By: Ousainou Mbenga

Those of us who had rural or semi-rural upbringing will recall the days of “Tulun Bayoo” – chasing fun from village to village after the popular local “Asiko” bands. I aptly liken the presidential elections campaigns to this once upon a time activity of the rural communi-ties in the Gambia, because of how the promise-blinded masses flock to these mean-ingless and dusty rallies since “flag independence” while the living conditions have de-scended into gutter level. Oddly enough, these same drummers and dancers that we chased after sometimes become the accompanying attractions for these unscrupulous politicians.

Does this futile exercise of voting and electioneering contain the real solutions to ourwretched living conditions? Elections are usually “a nonviolent contest between the rul-ing classes” but frequently takes a reactionary violent turn in Africa and other oppressed countries. It is during elections that the most toxic tribal and ethnic backwardness erupts among the downtrodden masses in defense of their most unreliable candidates who ha- bitually betray their aspirations for a decent living. It is these same candidates that shake hands when they meet each other but their supporters go at each other’s throats.

The sticking point questions are yet to be answered. Are these politicians worthy of the ultimate sacrifice of you losing your life? Who represents the real problem; the voters or the slimy politicians? This political rot clearly revolves around the willful ignorance of the voters and the despicable behavior of politicians whose livelihood means our misery.

There are no inspiring examples among these politicians that deserve the sacrifice of your lives. Equally undeserving of your sacrifice is the “impotent elite” who work hand-in-glove with the slimy politicians in the senseless land grabbing and sales to the Chi-nese, Indians and increasingly to Turkish. These colonialists in black faces will always betray you, therefore, cast your vote without being violent against the masses of our downtrodden Gambia. Always remember that there is life after the campaign, the same miserable life they have promised to change 56 years ago.

THE WAY YOU LIVE DETERMINES HOW YOU THINK

Until we change our living conditions of dilapidation, surrounded by trash and garbage, impassable roads, worst during the rainy seasons, we will forever think backwards.

True to fact; if you live in squalor and disease yet consider it as normal and or predes-tined, the way you think will only bear the fruits of rot and despair. The wretched social conditions that we have been relegated to must be vigorously overturned in order to break with old ideas and ancient ethnic affiliations that continue to elude us from na-tional and continental unity.

It’s been said that the citizens of a country behave and think exactly like the “leadership” of that country. Is it any wonder how African presidents, their designed National Assem-blies (cabinet) and the corruptible “civil service” repeatedly win elections to stay in power? These presidents, ministers and other elected officials didn’t drop from the skies, they rise from the citizens who think like them. These are the citizens that guaran-tee them their votes. This is truer in the Gambia like it is in all African countries. It is this same impotent elite, the “cart before the horse leadership” that build beautiful houses and buy expensive cars but driven on horrible and impassable roads. It is this same leadership that is surrounded by trash and unsightly garbage without any plan, with no relief in sight. This is the uninspiring “elite” that you have sacrificed your lives for 56 years, with nothing to show for but continuous suffering. The vast majority of our people have surrendered their brains to blind religiosity, slimy politicians and “tribe”. Therefore, some of our people would rather remain in poverty, misery and abject suffering as long as their “tribesman” remain in power as president, National Assembly Member (NAM) or a conman politician.

The worst lesson, we Africans learn from the “white man” (Europeans) was how to be and remain “tribalist”. Let us recall that the inhabitants of what we now know as Europe (white people) were the most tribalist in human history. The constant early wars among the English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Scandinavia and East European countries were the dress rehearsals to the First and second imperialist wars, commonly referred to as “world wars I & II”. The world was never at war, the tribalist European war mongers dragged the entire world into those two wars of rape, plunder and pillage. Subsequently, dividing the conquered loot amongst themselves. And finally, these tribalist Europeans weaned themselves from their ancient sentiments of tribe and ganged up against Africa and the rest us. Just as the European tribalist weaned themselves from ancient tribal af-filiations, so will we Africans. The African revolution will be a significant contributor in averting another European imperialist war to redivide, maintain and control the re-sources of Africa and the rest of us.

Just as we learn these backward tendencies from the waring tribes of Europe so can we unlearn them and UNITE Africa and African people the world over. Only a principled Af-rican unity can save us from the “beggardom” that colonialism and neocolonialism has made us into.

REVOLUTIONARY POLITICS IS THE SOLUTION!

After 56 years, the Gambia, like all other African countries have degenerated into squalor and misery across every aspect of our lives. Electrical power outages since 1977 is the order of the day. Water shuts with rationing adds insults to our deeply in-jured souls.

