The sittings of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) are always public and Gambians – home and abroad – follow them religiously.
Every house, office, Bantaba, taxi and people in all other gatherings listen or watch keenly the proceedings.
The interesting thing is that these testimonies offer invaluable lessons to all Gambians regardless of one’s position in society.
Everyone can learn a thing or two from these testimonies and benefit themselves from it.
For instance, the testimony of Mr Gorgi Mboob, Head of the Anti-Crime Unit of the Gambia Police Force offers various lessons to the following categories of people and institutions:
To the Government of the Gambia, the lesson is that power ultimately belongs to the people and no matter one’s position, one should always remember that it is the people that one serves and as such, one should do only such things as are for the interest of the people.
To security officials, the lesson is that the weapons that they wield are – should be – for the protection of the masses. It is not to intimidate them or show them how powerful they are.
A day will come when you would be judged and put in your right place.
To the citizens, the lesson is that law and order are sacrosanct and should be given due regard so all and sundry should play their role in the maintenance of peace.
No progress can happen in the absence of peace and tranquility. Thus, everyone should obey the laws of the land.
To institutions in the country, the lesson is that they should all know that doing the right thing at all times is the only thing that can safeguard them.
When someone works in any institution, they should put the institution first and work to protect the integrity of the institution and the nation at large.
These are the lessons that can be learnt from the testimony of Gorgi Mboob.
