By Ebrima Papa Colley
This is the twenty-first century, the age of swiftness in everything humans do. This is the era of nanosecond information sharing–the age of fierce competition in all frontiers of human endeavor. This, we know, is the age of prompt thought-processing. Any nation led by slow thinkers will seriously fail!
As I type these, imagine what is going on behind the scenes at Samsung, Apple, Oracle, Toyota, Honda, or even Burger King. Picture in your mind another marvel of an iPhone, probably 12 and 13 or Galaxy-something! Great thinkers discuss great ideas. We in Africa discuss stealing from government to build houses in Brufut or marry the next teenager. We urgently need those that can briskly engage such a century for Gambia’s prosperity.
And yes, while we are busy stealing, our hospitals, in dire need, ration gloves for healthcare workers. Our streets are still muddy, unkempt, and disease-welcoming. Water and electricity supply is still a conundrum while we inveterately import the locally-producible. In fact, we can’t guide our youth to pass exams, a scary preponderance of whom recently failed WAEC exams in such a frightening way. Like it or not, that is the kind of generation we are bequeathing dear Gambia to in the next few decades. This is what happens when we have slow thinkers in leadership–leaders who don’t compete in ideas, but stealing, corruption, nepotism, or ways more venal.
At the age of 29, Yahya Jammeh gave us projects, and not mirage. Yes, he later propelled himself to the apex of tyranny. But let’s sift his projects from the rest of his ghoulish adventure for just a moment. At that young age, he charted out his vision of a television station, Arch 22, a university, hospitals, an international airport, roads, new estates and villas, etc. And you know what? He did it! Or shall I say he did them! Gambia is now churning out doctors trained locally. And almost all of them never paid a butut for such an education. Can anybody tell me where to get a free ride in medical school in America or England?
Today, Gambians cry for water during Ramadan. Please think of someone who can’t give us water in Ramadan. Not just one Ramadan–but two, since he assumed office. What kind of prosperity can we expect from such? Or did I forget how long we’ve been without ID cards? Jammeh offended the West who exacted retribution for 22 years. Still, he delivered. Barrow has a pre-ordained therapeutic rapport with such good-will. Yet he chooses to incur a perfunctory ailment that relentlessly metastasizes. And he dreams of going beyond three years? For what? For more episodes of heart-aching ineptitude, gut-wrenching cronyism, or everything that slows down a nation?
Barrow came for a transition–not a continuum of terms. It is only those “jackals with sharp teeth” following a lion’s kill that want him to stay. Why? Because they see office as a source of more houses in Brufut or more teenage brides. Or more per diem from international travel. Please don’t play the bogus constitution-says-card! They all knew well what the constitution says. But great thinkers like Halifa could only agree for a coalition flag-bearer like Barrow for only a three year stint. Only a breach of contract could force Barrow to renege on the coalition’s promise–a word many Gambians, including APRC voters swallowed and voted against Jammeh. But is there anything sweeter than retiring a safe statesman while Gambia invites a more apt leader to steer the ship?
If you dream of going beyond three years, I will leave you with the first verse of Surat Maa’idah. I and many writers warned Jammeh before. I started this article with a special reference to the age of nanosecond information sharing. Please do yourself a favor and google all kinds of admonitions we gave Jammeh. Why is it so difficult to stop wondering why African leaders never learn easy lessons? Wollaahi, type into google, “Yahya Jammeh please listen, by Gambiano,” one of the articles I wrote years ago when Jammeh never thought of losing.
The thing that stopped me from commenting on this article is this: You have spoken for me in a way I couldn’t personally achieve for myself.
My question: Are you Adamas‘ soothsayer? That has proven fatal for Jammeh. Well, he better be warned and go ask the man stranded in EqG?
Mwalimu,
Lol! The Soothsayer series will haunt any leader in The Gambia that fails the nation. Any of you could write it based on candid observations. Jammeh didn’t heed what was written about his rule in the series since I started. Now it’s Barrow. We wait to see.
Jack,
Great remarks. Scandinavian countries also have free medical education. Germany does too. And America isn’t more advanced than Germany. In fact, a lot of America’s knowledge came from Germany. The country with the best education is Holland. Here in USA, banks and corporations have hijacked education, corrupted and monetized it. Real learning is in Germany, Holland, Norway, Finland, etc. England and America are the same. That’s why they have the fattest people. In fact, the rest of Europe doesn’t allow America’s food products on their shelves, except England. These two countries can give free education without compromising quality. Canada also has public health care.
Hallo there Brother Gambiano…
I don’t think we can’t shift his (Jammeh’s) “projects” from the rest of his “ghoulish adventure”. I honestly think they are inseparable and when his “ghoulish adventure” actually led to deaths of many, then I don’t know how his projects can be talked about. I seriously can’t get it at all.
To me, it’s like the man who built a family a self contained cement house (and moved them from their grass thatched hut), but then fills part of it with shit and urine.
Should the family ignore that stinky shit and urine and just praise him for the “wonderful” house he built for them? He has brought them development, no doubt, (from a grass hut to a self contained cement house) but is that the only consideration that matters?
Is it inappropriate for the family to sing this man’s praises, if the house was actually built with their own money?
Won’t it be rediculous to do so, if the money they entrusted this man should have built them a 3 storey mansion? Think about it fellow Gambians.
No!! Neither Jawara, nor Jammeh deserve any praise(s) for whatever projects they may have initiated and accomplished during their terms because that’s what they were elected, equipped and paid to do.
What we should do, in relation to these projects, is to ascertain whether they represent value for money by asking how much money (domestic revenue, loans, grants & foreign aid) was entrusted to these officials for management during their terms in office. That’s the attitude I want to see/being promoted in new Gambia.
