The Gambia has been independent for fifty-four years. We no longer have the excuses that we are new to the game or just starting out or that we should be allowed our growing pains. All of that is barking nonsense.
Singapore gained its independence (August 9, 1965) the same year the Gambia gained independence (February in 1965). The founding father of Singapore, late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, studied Singapore to figure out what options were available for small island nations suffering social unrest and facing regional military threats.
In the last fifty-four years of nationhood for both The Gambia and Singapore, what are the successes of Singapore and failures of The Gambia in terms of socio-economic development? One cannot help but reflect on what could have been for our own country, The Gambia.
After all, Singapore and The Gambia started as equals back in the 1960s. But alas, The Gambia has been left in the dust by its neighbors as each country learned to evolve through the times.
Intelligent and efficient Singapore is the country, The Gambia could have been today. The Gambia, like a marathon runner ahead in the race who stumbled and suffered a spectacular fall, it has been hard for The Gambia to pick herself up.
It’s become even more difficult after the country fell into the hands of a dictator, Yahya Jammeh, who replaced former President Dawda Kairaba Jawara after his ouster in 1994. Jammeh and rule the Gambia for twenty-two years with Machiavellian character and tendencies.
Now with Adama Barrow who is suffering from executive myopia, has adopted half-measures in his administration that are harming the presidency and his authority as the First Citizen of the Gambia besides tormenting Gambians. Among other challenges his administration, creates an impression of a reluctant leader, one who enjoys the trappings of office but is not ready to get the work done.
Worse, it suggests that Barrow is being held captive by some forces he cannot disentangle himself from. Barrow swore to uphold the national good and what Gambians are asking for who is holding Adama Barrow hostage?
Meanwhile, from what was described as a formerly sleepy port, Singapore grew to become a global finance and trade hub. The legacy of Singapore’s founder, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, continues to guide the country’s multicultural society even after his death.
Some say it is not fair to compare Singapore to The Gambia because Singapore is smaller than The Gambia. The Gambia is about sixteen times bigger than Singapore. The Gambia is 11,300 square kilometers. The population of The Gambia is slightly less than two million people. (1.9 million fewer people live in The Gambia than Singapore.)
Singapore is approximately 697 square kilometers and its population is nearly six million. (Four million more people live in Singapore than in The Gambia.) But as with many things, it’s not the physical size that matters most. What you do with it counts more. Singaporeans have obviously accomplished a lot with their space despite the scarce resources within it.
To give you an idea of what they had to deal with, the country had been relying on imported water from Malaysia for most of its water needs.
In recent years, “the city-state has made its gutters, drains and rivulets a vast basin to catch rainfall” in addition to increasing the size of its water catchment areas to ease their dependence on Malaysia. It is evident that instead of holding them back, a lack of resources made Singaporeans become more resourceful.
Accommodating Singapore’s booming population seems like a welcome challenge for them as well. To manage the country’s growth, which is projected to reach six million people over the next two decades, Singapore’s government teamed up with experts from the “Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to devise ways to manage its expansion – knowledge it plans to export to other cities.”
The whole point is “to study how cities work and how they can work better.” Those who have been to Singapore know how efficiently things are run in the country.
Look at the difference today: Singapore’s government owns more than 100 companies with a market cap of more than one billion dollars; whilst we are selling off ours. Singapore’s investment agency loaned Barclays’ Bank $10 billion during the fiscal crisis. Its National Reserve is $900 billion.
For another example, look at Estonia with a population as small as The Gambia’s at 1.5 million people. Estonia declared formal independence on August 20, 1991. Twenty-seven-years ago, Estonia was a dark, damp backwater of the Soviet empire. Today, it is light and clean. Skype was invented in Estonia, which has half a billion people online and held its last general election on the Internet.
Emerging from the greatest fiscal crisis in its modern history, Estonia has a well-educated citizenry, a balanced budget, is debt free, has a simple flat-rate tax, low crime rates, a stable, convertible currency backed by a currency board, and a strong peg to the euro. It has the most advanced electronic government in the world, and all its advancements were made in the twenty-seven years we wasted trying to sell tourism and peanut farming.
We must stop saying we need more time. We must stop saying the country is young. No more excuses are available for us now.
If only The Gambia could learn from Singapore and apply the lessons to the tasks involved in managing its people and resources, then the country could also join its neighbors at the finish line. Despite the Gambia’s vast human and natural resources and abundant talent pool, the country cannot seem to get its act together.
