In Greek mythology, Icarus the son of the master craftsman, Daedalus, was warned by his father not to fly too close to the sun because his wings were made of wax. He ignored the advice and the inevitable happened. The moral of that story is about the pitfalls of complacency and hubris.
Mai Fatty’s, Gambia’s former interior minister, fall from grace bears a striking resemblance to the personal over-ambition of Icarus. Like Icarus, he flew too close to the son. Here was a young man that has the potential to be a future leader yet opted for the trappings of an African strongman. In his role as the keeper of peace, he became a controversial and divisive figure. He wasn’t afraid to wield his power where tact and diplomacy would have achieved much desired results.
If we judge Mai Fatty solely on his record in office, he should have been fired a long time ago. His cocksure arrogance and disregard for our democratic gains should have set alarming bells ringing. At the end, his inexperience and overreach were his undoing.
Mai’s sacking was greeted with shock and dismay. Suddenly, comparisons are being made with Jammeh. In fairness to Barrow, he has acted to assert his authority. It’s worth noting that we don’t know the reason( s) for his sacking other than he has been relieved from his post. He’s not an elected official. And it’s a prerogative of Barrow as president to hire and fire a minister without explanation. This is not undemocratic. We should trust Barrow’s judgement to make the right decisions.
However that’d have been the case in any other situation. But ours is unique. We are a fledgling democracy in transition and we have voted for a different status quo. We don’t want a throwback to the previous Jammeh administration’s cavalier approach to governance. He used to hire and fire public servants on a whim. And we don’t want capriciousness in this new administration.
By all indication, it’s clear that Mai was a power behind the throne. For him to be unceremoniously sacked speaks volumes. There’s more to it than meets the eye. In the absence of official explanation, rumours and conjectures are filling the void. There’s a viral post making rounds on social media alleging Mai Fatty’s sacking to his financial impropriety and abuse of office.
In the interest of transparency, Barrow should clarify as to the reason(s) for Mai’s dismissal. He should publish the letter of dismissal to put paid to all the rumours. If the allegations of financial impropriety and abuse of office against Mai Fatty are found to be true then he should be dismissed outright rather than reassigned. Public service is a privilege not a right. And a man with moral turpitude should never be entrusted with public office.
I’m hoping that Mai’s ousting will be an opportunity for the Barrow government to change its direction of travel. It’s not rocket science to see the correlation between his sacking and the granting of permit to the OccupyWestfield protesters.
We understand that the Barrow administration is making the best of a worse situation. Jammeh and his acolytes are still an existential threat to our nascent democracy. The government coffers are nearly empty from the previous government embezzlement and pilferage. But they are not crowning themselves in glory by an array of incompetent actions. The inability to articulate their developmental blueprint and programmes for the country. The naïve rehiring of former Jammeh’s enablers at the heart of the new administration leaves much to be desired.
The pussyfooting in embarking on real systemic change is frustrating. The 1997 Constitution for example is one of the most undemocratic constitution ever and yet the changes are piecemeal rather than whole. It’s mind boggling that political parties that used to be at the receiving end of a document of terror and discrimination are now upholding it as a strong pillar of our democracy. It’s a weak foundation to build a thriving and meaningful democracy on. The cloud of secrecy in the affairs of state, namely the recent donation of vehicle by an anonymous donor, doesn’t create an atmosphere of trust and probity.
No one is under any illusion that the Barrow administration has the silver bullet to institute the necessary systemic change in the next three or five years. It’ll take decades to build strong institutions and a thriving democracy. We just want them to make a start and lay the foundation stone. That’s what the Gambian people have voted for and are now demanding.
By Momodou Musa Touray
Momodou Musa Touray,
Mai Fatty’s case is a foregone conclusion. I highlighted readers on his expulsion/dismissal when he LIED about President Jammeh’s stealing from his Dakar hideout during the Barrow parade to swear-in as “president”. But this was brushed aside as opposition an claim. How can we have a LIAR, with a very high profile of pomposity and dishonesty to take such a responsible office? That can only take place in the Gambia of Barrow, the INEFFICIENT leader.
There are many more, the likes of Hamat Bah, OJ, Isatou Touray, Badara Joof(who wilfully gave government scholarships to his children) who shouldn’t have assumed office for their UNCLEANLINESS to hold high profile national issues. They are simply CORRUPT!
When Mai Fatty’s dealings are finally revealed(which I doubt) Gambians will march to his ill-gotten bungalow to lynch him or the laws will remand him to rot. He is very evil, wicked, corrupt, proud and disrespectful!
Those who can’t see goodness in fellow men have nothing good about themselves.
Natty; that is probably the best thing you have ever said.
I think Mr Touray tells it as it is about Barrow and the coalition. But again we see Gambians with knives drawn which is utterly unacceptable. I think there is a fundamental difference between accusations and allegations. Neither of which should be used without evidence or proof and certainly not in relation to Mai Fatty.
Nasty Dreadful Natty Dread,
What happened during the President Jammeh era is being tested in the courts and the commissions; what’s happening now in the INEPT, CORRUPT, TRIBALIST administration will be and must be tested in the words and spirits of the people. It will be judged later. That’s what a conscientious people are akin to doing.
It’s now the people’s responsibility to voice out. Will your STUPID self try to halt that? Goodness lies in what GOOD has previously been embedded in the attitude and nature of a person. A BAD attitude is difficult to change.
Mr. Touray, if I were to agree with your analysis, my conscience would unforgivingly trail me for committing one big mistake. You seem to portion blame on Mai Fatty for, in your eyes, the crawling pace of reforms the country is undergoing under this administration. I think vilifying Mr. Fatty for any ills allegedly associated with Barrow gov’t is simplistic and it is an easy diagnosis. Whatever would come out of this recent, by all account, rushed sacking, my instincts tell me: Mr. Fatty has a strong character and that could have stood him in the way- for today. Until the accusations are substantiated, the redeployment points to another source of problem or even faults lines – clues will surely emerge. I can imagine that efforts are underway now to repair the rupture that led to this sudden sacking. Because if the Man stole 15millions as being unofficially disseminated, you don’t redeploy him. You bring him to court.
It would be absolutely in Barrow’s interest to explain the real facts behind the sacking and let the public make their own judgements. But demonizing Mr. Fatty won’t solve the many accusations levelled at this gov’t. It is just a quick pill to manage one’s exasperation. The next villain in gov’t will soon be identified. And eventually the gov’t will erode itself the political stability it badly needs to forge ahead.