Tuesday August 11, 2020 marks the resumption of public defiance by Mali’s political opposition parties following their ten-day respite in observation of the Eid al-Fitr, a nightmare to the select ECOWAS mediating committee wishing the potential crisis ahead had breed a mere bad dream they will wake up from not to ever see or hear it again. Because wriggling their behinds out of this quicksand seems an unattainable challenge. The opposition leaders supported by the hormone-soused-unemployment-stricken youth have remained intransigent in their quest for total regime change including the removal of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita aimed at finally ridding Mali of a cancerous corruption undermining any effort to develop the country since gaining independence from France in 1960. And their concern is not only limited to economic corruption but political corruption as well often manifested by the executive branch of government flagrantly violating entrenched clauses in the constitution, unscrupulously influencing the judiciary and the legislature and stealing election votes to indefinitely remain in power.

Hence, as far as the belligerent Malians are concerned, all attempts by the ECOWAS mediating commission, reminiscent of the 2017 rogues that forced the APRC government out of power for President Jammeh’s alleged violation of the Gambian constitution when he annulled the controversial national election results, are now viewed as self-serving tactics from unethical leaders protecting the downfall of their comrade-in dishonesty.

Upon realizing their hopeless efforts, the mediators, spearheaded by President Mackey Sall of Senegal with Nigeria’s invalid president Muhammadu Bahari merely participating to prove to the Nigerians and the whole world that his pacemaker is still working and that he is not about to die yet as many think and wish him, are threatening to sanction the opposition if they refused to comply with their recommendations which, among other things, demands that President Keita must serve the rest of his term in office as enshrined for elected presidents in the Malian constitution.

That reasoning appeared quite tenable until France, the colonial master of some of these Africa puppets offered to help the Lebanese in their unexpected ongoing national crisis where President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to raise enough funds for the desperate “Lebanese people and nation” but on the condition that they will first have to change their corrupt leaders, infamous for looting every penny available in the state’s coffers and stashing it in foreign banks.

That is of course tantamount to conditioning the Lebanese to get rid of their corrupt government first in order to change Lebanon for the better no matter what their constitution says about mandates of elected officials or how long or short they must stay in office which to me has no difference with what the Malians are zealously fighting for.

How the Mackey Sall led ECOWAS team is going to reconcile the inconsistency of their efforts in Mali with that of France’s in Lebanon, whose African Neo-Colonial interest still gravitates towards retaining President Keita rather than risking a new leadership that may rebel against French control in Mali more or less complicates the whole situation.

Moreover, the latest political outlook in the Ivory Coast and Guinea Conakry where presidents Alassane Outtara and Alpha Conde respectively are outrightly contravening their national constitutions to run for third term while legally limited to only two terms tend to worsen the ECOWAS quandary. These leaders are also among the most financially and politically corrupt in the subregion, ready to butcher their constitutions and loot the nation’s treasures to ever stay in power.

The strident measures taken by our subregional leaders to ensure that the APRC government respected the constitution of the Gambia, irrespective of the controversial election results that triggered the whole impasse in 2017, seem to motivate the American government into warning the Ivorian and Guinean heads of state not to dare run for third terms. Why ECOWAS and AU are silent about these constitution-infringers, epitomizes the political corruption of our heads of state unfairly manipulating the senile elite running those archaic and useless organizations. Useless ECOMIG deployed in the Gambia since 2017, should now prepare to move to other hot spots in the subregion identified by the United States government.

United States Secretary of state Mike Pompeo is leaving no options out to see that Conde and Outtara do not stay in office a day beyond the end of their second term mandates. In a statement he recently released to the media-thanks Ebrima Chongan for forwarding the text in both English and French-this is what the English version says against the two crooks verbatim:

Following the events in West Africa particularly in Ivory Coast with President Alassane Outtara and in Republic of Guinea with President Alpha Conde, the State department and its staff are closely monitoring the political landscape; I am currently in contact with my counterparts with the EU, China, Russia and the African Union.

Listening to the speech the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic of Guinea the American government and its senate, EU and the UN Security Council have decided the following:

(i) Legal notice, with press releases, opinions and resolutions from UEMOA, ECOWAS, the African Union, the European Union, all of which is crowned by a resolution of the UN Security Council.

(ii) Economic sanctions with the suspension of disbursements from the World Bank, the International Monitory Funds, the European Union, the ADB: economic embargo on mining exports and imports of medicines.

(iii) military intervention covered by a UN Security Council resolution as well as travel restriction on members of the two governments.

We are hoping that both leaders and their respective governments will come to decisions according to their constitutions not to run for a third term.

