By Burama Jammeh, Michigan (USA).
I, like many Gambians did not know Adama Barrow as we do Halifa, Sidia, Ousainou, OJ, etc. Gambians voted for you not so much because you have special skills, knowledge, wealth, etc. but because you were ours to end 22 years of tyranny. Your sacrifice to accept such a risky role is worthy of our collective commendation. Bravo! Equally all members of your team have suffered enormously in manners I can only imagine at my distant safe heaven. Again bravo y’all! Yet Gambia doesn’t belong to you.! I can only hope your undertakings weren’t accompanied with the illusion of owning Gambia and/or personal enrichment. Yahya seem to harbor that believe because he took guns to ascend to power – we’re his own. Now he knows that isn’t true! Perhaps no other Gambian leader will enjoy compliance his/her predecessors have. With all the treachery employed by Yahya Gambians never let him relax in his supposed comfort. It is our hope that the victory you led will advance the causes of political vigilance to hold our leaders accountable.
That said there is a famous quote (some sources are not sure of the originality)
“THOSE WHO CANNOT REMEMBER THE PAST ARE CONDEMNED TO REPEAT IT” – George Santayana
We didn’t get here by accident! We all know our pasts were seriously inadequate!
Our political cultures can be traced back from our founding. Someone had to organize and education a people, who individually has an interest up to the end of his/her farm to now be interested from Kartong to Koina and all in-between. That’s the concept of an Independent Democratic Republic. Jawara was tasked with that responsibility and he didn’t do a good job of it.
The creation of ‘NATIONAL ARMY’ put the last nail on the coffin – not only the army changed our politics it also changed our cultures. It cost the poor farmers from Kartong to Koina for no practical reason while used as the main affront to our civil liberties. That starts with the overthrow of our elected government.
Just a story: ‘When I arrived in Banjul from the village for school there was an incident I will never forget. I lived with my grandma at 10 or 11 Denton Street just under Late Momodou Musa Njie tower (hardly – 2 storey). One of those numbers was ours and one his – can’t remember exactly. One morning we woke up to news that robbery ended in the killing of a Mauritanian shopkeeper at Half-Die. It feels like the whole city want to get at least close to either see or hear from a close by source – everybody was running towards that direction.
Few years later Gambians are said to bury each other alive (aborted Barrow coup after the 1994 – Sana Sabally reported to be the main actor in that episode), mass graves, tortures, etc. At the Student Demonstration our own soldiers were shooting and killing unarmed students while others ran over the fallen to take cover. These are negative sociocultural transformation that didn’t come by accident of time. Hence lets take those lessons to shape a better tomorrow for our children and grandchildren. Let us not make Barrow a GOD or an ANGEL or A PROPHET. Certainly lets give him all the respect even when we disagree – but let him remain our servant. We can’t afford the mistakes of the past any longer. This is no family farm. Nor should it be a place to self enrich.
It’s over 50 years Gambia do not have 24/7 clean domestic water supply yet our nation is divided into half by a river of about 1300 sq. km of which over 0.5 is fresh 365 days. This is besides the fact that pretty much anything an individual does in that country is taxable. My dad passed away – buying a white shroud is a taxable event. Etc! Where is our money?????
Thus we have no/very little reason to look at USA, UK, Ghana, Senegal, etc to fix our problems. If we studies how we get here – there are almost every answer how to avoid it in the future.
Barrow in his message seems to suggest an ambitious DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM for his transition government. There is no doubt we need to improve (quality & quantity) lives of our people. However there is so much that can be done at any given time. We have to prioritize our NEEDS and WANTS. Unless we make THE RIGHT CHOICES – at the end we will likely achieve nothing other than what we fought over the last 22 years.
The current Banjul set-up you are about to inherit is neither adequate nor fixable trimming the peripheries. It would require an almost complete OVERHAUL.
With the right work I will campaign an extension of the 3 years to 5. Three will not complete the fix. Impossible! What would the next 3 years best spent on?????????
