Youth Deserve More

Photo: Youths Demonstrating (Photo Credit Culled from NYC's Facebook page)

Editorial

Slowly the country is heading towards 2021 General Election. Very soon, the country will be polluted with campaign noise. As usual, political parties will be traversing the width and breadth of the county lying to (oops! I would have said telling) Gambians what their parties have in store for the unsuspecting citizenry.

The youth will be the target. They constitute the majority of voters. The question we have to ponder is how much are the youth involved? As political parties are strategizing on who to incorporate in their various positions of power, will the youth have a significant representation?

Though many writers argued that in Africa, politics is typically regarded as a space for politically experienced old men, as young people are often disadvantaged in accumulating experience to run for office. Young people are systematically marginalized because of their age, limited opportunities and a lack of experience.

This problem is also particular to Gambian where politics shows no sign of progression in terms of youth involvement. We have political leaders that have past their ‘sell-by’ date. Their relevance to the country’s politics expired. They cannot respond to the present social and political challenges. We have political leadership that fears the unknown and cannot accommodate the new thinking.

This is the whole reason why we need to inject new blood across the various parties. We expect to see political gymnastics from political leaders ahead of the 2021 General Election. We will be seeing many political parties flatting out wooing the youth vote by appointing or electing youthful running mates to their presidential candidates.

The presidential candidates themselves were youthful. But there years down the line nothing has changed. The parties have not done enough on youth empowerment. The youth are still used to do the dirty work for their masters allowing themselves to be helping politicians in their political proxy wars.

They are used to disrupt rival political party rallies. They normally beat journalists for their political masters take Kebba Jeffang Jnr’s case for example.

Yes, our political leaders are good at making endless promises to the youth but this is just mere talks. Nothing tangible to that they promised is to happen. Why do we need youths in the country’s politics as we gear towards the 2021 General Election?

Youths can be a critical force, a dynamic source of innovations and they have undoubtedly, throughout history, participation contributed, and even managed to bring change to the political system.

Therefore, if we want a bright future it first needs to strengthen and empower the youth. But it is unfortunate that young people are often excluded or overlooked as political candidates. Time has come for young people to desist from being perpetrators of violence in politics and begin to eye top positions.

Photo: BB Dabo In The Middle

BB Dabo Says Poor Leadership Is The Reason Citizens Kept Blaming The Entire Political Class

By Ousman A. Marong

The Gambia For All (GFA) party leader, Bakary-Bunja Dabo has told News Bite that poor leadership is the main reason allowing the citizens to blame the entire political class.

Dabo challenged the government in what he referred to an as lacklustre state of affairs; the badly needed hope continues to elude the people.

“Over the past decades, the country has been facing a growing myriad bad leadership, rule of law and lack of transparency, he explained.

He said it was against this backdrop that 13 July Delegates’ Conference defined and agreed on a set of values and principles needing to be defended and promoted to avert the prospect of state failure.

"The practical step to that end was the decision to form a party to be dedicated to the promotion of those values for the realization of a progressive state and societal project,” he remarked.

He made the deliberation at his Fajara Residence in Dr. Nyambi Touray’s compound; in his first-ever press conference following the successful installation of his party with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

Photo: BB Dabo and the team.

However, the presser was not very friendly to journalists simply, because some journalists were identify been critical in the way they ask their questions.

So be the cause they were not accorded the chance to ask to follow up questions.

This reporter was part of those who were not given the chance to ask follow-up questions.

BB Dabo, one-time vice president under the late Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara's led government.

His personal assistant asked this reporter to show him the follow-up questions he wanted to ask.

The reporter refused to say such is unprofessional and unethical. 

This came at a time when the reporter asked the GFA leader to as what is his response to critics who said he (BB Dabo) have tried to lead the PPP and lost at a congress then furiously formed his own party to satisfy his long desire of leading a political party?

Even though the press conference was not a political rally, but yet still supporters of the GFA party filled the venue to sandwich with journalists.

The scary part of it is that journalists were encircled by GFA surrogates.

Of recent, we have seen supporters of political parties clamping down on journalists whom they identified as being critical of their leaders.

He said the name Gambia For All was chosen to reflect their faith adding that their commitment is to safeguard and promote, inclusiveness in the life and actions of the state, with all citizens living in a society that will be free, open and fair.

“Our ideas for solving the country’s myriad of problems are presently at an advanced stage of elaboration. We will in the near future launch the form of a vision document outlining our ideas and plans in addressing the county’s problem,” he noted.

Deputy CDS Drammeh Cautioned Soldiers Not To Be Political

PHOTO Deputy CDS Drammeh. (Photo Credit Online)

By Ousman A. Marong

Deputy CDS Yankuba Drammeh has on yesterday called on the Gambia National Army (GNA) to restrain themselves from politics. Major general Yankuba Drammeh was speaking as the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) elevates over 74^th none commission personnel’s of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) to various ranks. Major general Drammeh challenged the soldiers to raise the alarm where necessary on any issue that threatens the peace and security of the nation. The decoration of the military personnel’s into various ranks was a sign of honor and reward for performance for the newly promoted official guard's battalion. A total of 74^th personnel’s have been elevated to various ranks.

Major Yahya Darboe is the commanding officers of the guard's battalion, he revealed that his unit had gone through a series transformation over the past 3-years. He, therefore, reminded his men to always set exemplarily behaviors, adding that he whom much is given much is expected. He cautioned those who are not yet promoted to work hard and not to see themselves differently. He further called the promoted men and women to continue to serve the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) with distinction. He reminded them of their responsibilities in the army.

He disclosed that the year 2019 is a year of transformation, reorientation and the reorganization of the army, were military personnel’s are expected to maintain the high standard and discipline to traject the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF). He cautioned soldiers to stay away from politics and to raise the alarm as to when necessary on issues that dear threatens the peace and stability of the country. Staff Sergeant Bakary Ceesay one of the promoted soldiers hailed the Gambia Armed Forces and highlighted that one of their functions is to protect the lives and territorial integrity of the nation.