Friendship...

So your friend has not been in contact like ol’ times, you assume he’s changed, or has a new buddy perhaps, discounting the fact that you could be in the wrong. It could be that he’s genuinely caught up, but treasures you still. Maybe you’ve also not done great looking up. Maybe he’s just decided to outgrow some of what y’all had - anything’s possible.

You can’t be bothered, right? You won’t find out waguan because you too got some dignity to preserve (gaynula am faida). Yeah, you’ll be alright if you move on like that, but it means your ego’s successful, and now y’all have become so near yet so detached. Next, your thoughts become so divisive, splitting y’all further apart. Your feelings getting so bad that you stalk him to see what he’s up to, but getting offended by the things he did or didn't do.

Those who knew y’all to be so tight from way back will wonder what the hell happened. If in your heart you don’t even know what the problem is, then there’s prolly none. So you may for the sake of the memories you share do better and not wait until it's too late to say “yo, what’s up dawg? It’s been a minute.” It could make a lot of difference.

Random Thought...

If you're gonna be talking to or dating another, whilst talking to or dating another, do remember that ours is a very small world. All these ladies may not be friends as such, but dread, they know each other, and they talk, especially thanks to the miracle of social media.

Some socialist is just deceiving...

None so 'nahateh-ing' (deceiving), often resembling envy, uncharitable, and whose claims hardly reflect their conducts as today's internet-socialists and keyboard-Marxists; y'know, zero track record of sincere commitment to the call, acting all Robin Hood of the poor online, guilting the conscience of the privileged as if being blessed is evil, but in real life, as good as the Merchant of Venice yourself.

Sitting on a stash saved up just to say you have it, yet having the effrontery to delegate charitable kindness is not kindness. Talking about humnmankind's failure to share and how everything sucks like man's doomed, yet so meanly avaricious like you're alien yourself is not as socialist. Emotionally blackmailing others into giving to causes of your choosing, and contributing nothing to anything yourself is not conducive to the social equality that you're calling for; even so questionable is when you don't pay your debts, so much that you're Zakat-indebted.

Some Pan-African is just nagging...

If your sense of entitlement is beyond common sense, you’ll become a complainer. If you’re overly uncompromising, and always tending to revolt, you’re paving a way to misfortune, and these two according to me have been Africa’s biggest setbacks to date.

From when my granny was a baby, the African intellectual movement was chanting down so-called western imperialism and still no changes. In fact, half our political discourse is against the imperialist; the other half either on endless debates; the definition of independence perhaps, or celebrating some brutal tyrant, just because he said something against the west. Meanwhile, the rest of the world’s planning to leave for Mars. We are so academically flashy that even our ideas are conveyed with big grammar, so enmeshed, high-sounding, and so avoidably deep that we defeat the whole purpose of communication.

I’m in agreement that we have an awful history of being taken advantage of by foreign corporations and colonialists, but if we should speak from the bottom of our hearts, we’ll also agree that the well-educated amongst us haven’t done any better than committing fraud and poorly distributing our continental treasures. And these are the people we expect to help us to take a turn for the better.

Talking about poverty alleviation but helping just a few to game the system: create nicely titled imperialist-funded projects and lucrative-charities, rent big office spaces (usually from a friend or a friend of a friend), huge cars, unwarranted committees, regular seminars and workshops, endless study tours to the land of the imperialist (what an irony) - you read some financial statements and see what was actually paid towards intended purposes, you’ll want to box somebody's ears.

We talk about encouraging and strengthening bonds of solidarity between all people of African descent but it’s still easier and hassle free to travel to Brussels from The Gambia than to Burkina Faso. We talk about encouraging a common destiny when some of us here are offended and calling this ECOMIG transitory intervention of ours an invasion. We talk about unity when from AU Summits to our local community meetings, the concerns are so divisive that we cannot even agree to disagree.

Like Tupac, I agree that "it's time to fight back," if not overdue. But like he said, the misplaced hate will only cause disgrace to all races. So, if the old way isn’t working like he advised, and like I think it isn’t, it’s about time we change our line of attack - you know, build our own rather than wishing that the imperialist’s tears to pieces - that’ll be so envious. If the western media’s narrative is bias against us for instance, let’s be like Iran and create our own - that’s what clever people do when they feel badly treated. I thought I should say this today.

Our trade reforms...

