By Mustapha Jarju
Essa Mbye Faal, Former Lead Counsel at the Truth Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) and former presidential aspirant has called on Gambians to respect the laws of this country and set aside the little things dividing people of the country.
“Tribalism, religious discrimination, and politics mixing are a dangerous cocktail and a recipe for disaster. It is a keg of powder waiting to explode but we cannot afford to have that in this little country. And regardless of our differences, this country can move forward, ‘to the Gambia ever true,’ as enshrined in the Gambia’s National Anthem,” he said.
If people, he continued as he talked in an interview on Kerr Fatou, of the Gambia want the country to develop they have to be serious, committed, and hard-working.
He added that as the rainy season begins only a few people are venturing into farming, looking at the farms they are getting are fewer and if the country does not start producing, the people will continue to export the limited money in the country that is kept for survival.
Saying, it “is like paying rent and we will continue to be trapped in poverty.”
Faal explained that whenever certain issues came he writes by making certain prescriptions and policy recommendations for the government to consider, adding he does that because regardless of what government is in power he wants the Gambian people to have a good life.
He, therefore, called on all politicians to bring forward their ideas to the government so that if those ideas are accepted and implemented it would be for the betterment of the Gambians.
Giving reason for competing in the 2021 presidential election, Essa Mbye Faal said thousands of people advised him to wait until 2026 but those people did not know the pressing issues that were going on at that time.
“I was under so much pressure to run (for the 2021 presidential election), it was basically impossible in the end not to, so I have to make personal adjustments and personal sacrifices. I said to myself that I am doing this for my people, the lot who believe in me I cannot afford to disappoint them and no matter what the outcome could be, we would learn from it and that is the most important thing,” he explained.
