We have always been a struggling nation. Our fight for independence, although not done with arms and was not bloody as was the case for some of our counterparts in Africa, it was a struggle to restore dignity to a people who have been denied it for far too long. Colonialism never cares about the… Continue reading The Perpetual Struggle
Author: mankajang
Africans Are Not Moved by Ideas
"I held 250 Town Hall meetings. I articulated solutions to our problems in my constituency. My opponent did not campaign at all. He gathered money and showed up one day to elections. He distributed money. He won. Africans are not moved by ideas. Their stomach leads them." This statement is attributed to PLO Lumumba, an… Continue reading Africans Are Not Moved by Ideas
Why Must Young People Lead?
"We need Yaya; we don't need old pa!" So it was chanted every election cycle from 1996; what has changed? If the old pas feel like passing the baton on leadership on to the young, that should entirely be their prerogative. There was no conventional politicking in The Gambia for the entire duration of the… Continue reading Why Must Young People Lead?
Assessing Current Trends In Gambian Politics
We may not have reliable statistics or polls to effectively gauge the political leanings of the citizenry but we can still use what we have. So let’s crunch some numbers shall we? As it stands in The Gambia, the National Assembly has United Democratic Party (UDP) members occupying 31 out of 58 total elected seats,… Continue reading Assessing Current Trends In Gambian Politics
Why Are You So Opposed To The UDP
“I can’t live to see a UDP government; I will give up on Gambian politics.” Isn’t it a tragedy for anyone to think like that! You can almost see the rage emanating forth in the words of some opposed to the UDP. The largest political establishment in the country, with hundreds of thousands of Gambians… Continue reading Why Are You So Opposed To The UDP
Should President Barrow Fire VP Darboe
After the President appeared in an interview with journalists at the airport stating that his relationship with the Vice President is “very, very normal...”, some took to social media visibly angry that the President only had that much to say. Some called him names for; in their opinion, cowering before the UDP. When the President… Continue reading Should President Barrow Fire VP Darboe
Ego Contest or Gambia First
Almost exactly a year ago, Amadou Sanneh, former Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs tabled the budget estimate for fiscal year 2018. It was estimated at D19.74 billion (37.7% of GDP) – The Point newspaper. He would later asked for an additional 3M supplemental budget and gave the reason that new commissions that were not… Continue reading Ego Contest or Gambia First
President Barrow’s Fatal Political Error
At the end of the rally marking the conclusion of the United Democratic Party (UDP) congress, a lady that identified herself as representing UDP Wellingara women made a statement that is representative of and will resonate with most UDP supporters. She stated that what the UDP endured in 22 years of tyranny can never be… Continue reading President Barrow’s Fatal Political Error
Open Letter to the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC)
Dear Sirs, The Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) was established by the Constitutional Review Commission Act 2017. The Act empowers the Commission to draft a new constitution for the Republic of The Gambia, and to submit the same to the president, who shall publish the draft within six months. Pursuant to this statutory mandate, the CRC… Continue reading Open Letter to the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC)
Jaliba Represents a Tradition
Jaliya; true Jaliya is a noble profession and is not just for anyone. The Jali holds a very high status in Manding culture. Article 13 of the Manding Gbara also known as the Kurugan Fuga states; "Never offend the Nyaras (the talented)." And goes further stating in Article 43: "Balla Fassèkè Kouyaté is nominated chief of… Continue reading Jaliba Represents a Tradition
Mankajang 