The one I fondly called “the chosen one”, Alagie Saidy Barrow, has meticulously branded us as the bearers of our current predicament. From colonialism to date, we blame everything on colonialists and clear ourselves of responsibility for our suffering due to bad governance, maladministration, and lack of foresight. While colonialists exploited us through slavery and taxation without representation, we contributed to their perpetuation due to a lack of patriotism, prioritizing individual interests over the nation’s collective interest.
This trend persists today, even worsening, as we perpetuate the same systems that hinder our progress. In the First Republic, our people, including alkalolos, seyfolos, governors, and civil servants particularly service chiefs, maintained the status quo, fearing change would lead to lost positions and privileges. We fail to learn from history until tragedy strikes.
In the Second Republic, under Dictator Yahya Jammeh, we rewrote history, coronating a ruthless dictator. We chose lies, deception, and transgression over honesty, trustworthiness, and country. This glorification of impunity led to the loss of many lives and made most Gambians heartless without learning much. Corruption became a religion, with both imams and priests losing faith in their teachings. This validates that the dictator is indeed us.
Upon realizing our suffering, we called for change, bringing Mr. Adama Barrow to power in the Third Republic. However, everything has worsened, with human rights violations, corruption, tribalism, and disregard for the rule of law. Both religious councils have chosen to validate another dictator, Adama Barrow, instead of standing with the Gambian people.
We’ve seen individuals support Barrow for various reasons, including regional loyalty, exploiting his weaknesses, and personal gain. Some have sold their integrity for wealth, power, and position. The vast majority knows Barrow’s mistakes cannot be quantified, but they hijacked him to seek a third mandate, fearing accountability that could render them poor just like Yahya Jammeh.
To these individuals, it’s better for the country to fail than to see opposition parties in office. What do we believe in as Gambians, and what faith do we worship? Aren’t we the real dictators collectively?
