In his own words of taught, through the help of our more humanely observations, what his words tell us is to be “just”. There is no being to be more loyal than one who educates others to be just in every act of his. More fundamentally, when we are to stress the roles Halifa played, from being part of the ones forming the coalition 2017, which resulted in the overcoming of the government of the former president Yahya Yammeh, one of the reasons behind this was to free us from both physical and mental slavery.
Halifa saw the autocratic acts of the former president as threat to Gambian citizens. We had been ruled unjustly, therefore, to bring an end to that was thought wise by Halifa and rest of the political party leaders to form the coalition. Hence we had been ruled just by the name of sovereignty without the act of sovereignty in practical.
The coalition was formed to bring about at least absolute sovereignty that could reside in the hands of the citizens of The Gambia. Today The Gambia is free from modern slavery under the regime of the former president from going to Babili’s farms to work, countless festivals in embezzling state funds, free from tortures at the NIA dungeons, illicit detentions without trials. We are free from firings of ministers perpetually and civil servants single-powered, threat to journalists, unlawful land grabbing, free from national birthday celebration for the president, the use of securities and civil servants in campaigns for political rallies.
All these have been threat and pollutions to our democratic and political atmosphere which makes our political lives more harmful than a deadly poison. To note from the points mentioned, here comes the very reason for an immense cogitation. With the help of our respective senses for reasoning, we would adhere to Halifa and his fellows for emancipating us from the former totalitarian regime that makes living hell for us. “Ab imis unguibus usque ad verticem summum”. Yet if we are not indulged, we have more opportunities to make researches outside schools and internets for more information as to update our faculties of thought. If there is more to ask, “Ab homine quaesivi quis esset”. If only Gambians paid heed to his efforts, then every single and honest Gambian should also make efforts to convey messages to clear doubts.
In our words to make correct or destruct, we often realize if it worth it or not, we invariably commit ourselves into so many wrongful acts, here we failed to know the divine purpose of humanity, for such individuals are not well-wishers of their own nation as they create impediments in their paths. If only we want to be sovereign, then we must be guided if at all we yearn for what we desire. Halifa, Waa, OJ, Ousainou and the rest of the political figure-heads can help us attain our mountain top desires for sovereignty.
Yet with all the sacrifices Halifa did and still doing for this country, although many know about and are faithful to but yet some purport to criticize that person whose high moral, sacrifices, teachings and guidance even the world testified to. Do we realize that during the political impasse, the Gambia was rested on the solders of Halifa? He tried to his anecdotal best at least to make sure he doesn’t betray the hopes of the Gambian citizens; we ought to be thankful to him sincerely because many of us benefited from him either directly or indirectly through oneself, one’s daughter or son, for Halifa has conducted extra-curricular activities for youths where he instilled social, economic and political awareness in the minds of the young. Who else, who is or could be as busy as Halifa is doing such for the youths?
This is to realize ourselves as sovereign citizens of this country as to freeing ourselves from mental slavery, indignity, force labour, inhuman maltreatments and most of all political ignorance. These as concerned matters, paved a lot of ways and awareness to many as to most of whom without doubts would have fallen into political, social and economic ignorance. This is said to be the true goal of patriotism.
Nevertheless, knowing how far we have gone in the political trend through the help of Halifa is remarkable. The moment we reach to the core of our unfound words, the more censorious and prejudicial it becomes. I’ve mentioned in the previous editions that there is no being beyond the point of perfection which in broader sense of humanity is known by all but Halifa is scrupulous and strictly honest at whatever thing comes by his way. Back to history, when sovereignty resides only in our tongues, but practically wasn’t, that was when the Gambia was owned by the British but then because of awareness, people started to educate people, awareness and self-realization. Awareness and organization combined to enable The Gambia to become independent on the 18th of February 1965.
Internally, The Gambia gained internal self-determination because even though we are told we were independent without a governor who was appointed by the Queen and the governor exercises the executive power, that is why we only had internal self-determination but we did not have external self-determination. We were not completely independent, so we must go back to our history book to know what happened. It was on the month of April, after the referendum that Gambia has reached to be a republic so that the Queen will no longer have any jurisdiction in the Gambia, and Gambia became a sovereign republic, a country that owed no allegiance, obedience to any other country on the face of the earth, we became a nation.
Henceforth, information should spread to every citizen of this country so that every Gambian will know that we do not have any monarch, it is Gambians who own the Gambia and each Gambian is sovereign, each Gambian is powerful, each Gambian has a point to determine how the affairs of this country should be managed. That is why the constitution states that: once you are of age, then 21 now 18years, then you should determine the affairs of the state. Even though we came to a second republic as a result of a coup de ‘tat the constitution that we now have states very clear in chapter one, that the Gambia is a sovereign republic.
It adds that the sovereignty of the Gambia resides in you, man, woman, Christian, Muslim, Mandinka, Jola, Fula, Serrahule, Manjago, Wollof, each of you is a sovereign citizen of the land, because the sovereignty of the country resides in you. That is why each of you is equal to the other, each of you is entitled to determine who will be president, National Assembly member and other positions of this land irrespective of your ethnic origin, religion and gender. That is who you and I are, a Gambian who has power to become anything in this country and to elect others to be anything on this land. But did we have these from the former government? No! But Halifa is educating the youths to reflect on the past. Although the former government abducted our sovereignty, yet Halifa is helping us restore or regain our very selves as sovereign citizens of this land.
To be continued.
