By: Saidina Alieu Jarjou
The last time I checked in The Gambia if you are serving in a government position you must make money like Bill Gates of Microsoft. Hence, if you don’t abuse your position to amass wealth, your friends and family members will brand you as a failure. They never cease to remind you of this or that fellow who got a big job like yours and already has two or three Mansions with luxury cars.
Transparency International has not failed in giving updates on the nations that have stained their hands by indulging in massive corrupt practices. Since 1965 after independence there has been outright and open corruption by the Government which has been placed to manage the affairs and develop this country. It is no doubt that we have seen the privilege given to some individuals to manage the affairs of this poor country being distorted and abused, some have enriched themselves and their cronies and in turn, the very people who have elected them to serve have been abandoned and the country is saddled with enormous debts which our children and grandchildren will have to repay.
The University of The Gambia and other tertiary institutions graduated youth with the right qualification and skills. Unfortunately, many are jobless due to nepotism and discrimination being displayed by the system. Meanwhile, we must stop government officials from their destiny to become rich through state coffers. We need to carefully seek to place the right individuals with the right mindset and qualifications to run The Gambia in a direction that is beneficial to the greater population rather than focusing on personal gains.
Furthermore, I want to see The Gambia flourish and not weaken with corrupt politicians becoming heads of state, I want to see our debts reduce and continue to reduce until we are in good standing as per the international standards, I want to see our justice system be fair to all, but for this to happen we must first put without a doubt in our minds the right persons in place to run our country and not running it down the drain beneath the Atlantic Ocean.
I want to see individuals with the right mindset who are willing and able to get the job done exactly how it should be done without fear or favour. I have seen well-mannered, educated, and humble individuals turn to quite the opposite as soon as they enter politics or enter government. It is against that background, I tender this to draw attention to several facts that demand immediate attention and do not require legislative action or other time-consuming procedures. In my humble opinion, it will not require any special effort to transcend this shameful worship of ideas which breeds ignorance and halt corruption in the true sense of our society.
The author is a leading blogger with a bachelor’s degree in management, a post-graduate diploma in gender & development and a master’s in public administration.