How far the ECOWAS heads of state who fanatically intervened in the Gambian impasse under the leadership of President Mackey Sall of Senegal and Dr. Muhammad Ibn Chambers, the Ghanian-born UN representative for West Africa will go to enforce the American suggestion against these corrupt shockers remains to be seen? While they were ready to bomb the Gambia into rubbles and kill all “MFDC rebels” in the Gambia Armed Forces to enforce the dictates of the Gambian constitution, they all are shamelessly quiet about holding their colleagues accountable who in their illegal noncompliances have been abusing their national constitutions and killing unarmed peaceful protesters in droves.

Therefore I see no reason why the Malian opposition should be blamed, stopped or sanctioned and not supported in what looks like the first “African Spring” that will most likely hit Ivory Coast next before Guinea Conakry and then………….

France by every indication doesn’t want to see the departure of President Ibrahim Keita because of his commitment to serve them as another puppet in the French club of African Neo-Colonial presidents like Mackey Sall and Allasane Outtara.

But all crystal balls tend to reveal the same prophecy of the beginning of the “African Spring” to replace economically and politically corrupt Neo-Colonial governments with incorruptible true leaders determined to finally build the Africa that serves the needs and interest of its people and not the interest of a few greedy ones and their European masters.

Thanks for reading. Till next time.

Samsudeen Sarr

Banjul the Gambia.

Covid is a disease of the community, it is an existential threat against all of us and therefore we are all responsible for its spread or containment. Whether your proposition or supposition on the causes and effect of the pandemic is wrong or right we have sufficient time for that postmortem. In the heat of this battle all should be on one side and that side is against the not only the virus but also treacherous activities and words that help the enemy.

What formidable enemy do we need to discover our common humanity? We are confronted with a perfect enemy .. Invisible, Lethal, Fast, Immortal, and strategic. This is a unique opportunity to come together and fight or we will perish collectively. We watch in horror and post in cyber space the horrible accumulation of the dead and dying whilst the Red Cross take action. We watch whilst the youth of the “Vous,” that we constant berate take action to fumigate the cities and neighborhoods. Whilst we isolate and operate in cyber space, we forget true heroes, frontline workers who confront Covid every day at their own risk and peril.

Let us not resort to being bitter, the entire community is in distressed and we require all hands-on deck. We require everyone to be a leader in their homes and community by spreading knowledge and showing kindness.

To castigate the teams that collect the bodies, bury the dead, maintain the mortuary, fumigate the streets, our Doctor, Nurse, hotel staff and Frontline workers is unfair and counterproductive. These men and women have risen to the occasion and at times for less than $5 a day. They are our soldiers and need all support because they are already at their human limits Providing sustaining technical expertise and take supportive action. For the opinion leaders help focus attention for all Gambians individually and collectively could adapt their ingrained habits to improve our long-term health and survival.

We all know that we are faced with structural limitations in the Health infrastructure, the country is faced the leadership task of mobilizing the Gambians to make critical behavioral changes. This is the critical role I want you who is reading this piece to focus on the behavioral and culture changes to suppress the spread and flattened the curve. There is no cure nor vaccine and this is critical action to take.

The community and all of us, you, me our family and friends are faced with the adaptive work of figuring out which specific changes to make and how to incorporate them into our daily lives. Lets innovate ways to figure out in our homes, at work etc what needs to be done to reduce distress of neighbors and love ones and do it. We must regulate distress, support people to make those changes when their resources alone do not suffice, where their profession is their lifestyle.

In this important work we must stop the blame game, there will be time enough for the if we live long enough. each of us must look at ourselves and make changes. Except the lord builts the house we build in vain, May Allah protects and guide our action.

I quote

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”

-Rumi

The writer, Edirissa Mass Jobe, is the President of Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

I finally received the long-awaited letter from the office of the president, Statehouse Banjul, approving my application to meet the Gambian President, His Excellency Adama Barrow. I applied for an urgent audience about how among other issues, he can appoint me minister of defense and fire Shiekh Omar Faye. I didn’t necessarily mention it like that in the application but clearly told him how I want to serve his government as a permanent member of his team.

I arrived at the Statehouse in my best diplomatic suit, bought in Manhattan, New York City, just after the 2017 political impasse.

A well-dressed Senegalese protocol officer conducted my security screening to ensure that I had concealed no weapons and surrendered all personal electronic devices such as cell phones and the like before he ushered me into a very spacious room, beautifully furnished with brown-leathered settee, shiny vanished tables, gold-coated chairs and stools neatly arranged on a soft-red-carpeted floor. I just couldn’t determine whether the area was a presidential waiting room or a secondary office. It had the features of both but not like the elaborate office President Jammeh used to have.

I almost asked the Senegalese gentleman who introduced himself as Hadim Jobe-only Senegalese have such names-where veteran Chief protocol Alagie Ceesay was, whose duties I was told were now usurped by different protocol officers from Dakar. But I decided to reserve all questions for the president.

The meeting was supposed to start at 10:00 am, and the president walked in alone, three minutes before time which of course said a lot about his punctuality.

