By Salifu Manneh
I have chosen to explore this topic in three parts to approach it methodically within a clear conceptual framework supported by thematic analysis. I initially attempted to synthesise all the ideas I wanted to address into a single narrative. Still, as the storytelling began, more and more insights emerged, shaping the direction of my thinking. The concept of bricolage also came to mind, because in many ways I have aimed to connect the dots, those scattered elements that, when brought together, reveal why our leadership, our opposition, and the future of our country present such profound challenges for us all. The article comes in 3 parts.
The Gambia’s political decay is not an accident. It is a culture. For decades, leadership in The Gambia has been shaped not by principle, competence, or public duty, but by a deeply entrenched culture of convenience, personal survival, and transactional loyalty. This culture did not emerge overnight; it is the cumulative result of political behaviour in which leaders prioritise proximity to power over responsibility to citizens, and in which institutions bend to personalities rather than the rule of law. How many times have we heard about salary and allowance increases for ministers and National Assembly Members during Barrow’s ten-year term? And yet, do these increases ever trickle down to the farmer, or to the ordinary man and woman struggling each day to provide even a modest breakfast, let alone a proper meal in the afternoon?
How do we justify improving the quality of life for National Assembly Members, the President, ministers, and senior civil servants while failing to work tirelessly to bring down the cost of living, tackle corruption head-on, and ensure that our hospitals have basic medicines and essential diagnostic equipment?
The tragedy is not simply that leaders fail; it is that they fail in predictable, patterned ways. The leadership culture has a big problem. We must examine it thoroughly and set clear conditions that our leaders must meet satisfactorily. Our voices, on our terms, must count. Our votes put us in pole position and give us a decisive advantage; we must use them wisely, with urgency, and judiciously.
Our thoughts, mindsets, and approaches to our leaders, and our understanding of leadership itself, need a serious shake-up. Our attitudes about politics, what it is and what it is not, require comprehensive civic education and greater self-awareness. Every individual has leadership traits built into their character and nature, but leadership in politics is different. It must be guided by ethics, courage, passion, compassion, and the ability to inspire a group of action-oriented followers driven by the principles of equal rights and justice for all.
Leadership without conviction!
Poor leadership can manifest in many ways, but when it causes institutions to malfunction or become completely dysfunctional, society has a serious problem on its hands. If unchecked, poor leadership can erode the very fabric of society: ethics and morals sink to dangerous lows, stealing and cheating become normalised, and a politics of hide-and-seek, often infiltrated by criminal elements, begins to take over the state’s governance.
When a leader surrounds himself with remnants and lingering elements of dictatorship, he ends up shouting for nothing and about nothing. The lack of tangible action and the failure to deliver vital services create an unfilled political vacuum. Policies are announced without strategy, promises are made without timelines, and national priorities shift according to political weather. How many times has Barrow, when he is in an exciting mode on a public podium, promised the nation and its people about developmental activities that never held water or were never delivered?
There was a whole host of these shenanigans.
The promise of free health care has never been delivered.
The promise to create 150 thousand new jobs for young people has never been fulfilled.
The promise to build over 200,000 new housing units has never been implemented.
The big promises to implement the Janneh commission and TRCC recommendations in full have disappointingly never been kept.
The tragic deaths of 70 children from poisonous syrup have left big emotional wounds wide open in families affected by this. The enormous loss, grief and traumatic experiences from the syrup incident continue to linger on with no sight of any resolution.
There is a lack of government policy to address the avoidable deaths of our young people in the oceans and in the deserts.
These alone are sufficient justification not to allow Barrow to return to the state house and pile more and more misery on our nation and on us. This is not leadership, it is ‘drift’, and ‘drift’ is dangerous for a country in need of structural transformation.
Loyalty is valued above competence!
Appointments often reward allegiance rather than merit. How many embassies does The Gambia operate abroad? And more importantly, what benefits or value do these embassies add to the wealth and well-being of our country and its people? There are many embassy staffers who, if asked to present a record of their weekly activities in relation to their roles, functions, and responsibilities in representing The Gambia, would think you were laughing. People with no training or experience in foreign service are posted to our embassies abroad as a reward for loyalty valued over competence.
Valuing loyalty above competence is dangerous and unfair. It means those who genuinely deserve to be in such positions are denied opportunities to contribute in ways that could bring far greater benefit to the country and its citizens. Institutions become hollowed out, staffed by individuals whose legitimacy depends on patronage rather than performance.
It is time we seriously consider adopting meritocracy. The selection of individuals for strategic public positions and public office must be based on merit, guided by the principles and discipline of a meritocratic system. The basic requirements for the position of President must go beyond academic qualifications. Experience in running, managing, or participating in public administration should form part of what we expect from anyone seeking to occupy the highest office in the land.
A political elite insulated from consequences!
Scandals fade, reports gather dust, and public anger dissipates without institutional follow-through. Immunity breeds impunity, and impunity corrodes governance from within. This is precisely what has happened as we moved from dictatorship to the Barrow regime. Our expectations and hopes have been dashed in ways we could never have imagined.
The Barrow administration has become increasingly consumed with consolidating power and erecting protective political walls to make those at the top appear untouchable. Through the heavy recruitment of former dictatorship helpers, aiders, and abettors into his administration, Barrow effectively reneged on the most significant promise he made to the people. The change we expected was strangled overnight. Rhetoric filled the air and the corridors of power, while meaningful transformation stalled. We became more stuck and stagnant than ever before.
We must bring about change, and that change must begin at the top. Our country needs new leadership to help us finally break away from the lingering legacies of dictatorship and the troubling features of Barrow-era politics and governance. As citizens, we expect nothing less than what we, and our country, rightfully deserve.
Citizens conditioned to expect little: The politics of patronage over patriotism!
When leadership failure becomes normalised, citizens begin to lower their expectations. They start celebrating small gestures as if they were significant achievements. A society that expects little ultimately receives even less. We must remember that whatever developmental projects a sitting administration initiates or completes during its term are not personal achievements. They are the result of the mandate we, the citizens, have given, and they are funded by our resources, including the goodwill extended to the president on our behalf.
The Constitution prescribes a president’s term in office and requires it to come to an end on a particular day. But the people’s ownership of their voices, opinions, and thoughts is permanent. These are human and natural rights. Nothing can take our votes or our voices away. Politicians come and go, but our voices remain.
This is not a crisis of individuals. It is a crisis of culture!
Replacing one leader with another will not fix a system built on weak institutions, shallow accountability, and political opportunism. We, and our votes, play a significant role in challenging political behaviours that do not reflect the wishes and hopes of the people. The poor, the weak, the sick, and the vulnerable rely on us to look after them with care and responsibility. The ethical duty to live up to society’s expectations rests squarely on our shoulders.
Holding our government responsible and to account is the sacred responsibility of every good citizen. How can poisonous syrup recklessly take the lives of over 70 children, yet nothing meaningful emerges from it? How can security personnel, civilians, and journalists be allegedly taken away and summarily killed in broad daylight, again with no consequences or punishment for the alleged crimes? Numerous audit reports raise questions on everyone’s mind: How can individuals engage in broad daylight embezzlement and fraudulent activities involving millions of dalasis of state resources, yet face no consequences or legal ramifications?
Impunity has become a shield for those allegedly involved in financial scandals, unlike anything we have seen in our country’s short history. We must change the tide by preventing Barrow from tightening his grip on the presidential power base any further. Ten years of his tenure is enough.
