By Alagi Yorro Jallow

Inna lillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Raji’un.

Professor Sulayman Nyang: An Iroko Tree Has Fallen: Africa has lost one of its greatest sons and public intellectual. He lived an accomplished life of service to humanity. Dr. Nyang was Africa’s gift to the world. A man of integrity and intellectual courage as well as a profound decency. We need more like him in our national and global academia. People tell the dead to rest in peace. Professor Nyang was occupied with the living, living in peace. Fare thee well great son of Africa.

 I have received the news of the passing on of my friend, compatriot and a role model Professor Sulayman Nyang, with a deep sense of great personal loss. May his soul rest in eternal peace. Shocked and deeply saddened of the passing of Prof Nyang, an African intellectual giant. He was a towering scholar and a great human being. The best of the best. Not only was he an inspiration but helped us in many ways.

Unbelievable:

An ode to Professor Sulayman Nyang:
Beyond the skies you cross
This, a collective and personal loss
Of a tireless public intellectual so close.
Of the days at Howard university, Political Science,

Philosophy Peace, justice; Islam, literature – times so close.
A rolling stone gathers no moss?
Beyond the skies you cross.
Away from the daily dose
And the homely chores
Away from the hard-nose boss
And, the public intellectual so bellicose.
Away from women eaters morose.
Prof. Nyang our Prof,
In the land across where no cock crows
– a land made eternal by the cross,
Your Smile remains our glucose.
Rest in power.Prof.Nyang.

Prof. Sulayman Nyang: Thanks for being Gambian. Thanks for your excellence on Political Science, Philosophy and Islam – Theory and Practice. Together with Prof. Sulayman Nyang, thanks for enabling young Africanist and Gambianist scholars to pursue studies at prestigious universities – when Gambia’s tertiary education became inhospitable. Prof. Sulayman Nyang, thanks for your investment of intellect at Howard university. Prof. Nyang the man the Gambia would wish to but won’t forget; your works shall surely; affect eternity. May  Allah grant you Jannat-ul-Firdo.

From the onset, let me say that your decision to return Mr Manjang to his position at the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation is commendable. It is understandable that when a section of the staff protested against him (Manjang), making many allegations against him, people were outraged. Many people at the time – myself included – raised eyebrows due to the copious nature of the claims and counterclaims.

In issues like this, it is necessary for folks to remember that as Karl Max said ‘Man is a selfish animal’ and that many – if not most – will have their judgements tainted by self interest. Thus, when you set up a committee to look into the happenings at SSFC, that was a judicious move.

Having done that, common sense dictates that whatever that committee finds, and recommends, will be for the best interest of the nation inasmuch as they were people of impeccable character and high moral standing.

If, after their report, someone else comes up with a report which is not inline with the findings of that committee, you have to tread a tight line. The odds were always with the committee due to the fact that it was constituted to investigate and come up with recommendations.

Knowing the nature of the previous government and what used to obtain – the Janneh Commission has laid many things bare – it is understandable, likely indeed, that many people at the SSHFC saw Mr Manjang with his reform agenda as the enemy because they would have thought that he was out to get them, as it were.

After having all the information from different sources, it takes intuition and wit to arrive at the right conclusion and take a decision based on all you have learnt from the various sources. Doing tha, in good faith, you can go to sleep knowing that you conscience is clear.

It is firm decisions like this that will enable you make a mark and leave an indilable print of your footmark even years after you leave office. In other words, your legacy is written with the ink, or blood, of the actions you take.

With this action, you have loudly declared that institutions will reign supreme in this New Gambia. For, we all know that it was the failure of institutions that brought us to the brink of a pit of fire not so long ago.

I therefore say bravo for a great step taken!

Have a Good Day Mr President….

Tha Scribbler Bah

A Concerned Citizen

President Macky Sall of Senegal might not have been in power for long but his performance after six years has been quite impressive. Thanks to his many achievements, Senegal now has been positioned as one of the largest economies in the region. Below is a list of 20 key achievements of the hard-working head of state. 

Economic surge

Senegal is among the most stable and promising countries in West Africa. Over the past five years, Senegal experienced its strongest period of sustained growth, beginning with 4.5 percent growth in 2011 and ending with 6.6 percent growth in 2016.