With due respect, President Yaya Jammeh was really Mr. late, a habit nobody could change in him.

Both the president and I strictly observed the preventive measures of the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing facial masks and seated at a reasonable distance apart. No hand sakes, fist or elbow bumping.

After exchanging one or two pleasantries the president got straight to business.

PRESIDENT BARROW: I read your application and understand from it that you need a job in my government and want me personally to offer you one.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Yes Sir, your excellency.

PRESIDENT BARROW: You see, I am supposed to be under self isolation, but when I received your letter I just couldn’t wait because I saw you as an opportunity to hire another excellent team-mate like my defense minister Honorable Shiekh Omar Faye. He is the best in my new team since I was betrayed by the first one that I had trusted so much.

That wasn’t what I expected at all; the unconcealed message of tossing my hopes of stealing Gorr’s job out in the window was disappointing. As if the president was reading my mind and the disappointment I felt, he fired the next question.

PRESIDENT BARROW: So where would you like to serve in my government Mr. Sarr? I know that you are a revolutionist but I think I can accommodate you somewhere.

Oh no, not again. My daughter, Yasaye Sarr had once told me about the president referring to me as a revolutionist when they first met in 2017.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: My daughter was one of your diehard supporters Sir, and she told me how you think of me as a revolutionist.

He laughed heartily and confirmed it.

PRESIDENT BARROW: That’s right, Yasaye Sarr. I sure remember her. She was great and a very close friend to the first lady, Fatoumata.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: I think they are still friends, but not sure how close they now are.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Does Yasaye still support me?

SAM LOBSTER SARR: I have no idea Your Excellency.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Hopefully, when I give you a job I will get her full support again, what do you think?

SAM LOBSTER SARR: I am not sure about that either; but all I can tell you about her is that, she is exceptionally intelligent and lives a very free and independent life.

We both remained silent for a brief moment as if we had ran out of ideas and words. In my imagination, he was expecting me to tell him the position I could best serve in his government.

It was however the defense ministry job I wanted, nothing more and nothing less,. I cannot get him to give me Shiekh Omar Faye’s job unless he fires him first; but while trying I thought the situation ideal enough to draw his attention to his government’s national security oversight requiring urgent rectification.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Mr. President, before getting into my desired job as a former soldier and commander of the Gambia National Army (GNA) I really think the Gambia Armed Forces has a lingering problem that needs immediate attention.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Don’t worry about that Mr. Sarr, all armed forces affairs are in the safe hands of my able defense minister. That is an area I will not discuss with anybody else.

Honorable Omar Faye knows all the ins and outs of military policies far better than any soldier, or commander who ever wore a uniform in this country or served in any unit in the armed forces including the all the Chiefs of Defense Staff ever appointed. I think he should have been invited to this meeting.

SAM LOBSTER STAR: I get the point Your Excellency, but I want you to hear me out on this one. Because I don’t think your defense minister or any of his surrogates will ever tell you what I am going to tell you.

PRESIDENT BARROW: That is hard to believe Mr. Sarr, but go ahead, I am listening.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: First of Mr. President, at this critical juncture of this brutal pandemic starting to wreck havoc in the country, several Gambians including previous skeptics in opposition of maintaining a national army are now clamoring for the immediate deployment of members of your armed forces to help in enforcing the state of emergency, without which the prospect of containing the spread of the disease seems hopeless.

I think it is a great idea but not necessarily a fair one to the troops Your Excellency. Our soldiers for over three years now have been virtually living a demoralized, dehumanized and marginalized life; so to suddenly turn to them for help in fighting this deadly but invisible enemy wouldn’t tell well of a considerate government or of their seemingly indifferent commanders. And trust me Your Excellency, even if you succeed in getting them out there on a command decision, be rest assured that while some risk-takers among them may see it as a way of finally regaining the trust and respect of your government, the well-informed constituting the majority will most likely obey your orders out of pure duress

Your Excellency, doesn’t it bother your conscience that their exposure to asymptomatic carriers alone because of their lack of the appropriate Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) with no expert supervision will mean deploying them to be infected. Yes as relatively being young with perhaps most of them immune to developing the disease, their infection could certainly translate into infecting their aging and/or sickly parents at home, the people mostly killed by COVID-19.

It reminds me of the 1990 ECOMOG Liberian debacle when the GNA having very young and inexperienced soldiers, had to execute their government’s mission in which they were, underpaid, under equipped, underfed and worst of all, refused their birth right to be buried in their country when killed in executing that mission. They continued to carry out that illegal mission until a Nigerian commander later realize such absurdity and cut down the number of troops to a ceremonial few. But left to the Gambian commanders, the irrational mission would have continued unchallenged.

So think about it Your Excellency and the preposterous empowering of foreign military forces in the country, enjoying the best pay, the luxury of maximum respect, not accountable to your government and doing nothing other than sitting on dubious orders designed to crush the Gambian soldiers if they ever misbehaved.

