President Abraham Lincoln’s Father Was A Shoemaker.
Rohey Lowe no one can hurt you without your consent. It is not what happens to you that hurts them. It is your dignity that hurts them. “Ship don’t sink because of the water around them; ship sink because of the water that gets in them. Don’t let what’s happening around you get inside you and weigh you down.
We shine under the same sun, romance under the same moon and stars, laugh in the same air, toil on the same earth. When did we get separated that I cannot accord you the same dignity to not call you my brother or sister? A belly full of gluttony and mind full of arrogance ends up with shameful consequences. Why all the euphoria to scramble for recognition. What will happen to those who bled to cross the River Gambia?
When you begin to de-humanize others you seek to rationalize your negative actions against them. In the process, you lose our humanity. A martial artist cherishes life above all and will only respond with violence when given no other options in a situation.
It is said that the longest trip is from the heart to the head. That is because the heart feels, and the head try to rationalize what the heart knows to be true.” Never throw mud: You can miss the target, but your hands will remain dirty” says Dorothy Parker, but George Bernard Shaw refers to the same idea better.” Never wrestle with a pig, you get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it”
Fatoumatta: The Gambia being a nation with myriads of differences-religiously, culturally, linguistically and with each community and group historically different and distinct from the other, appreciating the differences will do Gambian democracy a great deal of good rather than wiping out the differences to create a homogenous society. The strength of the Gambia’s national integration process lies in its “Unity in diversity” not in “Unity in homogeneity”. And that constitutes as one of the foundation stone of democracy- equality of each with each and all with all.
Lying dormant during the anti-dictatorship struggle, caste system and tribalism raises its ugly head soon after dictatorship and is dictating the landscape of the Gambian polity ever since. Caste system is a traditional and hereditary ranking of society into various levels determined based on a person’s occupation and role in Africa society since immemorial.
Fatoumatta: Let us read the moral and lessons of America’s 16th President Abraham Lincoln. When he became the President of America in 1861, his father was a shoemaker. And, naturally, egoistic people were very much offended that a shoemaker’s son should become the president.
On the first day, as Abraham Lincoln entered to give his inaugural address, just in the middle, one man stood up. He was a very rich aristocrat. He said, “Mr. Lincoln, you should not forget that your father used to make shoes for my family.” And the whole Senate laughed; they thought that they had made a fool of Abraham Lincoln.But certain people are made of a totally different mettle. Lincoln looked at the man directly in the eye and said, “Sir, I know that my father used to make shoes for your family, and there will be many others here because he made shoes the way nobody else can. He was a creator. His shoes were not just shoes; he poured his whole soul into them. I want to ask you, have you any complaint? Because I know how to make shoes myself. If you have any complaint I can make you another pair of shoes. But as far as I know, nobody has ever complained about my father’s shoes. He was a genius; a great creator and I am proud of my father”.
The whole Senate was struck dumb. They could not understand what kind of man Abraham Lincoln was. He was proud because his father did his job so well, with so much enthusiasm, such a passion, and perfection.
It does not matter what you do. What matters is how you do it – of your own accord, with your own vision, with your own love. Then whatever you touch becomes gold. Rohey: No one can hurt you without your consent. It is not what happens to you that hurts you. It is our dignity that hurts them.
Lying dormant during the anti-dictatorship struggle, caste system and tribalism raises its ugly head soon after dictatorship and is dictating the landscape of the Gambian polity ever since. Caste system is a traditional and hereditary ranking of society into various levels determined based on a person’s occupation and role in Africa society since immemorial.
Casteism and tribalism, like fascism, can use pseudo-radical slogans to mobilize mass support; and of using democratic institutions to seize power (or fragments of it) and destroy democracy from a position of strength. There is complete absence of two things in Gambian society. One of these is equality, we have in the Gambia a society based on the principle of graded inequality which means elevation for some and degradation for others.
On the economic plane, we have a society in which there are some who have immense wealth as against many who live in abject poverty, we are going to enter a life of contradictions. How long shall we continue to live this life of contradictions? How long shall we continue to deny equality in our social and economic life? If we continue to deny it for long, we will do so only by putting our political democracy in peril.
We must remove this contradiction at the earliest possible moment else those who suffer from inequality will blow up the structure of democracy. And since independence, the entire realm of Gambian social and political demography is still battling to come out of these inner contradictions.
Fatoumatta: Partisan treatment of the dominant religious and cultural groups; denial of democratic rights, subversion of ethnic and minority identity, deprivation of economic justice to the underprivileged while granting economic incentives for the promotion of economic interests of upper caste-upper class, social and religious exclusion of the lower caste, regional economic disparity and underdevelopment on caste and communal lines should be stopped and handled with utmost democratic care.
