OPINION
By Melville Robertson Roberts
In the age of social media, where misinformation spreads faster than facts, there is a painful and dangerous trend festering within our national discourse and this is the habit of embracing one-sided stories. It is time Gambians reflect deeply on the damage this causes to reputations, to truth, and to the collective conscience of our nation.
It has now been more than 15 hours since I openly and publicly challenged Gambians to present a single video clip, a single shred of credible evidence that Foreign Minister Dr. Mamadou Tangara insulted Gambian protesters in New York.
The silence has been deafening and not because evidence is hard to find, but because there is none. And yet, a segment of our society has chosen to hold onto hearsay and emotionally charged narratives, without giving even the courtesy of verification.
Are we now a nation where accusations are louder than truth? Why are we so vindictive to the extent that we refuse to be objective and honest in our condemnation? Lutah Gambian bi sohorr? Muna fen? Muna sauce?
Tangara’s only real “crime” in the eyes of some is that he served under former President Yahya Jammeh. But so did hundreds of thousands of Gambians, including many who today cloak themselves in activism. Many thrived under Jammeh’s rule, some even sought his favour, and a good number were beneficiaries of his generosity, with their parents’ livelihoods tied to his administration. Why then is Tangara singled out?
To those who hurl insults at him now, were your voices equally loud when you or your families benefited from the same system? Did you show the same outrage when you accepted scholarships, contracts, or salaries under that government?
Let us not allow our sense of justice to be poisoned by selective memory.
The recent scathing remarks made by our ambassador in Turkey, directed at his own boss, only added salt to a festering wound. Such public betrayal, rather than invoking accountability, reveals a deep disregard for professionalism and the dignity of public service.
If there are grievances, let them be handled through proper diplomatic and institutional channels and not through backstabbing character assassinations that only serve to divide us further.
We must rise above this toxic culture of mob judgment. I speak of this ill because there is no Gambian alive who is better placed to talk on this menace than I who have experienced such false and evil propaganda. I am a living testament of such callous acts where unsubstantiated nonsense are carried like badge of honour by vengeful and unscrupulous individuals.
If we want to be a country of fairness, truth, and dignity, we must learn to listen before we condemn. We must insist on evidence before we judge. We must be willing to hear both sides most especially when reputations, careers, and national unity are on the line.
Gambians deserve better. Dr. Tangara deserves better. The truth no matter how inconvenient must always triumph over manufactured outrage.
The next time a whisper campaign begins, ask yourself: Where is the evidence? Who benefits from this story? And most importantly, have I heard the other side?
Let us not be a nation that dances to the rhythm of cheap propaganda and forgets the sounding beat of truth and justice.
M R R.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Fatu Network’s editorial stance.
