A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME

What is surprising in the latest social media orchestrated brouhaha is not the statements thereof, it is the fact that many people are acting shocked at the utterances made in the audio being distributed purportedly from some Banjul youths. That feeling has been latent for decades and anyone who cares to look knows this.

In my response to this article  I stated  “…the narrative of those hateful bigots who hide behind nationalism, patriotism, constructive criticism and equality to mask their hatred and condescension for their fellow countrymen, especially the rural Mandinka folk while behind closed doors and in comfortable company will let loose the oft-repeated line of the bigoted; The Mandinkas think they own this country!” This was back in October 2017.

Now I am no prophet, soothsayer, or someone gifted with any ability to tell the future, but there are certain issues that are so typical in our behaviors and actions it only takes a little effort and very close observation to decipher the latent bigotry and pregnant statements often repeated.

When that audio surfaced, the right thing to do, was what that excellent and patriotic sister did in a short live video on Facebook; CONDEMN! That is The Gambia we know, that is The Gambia we were raised to embrace and it is refreshing to see that we still have such Gambians in our midst, and to her we say thank you for adding your voice to those who condemned such disgusting utterances.

What we cannot deny is the fact that such notions are held by people among us and although their outlook and bigotry cannot and should not be generalized, they still represent a sizeable group of an entitled and hateful bunch. These are the unsaid things that we all know but are wont to talk about openly. Until we bring such uncomfortable topics to the fore and discuss them, they will remain hidden beneath a very thin veneer ready to emerge at the slightest opportunity.

A few weeks ago, a screenshot of a page from the book Enter Gambia; Birth Of An Improbable nation authored by Berkeley Rice made the rounds on social media. In it, P.S. Njie was quoted making some very unsavory statements about the Mandinka. The response to that from some quarters was the exact same response from those same quarters regarding the current distasteful audio. They queried the authenticity of the quote attributed to P.S. Njie; offered excuses that he may have been misquoted; questioned the credibility or intent of the author/journalist Berkley Rice. They did everything, employed every excuse but fell short of saying such statements are unfortunate and should not be uttered by any respectable person. The same mechanism is being employed yet again; “this recording is not authentic”; “the recording is an inside job”; “these are the yellow boys trying to sow seeds of discord”; “these are insecure people looking for sympathy”; on and on and on it goes. Need I mention the hateful lady just a few weeks ago ranting and insulting all provincial folks and the ensuing outpouring of solidarity with her? The one thing that we are not hearing from that camp yet again, is offering the condemnation such filth deserves. Do not hold your breath it will not come. Yet, the same camp will be the ones coming out offering lip service to ‘One Gambia, One People.’

Introspection is not their strong suit, everything is projected elsewhere; to them, they are always right and always justified.

If you do not understand the genesis of Gambia politics to this point, you will follow along with their narrative and offer sympathy to their calls. But if you are familiar, you know better than to take certain things at face value. Words are loaded with meaning and clear lines of demarcation have been drawn. Not between tribes, but between an entitled few and those they see as are beneath them. If you follow my write ups and live videos you’ll hear me insist several times that The Gambia does not have a ‘tribal’ problem and that is the truth. What we have is a bunch of entitled people who cannot see beyond their nose and their selfish interests. They are manipulative; they are deceptive and very cunning liars. They know how to rally support around their cause and unfortunately a lot of people fall for their divisive tactics while all the time hiding behind ‘nation first, patriotism, no to tribalism, one people and all other flowery one liners they do not sincerely believe in. So watch out youngsters.

They hate when you blame our problems as having roots in colonialism; “the colonialists left decades ago, our problems are our own to resolve.” As true as that rings, they are trying to create a blind spot in history. The danger in that is the lack of perspective such disregard of the legacy of colonialism and the source of some of our problems engenders. But what else do you expect from insincere folk.

You see colonialism survived on deception and division. To give them peace of mind, and a semblance of legitimacy, the colonialists bring certain locals on board, which also helps save cost and consolidate their ‘authority.’ Such is the strategy of colonizers everywhere, Gambia being no exception. Banjul being the seat of the colonial administration, the local population had to be pacified by involving them in the administration of the country albeit in menial positions. This semblance of inclusion keeps riots and discontent at bay. In case you don’t know, there was a time in our history when nonresidents of Banjul needed a permit to travel to Banjul. That tactic, just as it obtained in apartheid South Africa ensured one thing, amongst other things; the need to keep the locals ignorant of the privileges and ‘luxuries’ enjoyed by the invaders. With the local residents pacified with menial jobs, the rest of the population needs to be kept at bay; with them the discontent at such injustice and abuse that may trigger an uprising or opposition against the status quo. But of course that state of affairs cannot remain forever.

As fate would have it, the invaders needed workers to fulfil their commercial ambitions, laborers came from the hinterland and of course comparing their condition to what obtained in the colony, they were not happy. Add to that, political power and ‘representation’ was accorded the local residents at the exclusion of the rest of the country; other natives who answer to the same authority that they have no say in. So began the agitation for the inclusion of the whole country in the political process. This threatened the order of things for the colonialists and their native accomplices who, up to that point were fine with the way things were. The numerically larger protectorate could not be ignored for too long, eventually the franchise was extended to all natives. Now that privileged position enjoyed by the native colony politicians is suddenly under threat, so they resorted to what they do best; project their woes unto the predominantly Mandinka protectorate instead of acknowledging the fact that they ignored their fellow citizens and their plight while they fought for their privileges accorded by the ‘master’.

