who came across like one that was not quite so strong on the ideas front. His stint at the helm of DOSFEA clearly wasted time and my gut tells me that Foon’s would not make a dent either as he is already associated with failing Central Bank policies!! A major problem at hand is that most senior officials at the Central Bank claim to be “College Professors” as was the case with Lang Conteh and I have a real hard time getting a handle on the empirical measures employed by the Central Bank and DOSFEA in gauging the rate of inflation, GDP and foreign reserves when events and realities on the ground clearly do not lend credence to single digit inflation or stability in financial instruments in The Gambia. The Central Bank personnel are simply not good listeners and I dare say that they do not mix well with the public at large!! And for God’s sake, the planners/economists must stop citing the agricultural sector as a major employer in The Gambia as most agricultural activity in The Gambia does not offer gainful employment or decent returns to investment and numbers to this effect should not be part of any fudging of economic reports. What we see in The Gambia is a net loss activity in crop production and the best planners can do is use some of the opportunity cost of the labor input in agriculture in their guesstimates!! Groundnut production has never been and will not in the foreseeable future be a major income earner for The Gambia.

The salient thing to do with the groundnut industry is to buy the darn thing from the farmers and PAY them on the spot for the PURCHASE or else abandon the groundnut industry altogether, tell the farmers that their groundnuts are only worth peanuts and transition the farmers into grain/food production where the groundnut crop could not be resold in the international market. Painful as it may be, it could be the best case scenario and the Gambia would not stand to lose as much as she did with the dismantling of the GPMB. Believe me when I profess that there is no future for The Gambia in GROUNDNUTS and COTTON other than the production of the favorite “Jaahanka” groundnut paste “TIGA DEGGEH” for the local market. Conceivably, The Gambia could make decent revenues from exporting fresh green peanuts on a limited scale to European markets. The advice is to cut down on the waste in government by scrapping agencies that have clearly outlived their purpose and redirect funds saved into other priority and newly-found areas. Create a Land Resources Agency that will work to bring much needed infrastructure development to targeted production zones. The same funds could also be used as matching funds for private investments in agricultural land development and other capital investment. Budding investors can then lease these lands for the object of commercial rice production or other activity. Here is a true representation of EMPOWERMENT as is known in the modern world and not the lone attempt at commercial agricultural production, backed by deep pockets, that labels all non-actors as lazy and unpatriotic. The key element of beneficiary buy-in must be part of any sustainable agricultural development.

In fact the whole institution of the Directorate of Agricultural Services (DAS) should be disbanded now since it has clearly outlived its purpose. Restructuring of the public service in a not-so-well endowed nation should not create new entities but should look at down-sizing to consolidate gains made in the process. There is not a single service that is currently offered by DAS that could not be offered under the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI). Research and Extension (R&E) can both be undertaken under a NARI mandate and in doing so save the Gambian public a good chunk of money that could be spent on much needed services. Surely families will be impacted by lost jobs but that is a price to pay for restructuring for improved performance and economic gain. The net benefit is that the system will not carry filler material that will not deliver the goods but becomes an added burden on an already bloated system carrying bums aka “KIDO JUUTO SAMATO”. Do away with all those grand titles of Director General and Regional Director that do not bring the requisite authority or resources but only serve to bolster payroll and other budgetary woes.

