By D. A. Jawo

President Adama Barrow was quite well known for being a humble person who hardly spoke much when he first assumed the presidency. However, he seems to have now changed quite drastically, becoming not only quite outspoken, but also giving too much credit to himself about almost every achievement registered by Coalition 2016 as well as his administration.

Also, as a result of some of his unguarded utterances, he had been causing some controversy, the latest being his threat to “order” the Inspector General of Police to deny permit to all political parties to hold rallies after he wins the forthcoming presidential elections in December. However, after a lot of noise about that threat from virtually all sectors of the Gambian society, the Government Spokesperson, Ebrima Sankareh came up with a press release to try and give it a different interpretation.

Of course, Mr. Sankareh was quite in order to issue such a press release because by the very nature of his job, it is his responsibility to do everything possible to always give a positive image of the administration as well as the President. However, he needs a lot of help from President Barrow himself if he is to succeed in portraying a positive image of the administration. If President Barrow continues with his present attitude of using his frequent meetings with various ethno-linguistic and other parochial groups at the State House on weekends to freely tell all kinds of stories and making unguarded comments without considering the implications, it would be hard to see how Mr. Sankareh or anyone else would be able to continue to brush his image. He speaks in a language that virtually everyone understands and it would therefore be quite hard for Mr. Sankareh to convince people that he meant something else and not what he said.

While we can understand that President Barrow is still learning on the job and he needs to be given chance to adjust to the situation, but, after almost five years as head of state, everyone expected him to have learnt the rudiments of protocol and know that as head of state, his every action and every word he utters would be subjected to scrutiny. Therefore, he should stop talking freely in such gatherings as if he is in a village bantaba where he can say anything and no one would hold him to account. He should understand that even though he is a good story teller, usually punctuating his stories with innuendos and cliches, he needs to understand that as head of state, it is not always to his advantage to narrate everything he was involved in. For instance, his recent stories about being indirectly involved in desecrating graves to use spiritual means to help obtain the release of Ousainou Darboe and his colleagues, as well as narrating how as a child he used to climb 500-metre tall ‘kaba’ trees, were subjects of public ridicule which he should try and avoid.

Therefore, in order to minimize such gaffes and controversies, President Barrow needs to often consult with the Minister of Information and/or the Government Spokesperson before any public speaking engagement so that they can guide him on what areas he should avoid. This is particularly important for this period when the elections are less than four months away.

By Amran Gaye

I don’t know who this Sankareh guy is writing press releases for the State House, but he really needs to be replaced. Even apart from the amateurish writing and terrible proofreading, this continuously petty, whining and defanteh tone is not fit to be the voice of our Government. I’ve also noticed that he has a very narrow and simplistic view of what democracy is – you can see it in the half-baked arguments he makes as he tries to defend Barrow’s actions.

I finally had enough today after seeing this latest press release claiming that what the president said about “no political activity” was “exaggerated”, while also threatening (I don’t know what else to call it) that the president would silence people who use “insults and foul language” by working with the National Assembly to draft laws against such words.

Meaning of course that Sankareh and his boss get to choose what constitutes “insults and foul language”. Imagine an NPP rally where someone is insulting UDP or PDOIS – you really think they will be stopped or arrested under these new laws? Meanwhile imagine it happening in the opposite direction, with someone being vehemently critical of NPP at an opposition rally or even online. What do you think will happen then? That’s ALL these kinds of laws are for. They come wrapped in sanctimonious prose about “being civil to each other” etc. But it has nothing to do with that – all it is is giving the incumbent the power of censorship, and therefore the power to control the conversation. These same laws are present in every single dictatorship on earth.

What it comes down to daal is this: We are ADULTS we do not need the government to regulate what we can and cannot say; we don’t need Barrow or any president to approve our words before we are allowed to speak them; he is not our parent or guardian. It is long past time we move past this nonsense of thinking of our leaders as elders we cannot speak honestly with or challenge. We literally elect these people and are paying for their salaries, feeding, housing, travel – every single thing.

Barrow, Sankareh, and everyone else who works under him are our public SERVANTS not our masters. I think Sankareh and Barrow himself would do well to remember this, as they seem to have forgotten as he becomes more comfortable with power.

We chased out one dictator, we’re not going to watch a new one build himself up before our eyes. VOTE WISELY IN DECEMBER. That is the only way out of this.

By Madi Jobarteh

Fellow Gambians, regardless of any party or politician one supports, the time to stand up to defend democracy is higher today than ever. Because of our ignorance, dishonesty, indifference, and lethargy hence our silence and apathy we gave fertile grounds for the growth and development of dictatorship from 1994 to 2016. The price we paid for our dishonesty, ignorance and indifference is all too clear to us.