With the shift in the balance of power, the discontent grew until it was clear the colony natives were fighting a losing battle. They ‘embraced’ the status quo unwillingly in order not to get shut out, but the discontent remained under the surface, brewing.

That attitude of “they (the provincial Mandinka) think they can come and shut us out as if they own this country will not be tolerated.” They need us because we are educated and they are illiterate, we know how things are done as we were trained by the master himself, so we are the rightful heirs after their departure.”  Herein lays the beginning of the resentment towards those they think were usurpers of what rightfully belonged to them.

So when next you hear “let us fight tribalism, it has no place in our country, we are one Gambia, one people.” As truthful and as patriotic as that sounds, tribalism in the minds of these entitled folks means one thing only; ‘the Mandinka sense of entitlement to power in this country.’

When they say illiteracy is our biggest problem; that ties into the above as well. That because ‘those’ people are illiterate, (which to them means daft); therefore they can only make decisions based on ethnicity, region and tribe but not based on anything else for they know no better.

Here is where we are headed. As it stands, the UDP has the greatest chance at forming the next government. This latent discontent and bigotry is what is fueling the hatred towards the UDP and they are laying the foundations to make the eminent UDP government one preoccupied with crisis management. In the name of freedoms and the exercise thereof, they will aim to render the country ungovernable by protesting every decision of the government because they are building a case to render the UDP unworthy and incapable.

UDP represents Mandinkas according to them, even though evidence both in constituency and policy says otherwise; they do not care. It sells, they will use it. To dispossess the Mandinka of power, the UDP has to be denied power. So in the build up towards that, the UDP is the new enemy, even APRC is defended where UDP is condemned.

The UDP does not tolerate ‘criticism’ they say; not if the criticism is insincere and motivated by hate. With this group, the ‘criticism’ is one thing and one thing only; to prove a point and confirm their position to themselves that UDP is unworthy, its leadership incompetent and clueless, and its constituents bigoted. So in the event they assume power, any action against the UDP will be justified. That in itself is trivial compared to the more sinister plot that labels the UDP a Mandinka party and therefore by extension anything against the Mandinka will be justified; think this is stretch; reference Yaya Jammeh.

UDP like any human outfit will not get verything right, in fact they will get a lot wrong. The right course of action will be to redirect (constructively criticize). But that is not what they do, every objection they raise is laced with condescension and a sense of superiority, take note.

Gambia indeed belongs to all Gambians, no one human is better than another by virtue of the accident of their birth, both our culture and faith denounces such arrogance. Do not fall for their deception by associating them with their larger group, embrace all equally and be just to all. Be proud of who you are, but do not denigrate any other. THAT is their disease; they think themselves better and more deserving of power so that they can lord of the rest of us. To set ourselves apart from them, let us see everyone as equals and embrace them equally. Nothing hurts the hateful more than seeing those they hate going places they do not want them going; in this case our division plays right into their hands. Our unity is what they detest, so to win we need to embrace each other, debate policy and see country first. That last part in the true sense of the word and not as a front only designed  to woo impressionable young ones. Do not take their bait, do not share hate speech.

JOR-KAA BUNIBO - CAPTURING THE ESSENCE OF A TRADITION (SNIPPET)

Article 6 of the Manding Charter (Kurugan Fuga) incorporates the concept of working for one’s subsistence in its provisions thus; To win the battle of prosperity, the general system of supervision has been established to fight against laziness and idleness.

Article 32 further states; There are five ways to acquire property [wealth]: buying, donation, exchange, work and inheriting. Any other form without convincing testimony is doubtful.

To this end and out of this concept, every craft is honored and celebrated. It is not uncommon to hear of elders in a traditional Manding settlement venture out to scout for craftsmen whose skills are needed to have them settle in their village for ease of the villagers. Almost every settlement has a smith, weaver, cobbler and teacher. Although these crafts are essential, everyone farms for subsistence and some for commerce. Albeit in primitive fashion, it is still an honored tradition, workers who excel in farming and show dedication to working hard are celebrated figures.

Expanding on the nuances of our language; in the famous tune Jor-Kaa; dedicated to such men of hard work and dedication known as Timpolu, we can see language at use both in poetry and song form. In addition to the various social attributes and symbolism in the poetry/tune; the whole narrative is laced with proverbs and old sayings that still hold true.

What follows are excerpts of the Jor-Kaa Bunibo (poetry)

Yirihuuma boita maloo la in essence saying this will progress steadily starting from the top

Tang tang jali taa lo kuntu kungho to meng baayeh kay wulu n’saa long

This challenges the participants/competitors to prove their manly strength, presence of which is credited to a dedicated mother. It also acknowledges the fact that the same standards cannot be applied to all barring certain limitations.

Borro yeh Kolleh, borri laal singholu mang kaa nyang. Regardless though of one’s strength, all must be tested.

Kaabu beng ta, Jaasing beng ta, Pakawu beng ta Mandinka Demba yaa beh dang. When the emergence of a new champion was relayed to a champion Timpo named Kamang Sanneh, he was so displeased at such outcome that he refused to eat for four days.

Kamang nyaa wuleh ta ko saama la tunkang kembo

Eyes as red as the embers of a blacksmith’s furnace, fuming with rage; a pouting Kamang Sanneh was comforted by his griot Hayri.

Fang Fo mu Jaling taa yaa letti

Hayri told him that singing one’s own praises means the individual lacks a praise singer. Kamang Sanneh’s strength in tilling, in contrast to other men was like that of a plough ox relative to men. 

At that contest of strength and endurance come the nuances we seek. Contestants named their plough instruments (hoes) to convey meaning and traits, embellished with symbolism.