And I am so glad that Mr. KCA Kah has made his exit and has been replaced by Kalifa Kambi a smart young man but again without a strong grounding in the private sector. Again we have someone who cannot run with the ball. I lamented the appointment of KCA Kah as Deputy Minister of Agriculture because I was not quite certain that this was not dead wood that was being recycled. He may have served with honor in public service but we like to see a leader that looks at a kilogram of shelled corn in a bag and tell us more than two ways to transform the product for economic gain. Think value added resource management (VARM) as traditional Agricultural Extension as we know it in the Gambia has nothing to extend at this time but hot air. VARM must be the face of agriculture as we know it today not a bunch of old guard agricultural extension workers with archaic ideas that only knew peanuts and cotton or a male nurse from the USA turned make shift farmer and Secretary of Agriculture. We will not make headway dabbling with raw materials and basic commodities for export. Let me say this. The President may want to see commercial agriculture take hold in the Gambia as in other nations (e.g. Morocco) but appears unable to tailor the message or the package. He also does not have a team in place to play ball. He believes that by doing it himself, Gambians being the copy cats that they usually are, will DO AS HE DOES!! Not in this case I am afraid because the average Gambian is not so well endowed with deep pockets and agriculture is and has always been risky business that has not gotten the interest or goodwill of traditional banks. Also, there is a dirth of know-how in commercial agriculture largely because most of our pioneers in commercial agriculture are/were public servants of other disciplines turned distant farmers that did not want dirt under their fingernails. I am reminded of Azizz Sesay, Serign Jobe, Baboucarr Faye, Baba Njai, Sangol Farms, and of recent Babucarr Sompo Ceesay and others. The average Gambian will also not put his hard-earned savings into a cropping operation that does not see any meaningful support from government-run structures.

What the Gambia needs is leadership in agriculture that takes concepts, create niches and models from within and run with them. Take away from the Yaya led schemes, replicate and create commercially viable, regional stand-alones out of them. Commercial rice production, sweet potato schemes along the upper reaches of the river, large scale grain production, small ruminant schemes, animal feed production, poultry production out of the URR and aquaculture in strategic locations. The order of the day must be strictly business models in activities that must run alongside sustainable lending and marketing schemes in the drive to grow these budding enterprises. Team up with donor agencies and Non-governmental Organizations (NGO) to access technical support and funding through gestation periods and create sources of reliable and reputable seed/grower stock. There’s the absolute need to create seed and food banks at the outset to bolster local resources and also put working families on the upper edge of the financial and energy balances as it is a known fact that access to borrowing in rural Gambia is woefully inadequate. The lean season in the Gambia also presents nightmares in meeting production targets and demands for on-farm labor. I must add that these budding enterprises must not only target the Gambian markets but markets as far off as Sierra Leone and Guinea-Conakry. I keep harping about these strategies because they are doable in The Gambia with bold steps and good leadership.

The Gambia is not that vast expanse of territory where a region can be cut off from the others by torrential rains, natural disasters or land mass presenting hiccups in the distribution and evacuation of inputs and farm produce. Travel between regions is relatively easy as one could practically ride a motorcycle from Mansa Konko to Jangjang-Bureh and back on the same day (that was then). What The Gambia needs is commitment to strategic goals in the various sub-sectors that include livestock, fisheries, forestry and crops. Goals and strategies that will be supported with dedicated interest groups and development funds generated from our own national resources. Am I dreaming? Hardly albeit that his presents a whole new debate in itself.

Singapore that Gambian officials love to cite, China and India started with resources from within to get to where they are today. The Gambia is well endowed with the human resource to oversee these sub-sectors and I do not agree with the President when he claims leadership in some of these devotions as that is clearly not his role. India, China and Singapore all serve to debunk this notion. These nations, instead, promoted and actively supported home-grown entrepreneurs and the question of why Demba and not Pateh or Foni and not Nyomi did not stifle effort towards the attainment of national goals.

It is encouraging to learn that “the president of the Nerica Farmers Association (URR) said “the association is also embarking on quality Nerica seed production to be sold to the farmers cheaply. He said with commitment, dedication and hard work the association can do a lot as far as food production, processing and marketing are concerned”. It is important that he recognized that the funds, obtained on behalf of their program, is a loan that had to be paid back. The key words here are quality, commitment and sold. An encouraging position if one considers the fact that the association is taking ownership and responsibility for putting this money to work and paying it back as agreed. This is the secret to viable agricultural development and a strong cue for government agricultural projects. I wish to add that the same philosophy must guide development efforts in other sub-sectors. And that is to LET THE PRIVATE SECTOR TAKE THE LEAD under the watchful eye of a government committed to the goal of putting affordable food on all Gambian tables!!

