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After spending a month cress-crossing the Gambia, I have learned with utmost sock that the issue of tribalism is embedded within our society for one reason or the other. However, I begged to defer that the issue of tribalism should be an issue we should focus on as at now-looking at endemic economic problems, perverse security related issues in the country as well as bad roads across the country (notably in our major cities), high level of unemployment, and low level of education among our youthful population. Rhetorically, do we as a nation ran out of ideas and creativity in the midst of advancing tribal bigotry? I strongly believed that those fanning the flames of tribalism merely depicting and constructing an ideology of a paradigm that can suit them for dominance over other people in the name of ethnic affiliation. Moreover, when I look at our major cities like Banjul, Serekunda, Brikama and its surroundings, I see lack of readiness coupled with despair and capacity to steer and translate our new-found democracy into formidable economic development opportunities and a nation of one people, despite our ethnic or tribal affiliations. This also bowls down to the question of what have we been doing for the past 22 years? May be, wasting valuable time on issues irrelevant to nation building- such as fighting and snooping on each other with an intent to eliminating each other without pursuing things that make prosperous nations great again. Again, it is compelling to believe that these weaknesses were constructed only to (backsliding in the name of a tribe or ethnicity) embolden the dictator for the past 22 wasteful years. To forewarn, we must not allow our smiling coast of The Gambia to be reduced to a nation of beggardom, and a nation without ideas that can compete the developed nations. I think we should be thinking about how to fix our deplorable status quo of our bad roads, hospitals, economy, security, and how to make our schools and educational system great again with an equal step of minimizing the level of corruption and to make our leaders accountable to us by engaging them through newspaper contributions, in public spaces or in our political rallies rather than fanning tribal fire-starting remarks. It is also our fundamental rights to engage our policy makers or government in ways that will help them curb the anathema or the new phenomenon of departmental endless strikes, which could be a potential loss of millions of dalasis in our economy each day such sit-down strikes continue to take place. In part, these are ways to make our government responsive, (also serve as checks and balances) and in this realm, too it is equally imperative and obligatory upon every Gambian to disengage the tribal prejudice in our communities, MOSQUES, DEPARTMENTS, INSTITUTIONS and in all public spaces (Including our social media forums)- since one may not be identified as belonging to a tribe without revealing once tribal affiliation. Tribalism to me is a construction that some of our politicians and members of our society use to control others). Essentially, it is a trademark that some ideologically use to satisfy their whims and caprices for dominance, which has no theoretical bases in our new-found democracy. I felt tortured and crashing, talking about the so call ‘tribalism in The Gambia.’ However, being silent or saying nothing could be a recipe for the continuation of such a baneful and unholy act-toxic gas that can horrendously be destructive to our entire human race. For these reasons, today, I have the audacity to believe peoples everywhere in The Gambia can have meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. In this view, I oppose the tribal bigotry because I love The Gambia. I speak out against it not in anger, but with anxiety and sorrow in my heart. Above all, with passionate desire to see our beloved country The Gambia stands as a moral example of the world. If we are to have a peace, our loyalties must become all-inclusive rather than sectional tribal narrow-mindedness. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our country, The Gambia. This invariably means that we must develop a world perspective. Featured Gambia News 