Today, we are seeing the same scenario repeating itself and we have no one to blame but ourselves. If the emergence of dictatorship took us by surprise yesterday, today we cannot claim the same excuse.

On 15 August 2021 the President unambiguously and directly and specifically stated in a public event at State House that come December 4th, if he wins the election, he will close down political activity. To strengthen that resolve, he said he will ask the IGP to not issue any permits to anyone for political activity. That statement by the President is the greatest threat posed to our democracy and Republic. It is a direct violation of the Constitution for which he should have faced impeachment if The Gambia was a normal country!

Effectively, the President intends to turn The Gambia into a one-party state under a tyranny never seen before. This is because when you deny every citizen and every political party to freely and openly participate in the affairs of the country, it means only the President will be left to engage in political activity together with those who support him. That’s the definition of a one-party state!

President Adama Barrow wants to bring back that Yaya Jammeh style of governance where only he and his party engage and participate. In that system, there will be many parties but they conduct politics at a cost to their lives and limb. It means any citizen who wishes to hold the Government accountable does so at his or her own peril. In other words, the country will be claimed to be a democracy but in fact it is a one-party authoritarian state as we had under that Tinpot Dictator. Resist.

The press release issued by his Spokesman Ebrima Sankareh has given us enough information that indeed the President intends to close this country down. Read the last paragraph of that press release to see the true intention of the President and his Government. They are now saying that they will go to the National Assembly to create a law to effectively close down or control social media.

The threat against social media has been ongoing since this Government took over. But remember that if you control, limit or close down social media then it means you are attacking free speech. It also means you are attacking free and independent media. It also means you are attacking freedom of assembly and the rest of our fundamental freedoms.

I am very worried, scared, concerned, angry and disturbed at the idea of controlling social media. This is the only marketplace where citizens have to express themselves hence participate, influence and determine the political life of their communities and country. If you close this space then it means popular participation, transparency and accountability are dead hence corruption, ineptitude, abuse and violations will go unnoticed and unchallenged.

If indeed the President’s concern was only about the insults spewed from mainly political opponents, then the President should be the first to address his supporters to stop insulting. NPP and Barrow supporters in general are among the leading insulters in the country. But the President has never stopped or suspended or expelled any supporter because of insults. Therefore it is false to claim that the President is concerned about insults on social media.

Therefore, all Gambians must now recognize that President Adama Barrow poses a clear and present danger to democracy and the peace and stability of the Republic. The President is the leading threat to human rights contrary to his oath of office and the Constitution.

Citizens must be ready to stop him. Let us not allow party politics, tribalism, indifference and other sectarian considerations make us ignore the national threat we face from none other than the President himself. This President wants to turn this country into a dictatorship. All citizens have a historic and constitutional right and duty to resist that. 100%.

Stand up against Tyranny! Defend Democracy.

For The Gambia ?? Our Homeland

By Madi Jobarteh

The press release of the Government Spokesman Ebrima Sankareh seeking to clarify the anti democratic comments of the President is unnecessary and not true. To claim that the President’s remarks came about because of his concern about insults in political discourse is unfounded. This is because President Barrow was a witness when his ministers, surrogates and supporters have used his own political rallies to rain insults on his opponents.

During his meet the people’s tours, the President sat in rallies as his supporters released missiles of insults without him taking any step to stop them right in the middle of their tirades. If he were concerned, he would have made sure such people are stopped ASAP and reprimanded. That’s what responsible leaders do.

Rather, we saw how the President was giggling when his Minister Henry Gomez was ridiculing opposition leader Ousainou Darboe in their Brikama rally in 2019. Just a few weeks ago, Barrow was again smiling as Minister Hamat Bah called political opponents rats. Barrow never stopped them rather he enjoyed the show.

There are uncountable media platforms in support of Barrow where his supporters continuously insult, ridicule and abuse individuals they disagree with or oppose. I have been a subject of such ridicule and insults from prominent Barrow supporters which are shared in his social media platforms. https://youtu.be/VesV5Snr01I

Therefore if Sankareh is claiming that the President is concerned about insults, I wish to state that Ebrima G Sankareh is indeed speaking bongums. What the President said about shutting down politics, whatever that means, is not a slip of the tongue or a concern about insults or anything. Otherwise we would have seen Barrow cleanse his own social media platforms first and publicly sanction supporters who indulge in insults and abuse. But he never did.

Indeed what the President said is the imagination and advice from his technocrats including the Minister of Information Ebrima Sillah and his Spokesman Ebrima Sankareh and others in State House. That’s the only interpretation we can give otherwise Sillah or Sankareh would have told the President to avoid such undemocratic statements. But this is their thinking that they are hellbent on implementing someday.

