Marie Njie, one of Gambia’s finest young female activists noted, “When actions and votes are based on potential to profit individuals and/or tribes at the expense of a collective nation, opportunism flourishes. Opportunism, most often than not, morph into political personality cult which nurtures corruption”. She went on to challenge, “How long will we as a people continue to sell one another out for selfish gain and filthy lucre”. Hatab Fadera, another seasoned dude, equally observed, “I cannot comprehend the ill judgement being passed on credible politicians whose people voted them to represent their interest in the Parliament in a credible election that has been given a clean bill of health by international observers”. Mr Fadera, another Gambian political discourse commentator, charged, “Our reluctance to accept failure and see it as a process of growth is undermining our progress.
In life, we must learn to accept our mistakes and take stock of them for future challenges. Bullying people because a tide has turned against you is disappointing. Power resides in the hands of Gambians and they determine who takes over the affairs of this nation. What’s wrong with our sense of objectivity? I also think we should rise above partisan views and begin the process of nation building. We now have a democratic dispensation that is providing an equal space for all and sundry. This country needs the contribution of all”. Mr President these two great minds are pointed out some of the road signs of our dark political alleys leading to destructive ends such as the Sibanor saga.
It is laudable to see you come out and debunk the unfortunate clashes between party supporters following the NAM results declaration on Thursday. Albeit it is appropriate to legally sanction the perpetrators to deter its reoccurrence, I feel punitive measures are not means to eradicate such unpleasantries. It requires an honest and careful dive into the depths of the problem to come up with rigorous and targeted civil education dosages to enlighten our citizenry and transform the current personalty cult and partisan politicking style. A look at Gambians reactions, comments and views on the social media during and after the NAM election provide some of the marinating factors of our tribal and violent political dispensation. Apart from a handful of uncultured party surrogates, some of our elite political commentators also fan the flames of political exclusion. Conversely, Party leaders equally encourage the portentous political climate in order to score political goals by remaining silent amidst the saga. Another contributing factor is the cancerous Gambian double standards. We hasten to denounce the occurrence of an oawlish act of one leader and glorify the same with another. In a nutshell, the unequal treatment of the equal is deflating our political correctness.
“I guess we are bidding farewell to uniformity; the collective effort that was mainly directed to uprooting a dictatorship and we are gradually melting into our various political and ideological leanings. This trend as political commentators would say on the road to a functioning democracy is not superficial but natural. However demagogues and opportunists are hereby warned that no one can take us for a ride again and that the same collective force that was utilized to send Jammeh to Mongoma could be utilized to send them packing anytime they advance personal interest over collective national interest. The struggle for a functioning democracy continues”, Landing Nyassi postulated.
Mr President April 10 2000 was a Monday under a brutal Dictatorship which ordered the killing of unarmed students manifesting their dissatisfaction against the unlawful murder of and the gruesome rape of their colleagues. Their peaceful demand for justice for two of their colleagues was answered by torrent of live bullets ripping off young lives and maiming many. Today is another Monday 10 April in 2017 under a young democratic and tolerant regime. It is, therefore, fitting to not only commemorate that faithful day but award the victims with justice. Mere commemoration of the callous day yearly isn’t as uplifting as parading the culprits before a competent court of law. Gambians needs to know who gave the order for the guns to spit fire on the young souls and who drew the triggers?
Sulayman Jeng
Birmingham, UK