Mr. President, I think this is the first time most Gambians have recognized the indisputable importance of depending on our own troops rather than on these useless foreign troops in the country….

PRESIDENT BARROW: You cannot call them useless Mr. Sarr. Without them, I would have never been president.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: I totally understand that, Your Excellency. But the dynamics that warranted their presence in the country has been changed by the emergence of COVID-19, a global crisis that might possibly force them out of the country.

For instance, what do you expect to happen if the French government can no longer sustain the funding, on the rationale that you essentially have a strong standing army? Do you really expect another government in this financially distressful world to take up the tab from France? Obviously, neither your government, nor of Senegal’s can foot the bill.

After all, COVID-19 is the main war worth fighting today and tomorrow and we therefore need to trust our own soldiers rather than trivializing their essence. In the end it will only be the Gambian soldiers.

PRESIDENT BARROW: That’s a point Mr. Sarr. None of my ministers or commanders ever put it to me like that. I wonder why Honorable Faye didn’t ever mention such an important matter to me. But you are somehow right. We must start depending and trusting our own soldiers. I will discuss it with my defense minister and my colleague, President Mackey Sall.

However, I think you will be useful somewhere in my administration. Where do you think you can serve best?

At that moment we both went into another silent mode of thinking.

I broke the silence and gave him my recommendation on what needs to be done to regain the respect and trust of the Gambian troops. That, the French and Senegalese must realize the necessity to reduce the ECOMIG and Senegalese forces in the country by half and instead of paying them D700,000,000.00 per annum, half of it D350,000,000.00 being paid to the GAF. That will decently augment their salaries and change their negative perception of the government.

The president assured me of looking into my proposal before I jumped to the next subject. I still want him to give me Shiekh Omar Faye’s job. All my marabouts told me that I can talk the president into firing Faye and hiring me.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: But Mr. president, if you don’t mind me asking, why are you in self isolation or quarantine? You appear pretty okay and also learned that you tested negative from the virus.

PRESIDENT BARROW: You mean to tell me that you didn’t hear about Cindy Hellman’s conora virus infection?

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Is coronavirus Sir not conora virus and I didn’t know that you also tease the Vice President with that name, Cindy Hellman.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Now let’s get this straight Mr. Sarr; if you want to work in my government you better start learning how to live with my mis-pronouncement of certain English words. The English language has always been very stupid to me.

And as for Cindy Hellman, I am glad she is away for awhile. She talks too much and too loud. Two day before being tested positive of the conora virus she spat all over my face while explaining what I had to do to avoid being infected. But the woman got infected. Can you believe it?

With a broad smile in his face, the president leaned back on his chair as if organizing his thoughts together. I was almost tempted to again tell him that it is coronavirus and not conora virus. But I still need the defense minister’s job.

He continued on his traumatic experience with the vice president spitting in his face.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Mr. Sarr, I had to soak myself in a container of bleach and water to disinfect myself soon after closing from work that day. I hope she will stay away for the rest of the year.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: But Sir, now that you and the vice president are under quarantine, who is in charge of the government? Should it be the speaker or the Chief Justice?

PRESIDENT BARROW: That sounds like a constitution question Mr. Sarr. Are you not from Serekuda where Halifa Sallah lives?

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Yes, Mr. President, Halifa Sallah and I lived and grew up in the same neighborhood in Serekunda; but I was hoping to hear it from the horse’s mouth with the assumption that you also understand what the constitution says about who should be in charge in the event the president and the vice president are both incapacitated.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Astahfurlah! Inpacaci what? I don’t understand the word, but it doest’t sound good at all Mr. Sarr.

We talked about the word “incapacitate” until he understood it and started pronouncing it right.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: But Your Excellency, I also heard that the Speaker Mrs. Mariam Jack Denton whom I understand should be next in line has not been feeling well lately and is on doctor’s excuse duty. Is her illness COVID related as well?

PRESIDENT BARROW: I have no idea whatsoever. Infected people don’t want others to know about their infection.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: There is nothing to that Sir. Letting others know will indeed help in controlling the spread of the virus. After all, the majority of people infected recover quickly, just like in malaria cases which is equally deadly. I still hope and pray that the Speaker is not infected by the virus.

PRESIDENT BARROW: The other day, I read the paper you wrote in the Standard Newspaper also published by the online Freedom Newspaper where you questioned the seriousness of the National Assembly Members about the dangers of the conora virus.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Oh, so you read my articles Sir? Thanks……..

PRESIDENT BARROW: I occasionally find time to read your writings but don’t agree with most of your ideas.

