(JollofNews) – The trajectory of African politics clearly shows that the failure of states to provide basic social provisions such as health care, and transport infrastructure let to the loss of legitimacy of political executives who finally succumbed to the will of their people.
This is because basic needs are great expectation of citizens from any political party that wins governmental power.
This clearly indicated in Alex Thomson’s book, An introduction to the study of African politics published in 2010. The United MMD in Zambia for example defeated Kaunda, the Alliance pour la Democratic Au Mali helped oust Traore, and Alliance for Democracy in Malawi saw Banda oust Thomson in 2010.
The Coalition in the Gambia oust Jammeh to end his self-perpetuation, but who tell you that Barrow cannot be ousted like mentioned personal and self-perpetuating rulers if he fails to provide Gambian the basic social provisions? Muhammed Morsi of Egypt was democratically elected, but was forced out from the palace when he fails to properly represent the will of his people. So, there is a possibility for Barrow to leave the state house if he fails to address the basic needs of Gambians.
No explanation can be entertained for the disastrous power and water supply by the state because the effects are so severe and unacceptable. However, the massive attendees in a political rally organised by Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) on Saturday 28th October 2017, shows how discontented Gambians are with the current governance due to serious shortage of power and water supply.
Other attendees of the rally were just frustrated citizen by the current failures of power and water supply. This may lead to total disassociation of citizens from states activities if immediate measures are not quickly taken by government to meet the basic demands of the citizens.
It can be deduction in salaries of the political executives starting from President Barrow, reduction in foreign travels, seeking assistance from friends of the Gambia to gather money and come to the rescue of Nawec for better power and water supply.
A national fora can also be organised where franks problem of the government with regards to power and water can be highlighted and possibly open an account for donation by citizen at any amount to immediately solve this issue because every sector of the economic can be severely affected and people can go out of patience at any time.
As Thomson 2010 advised, political leader should always heed Afrifa Gitong’s advice that “democracy is founded on full bellies and peaceful minds. It does not make sense when the tough is given freedom whiles the mind’s freedom is not given.”
Gambians ousted Jammeh because they show the Coalition government’s policies and programmes as an alternative to Jammeh brutal rule and self-serving policies even though he registered tremendous achievements in the area of health, education and infrastructure to an extent.
We must do enough to transform our political culture of bickering and underdevelopment to that of development.
By Sanna Badjie
APRC rally is a affirmation of the freedom and rights of Gambians to lawful assembly. Lessons learned. 1. Gambians in large numbers are not happy with Barrow administration. 2. They see an alternative in APRC as warped as that may seem to a clear thinking person.
The large numbers at the rally is threat to Barrow legacy not his legitimacy. What is clear to the common man and woman on the street is that they are free, but certainly not better off today than they were 8 months ago. Why? A hungry man who does not have water does not care about freedom. The ultimate freedom is a full belly. It is after your belly is full then you can think! This is the first salvo to Lawyer Darboe and UDP to get their house in order, or they will be thrown out on the streets come next election. Gambia has whispered, Gambia will speak again, just ask Yahya. If you don’t listen, and fix our problems, you will be held accountable and you will loose. That is what that APRC rally is telling you! Listen!!!
God Bless The Gambia.
I hope Gambians don’t see APRC as the alternative, but whatever happens, Gambia will never, ever be ruled like that again. I think the people.have shown that they will not be subdued again.
Well written comrade
I beg to differ with the author on Jammeh ‘registered tremendous achievement in health, education & infrastructure’…
There were no medicines, medication &/ operative equipments & facilities available in the medical sector in general, not to mention in the hospitals, while evil yaya devil & family abused public funds & sought foreign medical services abroad whilst the murderous kanilai devil at same time siphoned funds & resources from the health sector; not to mention too the devilish aid cure lies of farce; & the list can go on…
Education currently in Gambia have truly been down spirril overall when a primary 6 &/ secondary school graduate in the first Republic can literally sit today’s equivalents in a classroom & teach them lessons; the tertiary institutional facilities (which were in fact delayed & currently behind levels where we are supposed to be) were rather (available) with the advance in time & were in fact already in the pipeline before the illegal treason coup usurpation of power; & have in effect been amongst places of devil yaya’s meddlings affecting the levels of progress & quality in general; etc…
The infrastructure were white elephants in my opinion; just strewn about politically in name of development but for who…?
