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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Momodou |
Posted - 18 Feb 2021 : 12:59:29
Happy 56th Anniversary to all Gambians
We have come a long way. Happy Independence Anniversary to all Gambians. One Gambia One People
The Gambia National Anthem
For The Gambia, our homeland
We strive and work and pray,
That all may live in unity,
Freedom and peace each day.
Let justice guide our actions
Towards the common good,
And join our diverse peoples
To prove man's brotherhood.
We pledge our firm allegiance,
Our promise we renew;
Keep us, great God of nations,
To The Gambia ever true.
ENTER GAMBIA THE BIRTH OF AN IMPROBABLE NATION BY BERKELEY RICE is a must read for all Gambians to know how it was back in those days
https://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=2258
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| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Momodou |
Posted - 20 Feb 2021 : 17:22:01
Independence is Our Humanity
By Madi Jobarteh
When we say ‘Happy Independence Gambia @56’ are we celebrating the age, i.e. the number or are we celebrating what we achieved between the ages of 1 and 56? Should we celebrate or should we critique & agitate? Remember, there is also Singapore which gained independence in 1965. Why are they where they are today and we are where we are today?
Yet apart from mere statements and articles from individuals and political parties with the government itself staging a wasteful and an irresponsible parade in the midst of a pandemic, there was no serious conversation on the subject of independence? Why?
What does independence mean for us as a people? Is being an independent country merely to be satisfied with that fact? Is this the level of political awareness and sense of sovereignty of citizens that we deserve? After a so-called 56 years of independence, do our people truly have the necessary civic education to realise that they are the source of political and state power?
Do our citizens have the ability to choose the right leadership and hold that leadership accountable? In other words do we have the right leadership in the first place that is leading and managing the affairs and resources of our nation in such a way that the full rights and needs of our citizens are secured, enhanced, protected and expanded? Are our citizens able to tame the State, or rather it’s the State that is taming the people with oppression, exploitation and misinformation?
At 56, this country continues to be confronted with huge inequalities, discrimination and violence meted on each other in our homes, workplaces and communities on account of tribe, caste, denomination, religion, age, sex, disabilities, position and other statuses. Even as a Republic, we are still unable to recognize, embrace and live republican values based on democracy and human rights.
At 56, injustices such as poverty, deprivation and poor public service delivery remain prevalent and widespread. Whether it’s in education services or utilities or access to quality healthcare, the fact remains that the life of the Gambian is insecure, underserved, backward and neglected by the State.
Yet this State is being showered with unlimited resources, powers and opportunities for the purpose of salvaging the citizen. But not only has the Gambian State failed to live up to its constitutional and republican obligations but it has also become an unconscionable predator that takes more from the citizen than it gives back to the people. By allocating a whopping 150 thousand daily subsistence to State House shows the State consumes more than it produces!
Thus the State would continually impose high taxes on the people while subjecting the nation to even higher debt and further pushing it into highly unfavorable contracts that hand over our public wealth and natural resources to private companies thus constantly defrauding the people with impunity!
If Gambians truly understand the meaning and value of independence, then February 18 (albeit false independence) should be a day of rage! It should be a day to sit back to reflect and agitate. It should be a soul searching moment to review our current lives in order to point out our challenges and prospects. It should be a day for us to determine if we should continue on this course or not so that we change accordingly.
Those who wish to rationalize in order to celebrate may do so. Those who lack political consciousness Independence Day as usual may not fully comprehend the meaning of independence. But those who know should have risen up to demand a better State in upholding the ideals and objectives of independence and republicanism.
Therefore one should have expected that none more than our political parties, trade unions, civil society groups and students should have occupied each and every inch of the country to demand true democracy, good governance and republicanism on this day. But none of that happened!
We can continue to rationalize the idea of independence on every February 18. We can continue to convince ourselves that the country has registered progress by arguing in terms of the cup being half full. We can continue to hide behind independence just to promote partisan and other sectarian agendas. But so long as we do so, we shall continue to remain a banana republic that is bastardized by its elected and appointed public officials while the majority of the people suffer!
April 24 is our true Independence Day. To be a republic is to be independent. We became a republic on 24 April 1970. That’s the only time when we gained independence. Until then we were a mere colonized territory under the British empire even when we had a flag and a government and joined the United Nations and the Commonwealth. One needs to read the laws underpinning the political system of the time to realise that, regardless we were only ‘an independent’ colony.