My mother knows Malik Lowe. Malik Lowe was the BEST mayor of Banjul, he suffered greatly during Yahya Jammeh dictatorship. Internationally known and respected. He collided with the killer. His properties and hotel were stolen by Yahya and his thugs. He was a great son of Gambia and one very dynamic and hardworking businessman. If Rohey is anything like her father, take it from me. Banjul is in for a pleasant surprise. Time will tell. Malik Lowe your memory lives on in the hearts of those who are grateful students of history. Thank you Sir and RIP.
Rohey hold your head high, continue your positive campaign. You my sister is our next mayor. Your fathers legacy lives on.
God Bless The Gambia.
Dr Isatou Sarr,
I met, came across a lot of very dedicated “toegewijde vrouwen” in my life. Not speaking about women in Holland. I mean in my country. The likes of my teachers at the then Yundum College; Mrs Ramatoulie Sosseh, Mrs D’Almeida, Mrs Ndow…….
I grew up to see our hardworking provincial women in our Faros and Balingolu, those women who made families rise. I also learnt about the entrepreneurial skills of Musukebba Drammeh; those hardworking Banjul market women whose street side petty carteens (of Gherrty Saaf..) made good provisions for homes; and those INCORRUPTIBLE women who toiled on the sweat of their labour to bring our communities to conducive non-conflictive standards.
I have to commend my dearest wife who rose to the ranks of women, on arrival here in Holland, to read more, drive her own car to work, put the family together and set excellent standards for her family/community back home in the Gambia. I also saw my two lovely daughters growing up to earn their education and wearing that university regalia of excellence in receiving their degrees on graduation, work to model their lives their way. I have also learnt a lot from Dr Isatou Sarr that staunch Gambian medical laurette whose postings have made immense impacts on the course of discussions here.
And today there are hundreds of thousands of upcoming promising girls, ladies and women in all facets of our Gambian life and there is every hope that the patriachical look at the status of our women in society will soon FADE, DIE and DISAPPEAR forever.
But remember Isatou, in a bid to privatize the cleansing sector of Banjul by the Jawara administration in the early 70s, Rohey’s dad, the late Malick Lowe (propietor of Bato Kulanjang Stores, Independence Drive Serrkunda Car park) was allocated over D2,000,000. I was in Banjul then and perhaps you were there too. Were you? I was living at BlancStreet/Dobson Street. What was the fate of the city when the Project was removed from the Banjul City Council CORRUPT cleaners to the Malick Lowe private Enterprise? Do you know the outcome of that Jawara venture with Malick Lowe and Malick’s later relationship with Sir Dawda? I’m not testing your knowledge on that relationship, but would like you to find out. We’ll debate later.
There are times that we over-eulogize and that can cause some amount of mistrust in our utterances. I am 100% in favour of Rohey’s candidacy though I am APRC. Simply because I want to see a very high percentage of our women at very crucial decision making positions. I am indeed disappointed at the KMC candidacies which are 100% male. This is the Gambia, anyway.
Babu,
I don’t know Malik Lowe. A friend of mine, a woman who knows me from birth and one that I love and trust completely told me about Malick Lowe. That’s my mother. I believe Malik Lowe was a faithful son of Banjul and the best mayor in the ancient city’s history. Concerning his relationship with President Jawara, all I can tell you is that all you men are the same. Most are imperfect beings and will steal anything at the slightest opportunity, be it money, part of a woman’s anatomy or a glass of breast milk, makes no difference to you guys. The only issue is if and when you get caught. Generally men are crooks, all of you. Only a fool for a woman will think otherwise. If we use your metrics, you will all be in Mile 2. Let’s not get sanctimonious here. But let’s talk about Rohey, my point and support is. She does have a pedigree and we hope she will perform as expected if she is her father daughter. I believe she will.
I don’t know much about Rohey Lowe, but the jealousy unleashed against her by none other than her nervous rivals and yet she made is able to ignore them made me to believe she is the right candidate for the mayor of Banjul .
Dr Isatou Sarr,
When I behave as you do, I might be as petty or rather as irresponsible as you are in calling all men the same. Oh, am I right to call women the same? I think that statement is farfetched, irresponsible and wayward from a learned doctor.
I have taught my daughters to be HUMANISTIC rather than feminist. Feminism sidelines humanism, degenerates and isolates the other side of the Divine Creation. I think it’s wrong, it’s discriminatory, it inequalises.