Perhaps I'm being shortsighted for my own consumer interest, but honestly, I think the Government's loosening of some import restrictions is a wise thing, of course hoping that the quality of imported stuff wouldn't be comprised. In fact, I think the restrictions should remain lifted until local start-ups and industries are able to have the scale required to meet national demand, and to compete effectively. According to me, economic planning without regard for an already impoverished consumer is a sin.

Let me put it another way: I'm not an economist and not pretending to be one - and so not au fait with the jargons, the mathematics, theories, models and all. However, one thing I can confirm based on observation is that here, causing disincentives to imports have but just been good for businesses only, and the complacency more like leveraging the average consumer for the profit of a few unenterprising entrepreneurs.

Look at the controls on onions and flour for instance. During the embargo on these imports, some families altered their menus against their will, hardly ever cooking almost everyone's favourite Yassa - you know, personal budgetary jihad and all, because onions that are produced ayard have become luxuries, and the price for regular bread rose from three, to five, and to seven Dalasis in a very short span.

So speaking for myself, and as a consumer that is, if domestic produce/products are gonna remain as high-priced, on the argument that materials and packages are imported still; if they're gonna be as non-improving, as bare-minimum, and as insufficient to purpose, since the hotel industry's the primary target of many a local producer, I say give us choices or allow the consequential smuggling along the borders.

Lalo Kebba Drammeh paraphrased

"Mo ku teh dunia. Mo kendeh kuwo leh beh dunia." - Lalo Kebba Drammeh. Meaning: the world's not deficient in people; the world's just wanting in good people.

By that I guess good people are not equal to the purpose, as in more troublemakers than troubleshooters, more finger pointers than responsibility takers, more knowledge than wisdom, more takers than givers, more dream killers than hope givers, more idle talkers and alarmists than factual news reporters, more imitators and duplicators than originators, more fictions than facts, more disintegrators than integrators, more miserabilists than believers in hope, more ego-serving competitors than contributors, and on here more of an insane asylum than an online community, etc. Wow, sounds like the world's messed up already. Anyways, may we know the good ones, may we be them, may we raise them.

We hate to take responsibility...

Dude didn't have the best of grades in high school because he spent most of the time differently, and being caught up in that typical student syndrome of invariably deferring study timetables, thinking there's still time, or perhaps a couple weeks reading before exams was enough. He refused to go to college because he thought he was street smart. He knew he wouldn't get degreed but believed that he doesn't necessarily have to bag one to make it in life.

Today, though fairly endowed with a few talents, some jobs he cannot get because what they require is a degree that he doesn't have. Occasionally, he loses courage, but that's natural. However, his mental attitude's such that he doesn't shift blame. He's of the belief that if there's anyone whose decisions he's a consequence of, that person's none other than himself. So he accepted reality and pushes through like no amount of misguided history's gonna define him. It's not like he's much of a success yet, but he's trying.

If you ask me, his is no uncommon story round here. In fact, some of us were prolly even more reckless, but in denial. We hate to take responsibility. We'd rather we stay stuck at one place, feeling perfect in our own eyes and casting stones at others because playing victim or being a finger pointer for want of help that's only voluntary is convenient; whether it's empowering or even reasonable is what I doubt. I know we all know this to be true, but many would rather not say it lest blood pressures will rise like: "STFU, you're lucky it's been easy with you!"

The evil in people...

"If I can't have it, neither can you" - that mentality, you've it, bid progress farewell, because you'll rather you stay in the dark than see your way through using someone else’s light. I started paying attention to stiff-heartedness like that from when I was privileged to travel round country to audit, and how folks would rather they tell their own ndeysan (sorry) than ndokalaykou (congratulations).

I see folks pretend affection but deep down, they despise one another; bleed a benefactor dry, maliciously laugh at him for not being able to do the things he used to do for them, or pretend to like what they know he dislikes, just to make him mad, recounting blunders he never knew he made.

Nonentities will sit you down to give unsolicited hints, incriminating their own but acting like saints themselves, most if not all of which will turn out to be false alarms. I see some state their grudges outright like: "Mr Auditor, the way these people spend money here, dig." Me: Bomboclaat, I don't work for you! You check every blooclaat ledger and thing, seen! everything's copacetic. My friend, go clean up your dutty heart. Get a life dread. Maybe you'll someday be as lucky.

I see lowlives wearing Windbreakers and Number-shirts from 19 O'long, give up on life to turn envious local champions, usually disguised as if community development oriented, pestering struggling workers around them, like they can't see it's not as easy with those people too; their ladies fall for them, they get so jealous that they could delegate their area kids to cause those people trouble. The cool ones amongst them who would rather mind their businesses are said to be traitors or full of it.

