The Gambia is such a small country that it seems almost impossible not being related to one another somehow. You are so intertwined that I’m sure that when you take off your trousers at night, at least three little cousins fall out from your pockets. The close relations you have are lovely in a way. You know that wherever you go in The Gambia there will always be some kind of family members there who will open their homes for you. You know that there will be a place to sleep for a night or two, and people will share their meals with you. There will always be time for a chat and attaya, some catching up with old memories and new gossip. Most people don’t have much, but a smile is free and prayers will be shared with each other.
This is the good side of The Gambia, the side we wish to market to foreigners, but there is another side that is an official secret. The ugly side is rotten, it is like looking at a beautiful, shiny apple but when you take a bite you find the inside rotten and you have half a maggot in your mouth.
In these times of presidential elections, tension is building up and some people begin to show their true colours. They put on a mask and try to look as if they care about you. They wear fancy clothes, lift their chins up high and act as if they are the king of the world. I read an article where the leader of GDC, Mamma Kandeh, was boasting that he will be the next president of The Gambia.
Have you heard the expression: ”Empty barrels make the most sound”, Mr Kandeh? What have you achieved so far that you believe people would trust you with the highest position in the country? It doesn’t matter how much you believe that you are genuine, if the people around see that you are fake.
Being ”street smart” is not being smart enough to be trusted with a position where you hold the security and the welfare of a whole country in your hands. The Gambia is not an isolated tiny country in the middle of nowhere. The whole world can and will be interacting with each other so our next president must have a high level of education and understanding of the world and international political processes. It’s easy to be a ”big duck in a small pond”, but in the international sea our ”duck”, Mr Kandeh, would drown.
A while ago, we could read that the NPP had joined parts of the APRC, but it must have been a bit embarrassing for the guys who were certain that this was approved by the largest duck, Yahya Jammeh. It turned out that Mr Big-Duck, oh sorry, Mr Jammeh, didn’t like the idea at all. Strange that his little minion with the big name, Rambo, had misunderstood the situation completely. Nope, Mr Big -D…hmmm…Jammeh spanked the boys verbally and turned his attention to another guy who once was out of favour – Mamma Kandeh. Mr Kandeh was once kicked out of the APRC by Jammeh but Mr Kandeh doesn’t seem to hold grudges.
For me this looks as a sign of desperation; a will to come to power no matter what. Mr Kandeh is very sure of himself, but he doesn’t seem to be aware of the fact that the competition is high and there are candidates that play in a different division than him.
It is not enough to have the will to become a president of The Gambia, you need to have the accurate qualifications for such a post. We have enough of men, full of themselves, who don’t understand that seeking a post as a president is not like applying for any other job. This decision must be faced with humility and deep consideration.
John F Kennedy’s inaugural address inspired children and adults to see the importance of civic action and public service. His historic words, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country,” challenged every American to contribute in some way to the public good.
How will you contribute to the public good, Mr Kandeh? What is your plan? Is it to follow in the shadow of Jammeh and Barrow – letting Gambians contribute to you? That’s not how it works in a democracy, and that is why I say that ”Mamma is not fit being daddy”.
Are you so desperate to get power that you are prepared to step on the graves of your dead brothers and sisters? Are you so deaf that you don’t hear the cries of the victims whose wounds will never heal? Do you get so aroused by your own image that you are unable to see what is going on around you?
Being a president is in a way like being a father, you must forget about yourself and focus on the welfare of your family. In this case, the family is larger and has a lot of needs. They all expect you to look after them and make sure that everyone has what they need. This requires maturity in a way that not many can live up to.
Sorry, Mr Kandeh, but your decision to walk together with the APRC into the fairyland doesn’t show any signs of maturity. Instead it shows signs of arrogance and disrespect. It shows that you are deaf and blind to the processes that are going on in The Gambia. It shows that you haven’t follow the TRRC hearings and wept as every human being who has a heart has wept when they heard of the suffering all victims went through. Don’t you care, Mr Kandeh? Obviously not, otherwise you wouldn’t compete with the other candidates. Here is a cut from an interview with Fatu Network:
“Barrow will lose this year and I Mamma Kandeh will be the one there [in office],”
Mr Kandeh also attacked President Barrow by saying he will do everything just to be leader.”
I pray to God that Barrow will lose the election in December 4th, but who says that Mamma Kandeh would be the one sitting in the State House? He and GDC have aligned themselves with a part of the APRC, but have they all agreed that Mamma Kandeh is their candidate for the position of president? It can become embarrassing to be too sure of oneself when it suddenly appears that the big words were empty. Mr Kandeh attacked President Barrow, in his interview, saying that Barrow will do everything just to be leader. And where is the difference between what you are doing and what Barrow does? You are throwing shit in front of a fan, and you don’t seem to understand that it will only get back on you.
No, Mamma Kandeh, you are not fit being daddy. You need to take a step back and learn from the history. Being a president is not about you, it is about your fellow Gambians. It is about what you can do for the country, and not as it has been for too long now – what the country can do for you. Shift your focus from yourself and learn to serve humanity because that is what being a president is all about.