This threat to clamp down on political activity and freedom of expression is a calculated attempt to silence citizens. It is intended to shield the President and his Government from public scrutiny. It is a means to prevent anyone from holding Barrow and his Administration accountable hence serve to perpetuate corruption, cover up ineptitude, abuse of office and human rights violations.

Therefore Barrow and his Ministers, technocrats and advisors know very much what he is talking about. Just because they have failed to control the narrative, now their strategy therefore is to silence every voice so that they would become the only source of opinion and information in the country. That’s the definition of dictatorship.

Therefore let Sankareh shove this nonsensical press release to where he wants it, but no Gambian should waste time to even give it the benefit of doubt. Rather all citizens must become alert and vigilant that this unconstitutional and undemocratic words of the President are indeed the voice of a dictator! We must resist! Now.

Therefore, on my part, I wish to send Ebrima Sankareh to both Pres. Adama Barrow and IGP Abdoulie Sanyang to tell them that we The Gambia people shall not allow and will resist to death their diabolical attempt to close our mouths and our eyes! This country does not belong to them and they are not the kings of The Gambia!

The sovereignty of The Gambia resides in the People of The Gambia and all State organs, institutions and public officials derive their power, legitimacy and authority from we the People, and all State organs, institutions and public officials perform their duties on our behalf and for our welfare. This is the language of the Constitution that Adama Barrow swore to uphold and defend on the 19 January 2017 in Dakar, Sénégal.

A word to the wise is enough!

For The Gambia ?? Our Homeland

By Dibba Chaku

It has become apparent that one thing that continues to reverberate in President Barrow’s ears is the notion that he and his administration are the ones that allow freedom of expression and politicking in our new dispensation, and this is far-fetched. Mr. President is being ill-advised that the presumed autocratic powers that his predecessor had and used to stifle dissent and abrogate the rights of Gambians are the same powers at his disposal. Hence the recent premonition that political agitators on the other side of the aisle will be barred from navigating the political landmines after the December polls in which he is anticipating victory. Will this be the beginning of the erosion of democratic principles, or is it just an incumbent drenched in a pool of paranoia trying to resuscitate a re-election agenda that appears to be on life support? Either way, democracy appears to be in danger.

Should we remind Mr. President that the freedom that Gambians are enjoying today was not conceived and born within three months? Matter of fact, it had a twenty-two-year gestation period that ravaged families, consumed lives, incapacitated many, exiled others, disenfranchised a lot, and irreversibly changed lives. So, when the Gambian people voted for change in 2016, it was not because we saw a would-be quintessential leader in Adama Barrow. Instead, we knew we had a situation that decelerated from bad to severely messed up, and that the status quo could not be allowed to continue in perpetuity. That was a common denominator that bound us together as a unifying force to take on a dictator who thought his military might and spiritual capabilities were enough fortification against all forces. This freedom of ours was never given to us on a silver platter, it was earned and will be safeguarded against usurpation.

It is my fervent belief that the powers vested in Mr. President today will be the exact same powers that he will have after the December polls should he win the elections. So why wait until December to use those powers? If they are advising you that you have both manpower and firepower to stifle dissent, why not act now? You can go ahead and instruct your Inspector General of Police to start dancing to your music if the choreography is indeed lively. It would be interesting to see if the IG and his men will be coerced to stifle dissent by any means necessary as a way of appeasing their commander-in-chief who is now averse to multiparty democracy and dissenting views. Watching that crowd erupt in a clapping frenzy as Mr. President vows to stop political opponents from holding rallies and other political activities after the December polls is just mind-boggling.

A great writer once wrote that “the mind is a powerful force. It can enslave us or empower us. It can plunge us into the depths of misery or take us to the heights of ecstasy. Learn to use the power wisely.” Do not be misguided by those who know better, but just will not do better like they have done when your predecessor was at the mantle of leadership in The Gambia.

By Benjamin Joof

The impulse reaction of the cynics would be to dismiss the headline as “apples to oranges”, but the political journeys of Obama and Dr. Ceesay are mirroring each other by the day. The promise of hope, confidence and charisma, youthful exuberance and overly professorial add to their charm while on the campaign road for the office of the presidency.  Obama may have overcome the odds in the United States, but the political reality of the Gambia remains far removed from looks and books.

Dr. Ismaila Ceesay Citizen’s Alliance plans offers change to the chronic economic hardship the people of The Gambia endure daily, and that is the same hope Barack Obama campaigned while seeking his first mandate. CA’s manifesto spells out strategies to build housing units, uplift the citizenry by bringing economic prosperity, restructuring the NAWEC nightmare, good health system, eliminate corruption and most importantly, introduce security measures to protect lives and properties of Gambians. The hope and promise of a vision to be delivered by the Citizen Alliance sound exactly like the Obama “change” slogan.

