Jammeh as a metaphor – part 1

In 2013, I visited the picturesque city of Banjul, Gambia. It was my first time but I found to my dismay two different Banjul’s.

The new Banjul; a tourist haven, a mini Dubai with all manners of tourist attractions.

The old Banjul with old buildings and craters for roads was a bit unnerving. Easy to think you were in two different cities. But this was not what was most intriguing. What was most intriguing was the fact that from Taxi drivers to designers and market women in Banjul, Jammeh was spoken of in whispers. In fact a taxi driver ferrying a colleague and me to a shop ordered my colleague to step out of his vehicle and find another taxi to board because my colleague would not stop talking about Jammeh.

My new Gambian designer taking my measurement details in the hotel whispered whenever her President’s name was mentioned. There were many uncomfortable moments both in the hotel and at the conference I attended. Gambia hosted the conference provided some funds towards it and so it was a fairly difficult terrain when an NGO gave a report on the poor human rights record of Jammeh.

It’s a curious disease and it saddens me that it afflicts mostly Africans. When it is clear that your time is up and you pretend that you do not understand or that everything been said about your doing the right thing is actually not addressing you but someone else far removed from you. More often than not; this kind of ostrich behaviour is encouraged and perpetuated by those who have surrounded these people. They have aides who no longer tell them the truth, who egg them on and disappear at the slightest shift of power. In fact those who tell them that they are the best thing to happen since sliced bread disappear in a jiffy and re-emanate when the die is cast on the side of the people or a new government. It was often said by my father that those who encourage you not to settle for peace in a disagreement (no gree o, no gree o) are the ones who take off like Usain Bolt when trouble begins to fester.

African leaders and this covers Heads of states, CEOs, heads of religious organisations, heads of companies, community leaders, PTA chairmen/women and leaders of various organisations on the continent continue to baffle me with their sit tight syndrome. So we have the president of a PTA who becomes synonymous with the school administrator long after their child has graduated. Excuse me while I explain.

Parents, Teachers Association (PTA) is meant for parents whose children are in a particular school and it does not mean that this is an NGO for attention seeking, for unsought opinions or for becoming an alternate school government/administrator. Please note; you are not the principal of the school. You are not a sole administrator. The PTA is a democracy. Once elected, your job is to take in all views and organise meetings that involve the school authority and parents for everybody’s wellbeing particularly the students.

The acrimony that attends the election of a new person into a simple town meeting executive never ceases to baffle me. People are mudslinging and would go to any lengths to be elected into these positions. It is in the same vein that I find it really odd that Nigerians and indeed Africans never say no to a position either on health grounds or due to lack of capacity to deliver or even from a position of diminishing return. You were smart and brilliant when you were 40. At 56, you are slow and ailing and you are offered a position that you can neither manage because of the state of your health nor understand because of your diminishing return. In the end, the exertion to do the job may either make you sicker or kill you. I have often wondered what should drive a man-Is it integrity, money, self-esteem or power? This is not to say there aren’t 60 year olds or even 70 year olds who are healthy.

Former President of Ivory Coast Lauret Gbagbo chose not to leave the presidential palace until allied forces bombarded his abode-the presidential villa and pulled out the president disgracefully without a shirt. He looked pitiful and the entire citizens of the African continent were left embarrassed. He knew it was time to go but he preferred to fight a losing battle to a bitter end. Rather than go down in history as a former president who did the right thing by handing over peacefully and with integrity he chose the disgraceful path and left a laughable legacy for his children and grandchildren. But Africa is replete with these kinds of leaders from Hastings Kamuzu Banda of Malawi to Idi Amin of Uganda all of whom exited disgracefully from their countries. I have always wondered, if this is in our stars-leadership by force. And yet in neighbourhood Gambia in the 21st century, history repeats itself. I am at my wits end, but let’s talk some more about this next week.

To be concluded next week.

Eugenia Abu