Where two or three distinguished scholars are gathered, you will most likely hear them talk about ‘trajectory’ – a path, a pattern; a progression. Yahya’s walking from known to the unknown comes to mind?
Clearly, The Gambia is charting an unknown political trajectory. What, with bungled democracy, lethargic government, bonfires, corruption, impunity and lack of legalism?
There is no trajectory or tragedy so pathetic as that of leaders who fail to consensus and opt for the precipitate.
A word from Mehmet Murat Idan? ‘No matter which path you are on, always do this: Question your path! If you are on the wrong path, change it, no matter on which mile of the road; change it’! What? Your trajector!
Mr Jallow, with all due respect you have not written anything that makes sense to me. Perhaps if you get off your keyboard for a bit and engage various Government officials and follow National Assemble proceedings and see Ministers being quizzed on the development plans at their Ministries you will know the political trajectory of the Gambia. Where is the corruption and impunity and how is the Government lethargic?? please enlighten me Mr Jallow. Do you seriously say there is lack of legalism (excessive adherence to the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law)?? Gambia’s democracy is only 11 months old, so how you could describe it as a “Bungled Democracy” is beyond me and in fact an insult to Gambians. No democracy is perfect, even the oldest democracies are evolving, your host country being one. If democracy is truly one person one vote then the USA could be labeled as a “Bungle Democracy” because despite 2.8 million more people (the entire population of the Gambia) voting for Hillary Clinton than Trump, she still loses. The political trajectory of the Gambia is our collective responsibility, not only of those in political positions. We should sometimes guide and nudged the Government in the right direction instead of being perpetual critics, if we want to leave a better Gambia to future generations.
‘We should sometimes guide and nudged the Government in the right direction…’ True, very true, very, very true indeed. However, when a government refuses to be ‘guided’ and ‘nudged’ and resorts to deploying armed security personnel in the streets whenever the people wants to express their views, albeit peacefully, it becomes worst than a ‘bungled democracy’.
When I left home on Sunday morning, October 5, 2017 on my way to Brikama, what i saw at Churchills Town reminded me of the scenes on December 10, 2016. The truth is, if we continue on the same trajectory, by December 10, 2039 we will be in a worst political situation than we were in December 10, 206
What did you see, Gambian?Share your experience with us. Be our eyes please, as your first hand testimony is a lot more valuable than reported news.
Thank you.
correction…’…in a worst political situation than we were in December 10, 2016′.
Gambian, please tell us when the Government deployed armed security to prevent people from expressing themselves??? And do you mean to say November 5th? because October 5th was a Thursday.
Right Buba. He needs to get off of that keyboard! Particularly when there’s no meat to put on the bone.
I have always offered that folks that aspire to be a profuse bloggers, commentators or dissenters for for the sake of dissenting may be a struggle to stay relevant in society or stay long enough in the limelight in the hope that theirs become a case of “Jii Bii Laa Ning Waamo Benta”.
Doesn’t always work that way in real life as when it’s all said and done, nothing comes free in this world!
Andrew you always put a smile on my face with your beautiful quotes of local Gambian proverbs. There are lots of things that Gambians should be talking about. The revelations in the ongoing commission being one. It seems that Gambians are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.
They are hypocrites you will never hear them talking about the current ongoing affairs like Janneh Commission and the likes, but chose to criticize what ever the government is doing.
There are two types of people: those that have something to say, and those that will always have to say something. Most of these commentators gracing the online media seem to belong to the latter group of rabble rousers. I tried to wrap my head around this article and just don’t get the parody. As a HKSG of government one would imagine democracy is an evolutionary process. There’s no one trajectory or boiler plate all countries have to abide by to consolidate their democracy. Mistakes will certainly be part of the process and from those mistakes sustainable measures are adopted to further strengthen a democracy. Even the American liberal model is an experiment and undoubtedly flawed in a number of areas let alone a nascent democracy like ours. Cut the leadership a slack for crying out loud.
OK Sheriff Kora, keep going!
My gut tells me that you have a lot more savvy in the bag to share with your fellow Gambians.
I believe that it is important to gently nudge folks of your caliber into contributing to the educational and awareness element of the New Gambia’s aspirations.
And Buba, there’s a Jaranka saying that, “Ning Tucho Yeh E Dii, Jaato Senneh”.
That’s part of the reason we are all in this. So we can’t leave the tasks to Adama Barrow alone.
Smile a little more Buba as I keep collecting and sharing the Mang Saa Lingolu and Leybb A Tu in both Wollof and Manding. Kind of what’s called “Pass Partout” in SeneGambia! Let’s aspire to live up to the task!
OK Buba, on a lighter note, I’d like for you to decipher a Wollof adage that comes to mind whenever I follow the testimonies of the scoundrels that are called in to testify at the Janneh Commission.
It goes, “Naan Chi Ndaal Beh Nopi, Jalalbeku Di Ko Hass”.
Did I throw a curve ball at you?
Andrew, thats a real curve ball but i will give it a shot. Those it simply meant, hypocrite, or ungrateful. Am trying to decipher it in the context of what is appearing in the commissions. Because most of these people have been enjoying with Jammeh but now they are trying to distance themselves from him. Thanks for making me laugh. This adages are making me more nostalgic for the Gambia our Homeland.
It is all so reminiscent of the Jammeh enablers who urged him to stand for President and then could see him do no wrong. Alagi is right to question the state of democracy and to hold Government to account with explanations of what its policies are and to give a time frame for implementation. To put all on the calendar of sometime in the future appears to be a cop out and the main form of complaint online.If you tell the President he is godlike, and then he acts like a god…then you shouldn’t be surprised. Presidents and Prime Ministers are first and foremost public officers paid very well to do your bidding.
Mike, no one is questioning Alagi’s right to speech or expressing his mind. The issue being argued here is being responsible and realistic in holding the government accountable for its actions and inactions. Presuming it’s the same Michael Scales who was once a Jammeh buddy then turned activist, I’ll implore you to refer to the history of Western Democracy and the U.K. In particular where you are from. You democracy experiment has taken centuries to evolve and it’s still in perfect, however with all its imperfections no one shouts at the BBC or on top of the London Bridge to warn that Westminster’s about to burn down or British democracy as a whole is doomed, except with the exception of a few hairbrained hooligans lurking out there. What The Gambia needs at this point of our democracy experiment is not incessant bashing or throwing up of hands in the air as if all is lost. Let’s all our government responsible, but let’s also offer tangible and sensible alternatives where they err. That’s the basis of my argument in a nutshell. Mr. Jallow has done a fine job in his other pieces, but I found this one a bit misleading.