THE MISEDUCATION OF THE GAMBIAN

The yolk of colonial bondage and subjugation have been crushed but colonialism and its excesses have surely taken a toll on the Gambian mentality. A good number of our population are post Independence Gambians whose interaction with the colonials are non existant but yet still, they suffer from a colonial hang over. This existential threat has delayed our collective progress particularly in the sphere of nation building and national cohesion.

Our social elite particularly the political class have continued where the colonials left off. It is normal for the colonials to ransack and loot us as this was not a hidden agenda but a deliberate policy of acquisition and accumulation by the unconscionable British Crown. Having our own looting and plundering from our common wealth is not only disturbing but a perpetuation of the colonial agenda of under developing the homeland. The reason our forebearers the Maba Jahou's, Sait Matty, Musa Molloh and Foday Kaba put up a formidable resistance against the tyranny of the British was to restore dignity of the indegenous. This agenda was further agitated by the architects of Independence. Therefore having our political class subjugate our inalienable rights reserved and protected by not only our sacrosanct cononstitutional instruments and generally accepted universal rights amounts to regression from Independence Gambia to pre independence. The colonials made us believe that power lies with them and this was not only a fallacy but a tool of repression and misinformation. Once again, the political class since independence failed to educate the Gambian of his/her rights within a constitutional framework. "We the people" is a force bigger that the political class or anyone for that matter. Power lies in the polity hence our prerogative to elect representaves and leadership.  We are the custodians of power and the political machinery MUST work for our common good or we revolt against it in the form of elections. The English language is very clear about the position of politicians and public officials.They are deliberately and accurately referred to Public servants and civil servants respectively as they receive their mandate from us (we the people). Any well meaning leader will re educate the Gambian and address the deliberate anomaly that witness a servant usurping the power of people. Power must return to its rightful owners the people. The divisive political maneuvers of the colonials prolonged their stay and welcome in our homeland as we lacked a common resolve and unity of purpose to see our common enemy the British but we bicker and destroy eachother. Equally our political class continued with this devisive political weapon and this significantly contributed to the non Gambianization of the Gambian whose anthem called for unity and brotherhood. This ugly vice delayed our March towards the common good. It's time we sanction our political class for they have ushered the flock  to obscurity and destitution. A well meaning leader will restore power and dignity to the owners of power by educating and empowering them. We the people is cast in stone and we should not fear to ask for what is rightfully ours. We are the installers of rulers and the final arbiter with regards to where power lies. Booker T Washington in the MISEDUCATION OF THE NEGRO highlighted ignorance as an impetus in the advancement of colored folks. Equally ignorance is a road block for the upliftment of the Gambian at home and abroad as we export our vices to distant lands. School has gone through most of us and we have achieved the pinnacle of academic success but we have not gone through school because our mindset is still colonised.  Freedom starts with purging mental slavery. Happy Independence to all. Lets take stock of our colonial hangover to fight corruption, inequality, tribalism and nepotism.

Gambia @ 51

My status bar updates these past few days have been deliberately inundated with narratives and retrospective redirection and focus on the people who brought us this far. In the beginning there was a land called Kambi Bolongho and God said let Gambia be and the nation state called Gambia was conceived. A lot of consensus building and compromise culminated to February 18 1965. Not everyone got what they wanted but they mustered their resolve to usher the birth of our nation. My heartfelt admiration and respect to our founding fathers. Like Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Nkrumah, Sedat Senghor and others before them, our founding fathers meant well but their short coming was that they were not cut out to be nation builders but they have performed diligently given the development tool kit at their disposal. That said, life has to go on and there is still room for improvement and it starts with love for country, respect for each other and a society that respects what people bring to the table. We harbor insidious mistrust and stereo types that puts us at odds with the common good of the average Gambian. 51 years and counting, and we are still struggling to create a Gambian identity devoid of tribal, class and regional nuances that deter our common aspirations. Our history has been defined by people (the colonials) who had a vested interest in our disunity. The sentiments we harbor towards each other is a consequent of that narrative brought about by the mischievous colonialists. Their narrative for men like Edward Francis Small and PS Njie is not only inaccurate but perpetrated to sow the seeds of discord. To call Edward Francis Small a trouble maker or a bad son of the soil is to dishonor his selfless attempts to emancipate the mind of the Gambian particularly the peasant folk. Associating PS Njie with tribalism tantamount to being a political and historical novice. These men had conviction and wanted to regain our dignity and right to self determination. That said, we need to embark on a journey of self discovery through educational reorientation as the old adage “Man know thy self” is pertinent to the Gambian experience.