Tang Tang Jalolu yeh jenkeh, jang mang keh bantaba beng ti. It’s about to get serious, the only Jali allowed are the Timpa Jalo. 

Each contestant has to name his instrument, in essence relaying a promise at the start as to what outcome to be expected. The names and attributes go as follows;

Wolo N’ding - Jaa jewo kono firrtaa firrtaa. This speaks to the agility of the bearer of that name. Where others may be stalled by obstacles, Wolo N’ding finds no trouble at all and moves with speed effortlessly. So essentially ready for the challenge in light of that trait.

Sayla Koi - E teh meng jella coma for nyaato. Sayla Koi swears by his speed that he will not be seen in the rear, always in the lead.

Kankurang - Kaybalu jimindi ko ding ding. Kankurang here signifies endurance. Considering how labor intensive such work is, people stand up every few moments to catch their breath and stretch their backs. Kankurang in this sense is relatively younger and if the older ones want to keep up, their backs must stay bent in work to earn the coveted title.

Kondi Kondi - Kayba kung bondi baling kono. The seemingly dismissible one who actually gives the seasoned ones a run for their money

Kulang Jang - Baa tayma bamba ding so laa. Daring despite the odds and accompanying risks.

Ninki Nanka - Nyaa meng ngha jeh, ala koi n’teh. A legendary creature whose sighting alone is said to invite death; hence seeing a Ninki Nanka cannot be attributed to good sight but misfortune. In essence, everyone avoids Ninki Nanka much less having anything to do with him. That inherent fear of him is his strength that he will rely on to be crowned the Timpo.

Sunkuto - Sunjolu momo ka dee duu ta la leh. A beautiful young woman is every man’s desire. Naming his tool thus, the competitor is pointing to the efficiency of his tool, and to top it off it is so perfect that to appreciate the beauty and feel of it one has to rise at dawn.

Sunkalang - Kini kandi mondo baa bee la. Sunkalang does not care how hot a dish is; he will dive in, thrive and emerge unscathed. This speaks to the already threatening environment emerging with the above characters and their traits; Sunkalang obviously sounds intimidated but regardless is ready to hold his own. Fear will not deter him.

Beeti Fing - Tilo la boyo ka kuyaa yeh. This variation may not sound familiar to none Niumi natives. Beeti Fing never likes to see the setting sun which signifies the end of the work day. His desire is to keep at it.

Furu N’ding - Baa daa la juu jemmah jay la. They are essentially laggards pulling up the rear, who must have demonstrated such a trait beforehand if not consistently. For that they are taunted with an extra line that goes thus; baa faa taa waamo dunta Furu n’ding sawung naal beh tenkung ta. When the pros hit the tracks, the amateurs assume the sidelines. They pull back right at the beginning to watch the spectacle.

Amongst them too are those with excuses, who’d blame just about anything for their failure.

Yiri kuntu jamba n’tang na buyo bula e kanatu kaywolu beng n’dang na. These ones blame their thumping on stumps holding them back because their clothes got tangled in them.

Kunko to lo laa baalu kala fo leh yiri jang kunol hayi nang. Sneakily trying to stretch their backs, these ones will draw attention to distant colorful birds that will require some straining to see as a delaying tactic thus buying time to rest along with whomever they can interest in their quest.

The poem is much longer than this of course but this abstract in a way helps give some insight into the tradition and what it signifies. Beyond that it points to the complexities of language, a lot of which sadly is disappearing fast in the name of ‘being civilized’; abandoned to be replaced by other foreign languages as used in this medium. Such languages are cannot capture events in their essence, considering the nuances and specifics thereof as determined by geography.

To be continued…

Democratization Does Not Equal Westernization

In high school, one of our teachers used to disagree with the use of calculators in exams because we needed to “use [our] natural resources” – our brain. We’d be advised that machines are prone to errors and with their use we limit the exertion on our brains and hence leave school “stupid.”

Following a recent post by a big brother, he pointed out the practice of misquoting/misunderstanding the meanings of expressions by interpreting certain words wrongly. To this I fully agreed and pointed out that nuances are often lost in translation giving words entirely different meanings than the author intended. This problem really stands out in the interpretation of scripture of various religions. In addition to nuance, context too gets ignored and we’re left with mere statements from which much meaning could not be derived.

Another problem we face is our heavy reliance on written accounts as if they are entirely true and error/bias prove; this problem stands out when it comes to accounts of history as relayed by oral tradition. “Oral history is unreliable because every narrator adds or takes away from the narrative based on their individual biases and interests.” That may be true, but just like books have numerous editions each offering newer perspectives and adjusted to accommodate new knowledge, so too is oral history prone to varied narratives (editions). One thing that stands true is that the central message is never lost.

The use of hyperbole (deliberate exaggerations) is a common writing technique used for effect/emphasis; if the same is applied in oral tradition we claim mythology. Through this failure on our part, what the invaders (colonizers) sought to do; vis-à-vis erase our history, we are accomplishing for them without even realizing it. The standards we use to “verify” historical facts are the yardsticks they left us with, which does not take into account the realities, beliefs and values we hold; all of which factors into our narrative.

It is an established scientific fact that when one of the senses is dulled, the other senses are heightened. A blind man has a heightened sense of hearing and touch. According to an article in Science Daily; ‘The brains of those who are born blind make new connections in the absence of visual information, resulting in enhanced, compensatory abilities such as a heightened sense of hearing, smell and touch, as well as cognitive functions (such as memory and language).” Herein lays a window into what evolution means to some as regards our adaptability and not our origins as a species.