However, in that article, you advised them well. The speaker should have been more vigilant and disallowed NAMs not wearing face masks from entering the house.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: That’s right Your Excellency, even the dynamic Hon. Sedia Jatta failed to wear mask in the beginning while debating whether to pass the 90 days or 45 days state of emergency declaration. No wonder, by their example most Gambians in the beginning never took the disease seriously.

PRESIDENT BARROW: I noticed that about Uncle Sedia Jatta………

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Mr. President sorry for the interruption, but you are the father, uncle and older brother of everybody in this nation, Gambian and non-Gambian alike. You should therefore never call anyone uncle, father or ‘kotor’. It is very unpresidential and of course very unprofessional. Joe Biden and Hilary Clinton could be respectively an uncle and an aunt to President Barack Obama, but he calls them by their first names and never uncle, aunt or dad. Senegal’s President Wade could have been President Jammeh’s grandfather but the Gambian leader treated him like equals. That Gambian mentality has to be discarded.

PRESIDENT BARROW: You now know why I call you a revolutionist. This is our culture. Uncle Sedia, Uncle O.J., Uncle Dembo By Force will always be my uncles. No matter what.

Anyway where was I again?

SAM LOBSTER SARR: On how Hon. Sedia Jatta didn’t have his mask at the…….

THE PRESIDENT: That’s right, at the National Assembly. But tell me, who dares to discipline Uncle Sedia Jatta? The man read too many books and speaks English like a Rolls Royce and he always has Uncle Halifa as backup to make you feel that your parents wasted the school fees they paid for your education for not properly understanding the constitution.

They were all part of my original team but you know what I did to them when I got President Mackey Sall as my adviser?

SAM LOBSTER SARR: I don’t, your excellency.

PRESIDENT BARROW: I understand you are very good at playing the fool Mr. Sarr; I read about your story at Mile Two in 1994, but you will have to figure this one out for yourself.

But to be honest, I like the speaker and will always be happy for her to watch my back whenever I am inpacasi what again?

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Incapacitated, your excellency.

PRESIDENT BARROW: I hate the English language.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Ok Your Excellency, back to my question, now that you the president, Dr. Touray, the vice president…..

PRESIDENT BARROW: No, it is Cindy Hellman.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Alright sorry about that; I mean you the president, your vice president Cindy Hellman, your speaker Mrs. Jack Denton Speaker are all indisposed, should’t it be the Chief Justice Assan Jallow who should in the mean time take charge?

PRESIDENT BARROW: Mr. Sarr, can you explain where you get all these funny English words that I never hear people speaking? Indisposal! Have I said it right?

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Close, it is Indispose sir, simply meaning being unwell or sick.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Why can’t you say unwell or sick but indisposal just to confuse me?

Before I could respond the president suddenly got up from his seat walked to the door, slightly opened it and put his head out as if looking for something or somebody outside before coming back to take his seat.

PRESIDENT BARROW: I have to make sure that nobody is around to hear what I want to say about my Chief Justice, Assan Jallow.

I had to concentrate well not to miss anything on this one.

PRESIDENT BARROW: You know Mr. Sarr, I don’t like to read books at at all and can even say that I hate reading English books; but as president, I took my time to read Kairaba, the book authored by our late president, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara.

I am sure you read the book too, didn’t you?

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Yes I did Your Excellency.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Fine, did you read what Sir Dawda wrote about how Mr. Jallow as his Justice Minister abandoned him on 21st July 1994 when he arrived from London, the day before the coup?

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Yes Your Excellency, I did. Sir Dawda in the book expressed his disappointment with Mr. Jallow’s behavior that day as one of his most trusted ministers who had deputized for his vice president whom nobody could tell him why he had failed to appear at his welcoming ceremony at Yundum International Airport.

PRESIDENT BARROW: That is it. But the absence of Vice President Sahou Sabally was not only the issue that bothered Sir Dawda but more so the failure of Minister Jallow to respect the protocol of accompanying him to the Statehouse and briefing him about the state of the nation since his departure a month ago.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: That’s right Your Excellency. By then the rumors of an imminent coup by the army was known to all senior government officials but which nobody wanted to reveal to the president.

THE PRESIDENT: So you see, that shows how well I understood every page in that book, although you always accuse me of being dyslexic. Jallow like most of the PPP opportunists simply abandoned president Jawara at a very critical moment. My defense minister Shiekh Omar Faye would never have done that.

I screamed in my heart in opposition to that misconception. I had the urge to tell him to ask his predecessor Yaya Jammeh about Omar Faye when he was faced with a similar circumstance in 2016. Instead, I moved on.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: But sir, if you think of the Chief Justice so low why hire him.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Most of those appointments were forced on me by my fathers, uncles and brothers. I didn’t know much about them or anything about government. But I am now learning fast.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: I understand Mr. President but on a different subject, I always argue that President Mackey Sall of Senegal hijacked the transition from the coalition to take control of the political narrative of the post-Jammeh era.