If Ceesay walks into any ad office, creative directors can draft at least ten storyboards in one sitting.  This is because of the vision he lays out for Gambians are pragmatic and promising, therefore, his tone, character, and temperament may well be tolerated by even the uninitiated. In the same vein, Obama’s long shot care act, infrastructure plan, clean energy, climate activism and uplifting the middle class became after all what the voters wanted.  The play book of Obama’s 2008 campaign is directly in the hands of Dr. Ceesay, and he is exploiting the spoils.

“You never have a second chance to make a first impression”, that may be a bit of a cliché, but Obama rose to the ranks at the 2004 Democratic convention as key speaker and gained support, while Dr. Ceesay handled himself well on the primetime Paradise TV debate on the woes of the Coalition Government. Additionally, on the same faceoff with respected P.D.O.I.S leader Halifa Sallah, he set the stage and propelled his political growth.  He has broken the myth and stood equal with the veteran politician at the end of the debate, and that won him the hearts of many at least for the time.  Similarly, Obama too became politically matured when he rivalled Hilary Clinton for the Democratic Primaries in 2008.  What a campaign it was!

Ceesay has a gift of communication, and as tutelage of Gambian politics, he is able to simplify himself without being overly professorial.  And for the local language audience, he speaks with absolute clarity, articulate and boisterous. His spoken Wollof is “tallif” (poetry) sounding like a man who may have been breastfed by a “Ndarr” mother or raise as a member of the Diocese of Banjul Lector’s Group. Up close, his speeches and interviews may as well be renditions of Obama’s big moments.

With these beaming similarities, the effects of Obama may be brewing in the 2021 presidential campaign in The Gambia. And just maybe, on that voting December day, Ceesay’s ballot box may load enough marbles voted by friends, foes, and even the somnambulists, giving him the benefit of the doubt. “You have done what the cynics say, we couldn’t do” (Obama) words of thanks after winning the 2008 New Hampshire primary. Are we in for a surprise in Banjul? With undisclosed campaign chest to spend, the wind is gravitating towards the Dr. Ceesay and his Citizen’s Alliance.

By Madi Jobarteh

It is not only ignorant but equally arrogant for a sitting President to claim that there is a time when politics should end. It is even more unconstitutional for such a president to threaten citizens by saying he will order the IGP to refuse permits to citizens to exercise their right to freedom of assembly.

The right to freedom of assembly is a fundamental human right that is entrenched in the Constitution. No person or authority can take away that right except the people themselves in a referendum. Hence for President Barrow to threaten citizens that he will seize this fundamental right clearly indicates his dictatorial tendencies.

I call on all citizens to stand up to stop the Barrow Tyranny from blossoming in our land. We must not allow another tinpot dictator to emerge in this country. By his remarks in this video, Barow has finally and unambiguously and forcefully told us that he is a tinpot dictator waiting to explode!

Politics is the process through which citizens manage the affairs of their society. It is through politics that Barrow was elected. It is trough politics that Barrow conducts his meetings at State House and holds press conferences and tours the country. Barrow has uncountable associations and media platforms that are engaging with communities and spreading unpleasant and insulting messages against his opponents, daily.

Yet Barrow has not stopped these activities but he has the audacity to tell citizens to stop politics. What does Barrow think he is? We govern and develop this country through politics. Hence politics is the life of a human being and society. To tell a human being to stop politics is like taking a fish out of water! Resist.

I urge all citizens and more so the political parties, CSOs, and the National Assembly to scold Barrow until he chokes to swallow back those despicable, undemocratic, unconstitutional remarks that he utterred in a meeting with a group of people from Jeshwang at State House!

Let the IGP Abdoulie Sanyang be on notice that as IGP he is under no obligation to serve the personal political objectives of any president. If he does so, he will be violating his obligations to uphold the Constitution. In that case, none but him alone shall pay the price.

For The Gambia ?? Our Homeland.

By Madi Jobarteh

Not long ago Pres. Barrow outraged the nation when he said he prefers death to losing the elections. Before that it was Minister Hamat Bah who described political opponents as rats. Then we heard the Defense Minister Sheikh Omar Faye insult the whole nation with his despicable ‘suck it up’ comment. The list continues…

Today Hon. Alagie S Darboe also has the audacity to release very inappropriate words on his campaign trail by saying that when UDP wins, it will be enjoyment time! According to the Fatu Network, he said this in Salikeni.

“This is the time to come [to join UDP]. Those struggling now for change will be the ones who would enjoy when enjoyment time comes. You do me, I do you is what is going to happen.

“You can sit there saying you will only come [join UDP] when enjoyment times comes. If you do not come now and you want to come during enjoyment time, we will close the door,” Mr Darboe said.

What enjoyment time? To enjoy what? Hon. Darboe needs to clarify this scary statement about I do you and you do me. That’s quid pro quo – the formula for corruption, nepotism, favoritism and maslaha.