Our disregard of April 24 as Independence Day and indeed our general ignorance of the very true history of our country explains why we continue to toy with the idea of independence and our failure to uphold and keep our republic. This must change!
Let us begin to reclaim and assert our sovereignty and republicanism this 24th April coming. Let us organize at McCarthy Square (that colonial name must also change officially). Let our government, political parties, trade unions, civil society, academia, students and our communities lead our people to reflect on the state of the republic and demand system change in our social, economic, cultural and political landscape in order to build a truly democratic and republican dispensation, forever.
So far there’s nothing to be proud of about the past 56 years. Unless if one wants to be vainly optimistic or vainly nationalistic, or with some ulterior motives or highly uninformed, it must be clear to us all that The Gambia missed out entirely over the past 56 years!
Over the past half century, we only succeeded in reinforcing injustices, inequalities, deprivation, discrimination, corruption, oppression, exploitation and violence all over the land by exploiting, misinterpreting and misapplying religious, cultural and political ideas, institutions and instruments! That’s all.
Therefore let’s cut the crap and be seriously serious with ourselves! Let’s defend the republic. Independence is not about fanfare! It is not a picnic. Independence is our humanity. Independence is our dignity. Independence is our life, today and in the future.
For The Gambia Our Homeland |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 20 Feb 2021 : 15:57:10
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https://www.chronicle.gm/udp-leader-ousainou-darboes-address-on-gambias-56th-independence-celebration/
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By Musa Keita on Feb 18, 2021
Fellow Gambians, I do not usually send out a message to commemorate our Independence Anniversary, but I feel obliged to do so this year for several reasons. So, a happy 56th Independence Anniversary to you all.
This year, the United Democratic Party will also commemorate its 25th Anniversary. It is a year in which we anticipate that come 4th December 2021, victory will be ours Insha Allah.
Today, I want to remind us all of the struggle our fathers and forefathers waged for us to be where we are today; to remind us of the strong message that is emboldened in our National Anthem. A message that should remind each and every one of us in our every waking moment what The Gambia our Homeland is and should mean to us.
The words, “That all may live in unity, freedom and peace each day.” The words, “let justice guide our actions towards our common good.” The words “and join our diverse people to prove man’s brotherhood”. The words, “we pledge our firm allegiance, our promise we renew,” should always be at the back of our minds that This Gambia our homeland is our identity and our birth right.
My message to you all today is a message of renewed hope; a message of unity; a message of peace; a message of oneness and togetherness and a message of diversity and patriotism above all else.
Fellow Gambians, each day we hear the news of our sisters and daughters losing their lives while giving life. Each day we hear of our sons and daughters dying in foreign lands, being deported back home unceremoniously or drowning because they dared to cross the Mediterranean in search of “greener pastures”. Each day we hear the cries of our mothers, our wives and our sisters about the high cost of living and the inability to feed their children and; each day we see our sons and daughters cursing each other, swearing at each other, discriminating against each other on tribal and religious lines.
Never in the history of The Gambia, our homeland, have we endured such difficulty as in the past few years. Ours was a close-knit society of tolerance; a society of “sutura”; and a society of social cohesion. Some of us have been privileged to have a taste of what that social cohesion and social inclusiveness was and how it felt. Unfortunately, our children and grandchildren have not been fortunate enough to enjoy that beauty amongst us.
I call upon all of us who knew what it felt like to share and show those who were not lucky to witness that era what it feels like to belong; to be one; to be our brother’s and sister’s keepers; our neighbour’s keeper and to live in harmony.
It is unfortunate that those born during the late 1980’s to date have not witnessed this beauty. It is unfortunate that the regime that brought in the military junta broke the chains of ethnic and religious tolerance and instilled hatred and contempt amongst us. It even fostered regional rivalry in the country all in an effort to “divide and conquer” us politically.
We are Gambians first and we must remember that. I promise and commit that a UDP government will bring back that sense of patriotism and oneness in our society. I promise that there will be zero tolerance of tribal, ethnic and religious division or any regionalism.
