Just few days ago, I had a roundtable discussion with some of my colleagues from our political economy class. They all came from different backgrounds — representing different countries which encompasses of: Kenya, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Sierra Leone. The nascent question that was been raised, but worthwhile to explore was the failure of African leadership. And what is the way forward for the continent? How a continent so vast with resources, yet, the most under-developed. Why our leaders in Africa are not rational, or perhaps, value instrumental to deliver the public goods?

To conceptualize this as in the context of Gambian experience — under the leadership of president Barrow. Quite dissapointenly, the standard of our expectation since Barrow’s reign is subpar. To learned that he inherited a fragile system, to learned that the state of our economy was deplorable according to his numerous revealations, to learned that it will take a fiscal discipline to revatalize the structural imabalancies of the country’s lingering debt, were all, indeed, insightful details to learn. But it is a promise that never was, however.

Given the historical narrative, Gambia is suppose to be that poster Child, as a relevant case study. In context where Gambia will be seen as a success story from authoritarian medieval to a self-imposing democracy. Insofar, almost 2 years in office, the president of The Gambia has thus far betrayed that Promise. In my capacity as a public citizen, the president is inept to lead, for, he doesn’t have the tenacity and the political curiosity to enhance change.

A vivid illustration of this can be seen when the president launched his own foundation for what is portrayed to be an inclusive development for change. The public outcry calls for its abeyance — understanding that it is not the direction the country needs to go. Barrow is doing exactly what his predecessor has done against the will of the country. We all became victims of Jammeh’s financial mismanagement. With grave dismay to some extent, we learned how funds from a dollar bank account in the name of Jammeh’s foundation for peace, flowned to Jammeh himself. Coinciding what transpired, it has been revealed just recently,  a transfer of almost 33 million Dalasis been funnelled to the president wife’s account from one Chinese firm. Very alarming, daunting, and shameful, indeed.

Essentially, the most recent revealation of the president giving handouts, for what is alleged to be 10 thousand dalasis to lawmakers, — a term widely referred to “Clientelism” in political domain. Given money to lawmakers is a voter influence. Not only Barrow is corrupt, but all indications attest to self-empowerment, and cementing himself to power.

For all the subsequent decades under the totalitarian rule, it occurs to me Barrow doesn’t have the leadership aspiration to correct all the wrong doings for the betterment of the country. While I might not go as far as expressing that the president is no different from his predecessor; but in the words of Halifa Sallah, ” there is no system change.” There is a tendency in African leadership to view corruption as a normal phenomena.

After all, the power belongs to us. Our fighting spirit that uprooted Jammeh’s authoritarian rule, hopefully, will not be nullify by president Barrow. For what I learned, president Barrow doesn’t have the political tenacity to carry on reforms, that will cement and restore our hopes, toward — the more progressive society.

– Ebrima/Sailou

Ohio University

Gambia’s Electoral Commission has ordered all registered political parties in the country to hold a biannual congress before December 31.

The country’s electoral body has compulsory laws for political parties to hold congress every two years, to determine which of them is active.

“We have given deadlines to all political parties to hold biannual congress before 31 December 2018,” IEC chairman, Alieu Momarr Njai said.

Chairman Njai told The Fatu Network that the electoral laws have it that all political parties must hold biannual Congress.

“We want to know who the executives are, whether they are active. We want to know when and where they are holding the Congress so that we can observe it,” he said.

He added, “We want to observe because we don’t want it to be a handful of people just for the sake of having Congress.”

There are measures to be taken against those who fail to comply as stipulated in the country’s electoral laws.

The Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Alieu Momarr Njai has said that the country would move from marbles to paper ballots by next elections.

Chairman Njai who was speaking to The Fatu Network at the Elections House, said the cost of one ballot drum is far more expensive than the nomination fees for ward councillors.

“Can you imagine, the amount of money spent on ballot drums, paints, seals and counting trays every elections”? IEC Chairman Njai asked

He added, “It is very expensive and it’s a nightmare.”

When asked about the readiness to move to paper ballots considering the country’s illiteracy rate, he said the literacy rate was far lower in the 1950s than now.