Using that same analogy, a people deprived of a means of preserving and passing on knowledge using written forms, gain high aptitudes in memory and retentive capacity. Fulani cattle herders can tell you the lineage of the animals under their care and what cow belonged to what family without the aid of branding or tags. If you are in complete darkness, your sense of hearing becomes more enhanced; we call it alertness. The fact is your brain is compensating for your lack of sight and so it goes for the other senses.

Having established that fact; why would it seem so farfetched to rely on our oral traditions to map our history? Of course every trade has it’s techniques that need to be learned and understood for effective delivery.

One does not only have to understand the language used as a medium; the beliefs, customs and values of the people need to be taken into account to be able to decipher the true meaning of what is being relayed. That is challenging enough for the unfamiliar; throw in the mix attempts at translating into a different language. For example, try to find a suitable word to convey to a non-native West African what a Maanyo Bitto/Chait/Jombaajo is. More likely than not the substitute word you’d use is “wedding”. This gives the whole picture an entirely different meaning. If you tell someone unfamiliar with our customs that one of your cousins is your JonghO you’d conjure up images of enslaved Africans on the cotton fields of the American south or on the sugar plantations of the Caribbean and the attendant inhumane conditions they endured. These two examples just deal with customs and culture.

If you say nyang tang tei ballo, which translates into prosperity in the actual meaning of the word, whereas literally it means someone who does not ‘harvest’ straw for roofing, the meaning would’ve been lost. Even within people of the same ethnicity, regional variations in dialect give words whole new meanings. What we call red in Gambian Mandinka (Wuleringho), is a curse word in certain Kaabu regions and their word for red (Wuleh-maa) translates into the same curse word amongst Gambian Mandinka.

There are even literal translations which not only make no sense but are actually hilarious. Someone once translated ablution into “Catching prayer”(Sali jee mutto/Jaapa junli). An epileptic episode was translated as the victim “falling animal” (daanu rabb). A policeman once said to a driver “Kill the car…” (Moto faa). A Senegal Fire finch (Mori kunung dingho/Pichi Seringe), was named Marabout bird, although there is a Marabou Stork. And what we call a marabout will be referred to as spiritualist/spiritual teacher/shaman in English.

The point here is that we subject everything from the past to our current situation, context and realities. The reference to the use of a calculator above highlights our penchant for not subjecting ourselves to critical thinking methodology in arriving at reasonable conclusions. We do it to culture, to traditions, and especially to religion. The languages of old are different from our current language structure and the meanings are not always what seem obvious. We are in a constant battle to reclaim our narrative and that cannot be devoid of the context and realities of the times that shaped such narratives and ideologies.

When people criticize western education for some of our woes, in terms of cultural identity, it is not to say there is no good to be learnt thereof; it is the inability of those tutored through that medium to adapt their knowledge to the realities of our situation. A similar thing can be said of those tutored in Arabic for their various disciplines. We have a wealth of knowledge at our disposal to research and decipher, let’s not cast it all aside as meaningless.

The advocacy for, and march towards unrestrained liberalism in The Gambia will be countered with moderate conservatism. 

Samaa la naa yeh jonkonghO tara sinanding neh (The shower shed was already wet before it rained.)

THE GAMBIA DOES NOT HAVE A TRIBAL PROBLEM

If you take a look at our situation in The Gambia closely, a few things stand out and they are unmissable, but you have to look very closely, draw parallels and you will be able to see the correlation.

Noticed how just a few years ago some of us shied away from acknowledging we are from the provinces? For some it got so bad they will not even visit home. If there wasn’t a stigma/negative stereotype attached to it, why would some of us do so. That negative stereotype and stigma has to do with how you were made to feel inferior and uncultured. It was a defense mechanism against bullying to say you were from Brikama rather than admit to actually being from Basori or Jambanjelli.  You’d say you were from Kerewan or Farafenni rather than say you were from Jajari or Duntumalang; Basse instead of Fatoto, Bwian instead of Sutusinjang etc. These major towns were relatively well known if not the administrative capital of their regions, so that gives some sense of esteem rather than saying you were from a village whose very name will invite ridicule alongside you being labeled all but a village idiot. Here’s a reference point for those who disagree that such acts of condescension actually took place in pre-independent Gambia and beyond. 

These of course are not unique to The Gambia, ‘City’ folks have always had a sense of superiority over country folks everywhere in terms of how civilized they see themselves. Power is the most coveted commodity in all of modern human civilization; whether that be brought on by wealth, knowledge, political power, or any other forms in which it may manifest itself. There is, it seems an innate need in humans to be recognized and held in esteem. That sense of status elevation and superiority is hardly ever absent in any human endeavor. We simply want to be recognized, celebrated and even revered. There are very few among us that are immune to such desire.

Let’s see how this may; just maybe, have a correlation to our politics and the political landscape. Sir Farimang Singhateh was a Santonko, Sir  Dawda Jawara is a Santonko, Yaya Jammeh; Santonko, and now Adama Barrow; another Santonko. Before native-led politics took root, the positions of power and influenced were all claimed by the colony (city) native, and it largely remained so under the first dispensation due to the need for ‘educated’ folks to steer the nation’s affairs forward. Yaya’s ascension disrupted that otherwise oligarchical system where people in positions employed and created opportunities for their families and relatives giving them head starts over others. Following various social media discourses from a distance, it seems the prevalent feeling, albeit not openly admitted is that “we cannot keep having these ‘illiterate’ (translates – Santonko) with their pea-sized brains (yes, that actual adjective was used) rule over us; we also have a say in this country!” This is part of the reasons why you hear “this country belongs to all of us”.