An incubator for disease and ultimately premature deaths, are foolishly ascribed to GOD. The COVID 19 rampage and the scandalous theft of funds to mitigate the chronic existing problems of the ruinous “health care system” is evidence that the Barrow re-gime is bent on the same path of personal enrichment and drown the country into “debt peonage”. The reckless increases of commodity prices with total disregard for the obvi-ous suffering of the vast majority of the downtrodden masses beg the question: to what end with the Barrow regime? How much longer will we accept this ineptitude and stagnation as normal to attain “development”?

With revolutionary politics, we ask the question: development for whom and for what?

We want development to change our living conditions for food, clothing and shelter not the whims of our illusive “partners in development”. A Nigerian taxi driver summed it best: “Nigerians think the brain is a spare Part”. I dare generalize that it’s not only Nigerians but most Africans “think the brain is a spare part”. We only have one brain and it’s meant to be used to our benefit from the cradle through our life span.

It’s quite an embarrassment and shameful for the Gambia government to be satisfied with mediocrity. Unappreciative of quality (“Bonn chi sa bopa”) is so pervasive in the “government” past and present that it numbs the desire for innovations. Take for exam-ple the national (state) television, Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS). Since its inception, the dull and poor reception quality of the television remains baffling. Even the “come lately” online television networks of The Fatou Network and Kerr Fatou pre-sent quality receptions let alone comparing GRTS to QTV. Equally disheartening is the poor performance of the national wireless and telecommunication services of GAMCEL in comparison to Africell, which openly brags about being the “Fastest and most reliable 4G internet service in the Gambia”. Those who consider the “brain as a spare part” will take this to be insignificant in the scheme of issues of national interest. Things of this matter are very important in the national psychology, it motivates and challenges our brains for innovations, creations and constant advancements.

The December 2021 presidential elections / selection will be yet another turning point in the political history of the Gambia. The 2016 elections had all eyes on Gambia, notwith- standing the disingenuous unity among the “opposition parties” to kick Jammeh off the cliff. If the subsequent betrayal by the traitorous “coalition 2016” haven’t jolted the masses from its political slumber of trusting slimy politicians, I can’t imagine what else will. A coalition of such disrepute represented by the Barrow regime (National People’s Party) NPP, minus the renegade United Democratic Party (UDP) is the dagger plunged into our hearts. After this nightmarish experience of “from the frying pan (Jammeh) to the fire” (Barrow), who would jump into another “coalition” with potential traitors to the principles of a united Gambia?

# WILL GAMBIA DECIDE AGAIN IN 2021?

Any “decision” influenced by the “colonialists in black faces” against the vast majority of the Gambian masses will prolong our “suffering peacefully”. Let’s face the cruel politi-cal and economic realities (neocolonialism) that stare us in the face every day, from our homes into the streets. Hunger, horrible infrastructure, suffocating traffic with grossly in-discipline drivers, unemployment, under employment, chronic – acute diseases, penny-ante hawkers, mainly women, in your face corruption without remorse and a long list of other ills in our beloved Gambia. And you believe for a moment that this “impotent elite you call leadership will make a decision that would interrupt the privileges they enjoy at our miserable expense? It has become a common outrage from the African masses that the post-independence leadership is worse than the colonialists. Our misery is their privilege. And the more matters become chaotic the more they can wield and defend their authority to allow easy access of the out flux of resources and an influx of AID and crip-pling charity from our venerable partners in “development”.

Let the presidential election circus take its illogical conclusion but we must be ready to chart the revolutionary path to guide the masses into the proud future Gambian front of the African revolution, the only guarantee to our collective happiness.

JUBANTI GAMBIA: THE REVOLUTIONARY ALTERNATIVE!

By Madi Jobarteh

At the end of the day, the issue is about 12 million dalasi handled in a manner that is not ethical and lawful. It is about how the sweat and names of hardworking ordinary workers were used to obtain illegitimate wealth. Thus, regardless of what the law says, it comes down to who is doing what they are aiding or inhibiting the process of getting back these 12 million dalasi and punishing whoever is responsible.

In a normal country, citizens would have stormed KMC to demand accountability. They would have confronted the Mayor for how such gross misconduct could happen under his watch! In fact, in a normal country the CEO would have been arrested first, even if she would be released on bail so that investigations kick off to set the stage for prosecution. One cannot be responsible for the misappropriation of 12 million dalasi or 240,000 US dollars of public funds yet you are freely relaxing at home.

But in the Gambia, not only is the CEO allowed to go home with 12 million dalasi hanging over her head, but a State Minister would have the audacity to deploy armed police to escort back that CEO into the same office against the decision of the elected governors of that institution. Can there be a greater insult against the residents of KMC and all Gambians!

