It is indeed very concerning to once again see a Gambian president publicly hand over fat envelopes full of money to communities at political events.
The news that Pres. Barrow donated an envelope full of money to women in Jarra Soma is indeed unfortunate and unbecoming of a president expected to bring about system change in a country that is coming out of decades of poor leadership and bad governance. We need not be told that it is very dangerous to infuse customary cultural practices into public policy and national governance processes. This can only serve to undermine good governance and perpetrate poor political culture.
Not only is this act unsustainable but it also serves to engender personality cult around leaders hence create the environment for rivalry between groups and communities competing for the largesse of a leader. When a society drops to such attitudes it then means the standards of transparency and accountability will be compromised because no one cares anymore about the source of the money, rather everyone rushes to invite the president just to get money. But we also know that the president cannot give envelopes of money to each and every community or group; hence the question is what is the reason why Community A or Group B should have and not Community C or Group D?
A cash donation from a president directly to communities is an act of political patronage that undermines the capacity of the people to demand transparency and accountability. The president has no mandate or authority to give cash donations to any citizen, community, group or institution unless if such donation is coming out of the salary of the president himself. In that case, information must be shared that such donation is directly from the president’s salary. Other than his salary, a president has no other income because the Constitution clearly states that the president must not engage in any other business or work other than serve as the president. And a president has no other income other than his salary which is why the salary of the president is too high with no tax. Hence when the president hands out cash the question must be asked where did the president obtain such money from?
It is reported that the 2018 budget unfortunately allocated D20 million for donations by the president. This is indeed a very unhelpful decision because it means by law we are promoting political patronage through cash donations. What is expected of a president is to have programs and projects through which goods and services will be delivered and facilities and opportunities will be created to serve the needs of all citizens.
What the women of LRR or Soma need is what the women of URR or NBR or CRR or WCR or KM or Banjul also need. Therefore Pres. Barrow cannot just go to each community to hand over an envelope full of money. That would only promote corruption within those groups while the very immediate and strategic needs of the women will not be met in full. Therefore what we expect is that there will be a government program though which goods, services and facilities will be provided or created such that all women of the Gambia will have equal opportunity to access those goods, services and facilities.
We had seen during the abominable tenure of Yaya Jammeh how he had used money and other resources to distribute based on his whims and caprices just for political gain regardless of the impact of such actions on those communities and the country at large. Through these donations, Yaya Jammeh had succeeded in fomenting rivalries, enmity, corruption and violations with impunity in our society. In many cases individuals and communities felt grateful to him just because he donated money to them for their gardens, mosques, markets, schools or pilgrimage among others. In this way he had succeeded in shutting the mouths of beneficiaries hence they cannot hold him to account. Thus to now see Pres. Barrow adopt the same act is indeed a major cause for concern.
The political culture in the Gambia has been long been corrupt, backward and exploitative while political awareness is low. This is why citizens largely do not trust politicians or become disinterested in politics. It is because of this poor political culture that we had Jawara rule this country for 30 years only to produce more poverty and deprivation in our society. It is because of this poor political culture that Yaya Jammeh ruled for 22 years only to unleash terror on citizens with impunity. Hence when we succeeded to weed out dictatorship which was due to poor political culture, we expected therefore Barrow will be the president to cleanse our political space and practices to become decent and progressive. We do not therefore expect that a Gambian president coming after Jawara and Jammeh to repeat the same bad actions of those leaders.
Pres. Barrow must understand that he, more than anyone else has the biggest duty and the power to change the political culture in this society. He has the greatest responsibility to promote and strengthen transparency band accountability and to stand against political patronage which is the mother of corruption, abuse and inefficiency in any society. Hence what we expect Pres. Barrow to do is to engage communities to understand their issues and channel solutions to those issues through his national development programs. But we cannot have a National Development Plan (NDP) yet at the same time we have a president acting like a benevolent king amidst poor subjects. It is through the implementation of the NDP that the needs and challenges of women are to be solved and not through cash donations!
