Being an inexperienced leadership in a young democracy minted from the debris of a very repressive dictatorship is the toughest, most delicate and often prone to derail on the crisp of failure in driving expected change spurts. As a consequence, your leadership needs strong supplements to boost its immunity strength in anchoring its feet on course. Unlike other leadership in similar predicament, your leadership is blessed with a citizenry who partakes and simultaneously chance you to learn on the job while protecting you from making those derelictions which could desk your leadership on an unpleasant detour.
The mere thought of you failing kept me up many nights. How I not only want you to succeed but be a living lesson for modern leadership and democracies. Suddenly, an inner voice charged, “Does Barrow’s heart rhyme in unison with yours?” That thought. Palpitated my heart worryingly. What actually almost drained life out of me was not the realisation of our hearts might not be hitting the same notes but the thought of you swaddled with broken promises, unmet expectations and naked failures to drive the expected change spurts. That really froze my marrow.
Momentarily, my thoughts shifted to the victims and their families. What sort of closure will they have? Most often than not what is aportioned in similar situations is elusive statistical justice. But listening to Hon Tambedou speak to Pa Nderry Mbai on Freedom Radio, all paranoia of thinking that victims and their families will not have a sstisfying closure was erased. That is what communication does. It dispells fears and restores confidence. Modern technology has made communication easy, affordable, quick and effective. Therefore, incessantly hashtag, twit, voice message and where necessary Facebook live, Mr President. Talk to people. Be heard and seen often.
You are blessed with many Gambians who are giving genuine advice free of charge. Sadly, most of these genuine and honest opinions on how to drive the change and development are ungratefully snubbed. When some of us highlighted very strongly the essence of detribalising our political dispensation, many rubbished us by accentuating there is no tribal issue in the Gambia. Well guess what? Your cabinet compact on delivering good governance, accountability and exemplary leader to the people of the Gambia has one of its foremost objective as detribalization. You see, Mr President, some of us don’t do backside sniffing because we has crossed that threshold of being a liability many many moons ago. We have and honed our potentials to be productive anywhere on this planet. As a result, we don’t engage you for a pine of please.
We just want you to succeed and be a living lesson for modern leadership and democracies.
Mr President, you government has pledged to deliver the following during your tenure in office:
i. Probity, accountability and transparency;
ii. Inclusivity;
iii. Justice and rule of law;
iiii. Effective Civil Service delivery;
v. Patriotic Altruism;
vi. Togetherness;
vii. Resort to legal means for dispute resolution;
viii. Pragmatism;
ix. Openness to new ideas and criticism;
x. Detribalization;
xi. Modesty in lifestyle; and
xii. Collaboration with regional, continental and international stakeholders.
Very lofty in words. Euphemistically, rhetorics which are not transformed into actions are nothing but condescendingly preposterous deceit, Mr President. Probity, transparency and accountability reminds me of the hay days of the “Soldiers with a difference”. You are on record that you will declare your assets and so will all your cabinet soonest you come to power. That is yet to see the light of day. Gambians want to know how much it costs the taxpayer to maintain you, your cabinet and other senior civil servants. The extra allowances they pocket etc.
Openness to new ideas and criticism. On this one you cannot be faulted excepted most of the new ideas given for free are disregarded. A funny reason just crept in my head. Cheap goods and services are often viewed with a pinch of salt whereas cutthroat ones are trendier and more valuable. Could that be case Mr President? This cabinet compact didn’t bring anything new that has not been highlighted by many of us on the Gambian social media. I am not trying to teach any old dog new tricks here but both you and I know how useful the social media can be. Admittedly, not everything dispensed on the platform is valuable and constructive. Take on board the good and discard the bad. Job done.
In the next couple of days, I will look at and discuss the compact in detail. For now, have a blessed day.
Sulayman Jeng
Birmingham, UK