But this is all happening because this country has never been serious with itself. One needs to look at how we conducted ourselves since 2017 to realise that we are not ready for prime time, as my dear brother Salieu Taal would say! A State and society that condone, defend, protect and celebrate corruption and the corrupt is not a serious society.

The fingers on one’s hands are not enough to count all the many instances of corruption that have been uncovered in this country since 2017. Where is the audit report of 7 SOEs which exposed massive corruption in public enterprises? If you look at each and every contract of this Government, the prominent feature about them is bribery and corruption – Banjul road project, Semlex, EU fishing contract, the fishing agreement with Senegal not to mention the many stories of corruption reported in the media that the Government could never refute.

For example, Gainako reported the dubious police contract about number plates, while Malagen had reported multiple stories covering the mismanagement of COVID funds, as well as bribery cases in the fisheries and extractive industries sectors. Furthermore, Gambia Participates exposed the plunder of COVID millions which are still unaccounted for. In fact, the Minister of Health had stood on the floor of the National Assembly to expose corruption in his Ministry. Yet until today, Pres. Barrow, nor any other public institution has caused the arrest and prosecution of anyone for corruption in a country which has been rated as a highly corrupt society.

No one needs to do any investigation to establish the fact that corruption is the cause of the poverty and underdevelopment of this country. One only needs to look at the national budget which continues to rise in billions annually, yet poverty, deprivation and high cost of living also continues to rise. As the national budget increases year after year, we also see how the Government demands more funds through supplementary appropriation bills year after year. Furthermore, despite the high rate of taxes and loans that are imposed on citizens, basic social services are erratic, poor, expensive and not available to the majority of citizens. Therefore, where does the taxes and loans go to, including the huge amount of grants this country receives all the time?

Look at the terrible roads in every village, town and city in this country. Look at the public health facilities from ESFTH to Fatoto health centre, where basic tools like gloves are in short supply. Look at public schools and the general poor state of all public facilities and how dilapidated and wretched they are. Yet taxes, like loans and grants, are always so high. Where is the money? Still, ask yourself if the cost of living is reducing or getting unbearable daily?

Meantime, we continue to realise high expenditure on incentives such as cars, travels, per diems, presidential tours and general fanfare as hundreds of people are transported to State House for meaningless meetings that only consume more public resources. So, while we can sit here debating about who has which power in the law to suspend the CEO or not, don’t forget that 12 million dalasi is messed up!

Corruption is the cancer killing this country and we have a Government that is not only corrupt to the core, but it is not interested nor committed to combating corruption. There is absolutely no political will to fight corruption. This is why this Government is consistently ready to block individuals and frustrate any effort to fight corruption. If it is not protecting individuals who are corrupt, rest assured it is preventing those fighting to stamp out corruption.

This is what Minister Musa Drammeh is doing at KMC. He is frustrating the KMC from combating corruption while protecting those accused of corruption. It is like how Adama Barrow removed Muhammad Manjang from SSHFC just to allow corruption to flourish. It is how they have now forgotten the case of Fisheries PS Bamba Banja just as how they have manipulated investigations about gun importations and the fertilizer scandals just to cover up corruption.

Citizens must rise up in a massive series of protests from Banjul to Basse otherwise this country is being led to its grave by its political leaders in the Executive and the Legislature.

For The Gambia Our Homeland

By DA Jawo

Most Gambians had assumed that with the bad image that the police had acquired during the Jammeh regime and all the noise about Security Sector Reform, the police hierarchy would never again allow themselves to be used by those in authority for political expediency.

However, what we had seen at KMC this morning was a big disappointment to anyone who believed in the new national mantra; Never Again. It is indeed disappointing that IGP Abdoulie Sanyang would even contemplate let alone get the police involved in a matter that has absolutely nothing to do with them.

Now that the Local Govt minister has denied ever asking the police to be deployed at the KMC premises, the onus is now on IGP Sanyang to exonerate himself from blame for the incident.

By Musa VAL Banja

On Wednesday 04 August 2021, the two presidential candidates for the December 2021 election in The Gambia held a debate on live television. Hon. Halifa Sallah is the presidential candidate for the People’s Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) while Dr. Ismaila Ceesay is the presidential candidate for the Citizens’ Alliance Party. At the center of the debate was the breach of the agreement by the current president of the Gambia Adama Barrow to step down after three years. The journey to the debate began with an internet commentary by Dr. Ceesay on the collective failure of the coalition of parties (C2016) that won the 2016 election. Dr. Ceesay blamed the C2016 for doing nothing different and letting the Gambinas down after 22 years of dictatorship of Yahya Jammeh. Kexx Sanneh, a militant of the PDOIS quickly responded claiming that the failures of Adama Barrow were individual and they had nothing to do with the coalition. In response to the rebuttal, Dr. Ceesay invited Mr. Sanneh for an open debate. Ceesay later changed his mind and invited Hin. Halifa Sallah the presidential candidate and chief architect of the C2016 instead. This paper is a critique of the performance of the two presidential candidates during the debate on Wednesday.

