One Word for OJ and Darboe

From Sarjo Bayang

Current exchange of heated words between key political personalities Omar Jallow (OJ) of People’s Progressive Party PPP and Ousainou Darboe of United Democratic Party UDP falls on the wrong ground at very wrong time.

These two are highly respectable and big hope of many Gambians even outside of their political engagements. They have both proven track record of what it takes to stand for a nation in need.

In all the 20 years gross misrule by worst dictator beyond imagination, one thing has gone seriously wrong with Gambian politics. That is the life blood of Gambian politics so badly contaminated. Without correcting such a situation all competing parties will continue to waste  much valuable time.

From Day 1, the junta leader by design or by default emerged with an instrumental move that continues working till today. Biggest weapon of the military junta in Gambian politics since 22 July 1994 is not guns. There is one deadly weapon that skipped the eyes of Gambians and still causing massive destruction.

That deadly weapon is TIME buying or shall we call it stealing time. At the time of July  1994 coup, junta leader and those backing him clearly recognised that most popular and very active players in the political arena already began their aging process. For the junta to make promises spanning to 20 years (so called Vision 2020) was a calculated scheme of deception with sole purpose of stealing time away from the nation’s very best political muscles.

The idea being to keep Gambians hoping for dreams that will never come to be on this planet. In the process, all those seen to be posing critical challenge to survival of military dictatorship were clearly identified to have them ripped off vital time and political energy. Now 20 years, the plot to run down Gambia’s political resources stands the most visible reality.

In broad daylight the military dictatorship began by open statements like “We don’t want old man, we want young president.” As if that was not clear message, everything was done to steal time off all potential threats to the dictatorship by various schemes.

When the junta made such absurd remarks, the age that our very capable good politicians were is nearly the age current military dictator is. Like the fight against corruption, now talking about old pa in Gambian politics is double barrel gunshot.

Of course Gambian youths born five years before July 1994 and by that same year have all rights to demand they don’t want old pa military dictator but young man democratic civilian president.

Fact of matters at hand remains that the junta plotted a time trap to catch plenty of people. That could only be possible by creating an unsuitable and dangerous political environment chewing up vital time and very useful political energies consumed in the process.

What both O J and Ousainou Darboe need doing urgently is to lend their good hands in rectifying the damaged political environment without which nobody else stand to win elections. After rectifying the political errors that proved so fatal, the environment then permits much healthy exchange between genuine contenders. For now, the environment remains dangerous and unsuitable. An exchange of bad opinion between two good people is most unhelpful. The word to take home is RECTIFICATION of current political errors. That has been the electric time trap many politicians continue falling into.

Both Ousainou Darboe and Omar Jallow OJ are good reserves of political resourceful value that Gambia will continue tapping on. Kindest regards.

Ends