By Dr Lamin Keita
The Gambia is suffering due to manipulations by Hollywood and Nollywood-selected few “con artists.” These individuals use deception and manipulation to trick Gambians into giving them positions that open the doors for money-making or valuable things at the expense of the Gambian Taxpayers. Most of them in 2017 surreptitiously gained the victim’s (People of Gambia) trust before exploiting them. We warned you in 2017 about establishing Charlatan Commissions based on incompetence, connections, and deep-rooted (old-fashioned) corrupt individuals in the coalition and Barrow’s government.
The recent investigation into the high-profile fraud involving the sale of Jammeh’s properties is just the tip of the iceberg, and this is no secret to many of us. As a political scientist, I can predict the outcomes of the probe. The first sign of trouble that arose in the country after the inglorious departure of Jammeh was when a state minister in the coalition blatantly and publicly announced that Jammeh had drained the country’s Central Bank Account without any investigation being conducted thus so far. Second, Kurang was unjustly removed from his position in the Janneh Commission to create a space for fraudulent and nefarious transactions.
We warned you about the consequences of commissions’ hasty and inept actions, such as the Janneh Commission and the Constitutional Review Commission in 2017. These bodies have drained the country financially, leading me to task our investigative journalists to examine how much was claimed and spent on the TRCC and other behind-the-scenes commissions. This situation is incomprehensible for a country that suffered for 22 years under the dictatorship.
Gambia will continue to struggle under such leadership as long as people refuse to acknowledge the truth and prioritise favouritism over merit.
Gambia needs to cleanse itself of the remnants of corrupt people who have no intention to build our country. The reality is that many people present a façade that is intentionally misleading, creating a false impression that is detrimental to the collective interest of Gambians.
These individuals from our country can be classified into several groups. Some remained silent during Jammeh’s 22-year regime; others boldly criticised him while pretending to stand against his rule, all to fulfil their own selfish ambitions. However, the behaviour we observe from this subset reveals a character that mirrors Jammeh’s own. They excel at casting judgement and disparagement, ultimately harming our collective progress as well as quick to condemn and slander others.