So why not focus on Ministers like Dr. Tangara and Mr. Omar Faye at these uncertain times since they initiated the Senegalese intervention and support their continued presence in the country? I think Mackey Sall still treats you like a brother and is always ready to help.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Sarr, you don’t mind me calling you Sarr, do you?

SAM LOBSTER SARR: No problem Your Excellency.

PRESIDENT BARROW: It is no longer like that. Before the outbreak of the pandemic Mackey was my most trusted adviser, but since the disease started taking over nations and destroying world economies he has been nothing to me but a jackass.

Don’t look at me like that Sarr, I got that word from you and I like to call certain people that name. Mackey is now one of them.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: But Your Excellency, it is possible that he is in more trouble than he is willing to admit to you. Consider the magnitude of problems facing his government since the outbreak of the pandemic that stopped Senegalese from enjoying their “Lamba”, singing and dancing addiction?

That’s like ripping out the heart and soul of Senegal from its whole body. Beside, I think the case of Mali is currently a major problem to all of the heads of state in the subregion. Why are you not active in that negotiation?

PRESIDENT BARROW: That’s why I say to you that Mackey is a jackass. He should have included me in that negotiation like he used to do.

I also read your story about the London Investment meeting where I was unusually but obviously absent. I tried to hitch a ride from his plane to attend and he assured me a place with all my entourage.

I was going to take both Fatoumata and Sarjo this time. And to avoid the tasteless European food they usually serve, I packaged enough “Kong” (catfish), palm-oil, ‘nettetu’, jumbo for our own ‘Super Kanjas, and domodas’; you know what I mean, don’t you?

But before I know what was going on, he was right there in London, sitting with that condescending Boris Johnson with his hair looking like poop from vultures of Mangkamangkunda.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Well, Mr. President, condescending is one of those words I consider too big or funny in the English language.

He laughed loud again with a sense of delight before replying.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Yes, I have some of those words written in my notebook.

He reached deep into his left side pocket and took out a small brown notebook, slowly put on his reading glasses and started calling the words he compiled to memorize.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Infrastructure, multilateralism, convention, palatable, banquet, sumptuous, appetizing, yummy……….

Many words were food related, but he made me listened to all forty or fifty words.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: But Mr. President, were you invited to the London Investment meeting at all?

PRESIDENT BARROW: You know that I was not Mr. Sarr, but Mackey used to get me everywhere he wanted, even when I was not invited. He is the most intelligent president in the world.

I wanted to caution him about overrating his defense minister and President Mackey Sall who are both listed among my average IQ personalities. But to get him to fire Gorr and hire me, saying that will certainly sabotage my objective. I moved on.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Why couldn’t you talk to your friend Tony Blair to get you an invitation?.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Another jackass, Mr. Sarr. I love the word.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: How is he also a jackass sir?

PRESIDENT BARROW: I hardly hear from him anymore after he was all over me in the beginning for his own interest.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: But how Mr. President?

PRESIDENT BARROW: I don’t want to elaborate. Elaborate is in my notebook, did I read that one to you?

I couldn’t remember but to dodge the boredom of listening to the notebook list again, I said yes and he continued.

PRESIDENT BARROW: By the way, you remember my first press conference, moderated by Mr. Blaire in London?

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Yes Sir.

PRESIDENT BARROW: I later realized that I didn’t understand the first question about the succession to the Commonwealth which should have been his duty to repeat the question or make it simpler for me. At the hourly rate he was paid for moderating, the least he could have done was rephrase the question for my better understanding. But with his face like that of a horse the jackass made me look like a real fool.

The president leaned back and for the first time asked me whether I wanted anything to drink.

PRESIDENT BARROW: We have coke, sprite, banana juice, orange juice, grape juice, every kind of juice and ice cream.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: I will take water Sir, but don’t know whether it is wise to take out our face masks.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Ah, don’t worry, we are properly ventilated here.

He reached out to a double-door refrigerator-freezer on the side and gave me a bottle of water while he took a red-colored juice in a plastic bottle.

PRESIDENT BARROW: You don’t want to try Fatoumata’s homemade ‘wonjo’”?

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Thank you Sir I have been reducing my sugar intake.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Are you diabetic?

SAM LOBSTER SARR: No Sir.

PRESIDENT BARROW: You don’t know what you are missing in this “wonjo”, but I guess you will stay for lunch, won’t you?

SAM LOBSTER SARR: What is for lunch Sir?

PRESIDENT BARROW: Red lobster.

I slightly jolted out of surprise before asking.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Seriously your Excellency? Is that a joke, or you also heard about my lobster dinner with Jammeh?

He laughed heartily again while nodding repeatedly.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Who missed that interview of yours with Pa Nderry Mbai from the Freedom Radio? Just pulling your legs.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: That would have been my part two lobster story with Pa Nderry Mbai.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Anyhow I ordered “Chewy Kong today with biserp and a Thailand-basmati rice.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Yummy, your excellency.