In this regard, I want to ask the President to declare to Gambians where is the source of the money he donated to the women in Soma. I want the President to tell us what measures has he taken to ensure that the money given will be put into good use. I want the President to tell Gambians how will he ensure that the money is accounted for and serves the purpose for which it was given. Failure to address these concerns means the president is perpetrating political patronage hence undermining democracy and good governance in the Gambia.
I wish the women in Soma have the necessary political awareness to realise that they must return the money back to Pres. Barrow and rather demand that the Government creates robust social and economic programs and projects that will produce and provide efficient goods, services and facilities for the good of the community.
For the Gambia Our Homeland.
You are absolutely right !
If I were a Gambian, I would be proud standing publicly next to you.
But I’m only white, with a black heart and mind indeed.
So, please Mr Barrow, keep all the promises you made!
You owe it to your people.
They voted for change!
Thank you, Mister President
Abaraka
Jerejef
Merci
Gracias
Dank u
Vielen dank
In African society, people of worth are expected to be generous and benevolent. That is our welfare/social service system. It is understood/implied there is no expectation of reciprocity. It is only when the intent is “quid pro quo” that the African tradition of gifting becomes corrupted.
Dr. Sarr, are you saying that what Mr. Jobarteh says in his article is on point or not? Or are you saying Mr. Barrow is doing what he is supposed to do or expected to do? Are you justifying what Mr. Barrow did according to Mr. Jobarteh? If Mr. Barrow’s intent is “quid pro quo” how can anyone know that? Certainly, you do not expect Mr. Barrow to make the donees know, in public or in private, that his so-called “gift” is quid pro quo, do you? If what you said in your commentary is correct and you accept that kind of practice then there in lies one of Africa’s problem. Maybe I am wrong and missed your point by a long shot. I hope you please make your point clear to us.
My take is this. African customs, culture and traditions are generous and rich. Gifting is expected and encourage, it is a means of helping those in need. Our tradition frowns on reciprocity in gifting. We teach to give freely and often without expecting anything back.
Madi seems to suggest that when Barrow was handing out those bags,
1. He ( Madi ) saw what was in them.
2. He knew Barrow expected something back in return for the bags.
There is no way any of us knows these facts. Had he not addressed Barrow directly and wrote a generic opinion on political patronage, I will agree with him, that such practice is unacceptable.
To answer your question, the two positions are not mutually exclusive. You can agree with Madi and not find anything wrong with The President’s actions. It’s all about intent. I have no idea what The President intents are, but I find nothing wrong with giving to those in need. How it’s done is the prerogative of the Giver. Bags of rice, sugar or cash makes no difference to me.
I might add that Mr. Jobarteh specifically addressed his article to Mr. Barrow, a public official, a person who is supposed to be the chief servant of The Gambian people. And what do you mean by “people of worth”? I take that Mr. Barrow is a person of worth or else it would not make any sense to use that phrase in your commentary. I might also add that Mr. Barrow is not a king but an elected public official. Do you think that makes a difference?
A very sad reading provided the concerns raised by Mr Jobarteh are indeed what happen (ie. D millions allocated to OP for donation purposes and that this could have been the source of the money given out to people in Jarra)!!!
Also it’s in reports that the Foreign Minister has dropped some very very very bad statements on the people of Bansang. If this is also correctly reported as the true words from the Honourable Minister, then it will be again sad but safe to say The Gambia is in deep trouble.
Anger and reactionary attitude in the form of coercion against differing views or opposing forces is not a palatable ingredient for leadership. Gambian politicians should not allow to be reminded of this so soon. I want to politely remind the minister to reflect/consider the popularity accorded to him following his statement leaving the gates of the prison leading to some calling him Gambia’s Mandela was not just because people just love his skin, appearance, qualifications, etc but they were mainly an echo of a population for PEACE & A UNIFIED society which is a prerequisite for development. Moving from that trend on the premise that the popularity or the following is indispensable could send off some of that following or popularity; suicidal for someone with a big appetite for leadership.
