By Bampha Jaiteh
The country reeling under severe economic woes marred by rampant corruption scandals! This unfortunate scenario has crippled the Continent including the Gambia which is a case study under Review? Development according to Walter Rodney is a many-sided process and human resources are the basis.
Dishearteningly, The Gambia in Africa of the twenty-first century since Independence has been crippled by Greed: Poor Governance: Over Stay: A culture of Silence by political thieves in leadership who by truth must be exposed and denied oxygen?
This Cruel Phenomenon known as a Virus has severely hampered development within the Civil Service and now becomes a way of life. Contextual Gambia has gone beyond Proportion to the extent that nearly all sectors of State Institutions are running to a standstill. The struggling National Water and Electricity Company have been mortgaged by SENELEC of Senegal to supply the northern part of the country with its reckless increment in Tariffs, yet the output is insufficient.
Donor partners like the UN, World Bank, EU, and IMF have injected huge financial assistance of support to alleviate the suffering of the population against NAWEC’S erratic power cuts. Toothless bulldog PURA is always incapable of biting as mandated by the constitution to mediate by moderating the voice of the voiceless, but rather howling beneath the heels of lip Service.
The ferry service under Gambia Ports Authority is joking with human life amid such horrific routines of poor quality regarding low and high tides of the sea in case an emergency might erupt, which God, forbids.
Further down the line of suffering by the average Gambian is exorbitant price hikes on basic commodities for survival and life becomes challenging within such an atmosphere of hardship. Survival of the fittest, laws of the jungle in Animal Farm. Political giraffes of divided lawmakers at the national assembly on partisan lines, who were voted to represent national interests, instead are busy enriching themselves as allocation of luxurious vehicles at the tune of two point five million dalasis, notwithstanding cloth allowance previously tabled.
Sitting and other benefits are not included plus basic salaries while the Sene-Gambia Bridge is on the verge of being recycled by a provocative finance minister.
Anti-Corruption Bill is hard if ever mentioned neither by the executive, judiciary, or divided muted giraffes of legislative. A drafted reviewed constitution costing one hundred and sixteen million dalasis remains a nightmare. Dilating in frustration abounds Gambia’s dilemma as events unfold is shocking and nerve exploding. In the millennium age of the digital era; the World is moving at the fastest pace, and we as a Nation are dragging with Snail Pace. A few steps back in the April decade-wise national census through which policies are formulated with the availability of a database for development seems to be a failure: perhaps lack of funding is it.
Transportation constitutes a vital role in national development whereby goods and services are easily delivered to various destinations with efficient road networks and proper drainage systems: one wonders whether National Road Authority has anything to offer except sporadic maintenance.
Natural calamities are unavoidable circumstances that befell mankind through disasters, contextual Gambia Expectantly relies on National Disaster Management Agency, unfortunately, what are they managing?
COVID-19 Pandemic was a global health tsunami of disaster that held the human race at ransom with millions of human beings perishing due to the tragedy from Wuhan in China. The severity of the pandemic was so intense that flights were cancelled internationally, with heart measures like face masks, social distancing, and washing hands frequently imposed by WHO.
The intensity of COVID-19 even led to Hajj the Journey to Mecca the fifth pillar of Islam was halted for nearly three years universally Wide.
Against this backdrop of universal crisis, the World Health Organization intervened tremendously with other International donor agents by assisting the Health Ministry with excellent financial support. It is this ministry with all financial assistance including subventions from Government is still stockpiling three babies in a single incubator.
Recently Acute Kidney Injury and infection in children have led to the loss of over eighty innocent children due to unprofessionalism.
Presidential Task of Enquiry has submitted its recommendations sparing the minister the number one culprit.
Numerous corruption scandals were revealed in the auditor’s report, the minister should honourably resign instead of staying.
Greed is the mother’s corruption and is like drinking salt water. The more you consume, the more you need!
Our medical professionals wonder if they do adhere to the saying that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.
Agricultural development is a priority for any meaningfully developed nation, more so developing. In that aspect modern techniques through mechanise agriculture to meet demand, as it used to be the backbone of the economy.
Agriculture Ministry is gradually losing that long-earned reputation when in recent years farmers after hard labour during the rainy season, are paid with fake cash.
Fertilizer is less affordable to those who can’t, even in those far-off days farmers are encouraged with loans, banking in agriculture designed to provide tractors on loan schemes.
Animal husbandry through Mix Farming was introduced to boost food growth for sustainability. Tourism in today’s globalisation of movement among humans is a Foreign Exchange Earner in both Developed and Developing Nations like Contextual Gambia.
This industry was once booming but nowadays is becoming dormant. Factors relating to security port of Twenty Dollars, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic as well climate change human catastrophe repercussions.
Education is the most powerful weapon which undoubtedly can change the phase of the World. Quality and affordable education for national development is a priority for Governments around the globe. In this contextual Gambia, our educational policy has suffered severe setbacks, primarily in institutions of higher learning.
Lectures are held under Neem Trees. Sadly indeed: A word of advice to all within the civil service in Africa and Gambia particularly in focus we need attitudinal modesty through a shake-up.
Judicial dispensation of justice is a prerequisite of Universal Human Rights where people could have access to justice and basic fundamental rights under the rule of law.
In this vein, our judiciary needs to be equipped and strengthen, as overloaded cases are a concern.
Justice delayed, is justice denied. Foreign policy is a diplomatic engagement in-between nations of the Geneva Conventions under the United Nations charter enacted in the forties. Nations could establish ambassadorial missions to facilitate the welfare of their citizens through diplomatic missions overseas cognisantof the norms and values of states involved as stipulated in the charter.
The Gambia upon attainment of Independence has earned the reputation of glorious excellence in foreign policy but an outbreak of diplomatic blunders has led the nation into shrinkage of shame.
The United States expelling four Gambian diplomats within our mission in their country is a clear manifestation of how unserious and unprofessional about procedures surrounding these international positions of seasoned diplomats are. Adding potassium to the wound, a State Minister instead of taking firm and swift action to avert the recurrence of such an Act, has been seen covering these dangerous blunders diplomatically.
The Minister himself must resign as a professional but their culture of silence remains muted. In conclusion, proclaimed OIC in limbo after cancellation four times concurrently.
The Nation waits in hard prayers with the rest of the Ummahover the horizon for its successful hosting Inshallah! AamiinYarabbal Aalamiin!!! Bampha Jaiteh, Mory Ning Kalah JakaluuNing DuahJabbie! The Lonely Poet! The views expressed in this article are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect The Voice’s editorial stance.