“We are not developed or underdeveloped to use the paper system,” he said.

The IEC Chairman further stated that the countries using paper ballots sometimes conduct five elections in the same day, which he said should be emulated in the Gambia by combining Mayoral, Chairpersons and Councillors elections all on the same day.

“The paper ballot is more transparent than the ballot drum”

As part of the electoral reforms, plans are underway to reconcile the Electoral Act, Local Government Act and the Constitutional Provisions.

“We disenfranchised the diaspora even though they have the constitutional rights but could not exercise because the former president knew most of them would not vote for him,” he added.

Chairman Njai also spoke about the challenges of voter apathy which they would need resources for to embark on sensitization campaigns.

“We want to make sure there is supplementary registration as well as transfers and deletions every year”

Njai called on the IPC to convince female candidates to contest on winnable positions because they formed the majority but very few of them are placed at decision making positions.

Meanwhile, he reiterated the mantra of free, fair and transparent elections. He called for peace to prevail in the country.

Justice Minister, Abubacarr Tambadou has told journalists on Tuesday at his office that the publication of false news is still a criminal offence in The Gambia. Tambadou was speaking at a press conference where he shared with the media developments taking palce at his ministry..Here is the full statement on the publication of false news..

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Finally, allow me to say a few words in closing. Recently, we have noticed a worrisome trend in the country and this must be addressed. While we want to encourage a culture of tolerance and the freedom of expression like in any democracy, this must not be equated with chaos or be used as an opportunity to tarnish the reputation of or smear innocent people.

The tendency is that once an allegation is made against someone, many people rush to judgment and condemn them even when there is no evidence to support the allegation. We cannot accuse, try, and condemn people all in one scoop. It amounts to mob justice. Everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence until they are found otherwise by law.

Let me also take this opportunity to remind everyone that the publication of false news is still a criminal offence in this country as upheld recently by the Supreme Court and we will not hesitate to apply the law. I therefore encourage everyone to exercise and enjoy their right to freedom of expression without committing a crime because if they do, they will be held accountable. We must not push the boundaries of our new found freedoms to irresponsible or unacceptable limits, because when we do, we hurt others and their families in the process. The law is here to protect everyone including the accuser and the accused.

Now I know that when I make this comment, your minds are running at a thousand miles an hour towards the most recent events so allow me to also clarify that my comments are not intended to address any specific events as there has been too many such events in the country recently.

In the village of Nenemaaje, in the hinterland of Moofingduu, there was a problem of Alkalooship. For decades, they struggled with the difficulty of finding one among them honest and scrupulous enough to head the village in a manner that will change the lives of its people. First, they had an Alkaaloo, Keejang Meeta, who ruled over the village for a long time. In fact, it is said that he was there for almost thirty years; yet, the villagers were not satisfied. Admittedly, during his reign, the village was peaceful, and people went about their business, hard as it was.

It was because of the longevity and the difficulties the people were facing that one disgruntled palace guard forcefully removed him from the village throne. This disgruntled palace guard was called Keejaw Warata. He came with a lot of promises to change the way and manner in which the village was being run. He promised that form henceforth, everything will be done in the open. There won’t be any secrets and the villager will know exactly what was going on. To add to all those promises, he displayed the longevity with which Keejang ruled as a sign of greed. Thus, he proposed that there should be a rule that no Alkaaloo will overstay on the throne. This was welcomed by the villagers and so they all supported him in every possible way.

However, it didn’t take long for Keejaw to also begin to show signs of greed and thus used his Council of Elders to change the law that purported to shorten his reign. He made it that he could rule for as long as he pleased. He had some people who were so betaken by his charms that they started proposing that he change the village into a kingdom and become the founding and abiding king. For them, he would rule over the village until his son came of age and take over.

Keejaw thus felt the praises and his head became swollen with pride. He began silencing anyone who wished to oppose him and started jailing and even killing opponents, real or perceived. A time came when no one in the village dared say anything about or against Keejaw. Many of the villagers ran away to other villagers to either escape persecution or avoid the economic strangulation that had overtaken them. The village became isolated as other villages saw it as a backward village which was under the control of a madman.