CouvertureMaladieUniverselle (CMU)

Provides free access to health services to children under five. As many as 2.5 million Senegalese children will benefit from this measure that aims at accelerating reduction in child mortality by 2015, particularly for the poorest.

Dakar water and electricity crises

He eased the issue greatly by investing heavily and smartly in the sectors. The KeurMomarSarr KMS 3 water plant number three and the seawater desalination plant in Mamelles will provide a sustainable solution to the problem of Dakar’s drinking water supply.

Renewal Energy Success

Macky Sall has placed renewable energy high on his list of national goals, and four solar plants have come online in the last two years with the percentage of citizens using clean energy in rising at an astounding pace from about 10% to over 21% in less than two years.

Women Rights Champion

To strengthen the power of Senegalese women, he modified the code of nationality, for women to be given the same rights as men, in order for them to transfer their nationality to their spouses and children).

Affordable Social Housing Champion

Two years after being President, he spearheaded a new law mandating across-the-board rent reductions and has continues to support low income housing projects. 40,000 social houses will be in Diamniadio, which will facilitate access to the property real estate to general population.

PUDC

Provides rural electrification and water supply in the most remote of areas of Senegal. From 2012 to 2016, 140 boreholes per year has been drilled; which is unprecedented. This program was inspired by the hardships he saw first-hand when he toured the depths of the country. That promise has been mostly delivered.

PRODAC

Supports young people in particular in the agriculture field. The program will create more than 300,000 jobs in the next five years. The aquaculture, poultry and agricultural activities and the value chain of processing and marketing will develop and allow for the creation of real economic centers.

A President for all

He is the most traveled President within Senegal. Went and goes to the most remote places and focuses on rural areas with his many programs such as, PUDC and PRODAC.

The new city, Diamniadio

Aim is to decentralize Dakar by building the most modern urban center in Senegal. The biggest project of the Plan Senegal Emergent (PSE), which aims to thrust Senegal onto the road to development by 2035. All of Senegal’s Presidents since independence aspired to build a new city but never did. Macky Sall is the one who did it.

Train Express Regional (TER)

Under construction light rail that will ultimately connect Dakar with the Blaise Diagne International Airport. To be running early 2019).

IlaTouba

A newly built highway leading to Touba, one of the most biggest cities in Senegal, that will allow for the building of an interconnected network on the whole territory to create a dynamics of economic business, economic potentialities and facilitating the access of the populations to basic social services. Also opens region to the sub-regional market.

Supported a Diaspora National Assembly Representation

Senegalese in the diaspora are now represented.

Road infrastructure

Built most roads in six year than any President. 217 kilometers highways, 2000 km from roads, 1000 km of rural tracks and 12 bridges.

Created the second Port in Senegal (SENEGAL MINERGY PORT(SMP).

A Senegalese special purpose vehicle set up to undertake the design, building and operation of a multi-commodity dry and liquid bulk port in Bargny-Sendou.

Creation of Institut National du Pétrole et du Gaz (INPG)

He launched in October 2018. The goal of INPG is to shape and train future indigenoeus leaders in the petroleum industry, while creating a technical workforce that can compete on a global scale. INPG will develop the potential of Senegal’s youth, which has been left out of scientific matters for too long. They will tackle the most challenging issues of the petroleum industry. This in all line with the President’s passion of harnessing local skills and to make Senegal an energy hub. Senegal starts oil and gas production in 2021 / 2022.

First Cyber-Security School, ENVR

Launched in November 2018, its goal is to strengthen West Africa’s defenses against computer hackers and use of the internet for terror funding and propaganda. It will provide training in combating cyber-crime for the security services, judiciary and private enterprises. Backed by France, it will have a “regional vocational role” in helping other countries in West Africa. ENVR was proposed at the 2017 security conference in Senegal and it will initially be based in Dakar at the National School of Administration (ENA) before moving to Diamnadio.

National Air carrier

He revived Air Senegal in 2018 and the carrier has since taken off.

