President Barrow beware!
Dear editor,
President Adama Barrow be aware of sycophants and lobbyists and surrogates and selfish supporters. They delayed and derailed and fooled Jawara only to destroy him! They exalted him like a god and claimed a Gambia without Jawara was inconceivable. In the end a humble and decent man was trapped in deception such that he could not salvage his people! Then they abandoned him.
It is these same people in the name of party and ‘patriotism’ who transformed a young lieutenant with probably good intentions on July 22 into a monster 22 yeas later. In the end he has to exile himself from his country of birth, abandoned! Where are those gathering at his solidarity marches and festivals? Many of them are around you now! Today some of them are exposing him at the commission.
This time is your turn! Do not seek for praise singers and those who would call you “No Faulter” as they called Jawara. Listen to diverse and divergent and even unpleasant and dissenting voices for your own good and legacy and for the good of the country.
Do not let these sycophants make you believe what you are not. Do not let them make you do what is not right. Do not let them paint you in the colour they wish. Do not let them separate you from the true interests and concerns and aspirations of your people, The Gambians!
Insist on inclusion and accountability and performance. Free yourself from partisan and any other sectarian considerations to which these sycophants would want to confine you. Let them not put you in a box but equally seek independent voices and perspectives to get a good grasp of issues for the good of The Gambia!
Remember! Just like Jawara and Jammeh the day of reckoning shall come. I love you and wish you success for that is my success too! God Bless The Gambia.
Madi Jobarteh
Kembujeh
President Adama Barrow’s maiden speech at the UN
Dear editor
As he strolls towards the podium to address the UN General Assembly, President Barrow will certainly attract a lot of interest and attention for he is stepping into the shoes of one of the most controversial presidents who ever ascended that podium. Former President Jammeh’s addresses used to be a highlight of the occasion as he was always controversial, audacious, insulting and lacked decorum. He made it a habit of pouting and spewing insults thus attracting a lot of media attention. He was charismatic, vocal and notoriously repugnant. In contrast, President Barrow is a softly spoken, mild mannered character.
He is the complete opposite of Jammeh, hence the interest as to what he has to tell the world. What areas will his speech emphasise? Will he condemn Burma and show solidarity to the Royhingas? Will he denounce Israel as a Zionist state? Will he advocate for democratisation of the Security Council? Will he advocate for gender parity? The world is watching to appreciate the foreign policy direction of The Gambia. This is an opportunity to announce to the world the values The Gambia stands for. This is the place to share our vision of the type of world we want to help construct. Will the emphasis be on the provision of education for underdeveloped countries? Will it be about the transfer of technology and industrialization? A lot of issues need addressing and we hope the president and his entourage will make us proud. We expect our president to leave a mark on his maiden speech at the UN General Assembly.
New Gambia will announce itself as being no longer a pariah state but an open country ready and willing to do business with the whole world. Our motto should be FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD and our president must articulate such sentiments; our foreign policy should be practical, ethical embalmed in our national interest and sovereignty.
Mr President, the entire nation is behind you, wishing you all the best in your maiden speech. God bless The Gambia.
Malik Kah
Birmingham, England
Fatoumatta Jallow-Tambajang’s appointment to the vice presidency clearly manifests the self-perpetuating nature of Barrow’s government
Dear editor,
Honourable Halifa Sallah once said: “A government that is sincere and mature should be able to explain its policies without promoting narrow nationalism.” With critical analysis of the political unfolding in The Gambia, I conclude that the Barrow-led government is neither sincere no mature and must be reorganised to clearly meet and reflect the wishes and aspirations of Gambian citizens both home and abroad.
However, it is strange and incredible for Barrow to just leave the vice presidency [position vacant] for almost a eight months in effort for constitutional amendment to accommodate Jallow-Tambajang in the country’s second top office despite the earlier constitutional denial due to her being over age.
This is undoubtedly a clear manifestation of the self-perpetuating nature of governance similarly practised by Barrow’s predecessor, Yahya Jammeh. I condemned this unwise act and only describe it as “patronage”.
While the constitution gives the prerogative to the president to appoint a vice president but is silent on the limited duration, common sense dictates the need to appoint a VP on time considering the immense challenges of government. We have more than enough capable Gambians to run the office so why wait for almost eight months and even request for constitutional amendment to satisfy an individual? We have bad laws/ provisions that need urgent amendment – draconian media laws, presidential term limit, electoral laws.
I pray and hope our political actors change this unwise and parochial political culture. Please, let’s stop the politics of failure.
Sanna Badjie
Political science student, UoTG