1) STEADY THE SHIP: As soon as you assume office (say 1st 3 months) – audit government and tell Gambians your finding. Ensure continuous supply of stables. Work hard to timely pay wages. Sustain services as they are and/or no dramatic fall. Establish an Audit/Prosecuting Commission to work on all Flagrant Human Right Violations and certain Categories of Economic Crimes. No witch-hunt – only lawful impartial pursuit.
2) REORGANIZE GOVERNANCE
i. Reconstruct a new Republic Constitution
a. That recognizes the existence of a democratic republic – Gambia
b. Defines citizenship
c. That numerates and guarantees rights – has no authority to take them except in extraordinary (numerate them and define processes to bring that to bear) circumstances
d. Set a 3-prong (co-equal branch of governing). Define their roles. Term limits, qualifications, etc.
e. Define and limit the police powers of government
f. Power sharing – authorities, responsibilities, etc.
g. Etc
3) DECENTRALIZE: Governing in Gambia should move from Banjul to the village. This was the essence of independence in the 1st place. Each Division/Region should have her government with authority of tax collection, keeping a larger proportion within that region, policing, development programs, land management, etc. This will spread development across our nation rather than every citizens converging on the Greater Banjul Area. These governments should be citizens of that region, elected by people of that region, fire by people of that region. We can debate how we fuse the role of Chiefs and Alikalis in this governance structure. I have my own ideas…..
4) ACCOUNTABLE SYSTEMS: Human resources, our taxes, hiring/firing, etc. all of these processes will require systems that march our socio cultural/economic complexities and technology to ensure effective/efficient business of our people. Enact laws at National Assembly that processes public abuses and punish adequately.
5) CORRUPTION: Eliminate and/or reduce to barebones. It was subject of my last posting
6) CULTIVATE CIVIC CITIZENS: We didn’t come from a democratic culture. For an average person at koina to appreciate and understand his/her equity at Kartong has to be taught (Government – Independent Democratic Republic). This can’t be telling us Red = sun; Green = agriculture, etc. Educationalists would be needed to develop curriculums from Primary School to Undergraduate Degree earned at UTG as a requirement of graduation. We can work with NGOs and others to reach the known ‘schoolers’. This will in the long enhance capacities hence entrench democracy.
7) REORGANIZE OUR SECURITY APPARATUS: Lets honestly assess what do we need as to the protection people, property and government/business intellectual property. Seriously, anytime I tried to think the intelligence need of Banjul – close to nil. Hence NSA/NIA is a political harassment apparatus to intimidate political opponents. We don’t need it. A standing army for what – war with Senegal? G/Bissau – lets pick a phone an call UN to come to our aid. We don’t need it; also consider prohibitive the cost. All we need is well sized, trained and equip police force. Law enforcement, crowd control, intelligence, security vital infrastructure, etc.
8) DIVEST/SELL ALL PARASTALS: I know some readers may think am crazy. The reasons are simple – it’s the same why parastal in the 1st place. These are MILK COWS of PUBLIC CORRUPTION. So long they remain public it will not better us. Where GPTC? NO land lines at Gamtel! GUC/NAWEC gets new name and owner every 2 years – what is it now PUMA or PURA??? Private investment will make profit, better services, expand to make more money and employ more Gambians. overall effect of those events are economic expansion. We may lease out Ports because of the nature of some of the assets – it can still be sold though.
9) Social Registers – Birth, Dead, National ID, Driver’s License, Tax Identification Number (TIN), Passport, Vehicles, Labor Force, etc. These are just to mention a few of the basics. We can’t make any inform decision without basic data. A must! Try renew your birth certificate; so long you pay they cut a new leaf that has no relation with the original/previous one – so how many Burama Jammeh’s exist? This is serious folks!
Barrow and his Coalition if you made the mistake of trying to impress praise-singers, those who are eager to emerge for 22 years of hibernation and those after immediate benefit by building nice structures, you will likely be worst than the previous 2. May God forbid!
God Bless Gambia!