Andy has made very good points. However, my concern is that we have seen some greedy people in diaspora who are actively making name for themselves since the victory. We have seen people coming from woodwork making frequent calls to radio stations and writing so-called expert ideas on what the coalition ought to do. Many of these people were hiding before and never wanted to be associated with the people fighting for change. Today, many of these people are writing countless articles on the media as well as contribute on Facebook just to get recognized. Well, the good news is that we know all those who are genuinely interested in change and who have contributed to this fight – privately or publicly. Nepotism will not be allowed in our country. This is a warning to all those cowards who have sprung up to make name for themselves. If you want to get position, go and have education or engage in something productive to make a living. I read all the online newspapers but I am amazed to see how hypocritical our people have become. Even if you have Phd but you refused to engage in the fight against dictatorship because of your selfish interest, you must not be allowed to have any political or Leadership position in this new government. In fact , many of our so-called intellectuals are dishonest citizens who careless about the constitution and welfare of the citizenry. Their attitude has been proven right in this fight. All the people who have lost their livelihood and lives were indigenous people with less education. This victory belongs to them. It is not about the so-called intellectuals who have paper qualifications but lack moral values and conscience to make a difference in the lives of ordinary citizens. Intellectualism is all about having a moral conscience to make positive differences in the lives of the people. This is why in advanced countries, intellectuals have become inventors and innovators of ideas which are geared towards economic and political advancement of the country. In our case, whether those intellectuals are professors at reputable universities, intellectuals with financial expertise at world bank or best Medical Doctors in the most advanced countries, they are only needed if they truly care about their fellow citizens during the difficult period of 22 years of military dictatorship. We do not need intellectuals prostitutes whose main objective is for personal enrichment and self gratification at the expense of our indigenous people. I believe that those elderly women, men and young people who sacrificed to salvage our country care more about our people far more than the so-called intellectuals who brag about memorizing western books yet they lack moral values or conscience. These ordinary people who have deep sense of wisdom and moral values worth a million times than the inteklectual prostitutes.
Max
Ends
Max you are absolutely right.Those so called intellectuals in diaspora who were distancing themselves from the people in the struggle and now coming out with their titles and names clearly written at the end of their articles are very selfish and heartless,they don’t have any feelings for our people.The only difference between these so called intellectuals and the wicked and selfish dictator yahya Jammeh is the presidency.
Well Mr saidykhan,people are trying to add more voice to victory for the betterment of the country,for your info we are all Gambians,so don’t dislodge us or discredit our efforts.Well if you can do it all by yourself well and good go forward with it much love.
Daffeh.
Hey guys, the dust is not yet settle to talk about positions and who should eventually benefit or not. This is the kind of attitude that brought us to the current political problem. The Gambia belongs to all Gambians, whether you are an indigenous, farmer, intellectual or a diaspora. Any Gambian willing to work hard should be able to have the position they qualified for, but corruption cannot be tolerated
Max…
I don’t want to start a fresh round of “fist fights” with you, but this is very disappointing from you. I am absolutely and utterly shocked that you would even contemplate excluding people and denying them their rights because they were not activists.
Activism against Yaya Jammeh, as much as it should be lauded, was a matter of personal choice, but the right to employment is a non-negotiable and constitutionally guaranteed RIGHT to every Gambian citizen and qualified residents.
Moreover, the new Gambia should be an all inclusive one, granting opportunities to the best brains and skills to reverse the effects of more than two decades of APRC misrule on our economy and society.
Let the best people fill the available positions and lead us to our desired destination. Let’s create ONE Gambia that has no place for discrimination, marginalisation and victimisation.
Bax, I am totally against discrimination or marginalization. I have stated that we don’t want intellectual prostitutes in the third republic. Anyone who want leadership or political positions in the country must be someone with impeccable character and integrity , such individuals must care about indigenous peoples and any resident in our country. I recognize and respect the constitutional rights of any citizen to hold positions of responsibility but such people must be accountable and care about the people. During the course of 22 years of military dictatorship we have seen intellectual prostitutes aiding and abetting the evil dictator. That must not happen this time around when the new government is installed. We have now seen so called intellectuals displaying their credentials for Gambian people to recognize them . When they are needed most , majority disappeared in thin air . Current victory is for the ordinary citizens who has no formal high qualifications in western education but they are men and women of impeccable characters who dearly love our country and her people. Most intellectuals were sitting in their offices enjoying their fat salaries while the common man was fighting in the street or gone to jail . I know many intellectuals with PhDs who refused to participate in this fight . Personally I want to take my next fight to intellectuals prostitutes who are always ready to corrupt our government and take advantage of common man on the street with no position in the leadership. We welcome intellectuals with integrity and love for the people and country . After all intellectualism is about bringing brilliant ideas to move the country forward .