Take the concrete road works in Tallinding (kunjang) for example, were not done with genuine feasibility, where the drainage system aren’t effective in this waterlogged community, affecting the health, lives, livelihood & properties in the community not to mention other areas in the county in general; when in fact most of the funds stated in names of all the so-called infrastructure developments factually changed hands into the evil kanilai killer devil’s money laundering schemes….
I will totally agree, energy & water are principally essential for development of any nations & general uplifting for any advancements, from food security, income generation & protection & productivity in general for the general progressive prosperity of a people….
The current political situation on the ground is rather the simmering tensions from the evil kanilai fiefdom era which is certainly on the ebb gradually as the country progresses with maturity…
There’re other political parties actors too significantly at play in this aprc show which are true marks of democracy…
In nutshell, these are healthy in that, will exert pressure on the current political leaderships to do their utmost or face the music as in all decent democracies…
God bless the Gambia…
Bajaw,
The sheer fact of having the hospitals, university, secondary schools, primary schools, airport, port, TV station building structures alone without the “very basic” services and supplies was in itself a step forward in ameliorating our livelihood under President Jammeh.
Those mere structures NEVER existed under his predecessors, the dysfunctional PPP government, that ruled for over 30 USELESS and WASTEFUL years.
Had there been such structures, President Jammeh would have moved further to put other amenities. Am I right?
Under your INCOMPETENT , CORRUPT, TRIBALIST Barrow administration, do they have to erect those structures? The work load has already been done for them to move further if they were development oriented. They have all the way paved for them, but alas, this bunch of SELFISH people would fill their pockets first, go through the rudimentary Mandinka slogan of “they have achieved all, they are good sons and daughters” before thinking about our poor masses.
President Jammeh is a million times better than those IDIOTS who are wasting our people’s time on useless politicking!
If there is a peaceful political atmosphere in the Gambia, it’s because the APRC is not INSULTING Barrow as the UDP did to President Jammeh.
No I don’t think you are entirely right Babu…
These developments were already in the pipeline (meaning, they were programmed under the old Republic) but were just implemented lukewarm politically by the kanilai killer devil…
Mainly for self money grab economic & political reasons…
These ‘developments’ would be more/less here without the murderous kanilai ali baba & the 100 thieves…
It’s not the physicality but the effective positivity on impacts on lives & realistic (genuine) improvement suppose to be achieved…
The current political situation we are facing now is all because the greed of one evil soul in the devil kanilai called yaya Jammeh…
We surely would’ve have surpassed this stage in the ear progressively had some one human enough had been in charge for the last 22 years…
A last the barbarities & wanton murder can stop now at least…
For the other components of democracy & meaningful development can be attained gradually with subsequent political maturity which will be possible with time; but not with the magic wand we all expect Barrow to find at all costs…
Rectification please – this stage in era – not ear; thank you…
Bajaw,
Please stop trying to appease the unappeasable. You must be kidding yourself with this statement:
“These developments were already in the pipeline (meaning, they were programmed under the old Republic) but were just implemented lukewarm politically by the kanilai killer devil…”
FOR 30 GOOD YEARS, THESE DEVELPOMENTS WERE IN THE PIPELINE!
You cannot tell any sane person this story and expect him to believe it. Which PIPELINE? Maybe you’re refering to the PIPELINE they finally built at Bakau Kunku, (nearly Kanifing) the pride of Gambia’s tycoon(thieves) estates in those days.
Do you mean the Ali Baba Thief who stole from the rich to give to the poor? Well then, President Jammeh was a lucrative “thief”, then. He “stole” from the rich to give to The Gambian poor. DIN-KEN-DO
A traitor can never be a DIN-KEN-DO.