Places like that, it takes one idiot to cook up a lie against a decent person and it spreads like epidemic. I see malnourished idiots who cannot afford Peak Milk spending their last on obeah, you know, overloaded jujus, on the arms, criss-crossed over the shoulders, and from waist to navel, pretending warrior and thing, yet they wonder why luck abandoned them. God doesn't deal with that. Mtcheew, my phone's reached its text limit!

Sometimes it's not dislike, it's misunderstanding...

Once I had this colleague that I thought I didn't like. I thought he was too uptight and very much a formalist, and I wasn't so ceremonious like that; you know, zero rapport with those kinda people. However, I respected his talent and recognised the fact that he was the best at his.

I figured he too seemed kinda cold towards me. So I thought there's a good chance he doesn't like me. Confessedly, it turned out that I was right, the feeling was mutual. Fast forward today, we are good friends. But it was after putting our egos aside that we realised that it's sometimes not dislike as such, ours was because we didn't make effort to overstand each other.

Politics isn't theology...

I'm not a career politician, I'm not pretending to be one, and I don't want to be one, but what I do know is that today, if you find a way between democracy and autocracy, take it, knowing that unlike theology, poitics or diplomacy cannot be completely disengaged from circumstances of which you and I may see as contemptuous of what is right.

So, if yours is issuing "Press Releases" to allay the often bratty tumult, and especially regarding a recent "official travel", be grateful. Where (from what) I come from, the only time the government holds a "brotherly invitation" or a "bilateral relation" hostage is when it's either too costly or not as beneficial a tune to the piper, but not because it's contrary to conscience, even if that was what we were caused to believe.

Some info is a need-to-know...

Like all people, I want to be in the know, because information is power, but I'm not too eager to know everything, and that's because even if I were, I cannot. So whenever I feel like I'm being placed on a need-to-know about something, I know I prolly don't need to know, simple. That's not just a military thing. Even in homes and workplaces, not everything's blueprinted for all to know, let alone a state.

So, me? I'm no fan of coverups, or lies to the public and all, but if not letting me in on something is to avoid unnecessary panic and outcry, or for collective interest and security, or just because it's none of my business, it's none of my business. Mozzie in White Collar said "there are many things of which a wise man might wish to be ignorant” and I couldn't say that any better.

Like or dislike, it's not just black and white...

We all have someone who doesn't like us, or at least think we have one. But trust me dread, sometimes, it's not dislike, just tough love, especially when you're fairly young. At first blush, that which was prolly intended to guide you against nonsense may seem harsh, but unless too late, you're more than likely to appreciate the priceless frankness as you grow.

Same way, not all who say: "yay, I'm soooo happy for you" is really soooo happy for you, and that too you'll realise with time, usually when the dishonest affection backfires and gets you thinking like: "what the hell! Is this one a friend or an enemy?" Whether you need an enemy with a friend like that is what I doubt.

What some pretended open-mind may tell you regardless, nobody likes a negative feedback. But once you're doing what you do, feedbacks, fair or biased will come your way; how you handle them is what makes all the difference. So unless you're imbued with the ability to identify malice and intent just like that, wise thing's to treat your guesses with careful attention to all probable effects, if you don't want to invent nonexistent enemies that is.

Independent not possessed...

Somewhere, if she graduated top of her class, gainfully employed, lives alone, doesn't drive crap, pays her own bills, talks with a posh accent perhaps, and her confidence up there, she's independent.

Round here, a she like that is said to be possessed, by some "farri jinneh" usually, like she needs help, exorcised preferably, because that's what we do when we don't overstand things, we fix them though unbroken.

Gambia, the politricks...

I have a political opinion, an empathetic confusion if you like, and is motivated by the "three-year-limit" debate trending on here: for my part, what some of the opinions I read are implying is as if President Barrow's presidency is just a short-term experiment, and I think that's unjust and so backhanded a thing.

I just want to ask: was the MoU's three-year provision conclusive; was it not just a planned period of play, meaning it could stretch to the statutory five when necessary? If not, and if the President resigns after year three to honour the agreement and hands over to a transitional head, wouldn't the remaining two years be the same Coalition Government still, or is it just about the man's person?