Ask for your rights and privileges, there is absolutely nothing wrong about that. That’s your Divine right! But not at the detriment of the other side. NOT all men are the same, Isatou. The complex anatomy of men which you are so much accustomed to seeing, teaches the difference between Allah’s Creation. What about our behavioural modes? It’s an absurd assertion that all men are the same. And Not all women are the same, that’s equally absurd. We are created to coexist, cohabit, share, spare and give. These are irrefutable. That’s why I have my dear one by my side, my daughters, my dear mum, sisters, aunties, grannies……
That’s why Isatou has her better half alongside, daddy, Bros, uncles…….
Behaviours can be transferable or intransferable. I believe Rohey is Rohey, herself, and perhaps not a chip of the old block. Let’s drop the Malick Lowe issue because I lived the life of that man. But dead men don’t bite. So why talk so much about him from his tomb? Let’s all wish Rohey the best and expect her to live up to the expectations of all Banjulians and Gambians when she’s there.
Common Babu. That descriptive was HYPERBOLE!
Thumps up Babu. Stay on this path. You will be a great resource here and be admired by many.
I will play fair arbiter here in The hope that Dr Isatou Sarr will sustain this conversation to a plausible closure.
The statement about “all men” is disconcerting at best. Especially when it comes from a scholar.
Now here’s the fine side of Babu that I always knew was there. What I’d like to see more of going forward. Not that you owe me that Babu.
By the way Dr Sarr, in the natural setting, males and females are always attracted to each other.
Self discovery is enabled in the process.
However, when the relationship is perceived as hierarchical, conflicts tend to set in. Particularly where lifetime pursuits lead us mere mortals to take positions in the name of feminism and macho.
No matter how terse the discussion, Dr Sarr, we always find reasons to drift towards each other. That’s just human.
I imagine Dr Sarr that you’re well read and the expectation is that you could tone that shade of rhetoric down. And on a side note, I’d hate to be one of those men that you have for breakfast everyday. Smile!
Andrew my menu is reserved for imbeciles. As I indicated to Babu it is hyperbole. But you are correct. The unintended consequence is the home return of my brother Babu Soli. I like this Babu.
Hail there, we all; our Dr sister’s (hyperbole) is an “educative tease” she & all women are entitled to exercise professionally if they chose to; it’s meant in humor (always) towards the opposite gender; hence Bajaw, for example, can (humorously) refer to his wife as his mattress in a speech with no offence meant/intended for the (my) lady…
I too hereby express my support to our dear sister Lady Lowe in the endeavour; our community needs to raise the critical representation of women required in the decision making & other critical influential positions & representations/processes; there’s no other place better, to set the spirit other than the Old city Banjul; hopefully in envisage more women will throw the head-ties in the political ring for more positions in future gradually…
The debate above on here is indicative of the very same old (“one)Gambia”; I’m hopeful for the future…
God bless Gambia….
The tall and lanky mistress of the previous owner of sunbeach hotel is now claiming to be the right candidate for Banjul mayoress. How disgusting? A prostitute banker with tainted history of a promiscuous lifestyle is throwing stones at Rohey Lowe. Banjul deserved an upright mayor.
I thought Sunbeach is owned Westwood Holding, whose primary business is logging. The company is based in Romania but registered in Antwerp. The rumored owners are Nicolas, Samba and Jammeh. Whose mistress is this politician running against Rohey. Just curious.
Now Babu, you can see that we are human too. Folks are getting to see and like the family loving side of Babu. This is not flattery Babu.
Come on now. Meet us part of the way so we may strike middle ground. The Gambia needs you to be part of the conversation as I honestly believe that you’ve got a lot more to offer. ALSJEBLIEFT MENEER (Nederlands)!
You don’t have to wack Yaya Jammeh on the head if he ever does show up. Just hold the perimeter, look the other way and myself, Bax, Dr Sarr and Bajaw will do the honors! Smile.
On a more sober note, I do believe that what Banjul needs for a Mayor is a seasoned person that brings firmness, honesty, the proper perspective, charisma, a sound knowledge of how the world revolves and above all, a well grounded person.
Mayor, Laye Bah and Laye Saine (APRC) offer ample evidence that you cannot just dust someone off of the streets of Banjul and bring him/her to sit on the Mayor’s chair at the BCC or the legislature. The BCC, KMC and the BAC together with all other local councils need folks in leadership that will be bold enough to fight for the devolution of authority to the local councils and further take charge of initiating bold changes on the budget management and development front. Do something that we can see and appreciate aside from building market stalls!