Babu, the University link, for example, was already established, about to start on the ground; so was the tv; anyone remember then Economic Plan minister Mbemba jatta confession that the ‘tv was well overdue’ at one of the ceremonies? & surely many more, as I was on the ground then & followed all around me…
Yes, the arch 22 monumenting our murderous kanilai fiefdom catastrophic era won’t be there today; whilst the Bwiam hospital project was actually planned for Brikama, for strategic planning for significant chunk of population, if not for devil yaya’s devisive tendency; where the Bwiam health centre would be better equipped on improvements, planning & better trained personnel to provide the health services to the public, where as the kanilai & other foni mansions, etc, wouldn’t be…
Yes, PPP government failed short in numerous areas in their days (which made us all yearn for the devilish change that never was in reality) but were better handled than the reckless abuse & barbarities unheard of in the kanilai murderer’s fiefdom…
The downward spirril were when the rein was illegitimately usurped forcefully & abuse malevolently for selfish ends to an evil kanilai yaya Dracula; with aggressive intent to destruction of human lives unabated as tools to self entrenchment…
Current, government came through mandate of the people; who unfortunately have the unachievable task, to find the imaginable magic & wand the instant permanent fix to the evil kanilai killer devil’s making for 22 years within 9 months…
Regardless of whosoever is in the driving seat now, the current political, social & economic situation can only resuscitate back to life & pick up with time…
Then we can progressively hope, with dedicated debates we are engage in, better & dedicated minded in the selfless politicians can be mandated to move the country forward…
God bless the Gambia… Ameen Allah…
To the writer of this article. No body is claiming that barrow gov’t will be judged favourably if they don’t deliver for the Gambian people. Even harden supporters demand results including economic prosperity for all within our borders. But to claim Barrow’s legitimacy is threatened because opposition exist in the country is bogus and cheap rhetoric.
The issue about pace of progress has many schools of thought. Yes for majority Gambians economic livelihood hasn’t seen an exponential growth after 8 months. Yes the electricity supply hasn’t been fixed and yes many families go to bed without sufficient nutrition. Hence for many we are not yet there where we would like to be. And the govt of the day is accountable for that. Alternatively, there is also a thought that remind that from the situation we emanated from 8 months ago, it is practically impossible to expect an exponential economic prosperity for all in such a short pace of time. The house must be put in order first. Processes put in place to regulate the economic environment. Thus one would have expected an incremental improvement from the paralysis in all spheres of the jammeh era. The hard economic reality in the Gambia is not the making of today rather it was an economy solely at whimps and caprice of Babili Mansa. Do not forget that. He had his hands in all spheres of gambian economy thus dismantling this grip and preparing the groundwork for a liberalised economic environment in which all can operate with skills and talent was never going to be achieved anywhere within a year or two. That brings us to continuity. Babili Mansa was a disruption in all spheres- political, socio-economics. He had no legitimacy from begin on and the only means at his disposable was cement his own rule. Nothing else. Therefore going forward, the root cause of the country’s socio-economic ills must be acknowledged by all wellmeaning Gambians. Thereafter critic of the new gov’t can be seen as genuine!
Well said, but remember the political reality is that once Barrow became President he owns all the results of Jammeh’s incompetence. He has to fix the problems he inherited. Nobody cares if he created the problems or not. He must take ownership of the solutions. Right or wrong he stands to be punished if he fails to rise to the expectations of our people.
That is the reality of leadership.
God Bless The Gambia
I am absolutely in line with you here. Taking ownership of the state and conditions one inherits and turning the tide towards a better state is indeed the hallmark of a mature society. Jammeh’s maladministration is no excuse for complacency and the political leaders, I would assume, know that very well. And as you rightly mentioned earlier, judgement day shall come to pass. Nevertheless, the time for a conclusive assessment of the Barrow gov’t would be premature today. Hence the recognition and acknowledgement of the precarious socio-economic state of the Gambia prior to the present gov’t takeover, must be juxtaposed in making an impartial objective assessment.
You are too kind Kemo and a gentleman. The answer to Barrow’s legacy is replete in the trend. I pray for our country.
God Bless The Gambia.