I pray that some day a more pleasant reading on the utterances of our leaders and policy directions can become a normal occurrence.
May Allah guide us all !!!
I think both sides of this argument have merit and demerits/
I am well versed on dropping bags of cash around Gambia/ I saw nothing wrong in it as the end result did have significant benefit/ I do think limitation of The President’s powers is a requirement, especially if there is an unfair political gain .
Time to put in place a new and redefined role of a Gambian President…I feel ,,,but of course it will never happen/ Politicians all around the world promise anything to get into power///But are rarely seen executing by action/ when they get there.
If indeed there’s substantive evidence in support of Madi’s report that, ” the 2018 budget unfortunately allocated D20 million for donations by the president” there’s reason to worry here. I understand that the Office of The President can be assigned a budget for travel and entertainment that will pay for expenses associated with visits of foreign dignitaries and approved functions but I certainly do not see any good coming out of donations of either token sums or wads of cash by the President as these very actions could trigger the odious acts of Managing Directors diverting funds to sponsoring platinum, gold, or whatever tables at public events. The quid pro quo syndrome then comes right back to bite us all.
Government/tax payer funds should just NOT be assigned to what may eventually amount to slush funds. After all, The Gambia does not have that luxury in these trying times. The practice also smacks of irresponsible planning/budgeting with too many unintended consequences. Why should we so quickly forget the quid pro quo relationship between politicians and public managers. So if the Jammeh regime did the same thing, the practice would pass for edification?
Where folks in the public trust wish to donate to causes, they must do so in a private capacity and on their funds, acquired on their own sweat but never at the expense of the state. Barrow may never dip his hands in the cookie jar but it leaves a sour taste in my mouth that the very public officials around Barrow could use this budget, the gray area that it looks if it does exist, as a honey pot over time.
I believe that we all have lived long enough to see ample evidence, from 1965 to date, to dispel the notion that cash donations of this nature in The Gambia serve to better the lot of those below “The Gambian Poverty Line”.
This is all, in my view, tied to our collective cultural mindset of gifting for self-aggrandizement that Gambians can’t seem to delineate from Charitable Giving for the common good. It’s just bad practice that conjures up images of FUWARIYAA and doing business as usual in a Gambia that we all know too well. Never worked and will not work in our “New Gambia” and forebodes a bad omen in this new political dispensation.
Good afternoon Dr. Sarr, thank you. I read your response and it raised more questions than answers. You did not say anything about “people of worth,” but that is ok. This will be my last posting on the matter. I wrote to try and understand what you meant in your first posting on the matter. I do not want to continue this give and take because it appears to me that your answers will keep raising more questions than answers, and I was looking for clarification. You said “African custom, culture and traditions are generous and rich.” But this is not unique to Africans alone. Majority of cultures in the world can make the same claim and with greater authority I might add. Almost all cultures encourage gift giving. If a Priest or an Imam did what Mr. Barrow did, we will not be having this conversation. It is a wholly different matter when a sitting President went around the country doling out public funds. Mr. Barrow is the highest paid public official. If he is as magnanimous as he held himself out to be, he can dole out his own money. Mr. Barrow is doling out “public money.” Do you believe that the people Mr. Barrow doled out those monies will give credit to the Gambian people whose money Mr. Barrow doled out to them? Will those people tell Mr. Barrow, please thank The Gambian people for the money you have given us? Do you believe, Mr. Barrow told those people, I am giving you gifts in the name of The Gambian people?
I do not follow what you meant, when you said that the “two positions [meaning that of a king and a public official like a president] are not mutually exclusive.” No one said anything about mutual exclusivity. A king as the head of a Kingdom does certain things similar to those done by a president as the head of a State. No one disputes this point. If you were to concentrate on how a King becomes a king and how a President becomes a president you will have clearly seen the differences between the two. The Gambia is not a Kingdom but a Republic. Thanks for the dialogue.