Students First

Inauguration of six new pavilions at the Université Sheikh Anta Diop of Dakar. The capacity of the UCAD thus passes to 10,876 beds, which is twice what was realized since independence over 50 years ago.

Youth Olympics 2022

Senegal is the first African country to host an Olympic event.

By Alagi Yorro Jallow

The African Union and African leaders are not ending the decades of shame and disgrace in Africa. Africa is entering a season of unprecedented growth and increase. Africa is in a season of African renaissance in technology, agriculture, industry and education.

Africa as a continent cannot continue depend on the United States of America, the European Union, China, IMF, the World Bank or Asia. Africa must write her own story. African Union must break the mental limitations and deliberately take steps towards progress, prosperity and freedom. Let the AU with great haste seize the moment and take possession for the emancipation of the continent Africa.

The African Union has worked towards achieving some of its objectives (on paper). It has, however, mainly been a platform for African leaders to rile at the imperialistic West for meddling in their affairs and driving an agenda that is not in the best interests of Africa. Do African leaders have the best interests of Africans at heart? African leaders meet at AU summits to give fiery speeches followed by spells of ‘doing-nothing-ism’ Simply put, the AU has the bark of a bulldog, and the bite of a poodle. This is because it’s yet to become independent – and ultimately, politically useless.

The African Union and African leaders are not ending the decades of shame and disgrace in Africa. Africa is entering a season of unprecedented growth and increase. Africa is in a season of African renaissance in technology, agriculture, industry and education.

President Donald Trump said the United States will revoke Mauritania’s preferred trade status in January because of its failure to make progress on human rights – namely, slavery. Mauritania will no longer be eligible for benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which affects market access, investment, and reduced or eliminated tariffs on U.S. imports.

“I am providing notice of my intent to terminate the designation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (Mauritania) as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country,” Trump said in a letter to U.S. legislators. He cited Mauritania’s failure to protect workers, as required under a key AGOA provision, as the reason.

Africa as a continent cannot continue depend on World Bank, IMF, China or the West. Africa must write her own story. African Union must break the mental limitations and deliberately take steps towards progress, prosperity and freedom.

Let the AU with great haste seize the moment and take possession for the emancipation of the continent Africa.

“Mauritania has made insufficient progress toward combating forced labor, specifically, the scourge of hereditary slavery,” Trump said.  “Despite intensive engagement with the United States, the Government of Mauritania has failed to meet critical required benchmarks to address these issues to date.” Mauritania will be removed as an AGOA partner on January 1, 2019, although the U.S. government will continue to monitor its progress.

This year in July, Mauritania hosted an African Union summit. But at the meeting of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights in Nouakchott, the issue of slavery was not raised in public discussions. A communiqué issued by the commission also makes no mention of slavery at all. Will the African Union be prepared to take a public position on the issue, as it did when leaders strongly condemned reports of modern-day slavery in Libya last year?

International law is emphatically against slavery, having prohibited it at the 1926 Slavery Convention, which was detailed further by the 1956 Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery. Though Mauritania only acceded to these conventions in 1986, the prohibition of slavery is also a peremptory or absolute norm in international customary law. This means that the ban on slavery binds every country, without exception, regardless of which treaties they have acceded to. The African Union! Sigh… No bark, no bite. Powerless organization as far as protecting Africa’s interests goes. That leaves each country with the responsibility to protect its own interests. It all comes back to this: exemplary political leadership that will ensure rule of law, thriving of its own citizens as a priority, non-nonsense win-win contracts with rich countries; contracts that do not sell out Africa’s human and mineral resources just to enrich a few. With a protectionist and Africa-first approach, you will not have thousands of Africans fleeing their own plundered countries to search for better life in America, Europe and the Middle East.

One could say- but the numbers of those fleeing and getting sold is negligible compared to a rising African middle class (“fastest growing middle class in the world”) and the entire continent’s population.  Let’s agree that knowing our history as Africans, just one slave sold is a total abomination. And that rising African middle-class floats on an economy that can go south in a second, primarily because of bad politics. Darn shame all African presidents watching your citizens take a chance on freedom even if it comes with the possibility of getting sold into slavery in the 21st Century.