Politics is not about enjoyment. ‘Quid pro quo’ should not find its way into our political parties and Government. Politicians and political parties should not speak about assuming state power in terms of enjoyment. When political parties win elections and assume office, they are expected to work very hard to salvage the country and change lives and improve livelihoods.

A ruling party has no business ‘enjoying’ other than working. Hence the comments by Hon. Darboe are indeed concerning. Let Hon. Darboe and UDP canvass for votes in any lawful way they could but they should not be spreading messages that give the impression that they will be sharing the national cake among those who support the party.

The national cake belongs to all Gambians regardless of party affiliation. No citizen is expected to support a party on the basis of enjoyment after winning the election. A party that wins presidential elections becomes the ruling Government and exerts control over public resources and public institutions. But public resources and institutions are not booty to be shared among some people on the basis of political support.

Hon. Alagie S Darboe, as the UDP Administrative Secretary should create appropriate language and messages to use in their campaign. Such messages as the one he used in Salikeni is inappropriate as it points to corruption and exclusion.

I call him to retract these unfortunate comments and henceforth commit himself and his party to using appropriate language. No amount of fanfare and exuberance can justify such comments.

Our political parties must set and uphold the highest values and standards of we are going to salvage this country of ours!

Fact-check and cross check politicians.

For The Gambia Our Homeland

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.

By Madi Jobarteh

The deployment of armed police to the KMC to forcefully install the CEO who has been put under suspension by the General Council for alleged corruption is a clear indication of abuse of power and dictatorship by the Executive. The Executive cannot dictate to the local governments how they should govern themselves especially when an area council is acting within its lawful powers.

All residents of KM, all citizens of the Gambia, CSOs, political parties and businesses should condemn this act of dictatorship by the Executive without delay. The National Assembly should summon the Minister of Lands and Regional Governments to tell him that he is overstepping his bounds.

The Executive should be told to uphold democracy and good governance principles by resorting to the Courts to address differences. But by sending the armed police to impose their will means the Executive has taken the law into its own hands in total disregard of the due process. This tantamount to dictatorship, abuse of power and interfering with local governments.

The KMC General Council has taken a decision which they think is lawful according to the Local Government Act. If the Executive thinks their action is unlawful according to the same law, the only place for the Executive to establish who is right or wrong is the Courts. But the Executive cannot determine on its own that it is right as if they are the Courts.

Hence a Government that is committed to democracy and good governance would have gone to the Courts first to get a declaration and an order in its favour to have the CEO installed, if it thinks it is right. If the Courts decide otherwise, then the Executive must also respect that decision as well.

The Gambia is not supposed to be a dictatorship. The Gambia is not a monarchy. Pes. Adama Barrow is not a king or emperor of the Gambia. Minister Musa Drammeh is not a sultan, duke or baron of the Gambia such that he thinks he has the powers to impose his will on public institutions such as KMC as if such institutions are his fiefdom or personal property. That Yaya Jammeh kind of thinking must be condemned, smashed and buried for good.

This action by the Executive is unconstitutional, illegal and contravenes every aim and objective of the national decentralisation agenda and the overall good governance of the Gambia.

I urge KMC to immediately take the Executive to Court to seek a declaration that the deployment of PIU into KMC is illegal and should be removed. I urge the National Assembly to convene an extra-ordinary session to discuss this matter and to pass a motion of censure on Minister Musa Drammeh to sack him from office for violation of the Constitution, abuse of office and gross misconduct. Musa Drammeh must be told that he does not own the Gambia.

For The Gambia Our Homeland

By Basidia M Drammeh

Veteran politician Halifa Sallah and political pundit Dr. Ismaila Ceesay must be commended for mustering courage and audacity to square off in a first-debate of its kind in Gambia’s history. The debate adds nuance to Gambia’s democratic dispensation and sets the tone for the 2021 presidential elections. Gambia’s politics has long been characterized by drum-beating, fanfare, empty promises and character assassination rather than focus on issues and policies to address socio-economic challenges in a country beset by abject poverty and bedevilled by endemic corruption and bureaucratic ineptitude for more than half a century since the country attained (in)dependence.

Since the debate was announced following Dr. Ceesay’s brazen challenge of members of the Coalition, there had been feverish anticipation for the debate involving two political luminaries. Dr. Ceesay accused all members of the Coalition of failing Gambians who reposed their trust in them to deliver the new Gambia after the uprooting of the former dictatorial regime of President Jammeh. Honourable Sallah, widely seen as the mastermind of the 2016 Coalition, wasted no time in accepting the challenge.

The two gentlemen have not only deliberated over the 2016 coalition, which was the genesis of the debate but they were also engaged in heated exchanges over policy and the way forward to pull the Gambia out of its economic woes and stagnation.