My information on the ground is that most of the gift Barrow dish out is from business mogul TOFOOBALI.
I didn’t contest my source’s allegations for I have heard similar allegations from a friend who returned from Gambia last week.
I cannot really believe Barrow will quickly revert to Yaya’s charade of buying support through unethical patronage using our hard earned cash. I know during Jawara and Yaya era, office of the president used to have a hefty transport and entertainment vote which quickly dry up before the subsequent quarter allocation through the recurrent expenditure vote arrived.
If the information D20m SAADA allocation is true which I am be hesitant to doubt, then Gambia is still wallowing in budgetary indiscipline. This will encourage goevrment bureacrats and other government employees to help themselves. FAAFA LA TEEYO MOOBEH TA
I thought all politicians, instinctively learned from yaya’s malfeasance but there you are.
As the saying goes, leaders don’t fall from the sky but from the people. That means their character reflect the character of the people.
I concur to Madi’s premise, Barrow should tell us where the money come from else he is encouraging other top officials to mimic him. As mandinka saying goes NIN ELAFITA MO LA TAAMO NINKINNA EKA TANBIN DILLEH.
Let’s face it: these group of politicians were never for real changes, post Jammeh. They fought very hard to remove and replace Jammeh, but not to overhaul what he presided over or discontinue the enjoyment of public office. Barring the rampant arrests, tortures, killings and blatant theft of public funds, these people are perfectly happy for the status quo to continue. Don’t be surprised (because I won’t be) if the Jawara era behaviour of ministers and other public officials becoming PATRON “fathers” and “mothers” of groups all across the country.
One thing should be crystal clear to us all: culture, tradition and religion have no place in public office. Public officials are entrusted with the responsibility of managing our resources, in accordance with the law and the law alone; not in accordance with culture, tradition or religion. These are just excuses to justify mismanagement and abuse of office.
Madi, Dr Isatou Sarr, Andrew Pjalo,
What a hypocrite’s tone in failing to condemn the outright failure of this illiterate/incompetent president who has failed to fulfill his promises, or rather his LIES in making a positive change. Why can’t you just condemn this CORRUPT man and his INCOMPETENT administration?
Is it because you have gone too far in gracing his bad behaviours, his incompetence since December 2016 that you cannot condemn him now? Why continue to play the hypocrite’s fiddle in your light admonitions of your INEPT Barrow administration?
I urge you to campaign for this man’s resignation or impeachment because he has seriously failed to accomplish all his promises.
We have seen waste of resources, misuse/abuse of public office, lies and delibearte breach of laws. Tell me one reason why this man should remain in office?
Babu,
I don’t see one reason for him to remain in office after the long list of misguided steps in a very short time frame and no significant change in the general welfare of most Gambians. By that I mean, the unaffordable cost of living even for the salaried / employed (teachers, police, nurses etc) let alone the reset of the population not earning via regular pay check. The the low salaries structure makes it impossible for workers to cover the cost of a bag of rice as well as many other basic/daily needs were a strong campaign rhetoric. However, most of these are either going up or have remained the same while the leadership clearly stated due to the ’emptied coffers’ salary increment cannot be done this year.
While security of people and property has become a national concern, the leadership missteps seems to become normal in New Gambia!!!
As if all that is not enough, HE failed to declare his assets as does many of his close associates,chose or accepted to (1) use Kairaba Beach Hotel as State House at great cost though crying empty coffers at every opportunity while many fit for purpose Government properties awaits proper utilisation. HE proceeded (2) appointed a VP over the age limit, (2a) kept the position vacant after out cries for as long as it takes to get a veneer of law to cover with then install the chosen VP on Gambians after regardless of the outcries). (3) HE went on to receive 57 trucks from a businessman but hiding his ID from Gambians, (even if he did not have a bad intent for accepting the gift but hiding the source signals something dubious causing outcry for explanation). HE (4) allowed/watched over the relocation of interior ministry at a great cost while the coffers are claimed to be empty. HE went to (5) Turkey and decided to tell Gambians to shut up because he is ‘destined’ to be president’, that they did not say anything when he and his associates brought about regime change, that they should shut up and not scrutinise/question his appointment choices.(6) yet HE dishing out packs of money to people of his choosing. Normal, aren’t these actions, or getting there?
