Opinion: 24 September | Omar Bah
Loving The Gambia is similar to loving an infidel whom you would give your heart to only to have them smother it. Being a Gambian who loves the Gambia is being mired in disappointments. Acclimating oneself to heartwrenching daily news can never be mastered. The birth of "The New Gambia," reaffirm, and further highlighted these disappointments. That is why the "New Gambia" brought us nothing but heartache. Except the obvious!
In 2016, when the Gambia "DECIDED" a plethora of hope swept the country, and Barrow spiked those hopes with fantabulous promises which all officially became egregious untruths yesterday. Adama Barrow has lied to Gambians about everything. The NDP has become a spectacular failure, the Janneh commission fell in the same boat. I cannot but hope that the TRRC's work and recommendations become available when the next government is at the State House otherwise the same fate as the Janneh commission would become of it.
On the reason why I have to stay the night up, my chest filled with anger and my heart crushed, to punch in this few lines is the DRAFT CONSTITUTION. I have my fills with letdowns from the Gambia, but this one is a slap that I saw coming yet it knocked me down so hard. Listening to some deliberations of the NAMS, downed in me that some brown envelop seeking maniacs would end up saying "NO". Many protest that the D166 million that came into the draft constitution should better have been appropriated to the health sector to reduce the endless maternal deaths that afflict us. They are not wrong considering the fate of the draft constitution. It does not take a constitutional genius to know that it is more progressive than the 1997 legislation which symbolises dictatorship and self perpetual rule.
Gambians should make it their case never to vote for Barrow or the APRC and NRP (a party that feeds on tribalism) come 2021 or ever again. They both have shown us that what they have in mind and common is their pockets and the "Billion Years" of a luxurious life that should follow.
The failure to pass the draft constitution into the next phase constitutes part of the one billion reasons no Gambian should support Barrow, should ever vote for him and illustrates our hypocrisy when we chose to abandon the "3years Jotna" due to partisan politics. We should now more than ever endeavour collectively and endlessly to see Barrow out in 2021. We chose to see a battle of NPP and UDP completely sidelining the national interest and disaster of having Barrow at the realm of our nation's fate. The partisanship which we fueled came back to haunt us.
This regime has shown us on several occasions that the problems of the ordinary Gambian do not worry them. The COVID19 relief funds witnessed the most brutal bastardisation and nothing comes of it. It is painful to see how Gambians are docile about open corruptions ravaging our nation. By the way, most Gambian students abroad are yet to receive the national assembly approved relief package. And yes they have been calling out, but since it does not affect us directly, we play our best card, which is "ignore them".
It is time we take a bold stand and say no to the continuous abuse by the government. We can no more bear the senseless pillaging of this country further into the shallow depths of the bottom billion. "Daffa Doye"!
To those parliamentarians who voted "NO", I hope you are happy with yourselves for dashing the Gambians hope at a new progressive governance structure to the gutters. You have not only embodied everything that is wrong with partisan politics but further elucidated on the facts that you are worthy of no Gambian trust. What you have shown the world, including your patrons, is that you are not serious about your commitments and this will ruin your chances of begging in the future. Thus Barrow keeps murdering his political career unbeknown to him, but what do I know? After all, he is the POLITICAL ANIMAL!!
Editors Note:
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