To me, both gentlemen have won by beating mediocre politics and raising the bar for other politicians in the country.

Veteran journalist Harona Drammeh deserves commendation for professionally moderating the program and raising all the relevant issues and pertinent questions. It goes without appreciating Kexx Sanneh for facilitating the debate.

I hope this momentum is maintained by extending invitations to all presidential aspirants to participate in presidential debates to highlight their policies and programs.

Politics of personal attacks, insults and character assassination must stop. Drum-beating politics should come to an end and make room for debating issues affecting the lives and the livelihoods of the masses.

By Madi Jobarteh

I have no congratulatory message for either Halifa Sallah or Ismaila Ceesay. Just to take part in a political debate does not deserve any commendation in a democratic republic. Rather they fulfilled their duty as politicians to speak to issues that concern our society. They have an obligation to tell me, as a citizen their political agenda in order to obtain my vote.

The fact that they took part in the debate serves their interest, first and foremost. For those politicians that may fail to debate can only harm their own political interests since I will not vote for a politician who fails to sell his or her agenda to me.

A political debate is significant but it is only one of many democratic avenues that politicians have to canvass for votes. We hope there will be more political debates which are usually organized by media, academia and civil society entities. Politicians who know better and have something to offer do participate to achieve their objectives. So there’s no need for congratulations.

In this debate, the topic was unfortunately sidestepped for which Halifa Sallah, Ismaila Ceesay, Harona Drammeh and the journalists present must be blamed. The whole purpose of the debate was to address the claim that Coalition 2016 was a failure by its leaders. Hence I expected to hear from Halifa how this was not the case and to hear from Ismaila how this failure was the case.

Unfortunately, Halifa did not respond to that issue but picks the story from the long distant GOFER issue in 2015 and electoral reforms. He went further to pontificate about the strategy and bravery of Coalition 2016 to the removal of the Tinpot Dictator. He made a clearcut distinction between the winning of the election and the reforms that were to be made as per the Coalition MoU and Manifesto. He either avoided or downplayed that aspect which is in fact the very subject of the debate.

The truth of the matter is that Coalition 2016 was about system change. Regime change was the first step which was to give birth to system change. Read the MoU and Manifesto of the Coalition and Candidate Barrow to see how clear and smart deliverables were listed to bring about system change. But as soon as they assumed power in which Coalition parties and politicians became the holders of key positions in both the Executive and Legislature, they failed to bring about system change until today! They abandoned the agenda.

Therefore Ismaila, who raised the allegations in the first place, also failed to go far enough to expose how Halifa and the Coalition leaders failed in bringing about system change.

For example, I expected Ismaila to raise several questions to Halifa such as why was the MoU not signed as alleged by Ousainou Darboe but countered by PDOIS leaders. I expected Ismaila to point to the drifting away from the MoU in terms of the formation of the Cabinet. Why was the Coalition Executive Committee not set up or become functional, not to mention the various Coalition committees that more or less also dissolved into thin air as soon as the election was won.

Furthermore, I expected Ismaila to challenge Halifa as to what did he do to ensure that these Coalition structures and processes were set up and adhered to. In other words, how did PDOIS and Halifa actively defend the Coalition from disintegration which was actively perpetrated by UDP and Ousainou Darboe and all other Coalition parties and leaders, especially Fatoumata Tambajang, Isatou Touray, OJ, Hamat Bah, Ahmad Mai Fatty and the rest.

This means I expected Halifa to be direct and open by stating what he did to ensure that the Coalition and Pres. Barrow stayed on track. In that case, I expected him to also name names as to which Coalition parties and politicians played what part to enhance or prevent the Coalition from succeeding and who defended or failed to defend the Coalition and how?

Even when he shunned a Cabinet position and went to the National Assembly, what did he and other NAMs from other Coalition parties do to bring about system change through constitutional and legal reforms? Apart from that, how did they ensure that the Executive is law abiding, transparent and accountable? What is apparent is that this National Assembly has been ineffective in disciplining the Executive, rather they have continuously overlooked the notoriety of the Executive in flouting the Constitution. The latest evidence is the SAB they passed last week.

To me, this debate is a platform for transparency and accountability to render account to citizens. As the chief convener of the Coalition, Halifa owes it to citizens to tell us who and what was responsible for the successes and failures, if there are. Thus I am disappointed that he refused to name names but rather sending innuendos and insinuations.

Then the moderator, Harona also failed to play the role of the true captain by ensuring that the debate did not drift into something else. Harona and the journalists should have focused on the Coalition MoU and Manifesto and take note of their performance since 2017 to date so that the right questions are asked.

