People should enter politics or work in the civil service to serve the people. It should not really be a source of enriching themself, although the civil service should make work pay. Therefore, issues about oneself should be to a great extent secondary. To serve people and be very much interested about their welfare requires a clear vision. Political parties by extension should exist because they believe that the vision they have for a country is non-rivalled. Moreover, their supporters, especially those at the top should understand that vision, and buy into the idea. Hence, it should not be easy to leave a political party for another, and that no amount of financial and material incentive should entice you to leave a party you joined in the first place due to its non-rivalled vision.
The chairman of the GDC party in Niamina West Mr Birom Jallow demonstrated that he did not join the GDC for personal gain. Rather, believe that the GDC has a clear vision for the Gambia in terms of what it takes to get the country at a higher level of development. Indeed, the GDC does have a clear vision for the Gambia. The launch of the Website, and its content manifests that. No amount of financial and material gain should entice people to leave a party because they have been offered it.
We must always think of the wider implication of our actions. Being bribed to join a political party is not a good sign of a patriot. The money or material may benefit you and your close circle but it may have negative consequences in the long term for yourself, your community and the entire country. If the political party is good enough, they should use the money to benefit everyone in the community rather than a few. Of course, the dynamics of Gambian politics could be skewed toward joining a party for several reasons. However, our conviction to join a political party should be underpinned by what and how they will move the country forward. If we do not take the political discourse in the Gambia towards discussing and addressing issues of poverty and underdevelopment, of ideas and policies, then we will have to settle with electing mediocre people. A poor country cannot afford mediocre people at the realm of power.
The slave trade and colonialism succeeded because we accepted to be bribed or receive a token in order to fight one another. If you looked at the number of people from the West directly involved in the slave trade, and subsequently the number of Western residents maintaining the colonial governments, you always wonder how it really happened. We accepted a token to be sold and be ruled because we developed suspicion and hatred for each other.
We should developed love for country. This will required developing a habit of being principled, have some moral conscience, and putting national interest first. We should never be bribed to put mediocre people at the realm of power. If you put mediocre people in power, you will get mediocre policies, mediocre programmes and mediocre development.
Truly, the GDC chairman in Niamina West Mr Birom Jallow and some people of his kind should be celebrated as patriots.
Mr Dodou A.B. Ndow
GDC Diaspora PRO