The villagers mustered the courage to oppose Keejaw with the intention of choosing another Alkaaloo who will take them to the Promised Land. They came together, threw away their differences and saw the village as being more important than all of them. In fact, many saw it as the last attempt to salvage a village which was on the verge of destruction. Some villagers even lost their lives while trying to ensure that Keejaw was ousted.

Finally, the villagers cast stones (that was how leaders were chosen in the village), each villager would cast a stone in the name of the person he wished to be the Alkaaloo. They cast more stones for Suntukung Koyoo than they did for Keejaw. Thus, it was the turn of Suntukung to rule as Alkaaloo of the village. There was great joy on the day of the casting of stones. Poems were written, songs sang and there was all night dancing.

Initially, Keejaw refused to leave the throne and hand over to Suntukung. But then the neighboring villages sent delegations to come and talk to him to leave. When those delegations failed, they had to send all their guards together to force Keejaw to leave the village palace. The struggle was bitter but, in the end, Keejaw was compelled to leave and go and live in another village as a fugitive.

The reign of Suntunkung began in high note. He was liked by all and even the other villages in the region were ready and willing to support him. He traveled from village to village meeting other Alkaaloos and seeking help from them in order to develop his village. They helped and promised more help. Meanwhile; the villagers were now free to air their ideas and even express opposing views to the rule of Suntukung.

Then, there was trouble in paradise as the villagers watched Suntukung make blunder after blunder as he was a novice in leadership. But that was not the problem, the problem was that he was becoming arrogant and didn’t seem to care what the villagers were saying. He ignored most of the calls to do better and improve the lives of his people. His Council of Elders were initially doing a good job. They checked many of the quarters in the village to ensure that they were doing what they were supposed to do. Many observers praised them for that.

It was therefore unfortunate when it was heard that Suntukung was calling the members of the Council of Elders and giving them ten bags of cowries each. This, it was surmised, was to seek their support for certain things he was doing or going to do. When that scandal broke, it was actually revealed by one of the members of the council, the courtiers in Suntukung’s palace denied it flat even though some of the members of the council of elders had already admitted in public that they had received the bags of cowries.

Th town criers were following up on that scandal and they wished to see that all those who were found to have done something wrong would be brought before the people. The problem was that, according to the tradition of the village, it was the Council of Elders who should call Suntukung and put him right. But now that he had been giving them bags of cowries, would they invite him to their Council?

To be continued…

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubacarr Tambadou has said that the much talked about Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) will be launched on Monday, 15th October.

Justice Minister Tambadou on Tuesday afternoon told journalists that 11 selected TRRC Commissioners will be sworn in during the launching of the Commission.

“We have not received any public complaints against the selected Commissioners,” Justice Minister Tambadou said.

The Minister added that commissioners were selected from the different regions, ethnicities, religions, gender and the diaspora to be represented in the Truth Commission.

He announced the appointment of Mr Essa Faal as the Commission’s Lead Counsel deputised by Ms Horja Bala Gaye who will be assisted by a group of lawyers.

“We have few witnesses who are lining up to testify,” he added.

The Justice Minister also spoke about the selection of individuals from non governmental organisation to setup a Human Rights Commission before the year ends. So far, nine names were gazetted for public scrutiny before the final five will be submitted to the President for appointment.

The Attorney General further spoke about the drafted Anti Corruption Bill that is presently under review. He added that the bill would be taken to Cabinet and later to be enacted by the National Assembly.

Meanwhile, the Ministry has plans to undertake three key projects such as Prisons, Electoral and Legislative Reforms in 2019.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad of the Republic of The Gambia, Honourable Mamadou Tangara on Sunday 7^thOctober 2018 met with H.E Mr Taro Kono, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan on the sidelines of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, a regular convergence meant to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners.

The two Ministers of Foreign Affairs discussed matters bordering on the strengthening of bilateral relations between The Gambia and Japan. Minister Taro Kono expressed the intention of the Government of Japan to provide technical assistance and support relevant to the improvement of the Government of The Gambia’s food security initiatives and other national development programmes.