I agree @Alhagie, more voice needs to be added to victory for the betterment of the country. Who has the mandate in the first place to say; this and that will not be allowed here… Hope we’ll be taking off with the right democratic attitude in this new dawn, meant to restore democracy and the rule of law in the Gambia. Time to rant and time to listen. The constitution should be the guide to very decision making and not by crude public opinion. Even if people were reserved and distanced from the Gambia’s political resolve of its 22years status quo, they have a right to their voice be heard and apply or aspire for any public office, if they have the QUALIFICATIONS and the SELF-INTEGRITY. With the self-integrity such people will see themselves as givers to the country and not takers. For those who fought the fight on the ground and those they lost their lives and of their loved ones, its is from the same stock of constitutional values that these victims should be honored and their orphans and kins be comforted. Nonetheless, the competent and appropriate entities I guess, have the know-how and the suitable language to frame such issues constitutionally.
I think the article by Dr. Karamo NM Sonko. -[King of Bechuanaland:Jammeh’s VOLTE-FACE in the Gambia] needs a careful and thorough follow up for the benefit of profound reasoning with respect to handling of the country’s affairs in post-dictatorship. I would like to say thanks to him for the interesting part and one two of the stories that indeed makes an article.
The name of the village Sintet, rings with the name of some of the brightest young men I know contemporarily. I learned it is a small township where Fulas, Mandinkas and Jolas have always lived in peace, love and harmony. The township I learned is home to some of the country’s first mission school educated people, among them had been politicians. The people of this multi-ethnic settlement were made targets of the regimes terror, killing and dehumanising schemes, this time by witch-hunt, people selected at random and by force, forced to drink dangerously intoxicating herbal mixes capable of provoking heart failures and depressing mental conditions in the victms.
Max, there are many reasons why they were silent and coming out now (hence their intellectual hypocrisy). Before, they did not want to go through the experiences of staying away from home but instead wanted to enjoy going back to the Gambia anyhow and whenever they like. So as a result they never wanted to join those doing whatever they could in any way or form to fight the barbaric regime. So do not be surprised as such as what they are doing now by going to the social media and writing all sorts of letters are typical demonstrations of their cunning behaviours.
This is one of the reasons when I heard that they are asking for people to send in their CVs for a CV bank to be created I became worried. What we need is not a secretive recruitment system. The Gambia needs open and fair recruitment systems that will ensure the best candidates being selected. Otherwise what they are going to do is use the CV bank as justifications for their unfair and nepotistic behaviours by appointing people into positions who would in fact not have been selected had they gone through a fair, open and competitive process.
We have seen people falsifying their CVs and claiming to be holders of degrees which are simply bogus or were bought/obtained from unaccredited colleges and universities mainly from the US like the Atlantic International University. Not long ago people were complaining about Njogou Bah’s PhD. If positions are advertised openly whoever is interested in it will apply and whoever is selected people will know whether they have the requirements or not. That in itself serves as a form of a monitoring and control mechanism.
In the Gambia I have seen people being employed into new projects where those vacancies have never been advertised. What they do is once a new project have been obtained the people concerned will contact their own people whom they know they can rely on in siphoning the resources of the project to submit their CVs. Such people make it a point of duty not to work for central government or in any permanent positions but rather to be moving from one project to another. Thousands of projects came to the Gambia but after their closures when you go back to check what they have done/accomplished, you will find no trace of their activities. Yet still the tax payers will have to pay for them.
I know of one UNDP Deputy Country Representative (whom I will not name), who was expelled from the country because he insisted on project reports before releasing funds. The coalition government must look for this guy and people like him if they want value for money and meaningful developments for projects funded by or through the UNDP for example.
I must say that there have been exceptions; like the Mathews, Baldehs, Saines, Jallows, Mintehs, Bayangs, and the like…….. They did everything they could and have never been moved or jumped ships. They have been consistent throughout.
Morro
Laymen without a CV, in the dispora or Gambia, have no chance of having their account in such an itellectual bank but hope their autonomous projects bred by their layman-determinations can be intellectually and constitutionally enabled to grow, with the help of academically qualified public personel with self-integrity, especially when we are of the opinion that, home made goods at a popular demand at home, portrays a hopeful economic posture of a country. The CVs of mds and hds…………of someone who pursued education by standard cultures cannot in anyway be missed by Gambians like @Morro.
We are not all dreaming to work in the public offices as opinion here is not at all a proof of academic qualification nor self-integrity of every participant on the online medias but have equal rights their voice be heard and equal rights to autonomy with regards to their resourcefulness to the country. Its cool to be in the Gambia, owning a chalet and a swimming pool. This is cool! You just need to acquire it the right way.