PRESIDENT BARROW: You stole my new word from my notebook Sarr.

SAM LOBSTER SARR: Sir, I have few more questions to ask before telling you where to fix me in your government.

PRESIDENT BARROW: We still have time before lunch.

We talked about the political parties in the country and their leaders starting from the UDP to PDOIS, GDC, GMC, PPP and all the others. He then brought me right back to the question of where I should be hired.

PRESIDENT BARROW: Lunch is ready, but before eating, which department in my government do you believe best for you?

Just when I was about to tell him that I wanted nothing but the position of minister of defense, I heard the voice of my wife waking me up for my usual early morning workout. Holy molly, on the whole, I was just dreaming.

Thanks for reading.

SAMSUDEEN SARR

BANJUL, THE GAMBIA.

It is indeed outrageous how citizens ignore preventive measures to combat Coronavirus. However this problem lie at the foot of the President and the sooner he realises that the quicker he should get up to reverse the situation! The current bad situation is expected if one follows the huge missteps of the President and his Government from the beginning.

For example the President could have made huge gains if at the very beginning he called in political leaders, business leaders and civil society leaders to share ideas for a national concerted effort. This strategy will include religious and community leaders given the high premium that religion and culture have in our society.

But the president failed to do so. Some of us called for it but got ignored. Yet we see many leaders around the world take that approach successfully.

Then he refused to connect with the people as early as possible. Since March he addressed the nation only 4 or 5 times. Other leaders are doing that from daily to fortnightly and they register success. Even the dumb American President does a daily briefing!

Then Pres. Barrow failed to ensure that proper laws are used to declare regulations and allocate resources. Rather he chose to flout the Constitution whether to declare SoPEs or to spend public funds. It backfired.

After I have cried multiple times and got ignored that the way the state of public emergency were declared was wrong in the end the President decided to abandon that approach by relying on public health laws to be used by the Minister of Health. But again in March I had suggested the use of those regulations to no avail.

The Minister of Health and the COVID-19 coordinator did not also do any better in terms of engagement with non-state actors in order to create a broad based national front. Again they chose to go it solo. It backfired. In fact it appears the health sector is without direction and infested with corruption.

At the end of it all there is massive misuse of resources such that basic equipment and welfare of frontline workers are inadequate. Given the amount of public funds that were illegally accessed by the Minister of Finance plus the funds obtained from both IMF and the World Bank between March and May 2020 it is safe to say that we had enough money to address the complete health needs of the pandemic! Therefore where are those monies?

The Minister of Health confirmed the corruption in his ministry. The National Assembly also confirmed the abuse of the Constitution and the Public Finance Act to access and use funds. But neither the Minister nor the National Assembly went further to call for accountability! Meantime allowances and PPEs are in short supply while health centers are ill-equipped!

Where are the health materials donated by Jack Ma Foundation or by the Chinese government? Where are the millions of dalasi donated by the private sector?

It is now clear that the country is under severe existential threat thanks to poor leadership. The masses do not have confidence in the Government hence the poor adherence to preventive measures.

The Government’s poor and selective enforcement of regulations and late provision of food aid which was politicized overshadowed all meaningful efforts to combat the virus. Because of the lack of trust in the Government in its handling of the pandemic people became more reckless as they refuse to comply with safety measures.

How does the President now reverse this dire situation? Here are my proposals:

1. The President has to come out to connect with the people on a daily basis in the language he understands.

2. To regain public confidence the President needs to show full transparency of where resources are coming from and going to and what is happening or not happening.

3. The President has to take corrective measures for the inefficiency, underperformance and corruption around COVID-19 funds and interventions.

4. The President may have to sack or redeploy some Ministers and officials to ensure efficiency, accountability and transparency.

5. In this regard the President has to ensure that all necessary resources for testing, treatment and quarantine centers are well equipped and also ensure all frontline workers are adequately paid and on time!

6. The President has to submit himself to the scrutiny and guidance of the National Assembly and follow the rule of law to better facilitate national response.

7. The President will have to engage especially non-state actors and political leaders more meaningfully and remove all political intrigues in these engagements.

8. The President has to stay on top of things with constant connection with the people thru daily televised addresses.

9. The President has to ensure that enforcement of regulations are effective, firm and indiscriminate. The President has to use the military if need be to enforce regulations.

10. The President must mobilize the full force of the Government machinery to ensure that each and every public institution and official perform their duties with efficiency, transparency and responsiveness.

The President must realise that he has a wide array of resources – inside the State and in the civil society and the private sector – at his disposal such that failure is not possible. The President is at liberty to call on any institution or organization or citizen or community to seek their ideas, expertise and contribution as is necessary and I am sure these people will offer their support.

