In The Gambia, quite often, people, including the
leadership of the country blame the West for most of our political and economic
problems.
Is this really helping us? Our answer is, “no!”
We are of the view that blaming colonial masters for our problems cannot take us anywhere.
Many of the problems faced by ordinary Gambians during the British colonial rule are still haunting us today, even under the 2nd Republic, and were equally the same problems affecting the people during the PPP regime.
Take the very poor roads conditions in the Upper River Region, for example.
In our view, the issue of blaming others for our problems should be off the table.
We should focus, instead, our attention more on how to address our problems of poverty and food shortage, as well as how to improve our human rights record, nurture democracy, intensify our fight on drug trafficking and abuse, create jobs for the youth, rehabilitate our poor road infrastructure, and foster the rule of law.
The energy we spend on blaming the West should be redirected to scrutinising and implementing the PAGE, Vision 2020 and the MDGs.
While it will be an understatement to say that both the PPP and the APRC governments did not bring meaningful development to this country, it is quite right to say we still have a long way to go.
The Gambian people have heard a lot about our political history, which is not bad for us to know, but it is now time to face the country’s developmental challenges.
Therefore, those entrusted with the power and authority by the Gambian people to steer their affairs must be seen to be moving towards the direction of improving their living standard.
While it is essential for us as a country to know our past, it is also quite important for us to know how our various ministries are delivering to meet the people’s expectations.
One thing that we also want to make clear is that the world is now a global village, and countries do need each other for meaningful development.
Another thing that is essential to note is that history always keeps records of a man who has worked more than he has spoken.
