Dear editor,
In response to the above captioned article of the 26th July,2023 it is Mr Samateh’s opinion which i highly respected for him to call for the Hon Minister’s stepping down because of his response with regard to diplomatic scandal befall to some diplomats at the Gambian Embassy in the United States.
I for one in my opinion i do not believed such a scandal warrants the Hon Minister’s resignation.
The Hon Minister’s response does not raise any question about his qualification and sincerity towards the gambian population.
It is very true that the country’s diplomatic credibility still remains in tact and unaffected.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs like any other Ministry or institution is headed by a competent and able leader like Dr Tangara so whatever may happen within the ministry that is not in accordance with norms and values of the institution can be handled in the manner that it should be handled without affecting the operations of other institutions.
The Gambia is not only the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so the malpractices committed by 3 staff of the Embassy cannot damage the credibility of the Gambia in the International Scene.
So many things much more serious are happening in other in other diplomatic missions all over the world including the country where he is now residing so three of the diplomatic staff involved in such malpractices does not warrant the minister to resign. He’s very capable of running the affairs of the ministry and its entire staff.
I believed it affects the credibility of the individuals concerned more than the country’s credibility.
If we have any issue among ourselves let’s try as gambians to sort it out internally but anything involving diplomatic issues we try to defend our country and leave it with the Min of Foreign Affairs to deal with it. Tangara is known all over the world and is running the ministry in a very competent manner i believe. Not that all malpractices happening in the ministries or any other institution for that matter would warrant the Minister or the head of the institution to resign! No. If a country is run in that manner then there would be no functional government.
Please M Samateh, give Dr Tangara the support he needed especially those of you abroad to carry out his official duties in the most professional manner.
If someone was supposed to resign then it would have been the head of the mission who was and still on the ground when such malpractices took place instead of the Hon Minister who is overseeing all the Embassies under his watch.
Saal Jobe
Brusubi Phase 2 Extension
Africa is not a country yet
But the leading industrial nations for their own interests lump together 54 petty sovereigns thus we hear of Russia Africa Summit, US Africa Summit, Japan Africa Summit etc and we accept and pretend that there is a country called Africa; as a result Africans acquiesce in their own marginalization in global affairs.
This farce becomes more grotesque when you hear African politicians on international platforms shout at the top of their lungs that Africa will not accept neoliberal definitions of democracy and human rights. Going forward African problems will have African solutions and other bombastic nonsense like Agenda 2063!
For half a century citizens of the continent with the greatest wealth and extraordinary heritage of human civilization have been had hoodwinked and bamboozled by a bunch witless and self serving impostors who have turned out to be real scoundrels like Mugabe, Arap Moi, Mubarak, Campaore, Conde Gnassingbe, Museveni, Bashir, Biya, Bokassa, JAMMEH etc.
The Africa we want must be built by the new African that Nkrumah defined so eloquently: “Countrymen, the task ahead is great indeed, and heavy is the responsibility; and yet it is a noble and glorious challenge – a challenge which calls for the courage to dream, the courage to believe, the courage to dare, the courage to do, the courage to envision, the courage to fight, the courage to work, the courage to achieve – to achieve the highest excellencies and the fullest greatness of man. Dare we ask for more in life?”
AFT
