Culled from the Independent
Independent View
As we celebrate…
Thirty seven years is no modest leap in time. Since that memorable day when
the Union Jack was lowered for our national colours, a lot of water has
passed under the bridge, borrowing an old overuse cliché. Apart from the
hysteria of expectation there was much hope and confidence in our ability as
a nation to forge ahead without being guided.
After so many years, The Gambia like a youth in her prime, is still glowing
with the hope of its people that the change from the first to the second
republic would usher in a fairytale development not necessarily seeing us
living in streets paved with gold but at least as happy, comfortable people
self-sufficient in food and other things regarded by others around the world
as necessary living exigencies. In as much as we celebrate thirty-seven
years of nationhood with all its expectations for the future, we cannot fail
to decipher how much we have erred along the way. It is true that Jawara has
to be remembered with some good… even invaluable contributions his long rule
had brought to our sorry lives. But it is also true that any problem of a
national scale compounded today, had its origin from his style of leadership
and administrative kleptomania.
With all respect to the man, the network of bad roads, shaky economy,
educational amateurishness, impartial justice, uproariously divisive
politics, a profound lack of needed awareness of the outside (thanks to the
dogged absence of a television) are some of the ugly hallmarks of his
government’s dominance over the political situation. Thus it is of credence
to assert that the compounded economic and social problems of The Gambia
today were almost the making of the past.
This is not however, a way to absolve the government of Yahya Jammeh, which
has also brought some chilling additions to the already embattled Gambian
scene. If Jawara had committed some costly mistakes, Jammeh has also
committed some quite disquieting mistakes too, which for the interest of
reconciliation, we should all forget as we try to turn a fresh leaf to give
reconciliation a chance. In fact neither Jawara nor Jammeh fostered the
ideal atmosphere for reconciliation to tick and thrive. Never before…never.
In spite of these depressing realities it is still justified to look at our
independence anniversary as one replete with glad tidings borne out of this
season of compromise. We are justified in feeling that The Gambia has come
of age and will demonstrate this with class and style.
No better way therefore for its current leadership to reflect this in words
but also more importantly in actions. No better way than to start with our
immediate neighbour Senegal whose president was here to join his own
compatriots living here to share our moment of joy and cautious optimism for
the future. This comes just days after Gambians share the joy of Senegal’s
success in the African Nations Cup. Suffice it to say that many Gambians had
openly wept for their defeat in the final. As we draw deep from the breath
of independence, Gambians would do well to realise that self-governance has
with it a heavy burden to persevere in times of visitation and prosper in
better times. Gambians as a resilient nation would not tire in finding that
crucial touch that turns everything into gold. How many times have we
realised that we dream but live and work to realise those it in due course.
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