The raining season seems to come like a surprise every year; for the authorities that is. It amases me that people who are in charge of the welfare of the people of The Gambia, are Gambian themselves, but they seem to have forgotten that. They surely must have seen the condition of the roads in this country, or are they travelling blindfolded wherever they go? I think they must be both blindfolded and sedated to be able to avoid seeing and/or experiencing the bumps and the holes everywhere in the roads as soon as you leave the main road.
Currently I am staying with my adoptive daughter and her family in Tallinding. The dirt roads are full with holes, some of them large as ponds which becomes filled with water when the rain comes. It is tricky for people on foot, and cars try to avoid the ponds otherwise there will be a lot of damage. The roads are so bumpy so it feels like my intestines are switching places while we bounce around on what is called: the streets. Have “our big wigs” never been outside Banjul and the areas closest to the capitol? That is an adequate question, but I think they have, they just don’t want to think about that experience. Perhaps not only their intestines have been bouncing around and switching places. Perhaps their brains have slowly fallen down to their middle area because of every bounce. That could explain all the crap they are speaking.
Some person, who seems to have lost his last brain cells several years ago, thought it was a good idea to till up some of the holes in the road outside the house where I am staying. That could have been an excellent idea, if it wasn’t for the fact that the material that was used is the mud mixed with trash you find at the bottom of the drainage along the roads. This sticky, stinky, muddy stuff filled with old bottles, broken glass and whatever stuff people throw along the streets, is what the cars are supposed to drive over. I have seen some drivers who have been courageous enough to find their way through the disaster, but at what cost? Repairing a car is very expensive, buying new tires or replacing parts of the car when they have broken down because of the condition of the roads comes with a high cost.
Perhaps the imbecile who ordered the muddy road fill doesn’t own a vehicle of his own, so he doesn’t know anything of the expenses that comes with it. Even so, you don’t need to be an engineer to understand that sticky mud is nothing you should fill up the holes of the road with. We must also consider the pedestrians. The broken glass and sharp parts that are hidden in the mud is dangerous to step on. A cut under your feet, when dirt comes into the wound, can cause sepsis which can lead to death. I really don’t understand what is wrong with this country! I feel so frustrated when I think of the unnecessary suffering people have to deal with every day. Yes, unnecessary as it could easily have been avoided!
There is a raining season EVERY year here! It comes about the same time EVERY year. Wouldn’t it be clever to prepare for this in advance so it doesn’t have to come as “an oh s**t experience” EVERY year? I listened to some minister who tried to explain that they are evaluating the problem areas and have began to find solutions for them. Ok, hello Minister of something-something, the problem areas are not new! They have been the same since 2017 and before. What has been done for 6 years now, more than holding endless meetings about nothing? It seems more like these meetings have been about how to use the tax payers money in the best way…but not for the tax payers.
The taxes are a steady income for the president and whoever sits on his lap, the strategies are not for how the tax money should benefit the common Gambians. No, these money will first of all make the life pleasurable for those who know how to put their greedy little paws upon it. It made me sick in my stomach to listen to this Minister of something-something when he, with a worried tone of voice, tried to assure us listeners that the Government is doing their level best to attack the problems. Perhaps you should begin with attacking your own problems first, as too little has been done for too long!
Even in The Gambia there must be some kind of budget done for every year, where the money has to cover the costs of every area. Please tell me that it is so! If there is a budget, and I say IF, then how long period of time does it cover? One month, six months, a year, or to stretch it…10 years? Well, I know that there are different kinds of budgets, and they are supposed to cover different periods of time, but I wonder if we have that system here in The Gambia as there are too “many oh s**t experiences” every day. Let me give you some examples: The ferry between Banjul and Barra breaks down from time to time. Why? Because no maintenance has been done in time. Why? No-one thought of it and it wasn’t in the budget.
Another example: hospitals are under equipped so the patients’ relatives have to buy bandages, pain killers and whatever necessary material they need. Why? There is not enough money in the budget for this. Women die at child birth because the health clinics are under equipped and haven’t been able to x-ray the women to see if there could be some complications. Why? If I would be cynical, I could refer to the commentary I wrote last week where I told you about a former Finnish minister who thought we could solve the climate crisis by what he called “climate abortions”. He said that African women are giving birth to too many babies. Well, in The Gambia we are really good at reducing both the number of fertile women and with them more babies as we kill them at our own clinics and hospitals.
I hope I made someone jump with my last statement, because that was my aim. The crying family members who either have lost a young mother, a baby, or those who lose their lives because of any neglect that has been done because our people in power are more occupied with their own importance than serving the people, will blame you for their loss. God is not involved in these unnecessary deaths; it is your incompetence that is to be blamed for it all!
President Barrow, are you aware of the fact that people have began to say that there was a lot that was better in The Gambia during Jammeh’s era? Don’t you feel ashamed? All I can say is; shame on you! Shame on your back patters and all the others who do nothing for the people but using them as a source of income. Shame on you!