There is no Mandinka Gambia; there is no Fula Gambia; there is no Wollof Gambia; there is no Jolla Gambia e.t.c.; There is no Kombo Gambia; There is no Badibu Gambia; there is no Foni Gambia e.t.c.; There is no Muslim Gambia; there is no Christian Gambia or Ahmadiyya Gambia;
There is only ONE GAMBIA.
Tribalism has no place in our society and we should never allow anyone to use tribalism and draw religious boundaries in our country and our communities. Such dangerous messages are a recipe for disaster and we should expose those who use such divisiveness for their personal gains. Is there any Gambian who does not have relationships across all ethnic groups? We all have brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, uncles, aunties and cousins who are of other ethnicities. This is what Gambia is made of and it will continue to be its DNA.
Our priority as a nation is to put our efforts and energy on creating a conducive environment for our people; especially the youth to thrive. Our priority should focus on ensuring that every Gambian child receives quality education and is equipped with the necessary skill sets to live to their full potentials and be able to fend for themselves and their family after their schooling. Our priority should be to ensure that the average Gambian lives in dignity and is able to put food on the table and feed their family; that we are able to eat healthy and nutritious foods; that food security and agriculture thrives in this country – not just for local consumption but as a viable business venture where farmers are well equipped with the necessary tools and opportunities to farm in the 21st century. Our priority should focus on ensuring that every health center and hospital is fully equipped to serve each and every one of us irrespective of one’s social status. That our health professionals are equipped and motivated to serve us ethically and with professionalism as they should; that we do away with the water and energy curse that has haunted this country for almost 50 years and that we are able to fully engage in this global village with reliable and affordable internet connectivity and other twenty first century amenities that the rest of the world take for granted.
That, fellow Gambians, should form the ethos of what we should focus our energies on. Never in the history of this country would we have ever imagined that our small and beautiful “smiling coast” will be associated with drugs and arms trade – never. We must not stand aside and condone this reputational and real damage that will affect our communities and generations yet unborn just for the selfish interest of a few power-hungry and corrupt individuals. This is not The Gambia we knew before. We all have to strive to build a diverse and cohesive country with all hands on deck.
In concluding, I urge each and every one of us to sensitise and educate their offspring and their fellow brothers and sisters on our moral obligations as patriotic Gambians; about our civic duty to make the right, honest and ethical decision For The Gambia Ever True.
A blessed Independence Anniversary to you once again and I thank you all!!!
Ousainou Darboe, Secretary General and Party Leader of
The United Democratic Party |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 20 Feb 2021 : 15:48:08
SNIPPET:
"He said tremendous efforts are required to make these things happen. However, he said as long as every year the country’s budget is supported by external donors, then there is a problem and it means the country is not independent."
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https://foroyaa.net/sidia-jatta-asks-why-gambia-is-celebrating-independence-when-she-is-grappling-with-a-staggering-debt-burden/
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Mariama Marong on February 16, 2021
The National Assembly Member for Wuli West, Sedia Jatta, has queried the need for Gambians to celebrate Independence Day when their country is burdened with a debt of about sixty-seven billion dalasi.
The veteran politician said the aforesaid debt is hanging on the neck of Gambians, noting only over six billion dalasi had been paid to creditors.
“Loans are killing this country why celebrating Independence Day when nothing is achieved,” Jatta said in an exclusive interview on the sideline of the Independence Day commemoration organized by Nusrat Senior Secondary School on Saturday ahead of 18 February.
The Gambian law maker said: “The fundamental question is, ‘why do we celebrate independence’. Do we celebrate going forward, backward or just celebrating for the purpose of celebration?”
According to Jatta, celebration of such nature should be stopped; quizzing what has been accomplished or achieved so far since independence.
He further asked: “What challenges do we have and what have we done in terms of developing our nations through education, agriculture, health, infrastructural development?”
Jatta also asked when Gambians will be able to pay the loans, saying the amount of money used to service or pay the debt was over six billion this year. This, he said, is more than two key ministry’s budget- agriculture and health budgets- if all combined.
Jatta said independence does not mean begging for monies and loans from international agencies, but it means achieving and making progress through making it up and becoming more and more independent and capable of doing things in your country without outside help.
He said tremendous efforts are required to make these things happen. However, he said as long as every year the country’s budget is supported by external donors, then there is a problem and it means the country is not independent.
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 20 Feb 2021 : 15:27:11
Big questions Alhassan ,will they be considered ? until Gambia is a fully united nation and the population can be united in the concept of nationhood as a primary objective PERSONALLY I can see no changes coming about for generations to come.