I may not be around in 2065 to celebrate our centennial but my dream is to see a country led by Gambians in all spheres of life. A country that is economically buoyant and opportunities created for the entrepreneurial class to be captains of industry and employment generation. A country where poverty is eradicated and opportunities for upward mobility are presented to people who want to excel. In the political space, I will love to see a country where politics of personality is replaced by issue oriented politics and the electorate are not hoodwinked by the political class. Cronyism and opportunism which are parasitic traits of modern Gambia curbed. A country with a social contract that tolerates non conventional views. A hub for and launch pad for all things Africa. This can only be achieved if we commit to serious attitudinal change and dedication to the common good. The interest of the sum total of Gambia is greater than the interest of one and we must be god fearing and conscientious in deed. Gambia can't sink and will not sink because our collective resolve is insurmountable. We should be a law abiding nation with equal opportunity granted to all. May god guide and protect our mother land and may we live to witness our dreams and aspirations attained in furtherance of the nation we love to make better. May our leaders have the vision and fortitude to work towards the common good. For the Gambia ever true and we need to rededicate and work for the interest of the home land. Independence day is not about politics but finding our common resolve as Gambians. No one person or group will be victorious as we are all in the same boat and fear the same fate if the boat sends a distress signal. We will all walk to the gates of the promise land called Gambia if we toil for her. Lets all take a moment and pray for the architects and founding fathers of  our beloved Gambia. Gambia at 51 would not have been realized without the efforts of men such as Edward Francis Small, JC Faye, PS Njie, David Kwesi Jawara, Sanjally Bojang, St Clair Joof. IBM Garba Jahumpa, M.E Jallow and and many other unsung heroes. Going forward we need to dedicate a public holiday entitled “Heroes Day to our fore bearers for the gallant work of ushering a dawn of a new day that reinstated pride and dignity in Gambians. Happy 51st Independence Anniversary and let’s get back to work in the service of the state. Gambia sunu reww ligaay mou natt. Divisive politics and subjugation MUST NOT BE TOLERATED as our forebearers have sacrificed for generations yet unborn and we must jealously guard the gains they made to gave us hope for a better day. Happy Independence to all irrespective of political affiliation. 18 February is a day of brotherhood. One Gambia, One people

Tribal Affiliation A Wedge Towards A National Identity

It is evident that the passage of time has not changed the Gambian psyche and sociopolitical norms. We do still have a hangover from the colonial era. The English did a good job dividing us in units we called tribe and our loyalty was based more on the tribe than the nation state we identify with. My previous post about PS Njie and his political ideology has reaffirmed my belief that not much has changed in our state of mind. Colonialism has done considerable harm to us and decolonizing our minds has been a futile endeavor and our collective progress is deterred by our inability to think as a national unit. Therefore Gambia@51 is still reminiscent of Gambia 1965 when our national interest was secondary to our tribal allegiance. This has nothing to do with a particular tribe but all of us as a collective. We still harbor stereotypes and sentiments that will only delay our common aspirations. 

The opportunists amongst our lot prey on the social vulnerabilities we possess particularly the political class. If we want to be a successful nation we need to see ourselves as a common entity with a common purpose. It baffles me that the 2016 Gambian still behaves like our ancestors who were just transitioning from communal living into modernism. Our intolerance, prejudice and harbored anger serves us no good. My assessment of Gambia@51 is that we belong to a State that is not at peace with itself for some of us believe we were not at the dinner table in the last republic and therefore have all rights to enjoy the spoils of office and social mobility whilst another group feel like they have been victimized by the new entrants. No ONE has an absolute monopoly of the Gambia and this is where our problem starts as some see Gambia as their fiefdom. Morality and consciousness cannot be legislated but it should be inculcated in us through sensitization and moral suassion. I am a Gambian whose allegiance is to country not tribe. Our behavior is not in conformity with modernism and this sentiment impedes our growth and development. The time has come for us to have frank discussions about country, attitudes and perceived entitlements. Our main problem is not politics but prejudice and perceived entitlement. Secondly our leaders are a function of the society they govern therefore we need to be introspective and do a deep soul searching on our convoluted psyche. Most of us DO NOT believe in a cause but join the band wagon as it serves our personal interest. This is whats scary about the "Gambian" a beast of burden whose personal interest supersedes the collective and therefore impede the development of the nation state we claim to love. The face changes we see in the political arena and switching of political allegiance have been here for the longest because dignity, loyalty and conscience is somehow absent in our personal decision matrices but we tend to talk about these values often but rarely practice them. For the Gambia to change we first need to change then we can hold our leaders accountable. The destruction of social order (value system, merit based society and collective good) has been kicked to the curb for personal gain. 51 years of hog wash cannot take the Gambia forward. We need to be sincere, authentic and stop the maslaha as that is not only hypocritical but inhuman. Lets face our demons and take the bad in us if we want to prosper as a state. Sibohru, Dogoh dogoh, boleh wanteh, envy is the cancer that has disintegrated our national fabric or what was left of it. Imagine an entity that is less than 2 million people and cannot find consensus on the most mundane things. I am a mandinka but not only a mandinka but Kiangka, badibunka ets, A wollof but not only a wollof, Saloum saloum, Fana fana etc. A messed up state of affairs that suits the political class but goes against the grain of nation building and national cohesion. What is a Gambian? A Gambian does not exist because we do not share common ideals as a people. Gambia@51 needs leadership that can galvanize us around common ideals not tribal affiliations etc. Sorry for my rants I AM JUST SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED