From
the Eastern horizon of our home-land
There
emerges a new SUN over our blessed land
To
mark the birth of a new era
That
will raise sky high our name forever
On
the 1st December, 2016 the Gambian had decided
Though
differ in options yet never divided
That
Old order must give way to the New
For
the old order, expired, cannot be renewed
At
last a new page has been turned in our history
For
the old page is stained with injustice and misery
But
thanks to patience, faith and maturity
Gambians
have proven they are owners of sovereignty
The
wind of change is sweeping through the land
That
no reactionary forces could long withstand
Its
course is steadfast, irreversible
Its
strength intense, irresistible
Gone
are the days when a leader would amass gold
While
his people, jobless, lie in the cold
Gone
are the days when a leader would swim in luxury
And
leave his people to drown in poverty
Gone
are the days when leaders were arrogant
Would
call the farmers lazy and ignorant
Who
would take their lands in exchange for inactivity
And
reduce some of them to endless mendicity
How
many Imams, religious leaders and preachers
Were
arrested, detained and made prisoners
They
were neither agitators nor disguised crooks
But
true adherents of the Holy Book
Some
have taken the road to self-exile
For
they are men of strong faith, not Docile
Quietly,
they quit a system where the good are criminalized
And
the wicked praised and idolized
The
3rd Republic is the product of a nationwide call
That
united we stand, divided we fall
In
struggle against injustice and tyranny
And
break shackles of a new slavery
The
3rd Republic has many issues to address
Among
them, freedom of the Press
For
how many journalists were intimidated and suppressed
To
silence the voice of truth and progress
How
many journalists were charged with dubious crimes
Some
with sabotage others with economic crimes
Some
were dragged out of their homes in the middle of the night
Others
were picked up in broad day light
The
3rd republic must prioritise Agriculture
The
most solid basis of our future
For
there is nothing like self-sufficiency in food
So
let us be the producers of our livelihood
Let’s
pay tribute to leaders of the old days
Who
for us worked daily to pave the way
To
our renowned leader, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara
First
President of the Republic of The Gambia
To
eloquent I.M Garba Jahumpa and P.S Njai
To
outspoken M.B Jones and Reverend J.C Faye
To
Edward Francis Small the great Pan Africanist
To
M.E Jallow the dynamic trade unionist
To
all those who were planners of Nationhood
Who
had worked selflessly for the Common Good
May
their names impress fadeless memories
On
the Gambia Political history
Forward
forever, Backward never
The
journey is long, so no back track forever
Our
hearts filled with faith, as we move in unison
Our
eyes well focused on the bright horizon
We
abhor a leader who believed it was his moral mission
To
cleanse his country of Witches and Demons
Who
would import witch-doctors with strange incantations
To
accuse innocent people and covered them with humiliation
But
witches and demons, as we were told
Are
part of our society, be it the present or the old
This
multitude of beings, visible but mostly invisible
To
drive them out of our midst could be a Mission Impossible
We
call on all patriotic Gambians wherever they are
In
the homeland or the diaspora
That
the 3rd Republic is about to set sail
That
no reactionary force could derail
We
call upon all to come onboard
For
here no one will be thrown overboard
And
to bring along their own contributions
Toward
the vast project of National Reconstruction
For
the Gambia our Homeland
We
strive and work and pray
We
pledge our firm allegiance
Our
promise we each day renew
Bless
us forever God – The Almighty
With Peace, Progress and Prosperity
El-Malick
Faal