For those waiting for the “pipe dreams” of the return to tourism’s heyday in The Gambia, forget it. Those days are gone for good. We may build massive hotels and tourism infrastructure to excess but know this: That model of hotel development died in the 1990s and belongs to the 1960s, Las Vegas era. More importantly, the people we are expecting as tourists to stay in and visit these monstrosities are busy losing their homes and jobs and preparing to pay higher taxes.
How do we know that the times when we depended on 78-80 percent of our tourists coming from America and Europe are gone and will never return?
In the Gambia, there are two centers of excellence to which I refer often: One is our “smiling coast,” whose peace and stability are spoken of with reverence everywhere I travel in the world.
The second is our “human resources.” Our trained civil service agents on international assignments are held in high regard everywhere I go as well. The Gambia has the best trained technocrats in both multinational and transnational institutions and into academia.
It is ironic, I think, that our intellectuals don’t make the same excuses our governments and their party hacks have made over the years. Instead, Gambian intellectuals and technocrats developed their skills whilst serving for dictatorships to succeed against countries with an actual democratic set up, despite their situation in The Gambia. If we could only match them, our future would be priceless.
Let us look at the reasons Lee Kuan Yew’s advice was that The Gambia and Singapore need to develop discipline more than democracy. He was right. Democracy works only when the majority are informed and educated. That’s not the case in The Gambia. It seems there is this misguided notion among Gambians that democracy means freedom to do whatever they want including breaking the law.
Gambians lack discipline because law enforcement agencies, including the police and justice departments, do not or cannot perform their jobs properly. To be better in their jobs, they must realize that they are dealing with mostly ignorant and poor people, so they need to apply zero tolerance and strict enforcement of the law.
Otherwise, people will not learn to obey the rules. Perhaps it would be best if members of Gambian law enforcement agencies treat the populace like children who need guidance. That’s how it’s done in Singapore (until now, anyway). No chewing gum, anyone?
Every day, there is chaos in public places in The Gambia due to lack of discipline. One wonders what law enforcers are doing to fix the problem. Nothing, it seems. Every day, people are throwing garbage in the streets and rivers and building new shacks on private and public lands.
One wonders what the police and local government agencies are doing to fix the problems. These are just some of the many violations tolerated in the country. Some say this is so because politicians patronize the masses to get votes, which brings us to my next item.
Law enforcement is weak in The Gambia because laws are not applied equally to everyone. This is evident in the way incumbent public servants use selective justice when prosecuting criminals. Therefore, a lot of people think it’s okay to do the crime. If you need further convincing, just look at how presidents treat their allies.
When people see others get away with violating laws just by being friends with or bribing those in power, their natural tendency is to emulate or copy what they see. Many elite members of Gambian society do this to get away with violating laws. Those from the lower class simply copy the behaviors of those in the upper class.
Mismanagement and mediocrity ruined The Gambia. This is precisely why it is best to first ask the elite members of Gambian society to change instead of asking or expecting the masses to change.
If patronage politics is strong in The Gambia, the country will not progress.
You can even see patronage politics on the road. The vehicles that block the roads and cause major traffic jams are operated by elites and, unfortunately, the vehicle operators are not doing anything to discipline their drivers, and the traffic enforcers are not doing anything drastic because they more than likely get a cut from bus operators.
An anti-intellectual attitude in The Gambia has been a problem that has plagued the country since the mid-1980s and into the 1990s. The problem started when The Gambia allowed a “reluctant” soldier with no expertise in running a government to become the president of the republic. Instead of promoting excellence, former presidents promoted mediocrity. The Gambia’s society became increasingly emotional and vindictive.
One only needs to look at the current crop of public servants today to realize why the country is run like hell. Instead of voting for experts and professionals, or at least someone with more experience and vision, Gambians love putting celebrities and popular personalities and their relatives in powerful positions in government.
It appears Gambians are allergic to people who have knowledge and expertise in solving the country’s problems, and they would rather go for someone they can relate with even when nothing is being done to solve the country’s woes. No wonder the country’s public transport system is almost in ruin.
Only in The Gambia are intellectuals ostracized. When you explain something that is deemed too complicated for the average person, they simply dismiss you with exasperated expressions in a condescending manner.
Therefore, some intellectuals would rather go with the flow than risk being shamed for using their heads. If intellectuals and experts are not in charge of The Gambia, the country will not reach the same status as Singapore.
The above reasons are holding The Gambia back from reaching a developed status. They all pertain to Gambian cultural traits.
Some would say the country’s flawed system is holding the country back and suggest that a parliamentary form of government may help foster intellectual discourse.
