Africa-Press – Gambia. On Monday, I listened attentively to most of the National Dialogue the president had with the plethora of political leaders at State House. I was disappointed both by what I heard and more so by what I did not hear. All I heard were a lot of platitudes, grandstanding and complaining about the problems and challenges the country faces.
As political leaders, particularly of the opposition parties, and as potential governments-in-waiting, I was expecting to hear from them their solid plans to fix the problems, like plans to: (i) grow the economy, (ii) improve educational outcomes in our failing public schools particularly at the primary and secondary levels, (iii) improve health outcomes in our underperforming substandard public health facilities, (iv) address youth hopelessness, employment and the drug epidemic, (v) address poverty that is so wide spread in all demographics across the country, (vi) reform our civil service and to improve accountability, (vii) address severe environmental degradation , (viii) improve agricultural productivity, (ix) introduce significant reforms to improve land administration and management, (x) improve urban and rural planning, and so forth.
In my humble view, this national dialogue should have taken place during the preparation of the recently launched 2023-27 National Development Plan, aka Yiriwa, to inform its preparation. So, I really wonder how the numerous problems highlighted at today’s dialogue would be now addressed after the launch of Yiriwa and in the absence of any plans coming out of today’s dialogue. Our political parties, without exception are a disappointment, at least to me. Today’s dialogue did not inspire my confidence that our current political class are ready, willing and able to meaningfully address the myriad of challenges that (they so ably listed) we face as a country. Little wonder then why so many of our youths have given up. We are losing a generation of our youths. Let us step up our game to save them and us all before it’s too late.
James Orehmie Monday
Fajara
Listen and follow Sonko
Dear Editor,
There’s nothing to engage in dialogue with Macky Sall about. His term runs out officially on April 2. Macky is playing his political games: he’s fooled Khalifa, Barth and now the Abdoulaye/Karim Wade loyalists. Macky can’t fool Sonko. If you want change and national development in Senegal, be with Sonko or anyone Sonko appointed as his presidential candidate. Other than that, whosoever you voted for is a waste of your vote. Only Sonko has the political agenda for change and national development out of all the politicians in Senegal. Sonko is neither greedy nor ignorant like the other rubbish politicians Macky is playing around with.
Sonko is the only political agency for change and development in Senegal and West Africa. Be patient, listen and follow Sonko! I don’t know if Sonko will run in the next presidential election or not but without Sonko as the chief policy guru in the next Senegalese government, forget about change and national development. There’s no politician and presidential candidate of the same intellectual prowess and preparedness as Sonko to lead the Senegalese government into change and the national development of Senegal. If the Sonko supporters fall for Macky’s political games like Khalifa did, Barth and now the Abdoulaye/Karim Wade political drums, they’ll regret it like the ones before who have fallen for Macky’s political skullduggery.
Macky cannot fool Sonko and the Sonko supporters should just wait, listen and follow Sonko. Don’t fall for Macky’s shallow political games, his term and mandate are running out soon. Sonko has already won the political battle in Senegal. Stay calm and focus and let Macky outwit himself.
I’ve seen some UDP supporters comparing Sonko’s political situation in Senegal to that of the UDP’s in The Gambia. And some of them accost me for supporting Sonko’s defiant political stance in Senegal while imploring on the UDP to attend President Barrow’s political dialogue call. Well, Sonko has a genuine political agenda for change and national development unlike the UDP. Sonko has the majority political support in Senegal unlike the UDP in The Gambia. Sonko is poised to win the next presidential election in Senegal. So I’m not that naive in politics to compare Sonko’s political situation in Senegal to that of the UDP in The Gambia. And Macky has gotten to the end of his term limits, why should Sonko talk to an expiring president? The political situation in The Gambia is different. The Sonko supporters just have to wait, listen and follow Sonko. Sonko has won the political battle in Senegal unlike the UDP in The Gambia. If you want to compare Sonko’s politics to that of the UDP in The Gambia, the UDP has to improve on its political performance and ideas for change and national development.
Source: The Standard Newspaper | Gambia
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