For his part, Minister Tangara thanked Minister Taro Kono for the warm welcome while emphasising the significance of Japan’s support to The Gambia over the years.

Minister Tangara also met with Gambians studying in various universities in Tokyo on Monday 8^thOctober 2018 and assured them of The Gambia Government’s full support at all times.

By Omar Wally

Veteran PDOIS politician Sidia Jatta, the National Assembly member for Wuli West, has said the government of President Adama Barrow has so far failed to meet the needs and aspirations of Gambians.
“The fundamental expectation of Gambians are yet to be met, i.e employment of youths and the country also continues to be indebted as before, while the plight of farmers and youths remain the same,” he told The Standard.
Hon Jatta, who is the chairman of PDOIS said Barrow’s government supposed to have been a coalition government run by the coalition comprising ministers selected by Barrow in collaboration with a particular committee selected by the coalition but that has never taken place. “Barrow chooses ministers and he has been firing some, hiring others like what we used to see before,” he said.

Jatta, a University of Grenobel alumnus stressed that the fundamental expectation of the coalition is not just for Yahya Jammeh to go, or to put an old wine in a new bottle.
“Government will tell Gambians Europe has sent us 40 million euros to take care of the returnees, what about those who are not returnees, are they not going to be taken care of because returnees found some Gambian youths here; some graduates and some highly trained,” Hon Jatta said.
Asked why Halifa Sallah declined a ministerial position, Sidia said: “Barrow has never, ever or dreamt of giving Halifa Sallah a ministerial position, all what people are saying is all rubbish. Barrow has never offered a position other than adviser. He never wanted Halifa in any position than an adviser position.”

When quizzed if he was offered a ministerial job himself, Jatta rather comically responded: “If you, Omar Wally, say to me, Sidia I want to make you my foreign minister and the next day you come and say to me someone came and said I must make him foreign minister, have you offered me anything?
“I choose what I want to do in a frame work because I know what I’m good at best. I know every sector in government and I can handle every sector in this government. So if you put me in one sector and this is a transitional government with the objective of laying solid foundations and I am honest as I’m, I will do what I think is best to help that foundation. That is why I chose to go to parliament.”

On the suggestion that he and Halifa give chance to competent young ones in the party after 30 years, Jatta said he never chooses himself to be a presidential candidate or even an MP. “I was chosen by the people of Wuli, and as a presidential candidate, I have never chosen myself; it is always the people and the party who choose. It is not Halifa or Sidia who determines who becomes what in PDOIS, and if it is not the two of us who determine, those who determine are the people you should ask the question,” he said.

Story by Standard Newspaper

When Yaya Jammeh was in power we were all comrades. We agreed and shared the same definition of national interest. We all understood what constituted poor leadership and bad governance and dictatorship. We all stood up shoulder to shoulder to fight that toxic regime. We transcended party and tribe and region. We were compatriots in spirit, words and actions. There was no antagonism between diaspora and home-based citizens because we all had only one common objective. By then we had values and standards and we stood by them.

But since 19 January 2017 when Pres. Barrow and his Coalition took over, we broke apart. Everyone became a supporter of one group against another group. Parties emerged. Tribes emerged. Regions emerged. Diaspora versus home-based. The idea of national interest became a contested concept. Party and individual and tribal interests became the centre of our discourse and engagement. Values and standards became different and conflicting. Consequently, the nation began to crash as our focus on the Government got muddied and weak.

Instead of subjecting Pres. Barrow to the same values and standards of good governance and democracy as we did with Yaya Jammeh, we let the bar drop extremely low for Barrow. As it suits us we defended, rationalised, distorted, exaggerated everything and anything about this Government just because it suits our party, our leader, our tribe or our selfish interest. We went further to even castigate, demonise and vilify any voices that sought to hold the Government or our political parties and political leaders to account.

Instead of immediately scrutinizing every decision and action of the Government, we called for patience and time. We bought and spread the false narrative that the coffers where empty because Yaya Jammeh emptied them. Nothing but Lies! We gave every excuse we can find between the moon and the sun. Some even said Barrow was given to us by Allah and that he was a kind and good man. Only in the Gambia would citizens describe an elected politician in such terms!