What happened to the drive to decentralize Local Government structures in The Gambia? Decentralization could bring disturbing thoughts of added graft and incompetence in local area councils but it clearly bears the potential to bring much needed development to the regions if we would bring ourselves to remove the buffoons of governors that have little to offer. These folks neither possess the leadership qualities, nor can they understand simple technical terminology or find time to think development outside of womanizing and working to ensure their own survival. Disgraced former Captain Modou Bojang was a classic case of failure at the CRR. And now it is Ganji Touray, OJ’s former errand boy!! It was common knowledge that Ganji never held a stable job but survived entirely on OJ’s largesse and generosity. What would he do today if OJ was detained at the notorious Janjang-Bureh Prison that falls under his jurisdiction? I bet that he would feign ignorance.

Decentralization would help regional planning where strong and competent leadership was in place at regional level that encouraged and rewarded creativity and delivery at all levels. Allocated resources could do a lot more if the requisite authority and accountability are accorded to local authorities.   The Western Region with its hub in Brikama with a strong revenue base could be developed into a model in the decentralization effort that other regions may replicate. Decentralization would obviate the need for constant travel to Banjul and back to confer and “consult” with layers of administrators that never get to look at or read documents on local programs. Budget managers and the management team at the local level can set aside funds for recurrent expenditure and much needed development projects. There is nothing stopping Hon. Selu Bah for one from doubling as the Chair of the regional administration in the URR as he appears genuinely concerned about development in the area but can only do or say so much under the current set up. In the same vein, there is nothing that prevents an agricultural expert, a medical doctor or engineer from heading a regional government. Why does it always have to be a BUFFOON?? The ruling party henchmen/ladies can be rewarded in ways that are not at the expense of the Gambian population. The perennial complaint at regional level is that nobody except the Governor knows about impending budgets or budget balances as in The Gambia, what shows on paper is not necessarily what is available for spending on the budget. Thus the common offering “let’s wait for next quarter” or “I’ll table this with H.E”. However, come the next quarter, H.E is never found, the gaping hole is still there to fill and never goes away leading everyone to believe that regional leaders are perennial LIARS and “Bush Lawyers”!!

The Gambia also needs its sons and daughters of legislators to muster the courage and spine to LEGISLATE and move LEGISLATION to create the needed structures that hold the executive branch of government accountable for set targets and development goals. I must emphasize that where an executive willfully and unscrupulously tips the kitty for their own benefit or is COMPLICIT in the misuse of public funds, the heads must roll and jail time becomes mandatory where quilt was proven. The dirty business of having a junior accounts clerk with a free hand to rob the kitty for the boss that ultimately declares that “HE NEVER SIGNED FOR A PENNY” should never be tolerated as the buck stops at the boss’ desk!! Was it not proven through commissions of inquiry that all the regional accountants that built those nice houses and mosques in Brikama and beyond were in cahoots with the Accountants General and Directors overseeing local projects?? So, its time that the systems dealt with this CANKER and not pass it off as “THE FRUITS OF THE OFFICE”!! Here lies the source of Sidia Jatta’s and my frustration with the system.

The legislature must move to set up select action committees to oversee quasi-government agencies/public corporations. Why rely on management contracts that set targets that can be achieved lying down? These committees must serve as the eyes and ears of the people with the authority take errant and corrupt leaders to task and hold their feet to the fire. The select committees must also be empowered to subpoena public officials to respond to queries relating to performance standards and public finances and not be seen as passive committees engaged in endless meetings and “task forces” whose only task is to figure out how to get re-numerated for participation in exercises in futility. The business of assigning desk officers from the defunct National Investment Board (NIB) or DOSFEA to oversee public corporations has never and will not serve any purpose as the Managing Directors simply offered them perks that they could not come by elsewhere and they ultimately become officials that rubber stamp documents without proper vetting. Audit reports would also be callously swept under the carpet!!