My thoughts are pestering me over the advocates of “see no evil”, hear no evil and say no evil” in the “New Gambia” and the “Old Gambia”, depending on the speaker or writer and in many cases depending on their Ethnic or Political Affiliation. May Allah/God’s Providence and Omnipotence temper our propensity toward Nativistic and Ethnocentric tendencies, while blaming the others of our Current Collective National Obsession, The Blame Game. Gambian People’s Will and Determined quest for a better tomorrow and next tomorrow may still overwhelme the Fault lines and Divisive Nature of our Politics. However, we must Not be willing, to be so willing or flexible with and blind to facts however painful they are. The current status of the Electricity and Water Supply Emergency Should not be a Partisan Issue. The UDP regime under Barrow and Compatriots can and must do better. Jammeh’s Ghost will not Provide Sustenance or Stability to the Gambians. All Gambians and the current Regime must work to Mitigate the State of Affairs by demanding that those Entrusted with the Captaining of the Gambian Ship are Competent, Ready and on Duty at all times to Sail the Ship through the Storms. That is not just Security, but in the Economics sphere too. In the event that the Gambian Rulers are found wanting, the people should exercise their right to the SOCIAL CONTRACT OPTION and send the “Under Performers” out of Government. In many ways the classic, Dual Personality and or the Elephant in African Rulers Governance and Image fits Jammeh’s apparent blantant use of Public Property as Private Property. On the other hand, those who benefited or stand to benefit from the same Rulers contort and bend over to defend and support such Malfeasance at any cost. They are willing to excuse Jammeh then as they are doing with the “New Gambian” Gatekeepers who are Contorting and Bending to Excuse or Justify that which they Once Raged and Fought Against. Most Common Sense and Sensibility is Lost or Abandoned. The Welfare of the Nation is exchanged for the expediency of Political Position and Financial Gain. Let’s turn a Green leaf and let our children and grandchildren say to their children, our parents passed a better and stable country to us. A Self-sustaining, Democractic Country for all and from all. A country worthy of fighting and dying for.
It is an open secret that African countries or Governments are at the mercy of of the people and Governments of the affluent western world.The Gambia is no exception so even during the past regime those who were steadfast and endeavored valuable time in worthwhile ventures did not rely on the Government.The system of social amenities and organised administration is backed first by knowledge and then resurces come into play.
We are short of both and that exposes us vulnerably to the ills of society that are responsible for mismanagement,misrepsesentation due to greed and blatant dishonesty.
Looking at the south east Asian nations like singapore,Phillipines etc.,they were in the same problem and only education and only supporting it all out,we will remain the last on the list as the UN Report recently indicates the is topping the list of sub-saharan Africas most indebted country.
There has to be a leader but culture of our people amongst which is :attributing everything to god,or indulge in some cultural cliche as a requirement for worthiness are contributing dearly to our stagnance.
Very sorry to read any lack of optimism, only hopes for another day far into the proverbial future.
No worries my friends cheer up.!
Or as we would say in the far north of olde england…
>>>” theres trouble at mill ”
Their never was an easy fix.
Babu, there’re recent redeployment reported in senior arm forces staff on pages of Foroyaa newspaper which indicate diversity in the security institution & in extension across the country as a whole…
Gambia, collectively, are ‘condemned (together) by fate’ of destiny a country as ‘diverse people’ & ‘our promises must renew’ always & every time; to agree & disagree for communal sakes only, towards the ‘common good’…..
God bless Gambia…
Rectification please – as country of diverse people – it’s meant to read, thank you…
President Barrow is in all totality new and so prompt to take up our country`s leadership that we should be patient and give him chance to to put his house in order. We are all aware that Barrow ascended to power through a coalition ticket and of course with diverse political parties. Therefore he is taking note of the loopholes within his Government set up for rectification. It is also to remembered that he is a transitional leader after a short term. I am optimistic that he will bring us big surprises sooner or later. God Bless The GAMBIA.
A leader makes executive decisions and project desirable qualities like :
1. Intolerance to waste, corruption and nepotism
2. Clear vision
3. Ability to surround himself or herself with dedicated, capable and honest subordinates
4. Acceptance and welcome of decent
5. Ability to say I am wrong and change course for the greater good .
You can see these from day one. I accept some can learn these virtues but the framework will be apparent and visible to all.