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