Just as with Yaya Jammeh in 1994, we began to also mould Adama Barrow into another kind of a different person from himself. First Barrow was seen handing over dalasi notes to a Kankurang group as he entered the Gambia from Dakar and when some cried out loud we said it is was his personal money. Then we saw how Barrow selfishly changed our supreme law to suit his personal interest in the appointment of VP. Then he delayed that appoint for 6 months and again there was no short supply of defenders. On his first official visit to Senegal a businessman donated 2 brand new houses to him and when some demanded that he returned the so-called gifts because it was unconstitutional, his defenders said the critics were outlandish and attention seekers. It turned out that the Senegalese businessman was seeking contracts with the Gambia Government.

After that we saw another ‘donor’ gave 57 vehicles and once again the defenders said the ‘anonymous’ donor was a good citizen helping his or her country. Since then we saw an army of anonymous donors giving this or that to our president. When we raised concerns about the travels they said those travels were funded by host governments and in any case, traveling is part of government functions. When some citizens raised hell over poor electricity services and planned to protest we said protest is uncalled for and unnecessary in the Gambia because our security is fragile. Then we dishonestly described the protesters as wayward, marijuana-smoking, attention seeking and irresponsible kids.

With every imaginable move that citizens attempted to hold the Barrow Government to account we would have a counter defence by another citizen. We do not only defend the Government, but we go further to describe those vigilant citizens as attention seekers, foreigners, tribalists, condescending, intolerant, dictatorial and anarchists. These defenders would even go to the ludicrous height of questioning the faith and lineage of some vigilant citizens!

Because of our tasteless and unprincipled defence of bad governance and poor leadership we also succeeded in empowering Barrow to the point that the man now has the audacity to question the whereabouts and contributions of fellow citizens in the fight against the APRC Dictatorship. Not only that but Barrow has become so full of himself that he now claims to be the sole Conqueror of Yaya Jammeh and his Dictatorship. Barrow does not only stop there but he has the temerity to even threaten citizens with Yaya Jammeh’s laws and even drawing his own line and daring any citizen to cross! Unbelievable.

By our unprincipled defence of this Government we have succeeded in condoning bad leadership and poor governance and perpetuating undemocratic bahaviour. Patronage. Corruption. Indiscipline. Inefficiency. Lies! By doing so we have succeeded in normalizing the abnormal. By abandoning the very ideals and standards that we upheld against Yaya Jammeh, we have therefore produced another government that looks exactly like APRC and acts like APRC except for the blatant human rights atrocities. But by this trend sooner or later we will soon see arbitrary arrests, detentions, tortures and disappearances begin to happen as well!

Bad governance, poor leadership and dictatorship do not grow up just on one day all of a sudden. Bad governance is organic. It grows up gradually so long as it receives manure and water in a fertile soil. Sooner than later one would see the plant germinate. Just like a plant, this is the same way bad leadership also grows as citizens defend the indefensible, condone poor leadership and aid and abet bad governance.

This Government has no reason to fail. It has no reason to make mistakes. It has a Cabinet that is the most qualified, educated and experienced in the socio-political history of the Gambia. They cannot claim ignorance in not knowing from where the Gambia came and where the Gambia needs to go. They have absolutely no excuse not to know the pains and ills of this country and how to address them. Hence this Government can only fail by their own dishonesty and by the sycophancy of citizens.

Therefore, the solution to bad governance are the citizens themselves if they stand up to defend the values and standards of democracy to ensure that there is transparent, accountability and efficiency in public institutions. But so long as citizens fail to be architects of democracy and good governance but transform themselves into architects of dictatorship, sooner or later the society will witness the germination of dictatorial tendencies and corrupt leadership.

Stand up to hold the Government to account every day. It’s about your life and future! Let us not harm ourselves again by our sycophancy, indifference, ignorance and dishonesty!

For the Gambia Our Homeland!

Press Release

RE: National Assembly Member, Sanna Jawara’s Allegations against President Barrow

State House, Banjul, 8^thOctober 2018 –It is with great dismay that to learn of the series of serious unfounded allegations made by Sanna Jawara, a sitting National Assembly member, most notably, that the President ‘’has started paying some parliamentarians D10, 000 each month in envelopes’’. Hon. Jawara went as far as  suggestingthat some National Assembly Members ‘’physically queue up for monthly handouts’’ from the president – grave claims that he could not substantiate.

