By Nyang Njie
Two scores and sixteen years ago, a nation was born. The birth of this nation didn’t come through bloodshed but a political negotiation that left many doubting her ability to survive independently. This notion was conceived by the nay sayers who lacked hope and confidence on the newly established elongated speck of land with narrow river banks on both the North and South banks.
Its geographic shape made her a thorn that literally pricks big brother Senegal and also detaches Cassamance from our neighbour and brother.
Notwithstanding the negative prognosis, our founding fathers went ahead to establish the independent nation called #The_Gambia. An agrarian society that supported trade was the hallmark of her economy. Groundnut and cotton were her major export earners. The politics of the day was consumed by non nationalistic ideologies that served no ones interest. The people of the protectorate were made to believe that they need to galvanise their resolve for good representation. Another party called Muslim Congress fragmented itself to religious lines. The good old Reverend JC Faye equally had a party that centered around religion. The Wollofs had their king maker and fiefdom in the United Party of PS Njie. Well these impediments were the building blocks of the #NewGambia of 1965. Politics there after fashioned itself on the interest groups listed above and that brought about the death of #Nationalism before it even got a chance to sprawl. The agitators of Independence brought forth the excess baggage of the colonial era by dwelling on the very divisive parameters of colonial Gambia which drew its strength on a divide and rule strategy.
The euphoria of independence waned off after 18 February 1965 and the daunting task of nation building was entrusted on a bunch who had noble and genuine love for their new found country but sincerely as a collective, they lacked the waywithal to build a nation for Gambians. In 1981 a rag tag militia headed by a delusional Gambian attempted to upset the realative tranquility enjoyed by Gambia. My choice of employing the cliché relative “tranquility” is very deliberate in the sense that peace is just not the absence of war. Gambia started on a poor social contract that saw the widening of the income gap and lack of opportunities for socioeconomic upward mobility. This amplified the chatter and contempt held by many in mainstream society and gave rise to #J22, 1994. The underwriters of July 22 Rebellion cited corruption as the basis for their disruption of civilian rule. This notion was later debunked by the Junta’s position and subsequent utterances.
Gambia and Gambians were engulfed in a hellish nightmare that lasted for over 22 years with the brutal butcher of Kanilai. This period brought about the worst in the Gambian psyche in the form of opportunism and ill will towards each other.
December 1st 2016 was a verdict that entrenched the will of the silent majority of Gambians who were frustrated by the inhumane reign of the brutal brute of Kanilai. 60 years of nation hood for the Gambia didn’t register major tangibles for the people of the Gambia. This failure is largely due to poor leadership and lack of a national identity. The new breed of Gambian is intolerant to bad leadership and a rude awakening is inevitable if the status quo continues. I do hope we collectively have a somber reflection of what we want and what is expected from us all. Gambia needs to resurrect from the doldrums and ashes of tyranny and this will only crystallize when we take nation building seriously. The notion of the African that Government is an avenue to scheme and loot must be eradicated. God bless the Gambia and all her diverse peoples.
Ten years since #GambiaHasDecided, we are still struggling to find our identity as a nation. Corruption, tribal bickering, inadequate healthcare, poverty and ignorance have engulfed our existence. The quest for a nation state is still an elusive quest. Like a mirage in the desert, we remained to be a grouping of people who called themselves Gambians rather that a nation of Gambians.
My mind is 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. 60 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 homeland. 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 60 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, ME 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. 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 give us hope for a better day. 18 February is a day of brotherhood. One Gambia, One people under God. From the foothills of the Upper river to the meandering curves of Janjangbureh to the flat plains of Saloum and the coastline of southern Gambia, I enjoin my fellow compatriots in loving and rebuilding a nation we all affectionately call home. Gambia su nou reew.
