At a time when we appear to be entering a new era of ever greater uncertainty due to the overt mixture of the catastrophic misadventures of Yaya Jammeh at breakneck speed that flared up the backway crisis, the depressing litany of regime’s villainous inhumane policies that put Gambia in unflattering positions, has finally stirred up deportation unrest for some of our country folks who fell through the cracks of the American dream ladder. The sad cycle of violence that has a tendency of shutting down a piece of our hearts, has finally jarred Gambia’s national consciousness — to desperately look for an alternative to bind up our nation’s bleeding wounds. Gambia is desperate — for new beginning because people are confused about the regime’s scandals of enormous problems, the country’s relationships that needs pressing of the red reset button of diplomacy and people are more than a little frightened of the sequence of events that have stroke our country at once.
The once smiling coast with Silky sandy beaches is now gabble with painful teething ingrown problems because — Yaya Jammeh’s promised us prosperity and delivered continuous malaise. They said much, they overstayed too long, accomplished very little and enmeshed Gambia in serious scandals that put us in world spotlights. Within this logic, Yaya Jammeh’s toxic policies led to divestment events and his avalanche of dishonesty isolated Gambia further. In the midst of that dynamic tension, his usual infamously egocentric berating of America and Europe, has backfired and resulted to the explosion of landmines —blowing off the Gambian dreams around the world. Reminders are everywhere of the record level of obstruction of Gambian opportunities that left cracks of big dents on our economy. The palm greasing of Yaya Jammeh’s back room deals done on Gambians name in our backyards, have the nation’s voicemail with not-so-sweet message of anger debt collectors.
The fumes of exhaustion from overheated rhetoric drew guffaws — that left us with an alienated generation of a divided nation. Therein exists the big problem symbolic at best and frivolous at worst. And that is why it is so important that everyone — regardless of political party, need to focus on actions that can unite this country rather than divide it further. Gambians owe it to themselves to hold the rope of unity closely to cross the bridge leading to December 2nd because — we have witnessed too often certain institutions and the service men willing to take up arms to preserve the status quo especially — during the events of April 14/16. For twenty-two years, the regime has written off vast chunks of our fellow citizens who oppose the wrong direction of the country as beyond hope and redemption. This cannot continue anymore.
When the clock hits 11:59am on December1st, that should be were incompetence ends. Moving forward on December 2nd is very critical because — it is not the times anymore for incompetence. The list of disappointments of Yaya Jammeh became a long one, beginning with unexplained circumstances that lead to death of many Gambia and the mysterious disappearance of their bodies, scandals Gambians finds itself in weather drugs or arms, the imprisonment of many elderly citizens, and finally withdrawing our nation from world commonwealth and the implications of his disastrous policies.
Thank heaven, Gambians finally have gotten serious about holding the regime accountable for the messed it got us into. We need a top-level leadership with superior intellect to lead our country. The years of denying the importance of profound thinking also contributed to where we are today. Pre 1994 era, Gambians felt they could trust the people around them, but now less than a third think other Gambians are trustworthy because of rising culture of NIA paranoia and the conspiracy of setting up people. If all the opposition leaders stand behind the coalition line, we will finally be on our way pointed toward a vision of the promised land of smiling coast again.
By Habib (A Concerned Gambian)