In the absence of bold, go-getting and sober leadership, we will continue to see the plunderers at work surrounding themselves with thieves that continue to enable the building of market stalls and sham revenue collection mechanisms for the benefit of the local government hierarchy. And I must add, all the way up to the Minister. EHNEN FOFF KO GORTO (Peuhl).
Could the desire for such a scheme be the reason that the Minister for Local Government is endorsing the candidature of of a truck driver (apologies to drivers) for the BAC Chairperson position? The least that can be expected of a mayoral candidate is the capacity to read and understand documents and budget proposals together with the span of attention to digest and remember important details. Surrounding themselves with “technocrats” isn’t good enough because they’ll quickly be found to be asleep at the wheel. Koucha, the savvy comedian has hinted at this and we’ve lived to see some of that.
A college degree(s) alone isn’t good enough either. Samba Faal, the US college graduate was there at the BCC together with his boys and look at what Banjul had gotten from him. One Dr. Jassey was once the Chairperson of the BAC but couldn’t do any better than a TANTANG MBIRO/BORREH KATT from Kombo Darsilami. The KMC is another kettle of fish with the Kolley clown that is reported to have once been a masquerade dancer/tourist attraction at our local hotels!
This whole mayoral tenure is driven by personality cults that started way back when the Babung Fattys, the Omar Khans and a host of other half baked folks started the business of a sponge of a Local Government Inspectorate for personal gain. A big gun from the Inspectorate going out on “Trekk” is followed by a pickup truck that comes back to Banjul laden with fattened rams, goats and sacks of grain. The official/big gun, upon his return from the regions, goes whistling his way to the bank with wads of local government revenue in the pocket and proclaiming Jawara Jamana Diyaa Ta. All courtesy of the Chief Executives of Local Councils. It’s called the personality cult for self preservation that is aided and abetted by CORRUPTION at all levels where everyone else is in bed with the other guy!
We used to think that womenfolk wouldn’t bring us so much heartache and embarrassment in positions of this nature but, hey, they are all in cahoots with the menfolk! They all want to have a car, four cellphones, wives, “husbands”, a big house as part of a get-rick-quick scheme. So the least we can ask of the candidates is to uphold the proper moral values that modern society calls for today. We no longer live in feudal society!
Yes, Babu. I will not go to bat for anyone but my dear Gambia and I have every reason to sound upset!
All isn’t seemingly lost Andrew; as may have seem the case; the current observer status exertions as in these & such other debates currently in media, at home & abroad, & progressively along with time, to improve upon to better the Gambia, will help shape up for the eventual root out of the “square pegs in round holes” as used to obtain; rigorous assessments & monitoring, with alongside whistle-blower sharing of informations for any corruptible misdemeanor of the officials, for transparent accountability & probity purposes, for societal progression….
Yes, the revenue generation in the regions needs reflectivity on the ground; for the community not for individuals….
Far from it Bajaw. If only Gambians can bring their good hearts and minds to the game, the goal is reachable. I am an optimist.
Only problem is that when the Kotokelu, Mbaaring Mosolu, Mbaringolu and Mbaring Baalu took over from the colonial powers, most of them didn’t come to work but to live like the white man that was being paid handsomely by the colonial government.
Think of what we would have gotten if Saikou Sabally was President after Sir Dawda?
These folks took over mostly for the purpose of living like the Toubab and enriching themselves at the expense of the poor, rural Gambian people. The same mindset still pervades Gambian society today. That’s the cancer to be fought at all cost.
Yes, that’s true Andrew; such mindsets needs changing; that’s why I have faith in current breed of resilient Gambians for the better; with determination that edge will be turned around; hopefully sooner than envisaged…
God bless Gambia…
……the current breed of “resilient Gambians”? Who are these mysterious segment of our society? The present government? The political elite? The movers and shakers of our economy? I might be blind but I neither see no feel the presence of these invincible resilient Gambians as you mentioned. Perhaps you could do me a favor and give me examples.
Bajaw, I think you will benefit a lot if you will go back to Andrew‘s longer comment and reread it inter-textually. Meaning, in conjunction with our colonial history and how our elites morphed to become direct representatives of the scavenging imperialist. Or even worse than those humanoids.
Let me just add onto what Andrew has clearly stated. The desire to reach higher offices in The Gambia and by extension many African countries, is a directly result of wanting to quickly enriching oneself in the Jawara , Jammeh and Barrow regimes. It has never gotten better any time in our governance history. And we continue to play the best game we play collectively: SILENCE.
Yours in the service of The Gambia and Africa, I remain.