However, the system is only as good as the people. There is very little chance a good system will be designed by a society that is lacking discipline, anti-intellectual, and imprisoned by patronage politics. Sadly, such a society is guaranteed to remain stagnant or grow worse in the decades to come.
Long live the Gambia!! Long live Africa!!!
Mr Jallow, I share your sentiments. Thank you.
We have barely started the race, and we have some very long way to go. And it will take more than our life time to see us anyway near to Singapore, not even Senegal. We need a root and branch change and because of our strong desire to put in post mediocre people, we won’t get to the promised land anytime soon.
Wow, Powerful piece Alagi, the last time I read a master piece like this from you, was regarding, religions and gods!
You really can’t blame Dr Barrow, he seems very passive by nature, you need a leader with fire in their belly and a big plan(Julius melena).
One of Borrow biggest mistake in the beginning, he was going around begging money and returning home as if he had really accomplished something great, how can other leaders respect a man like that,
Problem number 2,
The educated Gambians need to return home to build their country, start business, take over the strategic business, importing and exporting, ie, replacing Red Coat, bringing heavy machinery for building roads, the place is dieing for roads, the list is endless if you’re creative.
The ones that make the most noise on this forum, need to return to The Gambia, to lay the first stone, to make the place a better place.
Well said,
Alagi.
And that includes you!
Alagi you could have spared us all the pain of reading your comparison, and state the obvious. The difference between Singapore and The Gambia is:
One has BRAINS, the other is BRAINWASHED/BRAINLESS.
You decide.
Having said that, what is sad and most concerning is that 50 years from now, our children will still be discussing this same issues without any signs of progress or change in our country. At that time Singapore will OWN the universe and The Gambia will OWE.
God Help The Gambia.
Tilly Bo, charity begins at home! Even if one is a private and a multi billion dollar investor, one must be mad to invest in business in a country where the average man doesn’t feel successful less he/she sees the failure or fall of another trying man. A country where people will be around others’ legitimate and private businesses like vultures eager to come down on animal carcass. How do you expect heavy machines companies to invest in the Gambia where public office holders and ministries must be bribed by investors before they can do a business and where one could fall into the very police’s bribery catching booby traps?Why would any private citizen risk his/her chicken feed in any business adventure in the Gambia where the leaderships and administrations demolish progress rather than build it? You don’t sound that quiet a person yourself Tilly Bo, do you? Get down on your business in the Gambia like no one could while respecting the rights of others who may feel like just talking about the problems out there but barely doing anything.
However, something has to be talked and done! No one has a fault but the governments and administrations. If any one wants to point fingers, point it at the latter as part of playing your private citizens’ role in government. It is expected that public office holders be the role models for citizens but most of those in the Gambia think people without a taste for corruption are fools. Usually in the Gambia, those who concert their efforts to keep things in the public space straight and clear are made a fool of. I think One is yet more distraught about the thought of poor folks
who had toiled almost all their lives outside Gambia, going to back to Gambia to risk throwing their chicken feed in any serious business venture other a grocery by his/her gate. What business does one want to be involved in in a country whose people have more negatives in their heads for each other that positives like I am myself. Alagi has just made a good Cross’s examination of the Gambia at her 54th years of nationhood. The spookiness and mediocrity of a people of a country whose ills in their hearts can hardly be missed expressed in the looks on their faces.
In Singapore, their is a severe fine for chewing gums. If you are caught violating chewing gum law, you will pay the heavy fine or other consequences and this fine is going to the national coffer without a pinch of doubt.
In the Gambia, even if there was ban on chewing gums and people getting fined for violating the law, where do you think the money will end up .. in the law enforcement officer’s pocket or in the national coffers?
Tilly Bo, please stop shining you arsenal for the ‘legal hustlers’ and don’t take for granted anyone is making a noise here if you can’t engage the noise. The ‘opinion police’ will soon come here if you continue lowly like in your above comment!
Bourne, I’ve met many good people in The Gambia in all the years I’ve been traveling there, some I’ve had good business deals with and some not so good, no different to anywhere else, that I’ve traveled too on this planet.
And to answer your question, yes, I’m invested in The Gambia.
Why? Because I see a big demand in agriculture for food, to be precise, red onions, is what I’m growing.
I planted up 0.5kg in a nursery on the 1st December 2018, everything went fine, started to transfer 6 weeks later, that went fine, I have 3 people taking care of things, watering twice a day and weeding when necessary, so far everything thing is good, receive pictures everyday of other operations, without delay, next month I’m looking forward to going there for a long stint, the harvest, if nature is on my side.