In addition to the fact nepotism is already an entrenched problem, some throw another contentious issue into the mix; “tribe”/ethnicity. The ethnic composition of Santo vs Douma (I guess that will suffice) is prominent, not in composition but in the lingua franca. That fact, some use as an appeal to emotions in their political discourse to garner the sympathy vote. Therein lies our problem; ENTITLEMENT, period. “We are the educated, we should be in charge.” Education being relative and usually means literacy

We’ve seen how the civil service was personalized so much we had a de facto oligarchy under the PPP. It was worse under the APRC when Yaya took it to another level by singling out his kinsmen as the most disadvantaged by virtue of their ethnicity rather than the fact all rural communities fared exactly the same. He injected the ‘tribe’ component into the mix to consolidate himself.   

Here’s a simple experiment; filter your friend list on social media based on political leanings. The pro-coalition government aka CDL and those discontent with the government and gave up on all hopes that any good can come of out of the government, aka DSS. Now track them based on geography and you will see very distinct political leanings; the geographical locations being two; Banjul and Kombo St. Mary’s Division (KSMD) being one and the remainder of the country being another (colony vs protectorate). Make Foni an exception as they were forced to be loyal to one party and largely see things from only one perspective, virtually cut off from the rest of the country thanks to coercion to a large extent.

Even in the case of so called independents, those that are from the colony have silently lost faith in the government and those from the protectorate are silently sympathetic towards the government. Of course among that group too are those who sincerely stand the middle ground criticizing when called for and acknowledging good strides with complements. The rest you can decipher for yourself.

Only two of the current key political players are from the KSMD region who are either shielded, hailed, or turned a blind eye to although polar opposites in political ideology. Same goes for the other camp too. Mama Kandeh and his team are a counter weight, the swinger vote if you like, so he is tolerated but not fully embraced. Follow the political debate closely and these divides emerge; take for example the foul mouth who recently did a video calling the President an uncultured provincial from the dust laden Jimara. The same person is a self-proclaimed GDC supporter, party leader having hailed from the exact same area as the president; speak of an irony. It says a lot however one looks at it; and to think people ‘liked’ her comments and even encouraging her to the point of casting her as a victim also speaks volumes; one such being an aspiring mayoral candidate under the same party platform. There were others before her too.

This current rivalry, almost toxic between the UDP led camp and the Independent/PDOIS camp plays into that scenario in more ways than one. The UDP’s politics and strategy has never changed except to adjust to new realities. The PDOIS likewise; the two parties have been on polar opposites in political ideology. Why is it that for the almost 2 decades that Hon. Sidia Jatta headed the PDOIS its platform was less appealing than it is now? PDOIS’s ideology and politics has never changed, why the sudden surge in sympathizers and die hard supporters, who until very recently were establishment sympathizers? A lot of these sudden PDOIS members will be at a loss when asked who the late Dr. Omar Kumbamang Touray was. The only thing that changed in PDOIS is leadership roles; by all accounts he and Hon. Sidia Jatta both excelled in academics and obtained more credentials thereof than Hon. Halifa Sallah. And no, tribalism is not what’s to blame, all these gentlemen named are patriots and way above such sentiments, the question is the supporters who until very recently would not be caught dead near a PDOIS event. Why the sudden love affair?

“We want educated people in office!” They exclaim, but why now and not then? I still don’t think even the supporters are motivated by ethnic/tribal sentiments; at least not the majority. Those favored politicians share close kinship relations to either them or an extended family member; relationships that can be potentially tapped into for opportunities. To some it is not a case of being in favor but rather being against a UDP dominated political environment.

As P.L.O Lumumba said; if you want to be rich in Africa, join politics/the public service. Although that that argument does not hold true for all public servants and politicians, the characterization holds true for most.

What we’ve had in the Gambia is a problem of nepotism. Who you know gets you to where you want to go faster than what you know, so we see  government as a form of an oligarchy; a fiefdom if you will. After the fall of the PPP government and the subsequent Alghali Commission, we witnessed the level of corruption in the junior levels of government. We also noticed the family relationships and kinships of the people facing the commissions. So it is not farfetched that as a country emerging from such a biased environment, some citizens view all politicians with suspicion as being cut from the same cloth; that is until they prove themselves different. That feeling; that “it’s the same old game at play, people empowering their relatives and since we are not related to them, there is no hope for us.”

One Gambia, one people has sadly just dawned on some of the ‘educated’ literate folks; the ordinary ‘illiterate’ Gambian has not only believed that, he lived it and is living it. That poison pill has just been prescribed for our social relations and some have swallowed it thanks to the same bunch – the ‘educated elite’. The more we sing it, the more life gets injected into it. If people internalize that notion of ‘us against them’ not along political affiliations but along ethnic lines; we’re in for a very long and rough ride ahead.

Let sleeping dogs lie!

PRESIDENT BARROW'S HEART IS IN A GOOD PLACE

In our assessment of the Barrow Presidency thus far, some of us have claimed a lack of foresight, clear vision, determination, or strength in leadership due to the seeming chaotic nature of how things are. Some yet, still appalled at the retention of some “enablers” form the past dispensation. But in a rare insight, perhaps the first such insight into the mind of the President with  regards to the civil and security service, we see a man determined to give a second chance; a chance to redemption and self-evaluation for members of the civil service and security apparatus.

These sentiments of concern prevalent amongst the ordinary citizen had been reechoed by Hon. Hamat Bah in addressing the security lapses that saw the re-entry into the country of two of Jammeh’s notorious henchmen without fuss. In a revealing moment; Hon. Hamat Bah also offered us some insight into the President’s line of thinking. 

