(JollofNews) – As much as we are spending time fighting the old, I respectfully submit that we must devote, equally as well, some time to plan to rebuild anew.
Now, when democracy and stability are restored in the Gambia, how do we go about rebuilding? Yes, true, we will secure and get international funding to help rebuild post-Jammeh, but wouldn’t it be prudent, wise and helpful to know that a band of Gambians has taken the initiative to pre-empt the rebuilding efforts? Yes, it would be.
We must not set ourselves up to fail post-Jammeh. The struggle in the Gambia and for the Gambia is not a business venture. And some of our people are living in the Gambia with barely two meals a day, much more three meals a day. Our people are suffering while we are here, spending months or years wrangling back and forth on how to proceed, much more on how to take that Monster out.
Since we are having diasporan entities disguised as “companies” to remove that Monster, we might as well form a REAL COMPANY to help with the rebuilding process after Monster Jammeh is out of the picture.
My point is this: once this company is created and headed by trusted individuals that will ensure greater transparency and accountability.
And I must quick to add that out of these company funds is where these trusted individual selected to manage it will get paid. They will not, and we do not expect them to do it, for free. This is a venture to help rebuild our country, while simultaneously all of us will continue to do whatever is it that we are doing to further our goal to liberate the Gambia, and restore democracy and the rule of rule.
Yes, true, many of these entities in the diaspora movement might be currently running at a loss, since some are newly created, and that they are probably yet to secure enough contributions to offset the expenses in terms of time, and resources, already put into them. And if this trend of them losing continues, we will cease to hear from them or about them.
My contention is this: you cannot take from the poor and give to the rich. But you probably can take from the rich and give to the poor. Many of us are fortunate in so many ways than most of the people we are asking to “gofund me”, with $10, $20, $50 or $100, or more or less. And some of these people are living in the Gambia with barely two meals a day, much more three meals a day.
Yes, true, it involves costs to run these entities, but why can’t these leaders take it upon themselves to foot the bill, than seek $10, $20 or more in contributions from people who are probably less fortunate than us? And at the end of the month, they probably wouldn’t even get $2000 in contributions from these people. And we all know it takes resources, money, that is, to undertake the task of removing Monster Jammeh from power, by democratic, mass demonstration, forceful means or any other method. We need to stop kidding ourselves, and be brutally honest with each other.
Accountability and transparency is a crucial and vital part of any entity, be its task is to liberate a nation, or to operate a business, or run a movement or manage an enterprise.
Further, I observed that many of us have already started jockeying for positions, fame and glory post-Jammeh. That is all good, well and dandy. Some are even saying others would make great permanent secretaries, Ministers, heads of civil service, media personalities/moguls, and what not. True, this is all good and well, but NOT at the expense of Gambians suffering.
The day of rebuilding post-Jammeh will come. There will be lots of jockeying and all for positions. However, if we take a pre-emptive strike in the efforts to rebuild the Gambia post-Jammeh, we will be step ahead of the curve.
We will have to create investment and job opportunities, especially job opportunities.
We all know Gambia is a consumer market.
So, how do we go about rebuilding? I, personally, don’t know how we will go about rebuilding, but that, I submit, is a collective duty and responsibility. The day of reckoning and rebuilding for and in the Gambia will surely come.
The author; Abdul Savage, is a retired, US Army Member, Military Order of the Purple Heart Member and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
