In The Gambia today, we find ourselves in a disturbing contradiction. Government institutions across the country operate in dilapidated buildings, many unfit for human habitation.
Civil servants work in environments that cripple efficiency, while citizens are forced to engage with systems that barely function. Yet, the ruling party proudly boasts of constructing state-of-the-art political structures in every region not to improve governance or service delivery but to consolidate its own power.
This troubling misplacement of priorities was once again exposed in the wake of the alleged killing of young Omar Badjie of Mandinaring and the subsequent vandalization of the local police station. What kind of government do we have if our people are not safe in their own communities, and if institutions that should stand as pillars of justice are instead symbols of neglect and mistrust?
The death of a young Gambian under such circumstances is not just a family’s tragedy; it is a national failure. It reveals the fragility of our justice system, the absence of accountability, and the widening gap between a government that invests in its own image while neglecting the real needs of its people.
May the soul of Omar Badjie be granted Janatul Firdausi, and may his grieving family find the strength to endure this painful loss. But condolences alone are not enough. The perpetrators must be brought to justice, and our leaders must be reminded that true nation-building is not about political monuments but about protecting lives, upholding justice, and restoring dignity to our institutions.