Speaking on recommendations made to the President early into the transition to sack everybody, he stated that the President responded that “…we don’t have to sack anyone. We should give everybody an opportunity and see how we can transform the country and the civil service to make it better because it was battered so bad that people were not allowed to function the way they want to function.” Directing comments at some of those present Hon. Bah stated; We know some of you were part of the system in the past…We know people who took guns and were ready to defend the Jammeh regime in our midst here, we know more than you think we know….But Mr. President said no….I would have done a different thing if I was in President Barrow’s position.” 

And rightly so Hon. Bah, because as he put it, the incompetence and seeming lack of desire for some civil servants to take responsibility and change their approach to work and the ethics thereof, casts us all in bad light; “Mr President, this is affecting your government, affecting your image and affecting the image of the country. This is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately,” This speaks to most of our feelings and perceptions.

According the civil servants and security personnel an opportunity to improve themselves and change course is by no means an acknowledgement that a different route couldn’t have been taken. President Barrow could have been more assertive in so many aspects, but with this rare glimpse into his mindset as far as the conditions of the civil service are concerned; what some take as weakness is in fact an honest and sincere effort to extend a redemptive opportunity to members of the civil service. Evidently President Barrow has more faith in people’s capacity to change and be responsive to the needs of those they are mandated to take 
care of than most of us.

“Indeed, it is an open secret that the public service itself became the first victim of the brutality of the past regime. The public service became largely non-responsive and low performing under the former administration. These important institutions have been generally politicized, abused and rendered irrelevant as most operational and strategic decisions were surrendered to the Office of the President for one man to make them all.

In the Public Service there are many well-articulated policies, strategies and plans that do not get implemented because of the mindset of the so-called ‘implementation bottlenecks’. This culture has no place in the new dispensation. As we set out to implement our new development blueprint, it cannot be business as usual. We need to understand that no progress can be made in developing our country if we continue to conduct business as usual. Change needs to happen and it needs to happen now. Let us therefore take charge of our destiny and make this country a better place for generations to come.”

From the above we can say with certainty that President Barrow blames the under-performance and non-responsive civil service solely on how Yahya Jammeh handled the affairs of state. The response from the civil service became one of survival maneuverings and attempts at self-preservation as each tries to secure the positions on which their livelihoods depend. Call it naïve, but President Barrow believes with a new dispensation under his watch and freedom to act according to set standards, the best in our people will emerge and with it a more professional civil service enabled by a good leadership. Question is should so much faith be put in people who have been accustomed to corrupt practices, is it in fact naïve on the part of the President?

Contrary to claims from some quotas, that the lack of ‘system change’ is evidence of willingness to perpetuate the corrupt practices of the past; of a man who is out to enrich himself and his cronies at our expense. I hold a contrary view that such claims are untrue and cynical at best. Is there a need for sweeping reforms? Absolutely. Does that require firings and terminations, certainly; and a whole lot of these will be very welcome and most justified. The point of divergence for me is the claims that such a move is not taken in some cases because of attempts at entrenching corruption and self-perpetuation. Rather, it is an attempt to rely on an already trained and familiar batch of public servants who, in his opinion only need redirection and to summon their best traits.

“…this is why my first administrative orders as President were all aimed at revamping and sanitizing the public service. These include: Setting up a panel to orderly reinstate the officials who were wrongfully dismissed by the previous Government, decongest the Office of the President by re-assigning institutions and line departments to the purview of the ministries where they rightfully belong, and effectively empower the sectors to be in charge of their mandates and be accountable for their actions,”

In addition to the fact that a lot had been expended to train and upskill civil servants over the years, it will be counter-productive to embark on large scale dismissals when there is an option to re-direct some. Again, some are absolutely undeserving of this approach of extending an olive branch and a second chance at redemption.

Another thing President Barrow has seemingly taken into account that could be said to influence his approach to governance is inclusiveness. We all know a lot of damage had been done under Yahya, a lot of polarization, animosity and suspicion that will require a steady hand to strike a delicate balance that will bring back national cohesion and maintain stability. If he embarks on a massive cleansing program as a means of sanitizing the civil as well as security service, a lot could go wrong that could undermine our progress and stability. We have already heard claims of tribalism after some security officers have been arrested and some political appointments rescinded. 

Every action has been subject to a view of “who is involved, what ‘tribe’ are they” as the first measure of how to view any move by the government; who gets ‘favored’ and who gets ‘marginalized’ based on their ‘tribe’. In such a volatile situation, we should not be driven by emotions but rather by reason and well thought out courses of action which is what seems to be approach of the President. That sense of unity was echoed in his speech;

“We are faced with challenges but we are willing to listen and learn to succeed, but we can’t succeed without unity. Others can help us but the ultimate responsibility lies with Gambians.  We all faced challenges of uncertainties but we have to be determined to set up and connect. Gambian experts have to take risks for the sake of The Gambia. We were united in our fight for freedom; let us continue to be united to work for the development of our country. I assure you that I value each and every one of you and I shall endeavor to harness the potentials of everyone wherever, and whenever possible.”

Even though some of us would like to see a punitive course of action taken in certain aspect, it is reassuring to know that in President Barrow we have a man who wants to see the best in us as a people and not give into cynicism and ill-faith as to our propensity for good and our ability to do good given the right circumstances. Barrow has given the civil servants and security personnel the opportunity to exert themselves through professionalism and patriotism for the good of us all.