Dr. Ceesay came out as a speaker of facts. He did not just accuse the coalition of Adama Barrow of failure but he demonstrated his claim. He pointed out that the promise of the coalition and the president was new electoral and general reforms, constitutional reforms, the fight against corruption and freedom of the media (Gambian Talents TV 2021, Min. 138). The coalition had also promised that The Gambia would ensure that all the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Universal Bill of Rights would be availed to the Gambians. As a matter of fact, the December 2021 election will take place under the old electoral laws (Waan, 2021). The failure to introduce new changes has created the fears that Adama Barrrow intends to rig the elections as there are no checks and balances against the commission. In addition, it is true that there is no new constitution as the country goes into an election and five years after the deposition of Jammeh. Furthermore, the freedoms of the media and general human rights are still a matter of debate. Dr. Ceesay was therefore right in his assertion that the coalition had failed in collectivity.

Dr. Ceesay’s opening presentation was nothing but a narration and expansion of his displeasure with the C2016 to meet its pledges. He revisited the infamous memorandum of understanding among the coalition members that the coalition presidential candidate would resign from his party to vie in the name of the coalition (Gambian Talents TV 2021, Min. 74). The candidate would then rule for only three years before stepping down to allow for a free, fair and democratic election in which he would not participate. President Adama Barrow refused to step down in 2019 and he has declared that he will be running for the presidency in December 2021 under the National People’s Party (NPP). He also pointed out that the agreement of the coalition had not included any measures to force the candidate to step down after three years. Furthermore, he blamed the coalition of parties for failing to follow up the mater with the courts since the agreement had been signed and it was binding. Granted, all he said was factual. On the other hand, he did not introduce anything new to his complaint. His narration captured the state of affairs as is public knowledge. Subsequent opportunities also only revolved on the complaints against the coalition. The candidate did not address the myriad issues that face the endemic corruption, poor healthcare, lack of access to education and lack of clean drinking water, issues that are still a big problem in the Gambia (Toupane, Faye & Kane 2019). Dr. Ceesay therefore lost the opportunity to introduce a new and more meaningful debate as most Gambians have come to terms with Barrow’s refusal to step down.

On his part, Hon. Halifa Sallah also presented a respectful disposition throughout the debate. Despite qualifying to be Dr. Ceesay’s father, he did not use the age difference to demean his opponent. Instead, he always addressed him as Hon. Ceesay or Dr. Ceesay. The cordial and respectful tone in the discussion was commendable. It did not escape notice however that sometimes he adopted a patronizing tone even if it was only hardly noticeable (Gambian Talents TV 2021, Min. 81). He would raise his voice to put his point across, in a manner to suggest that what he was saying was obvious and that it should not invite debate. Such was the case especially in his first address.

On the other hand, Hon. Halifa Sallah’ spresentation focused on the history of the electoral process and in particular the last election in The Gambia. His first and subsequent presentations were historical, giving the context of the formation of the coalition. He narrated the rational of the coalition, the selection of Adama Barrow and the victory of the opposition coalition. Granted, the narratives were true. Hon. Salah however failed to address the accusations of Dr. Ceesay regarding the failure of the coalition in achieving the pledges it made to the people of the Gambia. Sallah kept emphasizing on the victory of the coalition and refused to discuss anything past the coalition. According to him, the failures of the current government are individual barrow failures that should not be blamed on the coalition (Gambian Talents TV 2021, Min 155). It is surprising therefore when he wants to share in the few successes of the coalition. The Hon. Salah needed to accept the principle of collective responsibility or to reject it completely. In his arguments, he only admitted it when it suited his arguments and rejected it whenever it was to his disadvantage. Hon. Sallah therefore failed to demonstrate leadership by admitting failures and successes.

In conclusion, the debate was a sharp departure from the traditional debates in Africa where the participants go personal instead of focusing on the issues at hand. Both candidates were very cordial to each other and listened to one another. On the other hand, both failed to articulate the many social issues that plague The Gambia. Their only focus was on the failure of the current president to respect the coalition agreement and the collectivity of the breach. Nevertheless, it was a first kind of debate in the Gambia and one can understand that they were unprepared and they did not understand the opportunity that the debate provided for them and for the people of the Gambia. It is hoped that the next debate will tackle many more issues that need address before the December 2021 election.