The silent plunder of Africa’s resources that never ceases, with African leaders being enablers of the plunder through greed-driven contracts like (so-called MoU) of Hon. Hatmat Bah. The number of those who die and/or get tortured as indentured laborers or maids is huge in the Africa and in the Middle East. The shift towards the Sahel region and the growing brazenness of 21st century indentured labor into full-blown slavery with live auctions of human merchandise is only now being “discovered” by mainstream and social media. Biggest disappointment?

American labor leaders warned last year that conditions in Mauritania should disqualify the nation from participating in AGOA. Activists say Mauritania has seen renewed arrests of anti-slavery activists, in a nation where tougher anti-slavery measures were enacted in 2015 but the rate continues to be one of the highest in the world, according to the Global Slavery Index.

There is a lot of speculation that there is an internal wrangling and power struggle in the United Democratic Party (UDP). Many people believe that the power struggle is centered on who should be the flag-bearer for the party in the upcoming elections.

It is believed –  by many – that Pres. Adama Barrow has now changed his earlier stance that he would stay for only three years as a transitional president and then leave office for a free, fair and democratic elections to be conducted in which he will not contest. But, it seems that he now wishes to throw his hat in the ring.

This new stance has brought some disquiet to the United Democratic Party as folks see Barrow as a political threat to the longtime leader of the party, Lawyer OusainouDarboe. Though the party has repeatedly denied this power struggle, citizens believe that there is indeed some form of struggle as to who will be the flag-bearer come 2021.

Recently, it was revealed that His Excellency President Adama Barrow had started courting some of the UDP’s National Assembly Members by giving them envelopes containing ten thousand dalasis each. Some even say that that list also included Chairmen of Area Councils. This action was denounced by many political commentators as being an underhanded dealing to tip the balance in favour of Adama Barrow.

Of course, the denials from State House were swift and ferocious again. They claimed that these NAMs had requested some kind of help from the president which he was fulfilling. It was said that the National Assembly Members had spoken to the president about their difficulties in having enough fuel to visit their constituencies and that is what the money was for.

Be that as it may, it was frowned upon by almost all political commentators in the country. Recently, we have also observed the president having many engagements from youth groups, opinion leaders and Imams at the State House. This, it is said, is informed by the fact that the United Democratic Party will hold its congress in December. Thus the indication is that he is trying to garner support for his bid.

In the newspapers yesterday, it was reported that the United Democratic Party booted out at least five chairmen of the party because they were said to be in support of Barrow’s bid to be the UDP flag-bearer for the presidency. This was something that was denied from some quarters. The truth though is that there seems to be some form of struggle or the other. The saying that ‘there is no smoke without fire’comes to mind here.

Whatever the case, a head on power struggle between Barrow and Darboe will not be good for the country. For one, it may split the party into a Barrow Camp pitching against a Darboe Camp which cannot be good because it will make the political field more unstable, more unpredictable and more chaotic.

In my opinion, what this points to is perhaps the fact that the party structures were not as robust as they should. If the structures were as strong as they should, it would take care of this problem easily and outsiders would not even have heard of it. Provision should be made – very clearly – as to how one becomes the party’s flag-bearer. If these rules are then followed, it will ensure that the struggle never gets ugly or resorting to underhanded dealings. This is not good for the country.

When a sitting president has to focus more of his time on trying to win people over for his campaign, it has the potential of distracting him from the service of the nation for which he was elected. There will be a conflict of interest and we all know that many people – if not most – will be tempted to take the personal interest over the national one.

The United Democratic Party (UDP) and indeed all other parties must work on their democratic structures to ensure that they are truly democratic even if they are in the opposition. A party that is not democratic while in the opposition cannot be expected to be democratic when elected.

Besides, the silence from the leadership of the United Democratic Party on the issue of the power struggle can harm the country as some members will be conflicted not knowing where Barrow or Darboe stands on this issue. The United Democratic Party should therefore come out and tell us something; where they stand, what they think. Let us know!