The onus therefore now lies with the various public servants in whatever capacity, to live up to expectations and deliver for the Gambian people. The political will is there to enhance and support creativity and innovation, but above all, the environment has been created to ensure best practice is upheld without fearing one’s tenure.

Let us focus on the future, and for those who have been found wanting and are still in the system, here is an opportunity to redeem yourselves before it is too late. The calls to get rid of some people will continue and the axe will eventually fall; and without the required adjustments in attitude when the axe falls there will be no public sympathy. The commissions are progressing; the calls to hold those found wanting will also gather steam and the call for justice will not cease either.

Having said that it is also helpful Mr. President, to engage with citizens and allay their fears by reassuring and talking to them on their issues of concern. Your actions will vindicate you, but your word when it matters also accounts for a great deal.

The watch continues!

STOP THE VINDICTIVENESS

Without fail, every time there is an issue of national concern since January 2016, we are forced to put up with the vindictive comments of bitter folks who can’t seem to get over the fact Halifa and the PDOIS were trounced in favor of Barrow. The hypocrisy and insincerity to that regard has been on display for all to see since the inception of this gov’t; that’s the truth.

“If only Halifa were nominated to lead; wait until PDOIS assumes power, Barrow should admit his incompetence and step aside.”  These are a few of the lines we’ve been hearing since Barrow was entrusted with our affairs.

At a time when all are concerned about our fragile security situation, some are out with their vindictive comments yet again. It is one thing to say One Gambia, One People, Gambia First, and all the flowery one liners, but truly believing and upholding that mantra is another thing.

The people made a choice; it was Barrow, not Sallah. “Gambia First” would mean despite your personal feelings or views of another, as long as the choice was democratic and fair, until the mandate of the chosen one expires, we all join hands to find solutions to common problems through sincere exchange of ideas.

Democracy would mean respecting the people’s choice even if you have your misgivings by contributing workable ideas. The constant vindictiveness is not criticism or dialogue; it is a manifestation, a symptom of the bitterness within. What would you and your camp do different? No; we won’t say! Pay the ransom (vote us in) and we will show you, yet you claim sole proprietorship of patriotism!

The same ‘Gambian people’ you claim to care so much about made their choice, instead of respecting that choice you come up with all manner of insults and condescending remarks accusing them of factionalism, sectarianism, tribalism etc. because to your mind their choice is incompetent and so they must suffer collectively for their choice just so you can massage your ego and say we told you so.

The protection of the rights of the APRC and her members to assemble and say all manner of outrageous things in the face of the revelations of the atrocities committed under their watch, even though a ban or simply a denial of permit will be largely supported; THAT is the spirit of One Gambia in practice. Telling the general public to be tolerant of the APRC exercising their rights without provoking them, THAT is the advancement of the concept of One People.

Now, if APRC chooses to be provocative and drive around town hailing the man who is responsible for many an aggrieved citizen and celebrating him, they should equally be responsible enough to exercise restraint in the face of the inevitable harsh comments they are bound to encounter. That is people expressing their disgust at such blatant disregard for our collective plight and the sheer remorselessness of such a venture as brazen as a countrywide tour; one devoid of any admission of guilt, regret or even an apology for being at the very least, complicit. That expression of disgust on the part of citizens, THAT too is democratic, it’s free speech. You know that concept you so dearly flaunt around, yes that and it must be protected without recourse to violent response.

Somehow, yet again it is UDP; the be-all do-all culprit of anything the self-anointed patriots are not desirous of. That is the issue; the fact that one can so blatantly ignore all that we went through as a people under that butcher, only to turn around and blame the victims so soon after his banishment, and by victims I do not mean UDP, there are many an aggrieved citizen unaffiliated with any party.

What that inadvertently is telling us is that the APRC should be left alone to go around doing whatever they want, saying whatever they want, about whomever they want and worse; tell us all how great Yaya was and how those killed, raped, and maimed deserved their fate. That entire contemptuous disregard for what transpired is to be met with mute lack of concern from all, for it is the APRC’s right and the constitution guarantees it. Meanwhile, the victims cannot come out along the highway to tell them to their face how disgusting it is to celebrate a man so callous as to put an infant in jail, because doing so is provocative. What about the victims’ freedom of speech guaranteed under the same constitution, isn’t that position restrictive of their right?

In a situation as polarized as ours, thanks to the machinations of the butcher of Kanilai, navigating with caution is prudent, but any such attempt is viewed as suppression, any response pursuant to a breakdown of law is labeled as heavy handed. We saw it in Kanilai, when natives tried to impede law enforcement from carrying out a COURT ORDER only for tragedy to strike. When the authorities raised security concerns we all scream foul play. Why, because “the police are there to ensure security so use them and not give the lame excuse of national security which is what dictators hide behind.” The police act, we cry foul for heavy handedness, yet never bat an eye at the constant physical attacks on them. We are not in an ideal situation as a country, and that is not an excuse it just means it will take a while to get to a point where we can do things as would obtain in a conventional democracy, we are not there yet.

And that is not to say do not criticize either, for that will be our collective failure. But if from the get go you displayed discontent and never made it a secret, any attempt hitherto to criticize will be viewed with suspicion. Let’s say you cried wolf too many times when there was none. If a wolf does emerge, do not blame people for not responding or being sympathetic to your cries of help. APRC is the only one to blame here, but yet again some try to twist it to seem to be in favor of democracy deliberately ignoring the powder keg that is APRC hell bent on setting the country ablaze because their god has been banished.

