A Time to Ask Ourselves Why?
<A HREF="http://allafrica.com/publishers.html?passed_name=The%20Independent&passed_location=Banjul">The Independent</A> (Banjul)OPINION
April 4, 2003
Posted to the web April 4, 2003 Jilanka Jeng
Banjul There was a wicked rumor that went around the grapevine last Monday,
about the death of Sir Dawda Jawara. The story spread, at least around the
tight community of radio-Kang, Kang that the former President passed away in
the early hours of March 30th 2003, peacefully. Hours later, however, this
was confirmed as purely false, and utterly malicious. But where do these
rumors emanate from? And why peddle the rumor without reason? The only
logical explanation in this illogical saga is that someone perhaps, was
hoping that this were true for whatever reason.After all how do the rumors
get started? Usually under false pretence with a heavy undertone of
maliciousness. In an era of free speech, and expression, there has also
emerged an era of political boosters, was someone interested in the demise of
the former president purely as a feed to plot for one's own selfish ends? We
would never know, but what this author knows is this much: It is time we
asked ourselves many questions that confront us daily, and we chose to ignore
them, for fear of arriving at the right answers. The Gambia no-doubt has
reached a traffic circle whereby its destiny is urgently begging to be
decided almost instantly. Our economy has collapsed and will not recover
under the circumstances. In the prevalence of the political arrogance, and
disaffectedness that has engulfed the APRC administration, we are doomed to
face our nemesis much sooner rather than later.Gambians have without
justified reason become poorer, more desperate, suppressed, and unpromising
than ever before. And in the face of the impending problems we are being
affronted after being wronged by the very ones that promised to protect and
look after our collective well being as a nation. Why?They (The
Administration) say we are lazy- because we Gambians do not want to work. But
they did not admit that they (The Administration) has dismissed, without
justifiable cause, half of the civil service that were non-partisan before
and well after the revolution, threatened to sack government employees if
suspected of not being sympathetic to the APRC, and thus repriving an honest
man from earning an honest living to feed himself and his family, be
corrupting him, and limiting his rights to exist as an "normal" citizen in
this country. Why?They say (The Administration), that foreigners own all the
businesses, because Gambians are lazy - but they (the Administration) refuse
to admit that because of the high level of corruption that they have
propagated, tolerated and advocated, the average Gambian cannot exercise
his/her right to even have access to small loans, because of discriminatory
practices adopted by the institutions that were charged with protecting the
Gambia citizen. As an example, the TDA is being doled out to the highest
bidder, who happens to be a foreigner (s), because with the forex gaining
overwhelming on the Dalasi these are the only people that can afford it
(naturally). In the same vein, the Administration brags about awarding almost
all major contracts to foreigners- because they (The Administration) say that
Gambians are not serious. But they (The Administration) do not admit that the
same money they are going to outsiders to build account for it, not dish it
out and rub it in our faces by telling us that we are unemployable because we
are not serious. Why?They say (the Administration) that we are unpatriotic,
and discontended. But they (The Administration) did not admit that patriotism
is not owned, devised, determined and apportioned by them.No one owns The
Gambia, but all Gambians own the Gambia, so naturally, not one single person
can claim to be more of a patriot than the other.Gambians also have a right
to be discontented. After all we own the country, and if we are not happy
with our lives, future, and standards of living, we must make it known to
those that begged to be elected, and made promises to make this side of the
grass greener (literally) when they were given a chance they failed. And when
we, the electorate complain they call us unpatriotic. Why?They (The
Administration) have said so many things, and we have heard it all, they have
built schools, the roads that they have constructed, and the Arch and the
Airport, and they will never let us forget them. As if doing us a favor, but
they will not admit that this is what is expected off them as the price of
leadership- to serve and not be served. And they even claimed that they (The
Administration) brought democracy after the revolution. But they did not
admit that one can never have a revolution in order to establish a democracy,
but the other way round.They (The Administration) also refuse to admit that
in a democracy one is never closed for being open. They would have closed all
private media houses if they could. And that is why they are trying it with
the Media Act. Why?They (The Administration) say we are ungrateful, after all
the Gambia has seen tremendous development in their time. But they refuse to
admit that development is not measured in years, but in decades. That
development is not a quick fix solution or a cosmetic venture, but a process
that sustains and maintains it self, through collective sacrifice, exemplary
leadership twined with good governance, in a democracy that refuse to be
killed off by those that wish to take away from those that work to give to
those that doesn't.And much like the news that went around on Monday about
the demise of a man many loved, and many also loathed, we Gambians still need
to ask ourselves why? - The three letters that enshrines our fate, as a
stepping-stone to something greater, or much worse.After all, it is our
country, our government, our Republic, and our future - as well as our loss.
Besides, it is imperative to always be observant of the fact that we are
indeed living in a majoritarian democracy, yet at the same time, we must also
realize that the voice of the majority is no proof of justice. Why? You tell
me.
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are
evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."
- Albert Einstein
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead
"When the government fears the people, you have liberty. When the people fear
the government, you have tyranny."
- Thomas Jefferson
"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing"
- Edmund Burke
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