Therefore let the President raise his head beyond politics, beyond State House and beyond his ego to see only The Gambia! He can ask for help from anyone and that’s not a sign of weakness but a great manifestation of leadership.

For The Gambia Our Homeland

I see a lot of posts about Feminism and I wonder if there is a misconception, misunderstanding, or misbelief but whatever the case is some of you are missing the point. Feminists don’t hate men, they are not angry, not all feminists are lesbians. There are religious feminists, they believe in marriage and are family-oriented.

If you’ve never taken the time to read about the term but rather run with what you’re being fed by misogynistic people including women (yes, women can be misogynist against women too) then consult uncle Google, Google will give you a simple and comprehensive meaning of the term. And you will understand that Feminism is the belief in the social, economic, and political equality of sexes. Oh, wait! Google is a western platform and feminism is a western ideology used to mislead our women. Sigh!

Well maybe try Auntie Wikipedia. Wiki is just an encyclopedia written by the same people that use it. Meaning you and I can go in there and suggest a change in the meaning of Feminism. But before we do that Wikipedia says “The feminist movement (also known as the women’s movement, or simply feminism) refers to a series of political campaigns for reforms on issues such as reproductive health, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, women’s suffrage, sexual harassment, and sexual violence, all of which fall under the label of feminism and the feminist movement. The movement’s priorities vary among nations and communities and range from opposition to female genital mutilation in one country to opposition to the glass ceiling in another.” Now, do we think any of the issues mentioned are worth fighting against? I think so.

Feminism is not a war against men. Feminists just believe that the world should be gender equal. Treating everyone the same. Creating equal opportunities and resources for all genders. Just like we advocate for treating all races the same. You know, like Black Lives Matter. Women’s Rights Matter too.

According to Oxford Islamic Studies Online, “Islam faith states that in the eyes of God, men and women should be equal and can fulfill the same roles. Therefore, they also are required to complete all the duties of a Muslim worshiper, including the completion of religious traditions, specifically the pilgrimage to Mecca. Islamic culture marked a movement towards liberation and equality for women since prior Arab cultures did not enable women to have such freedoms. Now, women in Islam are even entitled to their own right to land. There is evidence that Muhammad (SAW) asked women for advice and took their thoughts into account, specifically about the Quran. Women could pray with men, take part in commercial interactions, and played a role in education. One of Muhammad’s (SAW) wives, Aisha, played a significant role in medicine, history, and rhetoric. Women, however, did not hold religious titles, but some held political power with their husbands or on their own. The historic role of women in Islam is connected to societal patriarchal ideals, rather than actual ties to the Quran.”

Oh! Oxford Islamic Studies Online, another Western platform? So only Middle Eastern and North African sources, eh? The issue of women in Islam is becoming more prevalent in modern society. In case, you did not know, Middle Eastern and North African Islamic nations, are increasing their creation of economic and employment opportunities for women; compared, to every other region in the world, the Middle East and North African region ranks lowest on economic participation, employment opportunity and the political empowerment of women. These countries got the memo and are taking advantage of women’s participation in all sectors.

If you are worried about Feminism interfering with our traditions, here let me help you… Anyone can be a feminist and still follow traditions. But let us not forget that traditions are just social norms and practices that have persisted for some period. Usually outside and beyond the reach of the law. Traditions are also specific to a society. That does not mean they are right and must be followed. A Gambian man living in the US dares not to marry more than one wife. This may be traditional or “Islamic” in The Gambia, but it is illegal in the US. Another example, In the US, young people are supposed to look at their elders in the eye when talking to them, but it is a sign of disrespect in African society. You and I will agree that following or violating traditions shouldn’t be any penalization but that is subject to society too. Even where we are supposed to follow traditions, anyone deciding not to follow them still respect them. Unless they are harmful traditional practices then there is a problem especially instilled by patriarchy to oppress women. Such as viewing and treating women as sex objects, depriving women of their reproductive health rights, etc. Then, there is a reason for anyone including feminists to be hostile toward those traditions.

Understanding feminism is not too hard. You just have to read a little more and educate yourself. You will get it. When you do, come take part in the actions to ensure an equal world for all genders. Let us create the needed resources for everyone to be successful. Gender equality is a long reach but some of these measures can help, protecting women from sexual abuse/violence, domestic violence, harmful traditional practices, etc. We can also create the possibilities for women to succeed like advocating for equal pay, maternity leave since women are naturally the live givers and a seat at the decision-making tables. Equity is needed to reach equality. It is all to ensure that everyone makes the most of their lives and talents. And I guarantee you that women are equally talented.

Again, feminism is not a gender war. Men can be and are feminists. Whoever believes that feminists are out to get back at men, do not understand the meaning of a feminist or being a feminist. The goal of a feminist is to see a world where equal treatment, opportunities, and resources are accessible to all sexes.

The writer, Sukai Gaye, wrote in from Seattle, Washington.