Tha Scribbler Bah

A Concerned Citizen

By Alagie Yero Jallow

It is now crystal clear that the coalition leadership took their eyes off the ball. In their state of euphoria after achieving an unprecedented electoral victory, the leadership failed to appreciate that managing success is even more taxing than winning an election. They vacillated when they ought to have acted with promptness. Some of them have sought to falsely consign the verdict of the December 1, 2016, historic day to irrelevance. They have lived in denial for so long. December 1 Presidential elections challenges Gambians to guard their democracy. As they remember December 1, they are challenged to guard their hard-won democratic freedom and prevent any hijack or abuse of the very principles of constitutional democracy.

December 1 stands as the real democracy day which was sanctioned by the blood of martyrs who laid down their lives for this democracy. They know that even as enemies of democracy try to thwart the idea, the sacrifice of Gambians who took to the streets should never be forgotten.  The onus is on the Government to immortalize the true heroes of the Gambia’s democracy. This day December 1 must be a national day and be declared a national holiday. The State should further champion the course of deepening this nascent democracy, by ensuring that living and dead heroes of December 1 struggle to ensure that they are not forgotten.

The people of the Gambia should honor and remember the heroes and heroines of the country’s democracy and to commemorate the death of the late pro-democracy activists. Since December 1 stands as one of the most significant dates in the Gambia ’s political history, and a day not to be forgotten. One of the best national recognition the struggle deserves.

Nation building requires the sacrifice of all citizens: all and sundry must therefore imbibe the moral rectitude to embrace the past. They must, therefore, recognize the heroes and heroines of Gambia’s democracy. December 1, events in Gambia’s history symbolizes strong democratic principles and experience.  President Adama Barrow and his government must place history in the right perspective by recognizing and declaring December 1 as a Democracy Day. Adama Barrow should recognize its key figures that entrenches the Gambia’s democratic experience for the past 2 years in furthering the cause of democracy and good governance.

Several Gambians were in the forefront and an active participant in the politics of the dictatorship era. They shared the fears, pains, and anxieties of fellow Gambians about the horrors of dictatorship; their efforts at building an enduring democracy have not always been smooth.  President Adama Barrow  and his government has to halt the deceit, and repair the damage by taking the symbolic step of recognizing the  sacrifices of pro-democracy activists and many other heroes and heroines of democracy-the artisans, human rights organization, students, traders, journalists, academics, various professionals, organized religion and the labor movement through conferment of the National award with full honors, an honor first to men and women, young and old who paid the supreme price to pave the way for Gambia’s democracy, and then to the heroes and heroines who stood up against dictatorship, including those in the Fourth Estate of the realm who marshalled the written and spoken words against tyranny and the proclamation of December 1 as  Democracy Day.

The Gambia government should also give the posthumous award to the families of all fallen heroes and heroines the Gambia’s highest honor. This action is not to open old wounds, but to put light on the nation. They cannot right the past, but they can at least assuage their feelings and will no longer tolerate such perversion of justice, corruption and human rights violations. December 1 was the day Gambians has decided to end dictatorship, chose the path to national unity, rather than ethnic eyes. They redefined the Gambia through the ballot box. It is possible to revive the spirit of December 1 provided they could imbibe democratic principles.

No Gambian can doubt the United Gambians of all tribes, social media activists, Facebook warriors and all for the good interest of the Gambia and their great people. Don’t underestimate their prowess to change bad government of the Gambia, determination and pledge for a better Gambia. They were great men and women, great enough to give frame to change towards a better future for all Gambians, currently in their history. They are the guidance of their nation and people.

They are there when an educated and wealthy class despised the Gambia and  their people because they have robbed the Gambia of their treasures, or, at least, have got rich off the fruits of their people’s labor and they believe that if poor Gambians  get freedom from corruption their fountain will be dried up and they will be obligated to seek business in a new channel with failure.

You do not remove a ruthless dictator by only carrying placards. You don’t do that at the Elysee Palace, they will listen to you. You do that at the Buckingham Palace, they will listen to you. You do that at the White House, they will listen to you. as the arrowhead of the struggle against a brutal dictator.

Lastly, the government and civil society organizations should propose a hall-of-shame for past Gambian leaders and enablers of dictatorship who were infamous for their brutality to sound as a warning note to would-be bad leaders.