I also do believe that Sidia Jatta and Halifa Sallah should be part of any meaningful government as they would offer the required checks and balances in the system. I want to add that this is not an attempt to take a swipe at any one but on the conviction that PDOIS does have a lot to offer in ethics and good governance. Currently, their voices are drowned out by the chaotic and ad hoc nature of legislative proceedings. Thanks to the “Madame Speaker’ that presumably was an educator and said to “SABBY BOOK”. However, it is for the Gambian people to decide on whom and what system meets their needs albeit that I would wish to see PDOIS tamp down the socialist tilt.

Candidates for political office must declare their intent and commit themselves to touring the length and breadth of the country to meet the people for the object of getting a real feel of events on the ground. In the words of a former PPP campaigner “KA BANKO NUNGKUNDI” should be the motto. In the same vein, I want to offer that what the remnants of a PPP skeleton party have to offer may be of old and that the party should be laid to rest where it belongs. The GRAVE!! Again, I need to clarify that I have never been a big fan or silent sympathizer of Sherrif M Dibba’s NCP or Assan Musa’s GPP as they both represented products from the same mold as the PPP. Do we remember any of these folks offering any fresh and progressive ideas other than being dissenters and naysayers? The time has come for The Gambia of new!!! And please, let’s keep the message to the people fairly simple and not bog issues down with verbosity, haughty quotes from academia and gimmicks in the quest for journalistic excellence or theories in governance that are too complex to digest. Think target audience! Take a cue from Demba A. Jawo who does not wish to spit out weekly articles but takes his time to research and analyze issues and does masterpieces each time that he offers a contribution to this and other media!! Being anti-establishment for the sake of being a dissenter or a fear monger looking to garner readership is just not good enough for the myriad of Gambians looking up to professional journalists and other experts for fresh ideas and enlightenment. By the same token I wish to see Gambian public officials that claim to be experts in their fields come up with sound proposals on the way forward rather than sit on their hands and getting free rides at state expense. After all, the electronic media does not cost them anything but for the few hours that they put on their thinking caps!!

It is well worth noting that in small Gambia where the government has control over all purse strings and is eyeballing everyone, generating adequate local funding and goodwill is next to impossible. Therefore, the generosity and goodwill of Gambians abroad could make all the difference. We need to advocate for putting our money and energies like new wine in new bottles/new breed of politicians and leadership. Here is a subject for a symposium at the annual African Liberation Day (ALD).

The reason that I like to harp on a new breed of Gambians is on account of the fact that there is no shortage of competent, bold and refined Gambians, with the mindset and resolve, to bring about POSITIVE change in our beloved country. We meet and see them everyday in the offices and streets of the Gambia. I mean real good people by all standards backed by a good record of performance and delivery in both the private and public sectors. S/he could be a Regional Manager at Action Aid, a Division Manager at a local bank, an Information Technology specialist, a Medical Officer of Health, a Private Consultant, a trained nurse, or a private business person but for God’s sake not a half baked “YAI KOMPIN”, a “COUNCILLOR”, an OGA or a simpleton that looks like he/she has just been plucked out of the mud off Bund Road (BOKISS) or the lower side of SUKUTA DEMBADUU (aka Musa Suso with the walking cane)!!!  