Will more postings come on this topic ? let's see
quote:
Originally posted by Alhassan
I suggest we call it the National Day because Gambia is still very dependant för everything. Even the budget for the country is very dependant on others. Should we call Gambia an independant state?
quote:
Originally posted by Momodou
Happy 56th Anniversary to all Gambians
We have come a long way. Happy Independence Anniversary to all Gambians. One Gambia One People
The Gambia National Anthem
For The Gambia, our homeland
We strive and work and pray,
That all may live in unity,
Freedom and peace each day.
Let justice guide our actions
Towards the common good,
And join our diverse peoples
To prove man's brotherhood.
We pledge our firm allegiance,
Our promise we renew;
Keep us, great God of nations,
To The Gambia ever true.
ENTER GAMBIA THE BIRTH OF AN IMPROBABLE NATION BY BERKELEY RICE is a must read for all Gambians to know how it was back in those days
https://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=2258
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| Alhassan |
Posted - 20 Feb 2021 : 12:42:02
I suggest we call it the National Day because Gambia is still very dependant för everything. Even the budget for the country is very dependant on others. Should we call Gambia an independant state?
quote:
Originally posted by Momodou
Happy 56th Anniversary to all Gambians
We have come a long way. Happy Independence Anniversary to all Gambians. One Gambia One People
The Gambia National Anthem
For The Gambia, our homeland
We strive and work and pray,
That all may live in unity,
Freedom and peace each day.
Let justice guide our actions
Towards the common good,
And join our diverse peoples
To prove man's brotherhood.
We pledge our firm allegiance,
Our promise we renew;
Keep us, great God of nations,
To The Gambia ever true.
ENTER GAMBIA THE BIRTH OF AN IMPROBABLE NATION BY BERKELEY RICE is a must read for all Gambians to know how it was back in those days
https://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=2258
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 19 Feb 2021 : 15:14:01
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https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/headlines/amir-trawallys-56th-independence-message
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Feb 19, 2021, 11:29 AM
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuhu
Celebration of the 56th Independence Anniversary of the Republic of The Gambia
We are very much pleased and grateful to Allah Almighty for blessing us with the opportunity to witness yet another special occasion of Independence anniversary. On Thursday, 18th February 2021, our dear and beloved country, the great nation of the Gambia and her people will witness and celebrate her 56th Independence anniversary. As we celebrate the independence of our dear country, we should always ponder over what made us stand together, lived side by side in peace and harmony, our progress, development and our advancement and achievements. Indeed, it is our prayers for this great Nation and that of our strength in staying united as brothers and sisters from the same father and mother. It is true that we can never have the same opinions in everything that we do, it is true that we cannot all believe in the same things and we cannot see things in the same way, be it our views when it comes to politics, religion, and other aspects, but one thing that is certain is that despite our diversity, we can always remain united for the peace, harmony and development of this country and that is something we have proven since our attainment of independence and well before that.
We should on this day ponder over the blessed, beautiful, excellent and pure lines of our National Anthem, which is a true reflection of what every Gambian is. Today I will reproduce these lines in this message to remind all of us.
For The Gambia, our homeland, We strive and work and pray, That all may live in unity, Freedom and peace each day. Let justice guide our actions Towards the common good, And join our diverse peoples To prove man's brotherhood. We pledge our firm allegiance, Our promise we renew; Keep us, great God of nations, To The Gambia ever true.
Being loyal to one’s country, praying for her, and loving her and standing ready at all time to defend it, is and integral part of our faith as our beloved Master, the Holy Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad Mustapha(saw) said:
“Love for one’s Nation is part of faith.”
So today let us love The Gambia more than ever before, let us strive and work hard in order for us to be great and meaningful citizens. Let us live together in peace, respecting each other, being just and treat each other equally so that all of us may live in unity, freedom and peace each day.Justice should be our principle in everything we do. All our actions should bear witness that we are just and we are fair, because that is what will lead us towards our common good.
Despite our differences in opinions, faith, ethnicity, etc. we should always celebrate our diversity as a people of this great nation because that is what will always help us to prove our brotherhood. The brotherhood that we exercise as Gambians is what is keeping us together and enabling us to live in peace and harmony from the beginning and that brotherhood is what we should safeguard and jealously protect. Let us love each other and wish for each other the good which we wish for ourselves.
