Hopes and collective aspirations of the 2016 aftermath election was nothing but a fragile dream. To contextualize the political paradigm and its underlining ramifications, insofar, the political reality check triggers an alarming question as to what path we ought to choose right now as a country to build institutional tailwinds that hinges toward better Gambia. Conversely, the socioeconomic benchmark of future promise is far from realism. Integral to this dynamic, the December 2021 election will be one of our greatest test to usher a more hopeful future for socioeconomic advancement.
In hindsight, the operational mechanism of the Barrow administration lacks strategical roadmap and visionary blueprint in revitalizing country’s economy coupled with massive unemployment. In meet the people tour, the president underscored creating infrastructure such as road projects, electricity expansion as a measure of development. While this might be quintessential to development, and I get that, but more important aspect would be creating economic mobility for growth in areas such as youth unemployment, reinforcement of capability, entrepreneurial opportunity–just to bring in few examples.
Where slow growth of the economic and social livelihoods in large part underpins the downward spiral, notwithstanding, what thus far was evident of the recently concluded 2021 budget estimate was quiet puzzling. More practical reason is that of the budget of the president’s office which is projected to be 600 above million Dalasis far outweigh of what is the most critical sector of the country’s economy–the agriculture. To set an illustrative example of the country’s intermistic on-going; instead of providing services to citizens–government thus far provide them money (clientism) to win their vote of confidence, a strategy which all too often become a tactic of political opportunity.
Otherwise stated, one can ascertain much of the president’s showcasing is an attempt to self-aggradizment style. Why we mustn’t forget how we got hear as a nation, equally important, the time is now to seek for exit strategy in what would be the most but critical election for generations to come
The analysis in this piece is strictly of the author.
Ebrima SB. Baldeh
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