By Adama Jallow
For the first time in the history of The Gambia government since independence in 1965, a government official, particularly a Vice President to have boldly ever and with credibility caught the public aback by directly breaking the long silence in addressing the hard fact with moral and religious obligation without mince words with the clear mindset of good governance and national interests.
A day after public consumption of the Vice President’s sincere remarks, there has been a lot of public comments with regards to the statement. However, it is with believe that the comments made by the Vice President, must have been welcomed by the Head of State with appreciations as he (the President) was longed looking forward to sincere partnership in the government in moving the country’s interests forward with good governance.
Vice President Alieu Badara Joof confidently addressed cabinet ministers, permanent secretaries among others at the kick start of the recently concluded maiden cabinet retreat at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center in Bijilo whilst addressed the issue of deforestation and illegal lugging of timbers which he said was unacceptable, adding that he will say the truth as far as it is right.
He said “I will talk (say) the truth, if you want let the president take me out,” adding that he will say the truth as far as it is right to do what is right to get it right. “We have to get it right by doing what is right. I will say it and I say it as it is and I have been saying it as it is in the cabinet that is the only way you can get it right.” he emphasised.
The Vice President encouraged that they have to take up their responsibility as this government wants to get it right for the next five years and that it is right to do what is right to get it right and “we have to get it right by doing what is right.” While he called for collective responsibilities with pursue to achieving national interest as far as national development plan is a priority.
The vice President’s statement came with a sense of responsibility and commitment to national duty and should be seen as guidance, an open door platform and encouragement to all respective government officials as a way forward and as far as national interest is a priority. However, it is not matter how long one leads a position, but how much he or she leads it or how long one lives, but how much he or she lives it.
However, the Vice President pointed out the need for attitudinal change with a change of the mindset that “we want to get it right, we can only get it right if we change our attitude, if we change our mindset, and if we change our politics.
VP Joof further highlighted that when it is time for politics they (politicians) have to go back to the Gambian people and they (the Gambians) decide who they want, and by avoiding acrimonious politics, pointing out that “but if we spend most of the time on acrimonious politics, it retards us, it takes us back and this is a very small country, we are all related by marriage, religion, education, ethnicity and regions. My Mum is Fula, My Dad is Serrer and my wife is Mandinka, so where do I belong? And I am sure I am not the only one, many people are. So let us put that aside, let us sees the Gambia first. It goes beyond individuals.”
Further to that, he said “when the interest of the state conflicts with the interest of individual, the interest of the state prevails. The state is the aggregate whole. I think that is important for us, we protect the state just as we protect our environment.”
Therefore, he said, it is unacceptable for a truck of timbers to leave from Lower River Region, pass all the security check points, over 15 to 20 of them and reach the Ports and there is security at the Port and with inspections at the Ports and they shipped out those timbers. This mean there is something fundamentally wrong with that and the security and Ports have to fix it or they are (will be) answerable to government.