Every citizen and resident of this great Nation of ours has a role to play and that role is to always make sure that we maintain the peace and harmony of this country and also work towards her development, progress and prosperity.
As this year is an Election year, we face a huge task of maintaining the peace, love and unity that we are known for as Gambians. Let’s go about our political activities with peace and respect for the rule of law but most importantly respect for each other. We should love and not hate. We should joke and not fight and we should celebrate and not damage. May Allah Almighty be our Great Helper and may He see us through. Ameen
On that note, on behalf of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at The Gambia and on my own humble behalf, I am extending our heartfelt and sincere congratulations and prayers to His Excellency Mr. Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of The Gambia, the First Family, the entire cabinet, government, political and religious leaders, traditional leaders, citizens and non-citizens residing in the country our sincere HAPPY INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY and Allah Almighty make this auspicious day be a source of purity, piety and righteousness.
May Allah Almighty encompass and embrace our beloved country The Gambia with His grace and mercy and raise the country in higher heights, success and progress under the bondage of brotherhood and unity and may He be our helper and be with us all and make us continue to enjoy and cherish the existing peace, security, stability and prosperity forever and ever. May He protect us all from this devastating Covid–19 pandemic and bless us with good health and heal the sick and have mercy and forgive the departed souls. Ameen
LOVE FOR ALL HATRED FOR NONE…TO THE GAMBIA EVER TRUE
God Bless The Gambia.
Wassalam
Yours Sincerely,
Baba F. Trawally
Amir
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 19 Feb 2021 : 15:09:38
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https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/headlines/barrow-vows-to-defend-sovereignty-as-gambia-clocks-56
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Feb 19, 2021, 12:05 PM | Article By: Sankulleh Gibril Janko
President Adama Barrow has vowed to ‘defend’ the sovereignty of the nation as The Gambia clocked 56 years of nationhood on Thursday.
Addressing the nation on the 56th independence anniversary at the McCarthy Square in Banjul, the Gambian leader assured his government working with various arms and security sectors to defend the national sovereignty of The Gambia.
This comes amid numerous allegations that he is trading the country to neighbouring Senegal while others are calling for an end to the presence of regional troops ECOMIG in the country to demonstrate full flegded sovereignty.
“Working with the various arms of government and the security sector, my administration will continue to defend the sovereignty of the country, and protect the freedoms and liberties of the people,” President Barrow assured.
He said: “Sovereignty, as a key focus of this address, entails government engagement in circumstances wherein the state and people are one unified, solid entity.”
“Within this framework, our identity as a nation is characterised by our cultures, which are informed by our individual beliefs, principles and actions.”
President Barrow assuring to defend the sovereignty of The Gambia will raise eyebrows among sections of the population who still see Senegalese soldiers walking the corridors of the State House flanking the head of state on a daily basis.
Opposition leaders have been very critical of the president for having Senegalese security men as his most trusted bodyguards.
Political leaders, ordinary Gambians and Civil Society groups have called on the Gambian leader to restore his full trust and protection to the Gambia Armed Forces and end the presence of ECOMIG forces, Senegalese soldiers included in the country.
The regional forces have been in The Gambia since they helped to oust former President Yahya Jammeh in January 2017.
Their stay in the country has been extended on numerous occasions by the ECOWAS Heads of State, the latest in Niamey, Niger in October 2020.
Barrow, however, continued to insist on his trust in the army while claiming the security sector reform process is in progress to address all the security issues.
Recently, the commander-in-chief of The Gambia Armed Forces, President Barrow promoted four army chiefs as a demonstration of his trust in his men and women in uniform.
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| Momodou |
Posted - 18 Feb 2021 : 15:07:21
Toubab, the tune of Gambia National anthem is taken from the kora musik "Foday Kabba".
You can search for the book by Berkeley Rice and perhaps you can be lucky to get a used copy. I bought one on Amazone some years ago.
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 18 Feb 2021 : 13:17:30
Two questions Momodou:
1)Was there any music to the National Anthem?
2)Is the book by BERKELY RICE available to buy ?
Maybe my "Dear reader" would like to know 
RELATED to 2} above:
https://standard.gm/berkeley-rices-enter-gambia-review-commentary/ |
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