By Omar Bah
US-based Gambian social and political commentator, Pa Samba Jaw has said that with his new mandate, President Adama Barrow should rise up to the challenge that the Gambia is facing or the Gambian people will continue to suffer.
“President Barrow has a unique opportunity to change the trend of this under development because The Gambia is endowed with vast human resources both at home and abroad and this is where I would implore him to make sure that whosoever, he appoints to a position will be a person who is able, capable and competent to manage that position,” Jaw told The Standard.
Jaw said the country should move away from appointing people for political reasons.
“I believe, and since Barrow always talks about his legacy, this is his opportunity to correct the wrongs of the yester years and I am confident that if he focuses on what is important for the general well-being of the people he will appoint a cabinet that is reflective of that. We have to make sure that those who are appointed are given the opportunity to do their work and held to account to deliver,” he said.
Jaw said the realities of appointing people who will go to work at 10am and go home by 2PM is costing the country a great deal.
“However, I believe we have what it takes to move this country forward if only we have a governance system that resonates with that reality,” he said.
He argued that the realities in the country are “glaring” and people are seriously suffering.
“Things are extremely expensive and every time I come here I am amazed how anybody can be able to maintain a family in this country. There is a big gap between individual development and state led-development. The problem about this country has been a misguided priority. If you look at it, our governments since Jawara to date have focused more on white elephant projects that have little or no effect on the citizens,” he added.
He said Gambians should ask the fundamental question of where all the monies the country is taking as loans going and the difference it makes on the ordinary Gambians.
“We need political will and strong institutions that would be able to guide this country where it ought to be because since independence this country has been at the mercy of our leaders and not the other way around and it should not be the president who will dictate how should the country be run but the state institutions and unless we build those institutions we will continue to have these problems. We cannot continue to rely on the goodness or badness of a president,” Jaw noted.
Diaspora voting
“I believe the reason we have not voted is because the President and his NPP believe that because the diaspora is so vocal, maybe they are opposed to his government and if they were to vote, they will vote against his party. This is what I believe which I think is a misleading because the diaspora is not a minority group, they are various people from all political parties including the NPP. But again, every serious politician, any serious democrat will not abrogate the right of any citizen because of the fear they may not support them,” he said.
Election
Jaw commended the Gambian people for the maturity demonstrated during and after the December Presidential election.
“Everybody thought the election was going to be violent but people started in peace and ended in peace,” he said.