Lamin, I’m a living witness, myself & been alive all along, to all the impediment predicaments you highlight including Andrew’s; the current breed of resilient Gambians are the genuine dedicated including our very own selves on here; in endeavours to selfless communal building for a better societal progression in general, without in anticipation for direct personal rewards & gains….
After the old PPP guards squander & the subsequent nose-dive for far worse, when it became clearer than noon day in the Gambia that the Evil kanilai Murderdom was to consume the Gambia in totality into inferno, these invisible invincible resilient breed assumed the responsibility collectively & closed ranks to reclaim the motherland with the support of the regional & international community; history & the records of the outcome today are the evidence that with determination, there’s nothing impossible….
The current government, undoubtedly have some of them with the parasitic mindsets with corruptible intents & manoeuvres but our observer, monitoring & whistle-blower statuses in counters are taking shape & grips firmer gradually with time; which is here to stay & getting stricter into posterity…
In time to come, I believe, most clowns currently on show on the political stage, some of whom knows nothing about manage a business without the qualifications more so a political office or country won’t be able to distract & detract & slow down the progress of the innocent community no more…
I can enumerate & cite more evidential facts, signs & symptoms endlessly out here & naked to the eyes in observations already; & the gear & tempo can just continue steadily in momentum…
In short; remember Lamin; with self tasking & challenging with sustained determination, there’s nothing impossible but better days envisaged ahead…
God bless Gambia…
Bajaw, I believe that your faith in “the current breed of resilient Gambians” is misplaced. Until we get to know The Gambia and Gambians well enough, we can’t count on those that claimed “to have been in the trenches fighting for liberation” for leadership. What trenches? Yes, Solo Sandeng is indeed a matyr and must be honored for that. However, most of the folks were in it for what would come after arrival in true testament to what prevails in The Gambia today with a coalition government, that is anything but, being in charge for this long without pointing to a clear path to progress. The reason shady Mama Kandeh finds a niche for himself with the Gambian electorate. His numbers do point to the need for alternate avenues and independent thought.
In my view, the current breed of resilient Gambians are those that went to the polls to cast their votes in the crystal clear conviction that it was time for not only showing Yaya Jammeh the exit but also to demand meaningful change to the untenable situation in The Gambia from 1965. Credit goes overwhelmingly to the Gambian voter that his/her vote for change but not for party affiliation!
I would counter with saying that there’s the emergence of a Stronger Breed of Gambians that are willing and able to fight for MEANINGFUL change and NOT just a sense of belonging on account of misplaced affiliations. So Adama Barrow must listen here!
Party politics as we know it in The Gambia has been sour, self serving, rigged with distasteful slogans and obnoxious propaganda. A scenario that must, of necessity, be replaced with a coalition of sound minds and visionaries, strong messages and strong leadership across the language divide, that will commit to not only listen to each other but also WORK TOGETHER to bring about the desired change in all of Gambia as it’s been clear that development effort thus far overwhelmingly targets the urban areas. The question is whether visionaries and strong leaders can come together to craft a way forward.
This coalition government is quickly becoming a rag tag retinue of leeches and rusty minds looking to suck the juice out of The Gambia once again with each of them pulling in different directions for their own gain. Makes one wonder who exactly is in charge here. I feel for Demba Ali Jawo that’s starting to look and sound like a Sara Hackabee-Sanders going to bat for a lying hound. This phenomenon is palpable on the ground in a Gambia where almost everyone believes in FREE Money, largess, cronyism, affiliations and returning favors in bad taste as opposed to good turns for achievement!
And yes, Bajaw, hope is of necessity a good thing in any dispensation. However, there has to be good reason(s) for HOPE! I am at a loss for signals there Lamin.
Andrew, my view & notion of the resilient breed isn’t specific for a particular sets & groups but includes all the genuine efforts collectively together including the decent peasantry voters who are in the very relevant thick & crush of it all & yes, evidently shown the relevance when needed most & here to stay…..
The current slow pace of the coalition government is among others, due to so many individualistic groups coerced into a temporary “arranged marriage” politically out of choice on their own individualised agenda for political domineering over one another; most of ministerial & other appointments are mainly political rather than meritorious qualifications & know how, etc etc…..
With more improved political maturity of the greater chunk of the population with time gradually, things will improve positively for better; there’re more younger & educated elites growing ambitious political aspirations, who will catalyse & facilitate the turn around that needed edge for the better….
I believe the point of departure is set & already in gears; it’s just some steady hands on deck to stir the ship in motion for the ‘slow but sure’ journey into the future for better together…..
God bless Gambia….
Rectification please – the thick & crust – not crush…
Thank you