Nogoi Njie is the name of resistance. A personality of confidence and dignity. She embodied courage and freedom. She is the manifestation of the strength of a woman. In her face and voice the beauty and vitality of the Gambia can be vividly seen and felt and and heard!
The passing of Nogoi Njie is yet another manifestation of the cost of dictatorship and the slow and disgraceful nature, if not the failure of accountability to address the plight of victims since 2017. So many victims have died over the past seven years yet it appears our nation and its government are not perturbed by this sad reality.
How long shall many more have to die from the pains inflicted on them by the evil APRC regime whose enablers and perpetrators continue to enjoy the highest positions of power and privilege in the Gambia Government until today. Scandalous to say the least!!
The passing of this patriotic Gambian Amazon highlights the shameful contradictions in our society in which the truth is betrayed and patriotism punished. A society that abandons her own sons and daughters who stood up for and gave everything to Mother Gambia but rewards those who have defrauded and inflicted pain on Mother Gambia.
Like Solo Sandeng, Lang Marong, Sukai Dahaba today too we witness with pain and sadness the demise of Nogoi Njie after their dreams and pains where betrayed by those in power since 2017. They stood up at the most dangerous time to demand system change only to be abandoned for their oppressors to be rewarded!
Not only has the 2016 Coalition political parties and leaders failed to live up to that promise of a new Gambia but they also abandoned these gallant sons and daughters of the land to suffer in their pain and die like paupers as if they had no people for whom they fought. What a betrayal!
May Allah grant the gentle soul of Nogoi Njie and all her fallen comrades eternal rest in peace in Janatul Firdawsi! Amen.
Madi Jobarteh
Kembujeh
Open invitation to the people of the Coastal Area
Have the President, the Minister for Environment, the Minister of Tourism and Members of the National Assembly of late visited the beaches of Sanyang and the coastal area?
Perhaps the party stalwarts in those areas and the VDCs should extend an invitation – a walk about political rally or joint working visit. That could be a novelty but an interesting experience of ‘seeing is believing’. With double assurance, the destruction is very well executed.
Or could refusing to take up such a challenge be a show of inertia to doing something about the fate of the environment and of the affected communities? Or dare you visit?
There was a well publicised show or presence for floods in Banjul and other areas (and of the ROOTS rice project). Please try the beaches too with cameras rolling and loads of sunshine.
In times of crisis, it is good time for politicians to engage more frequently with the public….check what counterparts do in other parts of the globe. Sitting tight lipped on issues at crisis level and using proxy responses are never the best solution.
A personal response to and overseeing crisis situations is part of confidence building which can go a long way to dampen raw sentiments. Too long a silence and a lack of visibility or presence can be seen as condescending and a lack of care for the concerns of the people.
Proposal – engage a dredging company to start back filling the affected areas (it was done at Warders Beach area). Expensive, yes very expensive. But a creatively formulated project could attract funding.
By the way dredging is the future for the supply of sand for the construction industry. Inland and coastal sand mining is destructive.
In passing – it may be interesting to examine the ownership, shareholdings and accounts movements of the companies mining along the coast – well, just a fleeting thought on transparency and out of some curiosity. See you soon at the beach.
Lamino Lang Coma
Brikama
