I only add that Sir Dawda's neutral and more desirable posture cannot bring clansmen together. Clansmen who retreat into their ethnic bunkers for lack of vision for commoner relief. No matter how angelic a president is, when he/she leads a mass of illiterate savages feigning non-ethnic alignment instead of confronting the malignant contagion of such proclivities, ere the reach of fraudulent agency in fetid want overcomes Gabriel's sojourn. They cry; "rule of law", "democracy", "Human Rights" as they recoil further and further, into their self-interest caverns.

Haruna.

Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara:A Statesman for the Ages

By Mathew K. Jallow, Associate Editor

The term “Founding Father” conjures up mental images of the American Revolution, and applying it to Sir Dawda K. Jawara, has always felt like a stretch for me. Yet, the realism and enigma of Sir Dawda is articulated in the pioneering spirit with which he so ably led The Gambia into the mush-rooming age of political independence. President Jawara was molded by a cast that almost defied definition. As the embodiment of an amalgamation of three cultures wrapped into one person, Sir Dawda, out of social expediency, developed a redeeming neutral identify that combined the Fula and Wollof upbringing, which set him on the journey towards identity crisis; the refined sophistication of the Aku cultures into which he got married; and the omnipresent Mandinka heritage, which loomed large in his background. And, growing up in Bathurst, now Banjul, where his sense of tribal identity was diffused by homogenizing cultural forces more powerful than the confounding sense of tribe, Sir Dawda, by default, became victim of the environmental circumstances, which pervaded his early life. And in the end, with the pull of the different cultures, and draw of conflicting identities, Sir Dawda rose above the narrow limitations of tribe, into a neutral identity where he found safe haven from the demons of his inner conflicts. When he was called to respond to the tribal self-interests that consumed the antagonistic tribal forces in his government, he seemed to quietly retreat into the familiar neutral. Today, fifteen years after his fall, the story of Sir Dawda is still being written by the inadvertent paradoxes of history; as testament to the genius of his leadership style. The verdict of history will cast President Jawara in good light; notwithstanding the economic failures, which led to his political downfall.

 

                      Ex- President Jawara, Education Minister, M C Cham and Lady Njaimeh Jawara, 1977 Independence @ MacCarthy Square

Throughout his public life, Sir Dawda’s had remained rational to a fault, show-casing the well-balanced, if not non-intrusive qualities that often bordered on political detachment. Sir Dawda was never given to drama, and even when the resources of our country were plundered right before his eyes, he almost seemed unable to provoke accountability and discipline in response to the exigencies of the moment. One would think Sir Dawda was the victim of his popularity, or perhaps he never learnt to hold the feet of his subordinates to the fire; but whatever it was, in the end, his nonchalant approach to governance drew a lot of criticism even as our country was descending into the unfathomable depths of the tribal infighting, which seemed to color and obscure all the good that we took for granted. Yet, today, in retrospect, Gambians will choose to relive the worst of the Jawara era, than remain prisoner to the state of suspended animation which is challenging our consciences and degrading our humanity. By every measure, the past fifteen years have been a radical departure from the nostalgic and tempered period of the Jawara era; an era that gave rise to a new paradigm embodied in the irony of conflicting harmony. Jawara was certainly a man of vision both by nature and circumstance, yet he was a man lacking the strength and the force of will to rein in the run-away looting and plunder that still continues to cast the darkest shadow on his otherwise unblemished legacy. Sir Dawda is the picture of nobility and grace, a rare breed with an almost angelic serenity; a man fixated more on his unique qualities as a compassionate statesman than on a need to enrich himself with the wealth of our nation. In that regard alone, Sir Dawda is the definition and the embodiment of honor.

During his thirty-year long presidency, Sir Dawda did all he could to provide opportunity for Gambians, yet somehow, the cloud of moral and ethical degradation that hung over his successive governments, failed to alert his good judgment, for reason that still leaves Gambians scratching their heads with perplexity. As president, Sir Dawda Jawara was unlike most African leaders of his generation, who took advantage of their positions to enrich themselves. If there was one negative on which there is universal agreement about the era of Sir Dawda, it was that he overstayed as our president, even when the signs for his departure were written on the wall. But, since we cannot undo the past, we must at least find solace in the glory of the remarkable achievements of Sir Dawda’s long reign. Today, only a few other African countries have had the success of ingraining the values of democracy and the rule of law in their citizens as The Gambia under Sir Dawda. For ours was not the romantic notion of democracy; judging by the plethora of angry voices shouting freedom from behind the ominous dark shadows of the confining walls of our prisons, to the unforgiving distances separating Gambians from their beloved homeland. Gambians on all continents have formed a critical mass in opposing Jammeh’s murderous dictatorial regime, and this is possible only because Sir Dawda gave us a taste of what it was like to live as free men and women. Today, the narcissism of Yahya Jammeh stands in sharp contrast to the humility of Sir Dawda, whose majestic certitude is the product of knowledge and cultured disposition. True, Sir Dawda will admit to his failings, but he has given us a lot more, and to me he has fulfilled his contract with Gambian people. For if truth be told, there is no greater gift Sir Dawda could give us than the gift of liberty. And as age takes its toll, and Sir Dawda continues the dignified march towards the sunset, his legacy remains etched in our hearts, our souls and all across our land. We can be proud of Sir Dawda, a statesman for the ages, respected all around the world. And we wish him the best of luck with the book launch at the Kairaba hotel later today.