While all these was going on, some civil servants and institutions start failing or struggling with their tasks (Nawec, Education (teachers’ strike), Health – (minister V Drs) /doctors strike, ………..
All of these in the short life span of the new Gambia does rings a bell for one to start soul searching (as requested by Babu for one reasons one would wish such a team to remain in office!!!
Toma
I think Jollof news tales tue moral responsibility to ensure its dabating forum remain free of dirty and insulting language. It should ensure that the person who signed to debate here is the person he claim to be. This because pseudo name helps people to debate irresponsibly and can afford to throw insults because no one knows their true identity. This can be achieved by:
1.Linking name to email
2.Asking participants to give telephone number
3.Tracing the telephone asking for a confirmation code.
4.Stating name of institution
5.Stating name of a friend who can also be verified.
6.Name of institute or school attended.
etc.
Please we need to bring sanity, fact, respect and responsibility in our debate. I think using spurious names has been abused in an immoral manner and its time Jollof news place a break to make this medium remain respectable and trustworthy.
M
Toma
I think Jollof news should take the moral responsibility to ensure its dabating forum remain free of dirty and insulting language. It should ensure that the person who signed to debate here is the person he claim to be. This because pseudo name helps people to debate irresponsibly and can afford to throw insults because no one knows their true identity. This can be achieved by:
1.Linking name to email
2.Asking participants to give telephone number
3.Tracing the telephone asking for a confirmation code.
4.Stating name of institution
5.Stating name of a friend who can also be verified.
6.Name of institute or school attended.
etc.
Please we need to bring sanity, fact, respect and responsibility in our debate. I think using spurious names has been abused in an immoral manner and its time Jollof news place a break to make this medium remain respectable and trustworthy.
I remember someone viciouslyclaiming I impregnated a girl, claim benefit in UK and even crown his/her lie that I sent my CV to Barrow Government knowing very well
that all these statements are pure fantasy designed to soil my name. This is because I am using my true name and her name so far proof difficult to verify.
One thing you cannot accuse people of is adultry when you don’t have evidences. If you do so by mistake, you need to apologise and make tauba. If people know this person you lie against and they know you as well, you will be known as a person who make false allegations out of anger so your words against anyone becomes suspicious. Once we use spurious name this disincentive cannot come to play.
We must learn to shed anger, decompress, forgive and move on. We can’t be seen to be re-litigating the same issues over and over again. Let’s look ahead.
NTON KOOMA SIRAABA, if you want to impact positively on the lives of many you have to lead by example, I mean you have to be a paragon of moral virtue. If not, your character emit contradictory impulses.
We all have our human failings and should seek continuous improvement, so that our lives become an instructive models for the aspiring young people. TABA NANKASSO however subtly disguised, inadvertently silhouettes negative vibes. They say in mandinka
MINING MINING TAFAL TOONYA LEBEH LABANNA. I hope we all debate with respect so that we can learn from each other.
Our new found democracy evince idea contest, not co-anihilation which is unavailing and vividly counterproductive.
It is angelic to forgive,forget and move on, however it is equally instructive to learn lessons.
Manding says, A TUU JANG TUU JANGO, E KA TAA TUU KAANI KULUNGO LEH KONO!
And then Jarrankolu Kuma Ta Ko, NING TUCHO YEH E DII, JAATO SENNEH.
Leading by example that is.
The Wollof also say, BULL NIITU BEH LAKK!
All in kind humor.