After spending a month cress-crossing the Gambia, I have learned with utmost sock that the issue of tribalism is embedded within our society for one reason or the other. However, I begged to defer that the issue of tribalism should be an issue we should focus on as at now-looking at endemic economic problems, perverse security related issues in the country as well as bad roads across the country (notably in our major cities), high level of unemployment, and low level of education among our youthful population. Rhetorically, do we as a nation ran out of ideas and creativity in the midst of advancing tribal bigotry? I strongly believed that those fanning the flames of tribalism merely depicting and constructing an ideology of a paradigm that can suit them for dominance over other people in the name of ethnic affiliation. Moreover, when I look at our major cities like Banjul, Serekunda, Brikama and its surroundings, I see lack of readiness coupled with despair and capacity to steer and translate our new-found democracy into formidable economic development opportunities and a nation of one people, despite our ethnic or tribal affiliations. This also bowls down to the question of what have we been doing for the past 22 years? May be, wasting valuable time on issues irrelevant to nation building- such as fighting and snooping on each other with an intent to eliminating each other without pursuing things that make prosperous nations great again. Again, it is compelling to believe that these weaknesses were constructed only to (backsliding in the name of a tribe or ethnicity) embolden the dictator for the past 22 wasteful years. To forewarn, we must not allow our smiling coast of The Gambia to be reduced to a nation of beggardom, and a nation without ideas that can compete the developed nations. I think we should be thinking about how to fix our deplorable status quo of our bad roads, hospitals, economy, security, and how to make our schools and educational system great again with an equal step of minimizing the level of corruption and to make our leaders accountable to us by engaging them through newspaper contributions, in public spaces or in our political rallies rather than fanning tribal fire-starting remarks. It is also our fundamental rights to engage our policy makers or government in ways that will help them curb the anathema or the new phenomenon of departmental endless strikes, which could be a potential loss of millions of dalasis in our economy each day such sit-down strikes continue to take place. In part, these are ways to make our government responsive, (also serve as checks and balances) and in this realm, too it is equally imperative and obligatory upon every Gambian to disengage the tribal prejudice in our communities, MOSQUES, DEPARTMENTS, INSTITUTIONS and in all public spaces (Including our social media forums)- since one may not be identified as belonging to a tribe without revealing once tribal affiliation. Tribalism to me is a construction that some of our politicians and members of our society use to control others). Essentially, it is a trademark that some ideologically use to satisfy their whims and caprices for dominance, which has no theoretical bases in our new-found democracy. I felt tortured and crashing, talking about the so call ‘tribalism in The Gambia.’ However, being silent or saying nothing could be a recipe for the continuation of such a baneful and unholy act-toxic gas that can horrendously be destructive to our entire human race. For these reasons, today, I have the audacity to believe peoples everywhere in The Gambia can have meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. In this view, I oppose the tribal bigotry because I love The Gambia. I speak out against it not in anger, but with anxiety and sorrow in my heart. Above all, with passionate desire to see our beloved country The Gambia stands as a moral example of the world. If we are to have a peace, our loyalties must become all-inclusive rather than sectional tribal narrow-mindedness. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our country, The Gambia. This invariably means that we must develop a world perspective.

Latest Gambia News

“BY AYESHA” Momodou Sallah’s second anthology of poems is in many ways a masterful sequel to his acclaimed Innocent Questions. But The Dictator and the Heretic doesn’t pose questions, especially innocent ones, about why things are not what they ought to be. In this anthology, questions are rhetorical rather than essential. The poet’s compassion for the hopeless, the powerless and the voiceless, however,  still flows with a ceaseless stream of passion. The marginalized, the disinherited, and the oppressed continue to populate his poetry. We encounter them milling about in squalid…

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The Gambia Has A Bigger Problem Than Tribalism-Tribalism Has No Place In The New Gambia Featured Gambia News 

The Gambia Has A Bigger Problem Than Tribalism-Tribalism Has No Place In The New Gambia

Latest Gambia News

“BY AYESHA” After spending a month cress-crossing the Gambia, I have learned with utmost sock that the issue of tribalism is embedded within our society for one reason or the other. However, I begged to defer that the issue of tribalism should be an issue we should focus on as at now-looking at endemic economic problems, perverse security related issues in the country as well as bad roads across the country (notably in our major cities), high level of unemployment, and low level of education among our youthful population. Rhetorically,…

Read More
Low Hanging Fruits Rotting Away Featured Gambia News 

Low Hanging Fruits Rotting Away

Latest Gambia News

“BY AYESHA” Twenty months into the ‘New Gambia’, we’re still bemoaning a paucity of resources, and looking for money from everywhere else in the world but our own front yard. We have a bonanza of ripe fruits that could be harvested to feed our hungry people and create job or business opportunities for our youth. Why this potential bounty is still being ignored beats me. Here is the scenario: If I Sulayman Saidykhan walk into a bank in Gambia with a cheque, whip out an ID that says I’m Adama…

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Eye Africa TV Cameraman ‘Assaulted’ By PIU Officer Featured Gambia News 

Eye Africa TV Cameraman ‘Assaulted’ By PIU Officer

Latest Gambia News

“BY AYESHA” One Baboucarr Manga, a cameraman for Eye Africa TV, was allegedly assaulted by a paramilitary officer while providing media coverage at a meeting organized by teachers for change at Abuko. Teachers for change is a pressure group formed by teachers in December last year to fight for their rights.Currently about 80% of basic secondary school teachers are on an indefinite sit down strike since Monday, September 17. Lamin Kanteh, CEO of Eye Africa TV, confirmed the incident to the Fatu Network, saying when PIU officers arrived at the…

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