I know it’s not a big adventure, but that’s my way of testing the water.
But you do have a point regarding the Gambian government.
0.5kg of red onion seeds.
Tilly Bo. A quick advice here.
Don’t make the same mistake that local gardeners do.
Know when to cut off the watering to be sure that the crop is finished and cured well before harvest. Harvesting must be done right. Check that additional curing in the field is required or not before lifting.
The thinner the neck of the onion, the better it cures and stores. Think shelf life.
Handle the onions like babies at harvest and not treat them like a pile of peanuts. No repeated dumping on the ground! The idea is to minimize bruising, blemishes and to ensure a longer shelf life/storage.
Onions with thick necks do not store well. So sell those off first and not bag them for storage as they tend to rot quickly.
What goes in the bags must be prime produce. Note to minimize post harvest handling.
Try Irish Potatoes next year and you may find a game changer.
I’ll be glad to share ideas.
Andy, thanks for the heads up!
What I’ve read and seen, watering should stop 4 weeks before harvest, under normal circumstances, but The Gambia climate is not normal.
What tell tale signs should I look out for? I know this is critical!
Most of the videos I’ve seen about onion farming in Kenya and Ghana, seems to harvest before the onions actual wilt, and yes the onions neck were thick.
What time of the year for planting Irish spuds (potatoes)?
The Singapore story is one which proves that nations can develop within a very short period of time, with the right leadership and development strategy that suits national circumstances. I am not sure whether we want to go the Singapore way, but there are, most certainly, key areas of their development strategy which are worth considering, namely:
1. The right leadership, with a clear vision, that sees country and not party and self;
2. Pragmatism, with action oriented programmes that deliver results;
3. Developing structures and systems that suit national circumstances, rather than copying from others or blindly accepting advice;
4. Be defiant, if needs be, to do things your own way, rather than being dictated to by others.
In December 2007, Mr S. Dhanabalan, then chairman of Tamasek (a multibillion Dollar Investment Company headquartered in Singapore) explained why this defiance was necessary at a seminar organised by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and gave some examples:
1. On Trade Unions: “Conventional practice in the West was that trade unions had to fight managements. Antagonistic contests is meant to be the substance of trade unionism. We say that is not the way. Organised labour has to partner with the owners of business. We need more profits to pay better wages. Our focus is growing the pie which can then be shared out, rather than fighting for the share of the pie at the onset.”
2. On Press Freedom: “The practice in the West is that anybody who is good with the pen, has a flair for writing, can propagate his ideas without any sense of responsibility for what the consequences are. We say to the media, if you want to make your views known, be prepared to be countered and countered sharply by people who are actually in charge of delivering results. This doesn’t sit well with many people.”
3. On political Leadership: “Similarly, when it comes to political leadership, conventional attitude is that anybody who can arouse or mobilise the public should get elected. This has worked for many countries, but we’ve adopted a different practice. When it comes to political leadership, only people with experience and with a record of success for running organisations can run the country. Many people disagree with this, but this is another example of our defiance.”
Mr Lee Kuan Yew, considered to be the father of the nation of Singapore, and PM for over THREE decades, is reported to have said this:
“Freedom of the press, freedom of the news media,” claimed Lee in an address to the General Assembly of the International Press Institute at Helsinki (Jun 9, 1971), “must be subordinated to the overriding interests of the integrity of Singapore, and to the primacy of purpose of an elected government.”
Whether we agree with Mr Lee or not, what is clear is that copyists and imitators are NOT the type of leaders that can initiate and turn the Singapore dream into reality.
Tilly Bo, I’m both very much inspired and enlighten by your activities in agriculture, which depicts a great amount of good citizenship. I’m highly optimistic that many more Gambians will follow suit with such a good set example of yours, in their different ‘works’ of life. I bet such activities serve a far much better purpose around any community than disbursing of banknotes. I hope you understand that there are no differences between us but our tendencies of holding different opinions at occasions in forums here. There may not always be a perfect correlation between the timelines of people’s life struggles but what is important I think is, to make sure one is somehow at most times of his/her life, carefully engaged in some form of agriculture, business or other self employed professions in one’s country, especially in a country, where no government has ever achieved above than 5% employment rate in its history.
I cannot also ignore the fact I’m fascinated by Andrew’s evident knowledge in agro techniques. Could he be an agricultural engineer …? One cannot afford to be unimpressed, really.
Bourne
No worries,
Each one teach one,
One blood.