I do have my deep seated concerns about the GMC and do not believe that Gambians should sympathize with a political party on account of the leader having had a brush with death and subsequently evolves to form a political party. Tragedy should not necessarily offer a platform for the advent of a political party or the support of the Gambian people. Surely if one knows to play the cards right, one could always find a forum of sympathizers to bring one into the limelight. I feel queasy when a Gambian is suddenly propelled into the limelight, for one reason or the other, without people not getting to know them very well. I like to see local folks poke potential leaders with sticks and jabs to get a real feel for what they are dealing with. Let’s get to know these folks well so we are certain that we are not getting what Banjulians call “TAARRI MBEHH” or “MBORRI JOLA (smile), RAFFETT NGEMBA NYAAW BORREH”. Platforms offered by international human rights organizations, foreign governments and other bodies should be employed to create awareness of the situation in The Gambia at every opportunity but not to shore up the gains of any political leadership, single party or to take a shot at outdoing the competition as that could engender the same personality and party cult that took hold in The Gambia then and now. I do not by any means infer that Mai NK Fatty could not lead a party but that party leadership needs to understand that a sizeable proportion of Gambians that rally around parties jockeying for clout do not know any better and have not been exposed to progressive alternatives of political stewardship!! They only know to do business as it has been done for decades. That is wake up in the morning, recite a few verses and drift with the tide hoping to eke out a living in the interim period. The GMC must use every opportunity to co-opt other well meaning parties and political groups to bolster a common endeavor and optimize gains offered at each platform/forum!! Sincere efforts to this end would surely help minimize the fragmented efforts at bringing about heightened political awareness in The Gambia!!!

I do not agree, either, that Ousainou Darbo should at this moment be heading the UDP!!! Tells me that he has not focused energies on creating a cadre of sound young minds for leadership roles within the party but instead wants to direct attention to a central figure that travels the country and overseas collecting funds and donations for a kitty that he holds sway over while other sleepy party “elders” count on his generosity and goodwill for survival. Again the “TALIBEH-SERIGN DAARA” mentality abounds. If I know Gambian attorneys well, I would not entrust some of them with half a loaf of bread for that’ll be a piece to be had by the mouse. The perennial call of Gambian opposition groups at home and abroad is unity of leadership. This is a call that only PDOIS has been echoing and actively working towards from 1990’s to date. The PDOIS has consistently employed hard-earned resources in this undertaking, leaving one to wonder whether the expressed commitment of other party leaders that is not supported by concrete action, holds any water. History helps us all remember PDOIS’ cyclostyled A4 size, manually typed publications from way back when printing was done on stencil skins. And please, do not be quick to label me a PDOIS sympathizer as I am clearly an ardent advocate of private sector led growth and development!!! Prove your worth and you’ll get Gambians to listen!!

I must offer here that NDAM- WAA JUWARA should be dismantled and Waa be best advised to look down the road to retirement. That “MBARODI” flare is long gone and he’ll only be kidding himself at trying to make a comeback that’ll at best be a lack-luster one!! Meanwhile, energies should be focused at getting Femi Peters out of the penitentiary that he clearly does not belong. I am aware that his “KRIO” brethren will be offering “WHU-DAT, FEMI, HUHM, WE BEEN SABBI THIIS” and may not be totally surprised at his current predicament. But hey, what is wrong with a man going after his conviction and passion, especially when both serve a worthwhile cause? The Femi cause has become a Gambian cause and not the UDP’s alone!! I also believe that Femi does not belong in the UDP camp!!

So folks, let’s look inward as we do have the human resource to mange our own affairs in the quest to bring The Gambia much needed development and also enhance the quality of life for the average Gambian.

Meanwhile the discussion continues “BANTABAA” style as no single entity would find all the answers!! Therefore, the “LUO-KOMA LOLALU” come forward with all hands on deck so the “MBURU” does not become “FOFF KO FARIGN” but of other shades too. No “TAARI MBEHH” from Banjul either!! “NGEMBA-GI RAFFETT NA” BUT THE JURY IS STILL OUT ON THE STANDARD OF THE “BORREH”!!

 The End!

Editor's Note: **Hamadi Maatong is a former College Professor  with years of training in Africa, Western Europe and North America. Dr. Maatong currently works in the United States Federal System and travels widely across the world. The Gambia Echo remains grateful for his always educative and crisp analysis devoid of dogma and pretentions.