And if you are the same Papa Kolley that features on Freedom Radio with Mr Mbaye, then know that I’m a big fan of yours, though I don’t always agree with your views.
Oops…I meant, “Is it appropriate for the family to praise this man….”
Bax,
You’re right. Sometimes our bad goes too far to undo our good. But nonetheless, a good is a good and a bad a bad. If God pays back tue wicked for any good they do. But their evil hurts them more. Apart from the killings, heavyhandedness, and tyranny, Jammeh did so many good things too. Let not anger and emotions blur that from our sight.
I meant if God pays back the wicked for any good they do, why not us?
TTIPP (pronounced Teetip) was an Obama era proposed trade agreement between the US and the European Union. This would have opened European markets to GM food products from America. The green parties and leftists of Europe campaigned against the deal that would have turned Europe into the human genetic laboratory of the American agro industry. However, before the deal could go into a referendum in most EU countries, the world experienced a political tsunami with the election of DT into office. He torpedoed that agreement with the justification that it was a bad deal for America. The political segment against the deal, of course celebrated.
There is legislation in place in almost all European Union countries categorically prohibiting the importation, development, sale or distribution of genetically modified foods for human consumption. Boxed or canned.
Africa is already the next frontier to conquer. Will they or will they not?
That’s the question WE Africans should answer.
Mwalimu,
Trust me, it’s just so beautiful to have a conversation with those who know. Wollaahi, you gladen my heart. I travel to Gambia and try to sensitize my family about GMOs to no success.
Wollaahi, you’re so right that Africa is the next target. I still have a picture of an obese kid I took in Brikama among so many kids at the playground. I told my folks in my childhood, it was rare to see such in the Gambia.
This last piece you’ve written should be an article of it’s own in all Gambians papers. But do our people see it as a priority? Probably not. But we have diabetes, HTN, cancer, the neurodegenerative, etc on the rise in Africa today. And our health experts, probably bought out are quiet. Let’s stick to our Gambian diets, period! I still have “Bara Jambo, kunkutu Mandingo, Sito, etc I always bring on the plane. If only most of us know disease epidemiologies.
Gambiano my old teacher and literary tormenter (in the true sense of the word), I know not much, at best how to plough a peanut farm and help my mother in the Farro.
I was thinking out loud to myself how interesting it is to have drifted from term limits and limitations to the complex territory of genetic engineering and gene manipulation. No complains just an observation. grins.
_______________________
Education in the European Union is free from primary/Junior level to university. A pupil cost states anything from €6000-€12000 per annum depending on the class and type of school. Factors of cost variation could range from pupil to teacher ratio, qualification of the teachers, location of the school etc.
Quality in education is a totally different ball game in the EU. The education policies are stratified from district to state to national then to the level of the European Union having the biggest say and influence. This of course has a huge impact on quality. These policies are not static. They are twitched from time to time to improve access, quality and relevance.
One thing worth noting though is without exception, knowledge acquisition in ALL European countries, happens in and within their national languages. The lesson in that is by acquiring knowledge in a foreign language reduces a child’s cognitive performance by up to 75%. This is the endemic flaw with education systems in all African countries.
A child in for example Holland or Spain or Sweden interested in the natural sciences will be doing DNA analysis in class 11 or 12 with up to state of the art machines, doing carbon dating (discovered by the great Cheikh Anta Diop) in the lab or a myriad of experiments in physics chemistry, geography and the list goes on. All with and through high end machines and materials.
Unfortunately for us, sixty mosques could be build whilst we don’t even have electronic microscopes for medical students at the university who are suppose to safe lives and pass gained knowledge to the next generation. Or the presidents dishing out money for parties and sex in the name of politics and campaigning.
Ah! I can go on and on and on.
It makes me sick to my bones.
Mwalimu,
Why don’t you write these ideas for publication, Please? We really have to instruct in our local languages. Europe’s education system is far above USA. One of the reasons students say math is hard is because it’s explained in a very difficult tongue. No student goes to the shop and miscalculate his change from the shop keeper. Why? Because they both speak a common language.
I’m delighted you mentioned Sheikh Anta Diop. He also challenged so-called Egyptologists about even the true architects of the pyramids. How can non Africans come to our soil and claim to be experts in our history so much that they coin lies and terms for it?
You see, I don’t have to even say much when you brought forth the sixty mosque thing at the expense of much needed services. And please listen or look at Barrow face and observe if anything in him sounds or resembles progress for Gambia.
Writing articles, essays and opinion pieces for various print media is not yet my cup of tea. May be, that has to do with the desire to stay in the trenches by commenting on those of yours and just learning from the many talented writers. Besides, we can’t all be doing the same thing at the same time, especially if we agree on a lot of things that are coming from the mighty pen pushers of our time. Smiles.
That however does not one bit negate my willingness and commitment to the cause of liberating our people psychologically , culturally, politically and economically.
In case I haven’t already mentioned, you are doing a tremendous service in enlightening the masses through your unconventional methods of approaching issues, sometimes coming from very tight angles to give an unpredictable view.
______________________
Here is a confession of mine: I have been shadowing Bax, yes the only one and only Bax for years, thinking to myself “whenever he gets weary, I shall pick up from where he left”. I now realize I have underestimated his stamina.
I started regularly commenting social media in 2017 when I realized Bax will keep on going for a very long time to come, so I decided to jump in, to compliment him a bit. And I stayed on.
You are a different case on that score and I’d like to keep that to myself for now. Grin back, Gambiano.
Mwalimu,
With the keenest of interest do I read whatever you put together. Trust me, writing is about concept engineering and language command. You have both and I like the way you utilize them. I read what Gambians write and sometimes I see some comments extremely poor in language’s mechanical accuracy, taste, style, etc. I like your response about GMOs. It was very cogent. And I’m sure you have more…like you said earlier, “I can go on…”