At the end of the debate, there was no serious interrogation of the Coalition successes and failures beyond the election. That should have been the issue, in the first place. Surely Ismaila Ceesay knows that the Coalition won the presidential election, hence when he talked about the failure of the Coalition it was not about voting day. Rather it was about the implementation of the MoU and the Manifesto whose objectives were to bring about system change. The fact that the MoU calls for the presidential candidate to be an independent and serve 3 years indicates that the goal was system change which was explicitly outlined in both the MoU and the Manifesto.

Thus the moderator and the journalists present should not have allowed the debate to drift away into PDOIS and CA party programs especially about the economy. That was not the topic. That’s for another debate.

The moderator and the journalists should have pinned Ismaila down to express how and why the Coalition failed and also pin down Halifa to state how and why the Coalition was not a failure, but if so, what and who was responsible including the role PDOIS and Halifa played to ensure success and to defend the Coalition.

At the end of the day we are still in square one as to the successes and failures of the Coalition as far as the political leaders are concerned. To me, the Coalition is a classic failure and only its constituent parties and politicians reaped the benefits to the total detriment of the masses.

I am also ready to debate anyone on earth about that!

For The Gambia Our Homeland

By Sana Sarr

So…, the stage is set for a debate between presidential candidates Dr. Ismaila Ceesay of Citizens Alliance and Halifa Sallah of the PDOIS. To many, this is a most welcome development because it will be the first political debate between Presidential Candidates in modern Gambian history. It’s rather refreshing for voters to see aspiring presidents face each other and discuss matters of national interest in a civil, mature and productive manner. Personally, I love it! And I hope it’s the first of many such engagements.

As with everything else, there are critics, which is understandable, but I must admit that I found some of the comments rather sad and unfortunate especially given that they’re from entities I thought would know better. Here’s some of the gems I’ve seen online over the past couple of days.

“Halifa Sallah and Dr. Ceesay are doing this only to show off their education or elitism. It’s all talk for them.”

This argument is mostly from those who support leaders they do not trust to be able to hold their own on such a platform. Due to huge egos, a lack of ideas, a lack of the personality/charisma or other qualities required for a debate, some of the party leaders dread stepping on stage to discuss issues. They’d rather attend political rallies, preach to the choir and rely on identity politics and politics of benachin ak sabarr. How on earth is displaying your intelligence not a great thing for someone who wants to be trusted with the presidency??? If you want to win votes, we should be demanding that you win the voters over with your intelligence, strength, empathy, education and any other good qualities that can help make you a good president.

“Dr. Ceesay has bitten off more than he can chew. Halifa Sallah will embarrass him.”

This one is from those who have long held the belief that Halifa Sallah and the PDOIS are the only “educated” politicians. This is to Halifa’s credit because he consistently displayed a deep understanding of issues and is ever ready to explain them on any platform. As a result, his supporters admire him and his opponents are terrified to face him. Unfortunately, this challenge to a debate is hard to stomach by those from both camps. Fortunately for Gambia, this will be an awakening that nobody, not Halifa and certainly not Dr. Ceesay, has a monopoly on ideas, intelligence, education or eloquence. With adequate research and preparation, anyone can hold their own to defend their ideas. At the end of the day for this debate, we would have heard from both leaders, hopefully with convincing and productive ideas. They will go down in history as the pioneers of Presidential debates. The debate has grabbed the attention of the nation and millions will be watching around the world. Both leaders will have the opportunity to reassure many of their followers to keep supporting them. Both will also have the opportunity to win over one or two opponents or neutral voters to their side. They are all winners. The masses, especially the young, would also have been shown that we can engage each other in civil political discussions despite our differences. Therefore, Gambia WINS…and that’s way more important than any perceived wins/losses by the candidates.

“My party leader will not debate either of these candidates because they are at a higher level.”

This is another from those who don’t foresee their candidate doing well on a debate stage. I’m not sure whether it even makes sense in the thoughts of those who say it, ndah danj just degerr fitt! Dude, all these politicians are literally at the exact same level! They filled out the exact same forms at the IEC, collected the exact same number of signatures, paid the same amount and they are out canvassing for votes just like everyone else. If they are to be trusted enough to earn votes, we better pray they recognize that the office they’re vying for is to SERVE the people. We better pray that they have the basic understanding that appearing on a debate stage is not being done to please one’s opponents but to earn the trust of the Gambian voters who hold the ultimate power to elect them.

“One must be arrogant / ungrateful if they are challenging a member of Coalition 2016 and asking them to own up to the collective failures. The coalition got rid of the dictator and that should outweigh any failures.”

