By Nyang Njie
Politics is what concerns the “polis” (People) per their welfare, security and collective societal upward mobility. In a nutshell politics is a vocation that is the second oldest profession apart from prostitution. It is a noble profession that sets out to create order and equity in society through discourse (debate) and ultimately consensus building.
However, in the Gambia, politics is generally still a game of vested interest with narrowly defined personal interest. The notion of politics in the Gambian context is an investment in itself only to assume power and reward self with substantial return on investment to make oneself better off. Equally, in the Gambian context, the polity partake in politics with the hope of being rewarded financially or in kind (public positions etc.). So long as the Gambian political discourse gravitates around individuals rather than issues, our politics will be mediocre and detrimental to the collective good.
The unrestricted exit and entry of people from one party to another is very democratic but the movement of people from one party to another is oftentimes driven by greed, lack of scruples and conviction. Gambia over the past 25 years have witnessed monumental defections driven by personal gain not issues or conviction. Well that is the Gambian reality. The noise about Suku Singhateh has once again amplified a collapse /failure in the recruitment efforts by our existing parties? The parties are to be blamed as they are yet to inculcate politics of issues to their respective bases. The Seedy Njie’s , Dahaba and Suku’s are to a large extent the epitome of quintessential merchants of fortune. Their primary reason of affiliation is to self preserve an interest that is materially driven. Considering the exploits of Seedy Njie, against an unassuming Gambian public, one could have concluded he would stay in oblivion to redeem his conscience. Unfortunately, the culprit Seedy has been aided and abetted by the President to assist in his perpetuation. Well this may yield short term gains for the likes of Suku as they lacked the fortitude and conscience to ride the storms. Suku has NEVER in his life been a bona-fide member of any political party. He has been a classic parasitic leech who gravitate to power and money for influence. His support is for the #GOVERNMENT of the day not NPP. This is not an accidental escapade. He betted on APRC and rode the tide for as long as APRC remained relevant financially for his narrowly defined objectives.
Well once again Suku betted on Government again. This time around UDP and Barrow was the appropriate horse considering the honeymoon that initially existed. His primary objective was to have business opportunities. When the split happened Suku found himself on the wrong side of the fence (UDP) per his economic interest. Being a quintessential opportunist, he immediately realigned his economic interest to align with the government of the day which will hitherto serve his economic interest once again. God bless the Gambian but we suffer from a severe character flaw that will transforms us into charlatans due to our selfish nature. To the UDP, I urge you to vet your member’s diligently and do not associate conveniently as it will not yield long-term strategic benefits especially when the track record of the individual is there for all to see. To NPP, I warn you to be weary of merchants of fortune for they DO NOT believe in your agenda for the perks availed to them. This goes beyond your party militants and filters all the way to cabinand the business community. To Suku, I commend you for exercising your right of association albeit that yours wasn’t premised on an agenda or conviction that propelled the common good. The lack of conscience, conviction and character will undoubtedly slow our march to prosperity. Politics is one profession/vocation that has little or no barrier to entry in the Gambia. Anyone can venture into politics without being vetted. The politics have been reduced to thrash talking and opportunism. It is currently at an all time low thanks to our crop of current political actors. God bless the Gambia and all her diverse peoples. May our political drought and quest for good decisive leadership be a thing of the past. May the Gambians muster the dignity and pride not to allow themselves to be pimped by politicians.