The claims were maliciously designed to bring disrepute to the person of the president and the office he occupies. Contrary towhat Mr. Jawara stated, without any evidence whatsoever, no National Assembly Member was invited to State House to receive money in return for any favors, including political support.  President Adama Barrow has been supporting and continues to support individuals and groups whenever he can.   It was in the same spirit that His Excellency, the President donated vehicles to members of the same body to ease mobility and communication constraints with their constituents.

The President was elected as an independent coalition candidate.  Thus, rather than politicking, he is occupied with finding solutions and addressing the development needs of the people that overwhelmingly elected him into office. Which is why he succeeded in securing several capital investments that would directly impact the lives of ordinary Gambians and drive them out of poverty, as stated in the National Development Plan 2018-2021.

Moreover, the President’s focus is on the bigger picture of delivering a new Gambia that we could all be proud of; one that would provide a conducive place where all Gambians can realize their full potentials. His vision is to see a country that is anchored on empowered institutions that would guarantee and protect the rights and dignity of all citizens irrespective of their political, ethno-linguistic and religious differences. It is in the same spirit that he constituted a Constitutional Review Commission, among other transformational and institutional reforms, to recreate a Gambia fit for all.

While many people in the country are currently embroiled in the debate of ‘the brown envelopes’ from the Presidency, or the issue of succession in the United Democratic Party (UDP) – which are both important of course – I wish to write on another matter of gigantic importance. This is an issue about which every Gambian should be concerned because it has to do with the type of government we will have in the country in the future.

Sometime last week, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) sent out a letter to all registered political parties in The Gambia reminding them of their constitutional obligation to hold biennial congresses. The said letter informed that since the Act was passed and made it binding on political parties, it has observed that some parties in the country had not complied with that law.

Thus, the IEC gave an ultimatum that if any party does not hold said congress until the 31^stof December 2018, it will run the risk of being deregistered as a political party in the country. This is a matter of grave importance as it is the political parties that give us the President, the Members of Parliament and the Councilors who will run the affairs of the nation. The truth is that, any party that is not democratic while in the opposition cannot be expected to be democratic when they come to power.

The political parties must conduct congresses to discuss issue of importance in the country. It is in these congresses that they should hold democratic elections to choose the leadership to have democratic structures which will transform itself into a government if, and when they are elected into office.

These parties should have democratic structures and principles. For instance, there should be term limits in the parties to ensure that they don’t have the same person serving as Secretary General for eternity. This, if it happens, will enable other members of the party to run for office so that it does not have to be the same person running for the presidency all the time. It will make sure that the party conducts primaries to choose the best, most suitable or qualified person as a candidate.

Besides, our opposition parties, if they conduct primaries and put in place all the democratic institutions, should set up shadow governments in preparation for the day they will be given the mandate to govern by the electorate. In this manner, they will have plans and policies on all areas of importance in the country. For instance, they should have a shadow minister of Education, Health, Agriculture and all other positions which have to do with the progress of the country. They do not have to wait until they are elected to start rushing to prepare for these eventualities. That is what makes a government reactionary because they did not have any plans before taking office.

In the same vein, I wish to suggest that laws regulating party funding be put in place to ensure that all parties are transparent and democratic in all their activities even before they come to office. If a party is not transparent and democratic while in the opposition, we cannot expect it to become a model of democracy when elected to run the country. Thus, all these have to be learnt at party level so that we will always have experienced and well-trained people to take over from whichever party is ruling.

These structures in a party give the members an opportunity to learn leadership and be prepared in the principles of governance in readiness for office. With that in place, any member of a party who is serious and takes part in all party activities will understand the running of party and country.

When parties put accountability measures in place and use them in their own party, it will give all its members the required knowledge to hold elected officials in check and make sure that they do not go beyond their mandate This is how we will have a transparent and responsible government in our country.

Tha Scribbler Bah

A Concerned Citizen