If I didn’t know better, i would call this one hypocritical, because I’m seeing it from the same individuals who never miss an opportunity to criticize President Barrow, the flag bearer of the Coalition 2016. The contradiction is unmissable, but is it hard to understand? Absolutely NOT! One does not need to look far to see that Coalition 2016 has succeeded in getting rid of the dictator, but it has fallen well short of the promises it made to Gambians. We can give due credit for getting rid of the dictator while still pointing out the failure to fulfill their promises. Tantang kosso ning juu gnanyaa buka taa, but we can walk and chew gum at the same time. The two are not mutually exclusive. We recognize where the argument is coming from. It’s from those who support leaders who were a part of Coalition 2016 who are willing to call out Barrow and Darboe’s failures, but want to whitewash their candidate of choice’s role in the collective failure. They’d rather brush it under the carpet except when it’s weaponized to crucify Barrow and Darboe. (No, I did not forget Hamat and Henry, they’re simply not worth my time).
The other problem I have with this argument is just how shortsighted it sounds. It’s the same chest-thumping our clueless Barrow goes on when he claims that he single-handedly got rid of the dictator. Remember the soldiers who took the risk to burn those ballots that the dictator meant to use to steal the elections? Remember the thousands of Gambian women and men who obtained voters cards to vote for the coalition? Remember Solo Sendeng who gave his life to demand electoral reforms? Yea, the same reforms these same coalition leaders and the parliament have failed to work on? Remember the thousands of diaspora Gambians who sent their meager earnings to fund Coalition 2016? Remember Alieu Momar Njie who put his life on the line to announce that the dictator had lost? Remember Reverend Hannah Faal who walked into State House and spoke truth to the brute? Remember…? How dare you act as if Coalition 2016 were just a bunch of superheroes who, all by themselves, flew in to save poor wretched Gambians who were on their last breath? Yes, we give credit to the leadership for having done a great job leading, but it is unconscionable to pretend as if Gambians from all walks of life did not contribute immensely to the change of government. Therefore, pointing out the failures of the same leadership in order to demand better for Gambians is not only prudent, it should be a national duty for all and should be commended. Gambians deserve better and we must demand better!

“The debate is futile because the topic is whether Coalition 2016 was a failure. It’s useless to discuss the past. Instead, the candidates should discuss the future.”

This one has to be the most disappointing not least because of the people I’ve seen it from. Coalition 2016 is arguably the most significant event in the history of the nation. People and nations around the world celebrated and admired The Gambia for what we were able to achieve – getting rid of a brutal dictator through the ballot box. There was overwhelming goodwill from all quarters and any door we knocked on would open. Rather than ride the wave and set ourselves on the path to everlasting prosperity, we squandered the opportunity in epic fashion. Selfishness, greed, lack of foresight, ego, arrogance and ignorance blinded the people we trusted and one can argue that we were led backward rather than forward. How on earth does one think, even for one second, that delving deep into learning why and how the failures came about, is futile. How do you not see that it’s essential, nay, critical, for us to study it and study it again if we are to avoid spinning our wheels in the suufi salenj of political mediocrity? After all, it’s mostly THE SAME LEADERS we trusted in 2016 who are now coming back to ask us to trust them again. It would be irresponsible to give anyone our vote without asking and fully understanding exactly what happened and why we should trust them again. Nkijo leyka farra everytime i see some people talk about how futile it is to break down such an important subject.

Despite all the noise, the misinformation, the distortions and the distractions, I will reiterate my commendation to the Mr. Halifa Sallah and Dr. Ismaila Ceesay for leading the way in the politics of ideas. Halifa and the PDOIS have been at it for decades and it’s great that Dr. Ceesay and CA have stepped up to the podium. I pray that the rest of the field develop the courage to engage in more dialogue.

“Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument” – Desmond Tutu

The commander of Yundum Barracks Lt Col Pierre Mendy died on Monday aged 57, eight months after testifying before the TRRC.

Mendy was a great commander who served his nation with distinction, a man who even laid down his life to protect both President Jawara and President Jammeh.

He will however be remembered for his memorable appearance at the TRRC last year where he testified on how soldiers led by the no-nonsense Umpa Mendy stormed his house in March 2006 and arrested him. Umpa took him straight to Mile 2 prison where he told him he was instructed to take him there.

Pierre Mendy was accused of being part of Ndure Cham’s coup. Two days after he was taken to Mile 2, the junglers among them Malick Jatta and Sanna Manjang visited Mendy at Mile 2 and took him to the NIA. While he was being taken back to Mile 2, he alleged Malick Jatta hit him on his head with his rifle and blooding started pouring from his head.

Again on March 25, Mendy was taken back to the NIA but this time taken to the ‘torture arena’ where he was mercilessly tortured by the junglers.

“It [torture] went up to 30 to 35 minutes,” he told the TRRC last year.

Mendy actually knew about the coup but he said he took it as a joke because he was a commander and all commanders are invited to the army headquarters for a meeting if there is an operational issue.

The TRRC will submit its return to President Barrow on September 30. Lt Col Mendy will not be there when this is done. Gob bless the soldier.