That is where we are as a country; some of us will fault-find anything this administration does because we’d prefer a different set of people. Some are relieved at seeing the back of the tyrant and want to be the wind in the sails of the new ship until we reach safer and more pristine shores. Sure we could use a steam engine, but we do not have one so help man the sails, when we dock on those shores, we can all go our separate ways; if you want sit on the beach and look across the sea to that wretched land we left behind.

Right now, we are all in the same boat; kulung bula laa beh nganiya killing. If it sinks, there will be no new stable ship to captain. You cannot build a ship in the middle of a turbulent sea, you have to dock first; so let’s dock and on the other side you can help your favored ones to take over.  Enough already!

OUR ATTITUDES ARE THE PROBLEM

You know, we don’t all have to be religious, or faithful, or practicing believers. But like most things Gambian these days our differences in politics, values and cultural norms cannot be looked at with respect and regard for those we differ with, we have to attempt to tear them down to elevate ourselves; that attitude also extends into the religious/spiritual sphere. The rising number of atheist/agnostic beliefs and ‘free-thinkers’ in our midst comes with a new wave of attacks on our long held values and belief systems often in very condescending and disrespectful language. One’s experiences and disposition influences their beliefs and outlook on the world; nothing wrong with choosing your own path based on your convictions.

It is a concerning trend that people of faith or morally conservative people are increasingly becoming a target for denigration by people who view themselves as ‘enlightened’ because they successfully “broke free of indoctrination.” In actual fact what is often on display is the sheer ignorance and lack of understanding for something they claim to understand - religion. Instead of attempting to sutura themselves by acknowledging their ignorance and treading their chosen paths blissfully, they put their ignorance on display brandishing it as enlightenment. According other people the respect they deserve regardless of their values is basic human decency. From culture, to traditions, values and belief systems it is an unending display of intolerance and sheer impudence for “others” of whatever category

Worse, some of them do not know which way to lean; even the African spirituality some are prone to using as an excuse is hardly understood. “The Europeans and the Arabs forced their beliefs on us.” Ask them to explain what it is we had before that, beyond a name they have no clue as to the concept of African spirituality. Science on the other hand I’d like to think only fascinates them. That lack of insight and the audacity to challenge others on their convictions is the really irksome part. They will claim that people of religion do not like to be challenged; truth is a challenge has to be academic; probing, insightful questions for better understanding not one aimed at ridiculing and insulting which is what almost always obtains, not to mention the air of condescension that accompanies it.

It is really pitiful to see some of them try to argue from a supposedly logical point of view; they claim that religion is illogical, that there is no scientific evidence that God exists. But as far as we know, their logic has fallen short of conclusively declaring or proving the non-existence of God. It has been observed that the same evidence put forth as prove that there is no Creator but the laws of physics and nature, is the very same evidence used by the faithful to argue their case.

Let’s indulge your logic for a moment; all the known elements in the universe originated from the big bang. With the ever expanding universe, it has been established that there are over 100 billion stars in our galaxy (the Milky Way), one of the smallest galaxies; add to that the scientific fact that there are over 100 billion galaxies in the OBSERVABLE universe. Through billions of years of formation and evolution only one tiny planet was able to collect the needed elements essential for life in just the right amount – EARTH. If we were even a few inches closer to the sun than we currently are life as we know it will not be suitable for this planet, it will be barren. 

That precision is not by intelligent design? No we are told there is a perfect explanation by using physics. There is one problem though; Over 80% of what constitutes the mechanisms of the universe is unknown to science. They call it dark matter or dark energy; none of the laws of physics apply when it comes to dark matter. Here is some physical presence/phenomena that if subjected to the laws of physics breaks every rule, yet you want to subject people’s faith to the logic of physics discounting metaphysics and the unknown aspects of our consciousness?

The answers we get are not convincing enough, even if they are, using mathematical probabilities we know what is unknown is way more than what is known; if you want to rely on that small probability to convince you, by all means go ahead, some of us have our doubts about that theory and so hold on to something that speaks to our hearts; faith.

Faith is a gift that not everyone is bestowed with, so it is hard to explain. Claiming that you were faithful until you found ‘enlightenment’ in science, logic and reason is flawed, what in fact happened was that you conformed but never truly believed. Truth is, it has always been about what you desire and how people see you. Now that you need to take on a different persona to ‘fit in’ somewhere where you can indulge your desires unrestrained, you switched allegiances and conformed to something else, so don’t come around insulting our intelligence with your anti-religious stance. Atheist/agnostic beliefs appeal to you, uphold them by all means, be a ‘Free-Thinker’.

I am not a religious scholar, nor am I versed in scripture, but I thank God that he endowed me with faith, and my curiosity like many others does not let me just conform, seeking genuine answers help strengthen and cement one’s faith. Seeking knowledge, which is what we have been obligated to do requires asking questions and seeking answers; if such a search is preceded by sincere curiosity it opens doors to answers. Such sincerity is what can be said to be lacking in those who seek to ridicule and mock people of faith; their only goal is to ridicule so they stumble upon those things in religion that will cement their lack of faith even further because they lack insights as to context and nuance, or deliberately disregard such.

A lot of people sacrificed their lives, their wealth, their families, and their time to better humanity’s lot; convinced by nothing order than the conflict between the values and teachings of their faith and the conditions of fellow human beings. If you are not out to genuinely seek answers to better understand your fellow human being, out of respect for those men and women please tread your path and let those who choose to tread another path do so each convinced in their belief that their chosen path serves them best. As long as no one tries to force their values on you, let them be until you truly understand what motivates them.

Live and let live, but more importantly have informed opinions first before sharing.