If you ask me, a Memorandum of Understanding deserves respect, I know that, but when ungrounded in logic and in logistics, or is fiscally constraining, it's only prudent to review/revise it. But that's perhaps why all the coalition partners are silent thus far. After all, and though fairly formal, it's just a gentlemen's agreement. I don't think it can be held as legally binding and as if it supercedes the constitution.

Today, what's upsetting is relative...

If you’re not too honest, especially about your views, you’ll offend people. If you’re honest, you’ll hurt somebody's feelings. If you talk too much, you’ll offend, if you keep your peace, you’ll upset someone somewhere. If you empathise with people, you’ll offend, and if you’re indifferent you’ll offend still.

You think it’d be nice to say hi, you’ll offend - “annoying” mostly. If you don’t, the ego comes to play, like: “see, he saw me; he was waiting for me to say hi.” So, do or don’t, good or bad, you’ll always upset someone somewhere. Good thing is - and because life’s too short for secondary worries, you reserve the right to do whatever you (lawfully) damn well please. 

It's not on your conscience...

When henchmen are busted, and fate as usual is about to give them a taste of their own medicine, it's not unusual for them to claim as if they're victims themselves, like their excesses were due to circumstances, or as if following orders against their will, more like "damned if they do, damned if they don't."

Too often, their stories will toy with your sense of empathy, and you may be tempted to emotionalise rather than rationalise their situation like: "mahn demako yehrem sah, ndeysaan!" If you ask me, it's not like you condone what they did, your emotions are because you're not an "it" like them; you're human.

However, or should I say the truth is: whatever may become of man is a consequence of the decisions he made, mostly. So whatever happens to whosoever chooses to be in a wicked man's world and to do evil for him, either to serve one's own ego, or because one's not as smart, and no matter how saddening one's case is, it's not on your conscience; it's a consequence of the bad choices one made.

Raba raba could've been honourable...

Raba-raba is an honourable grind, that's why I don't call it a hustle. However, the reason why there's usually very little baraka in the returns is because many a marketeer is not honest. I'm into the trade myself, and I know that buying stuff from our type of market is usually as is, but it's only decent to say what's in what you're selling, y'know, fumor banj and all.

For instance, if you know the cells of the car battery that you're selling are dead, the smartphone overheats or the network dances a sehwoorba, the laptop stops or restarts at intervals, the wrist watch is quarter to kamach, etc. and you con the buyer into buying anyways, by manipulating the presales tests that is, trust me dread, the gains thereof may last, but only longer than an orgasm perhaps.

Screw red tapes...

See, environmentally specific and culturally friendly systems are easy enough to obey, because they’re practical. Unlike those typical “this is how the Babylonian consultant said it should be done” type of guidelines. I find that so unimaginative and lacking independent intelligent judgement. I REPEAT: reasonable rules will reduce excessive bureaucracies that are often in conflict with intended purposes, poorly paginated and inconsistently formatted forms. But that’s because most of them are borrowed and not fully digested yet.

LET ME THREE-PEAT: reasonable rules are less unnerving, hence speed up processes and save cost - you know, economical, effective and efficient if you like. You don’t have to do any resource draining feasibility study, or hold tons of stakeholders, steering and validating committee meetings when all you need is to fix a public toilet in Abuko.

In our part of the world however, the maze of borrowed rules and especially of public procurements are such that you can hardly do anything without breaking a rule - more of a hindrance so to speak. Perhaps why a government agency can buy for 10 million what her private corporate counterpart will get for 2 million, because the latter doesn’t have to follow the fifty-ten step process.

I wish our own procurement authority will read this, because they need to up their game. Sometimes I believe we were in better health when we had the Major and Minor Tender Boards at the Finance Ministry. Today, you want to buy a pack of copier papers for D500, you are caused to fill an average of twenty-ten sheets, including but not limited to a Record of Single-Source Procurement, a Requisition, a Payment Authorisation, a Petty Contract or a Local Purchase Order Form, and you’re also caused to buy from a registered supplier, half of who have their businesses in their briefcases, else you’re said to be non-compliant - sounds like non con-able to me.

Hope...

Survival they say is not a fair fight. Sometimes all you need is hope, but that’s because all you got is hope. Hope that whatever you’re going through is just temporary - that from once you’re doing your bit, change will follow and you'll go places. I have been doing that from when I was little, and I won’t stop because if I do, I’m losing hope and that’s like losing everything.

From as early as when Fatou Laobé released “L’an 2000,” there was never a year that I didn’t boldly declare as my last being broke. In fact, in my head, I had choices - the typa cars I’ll purchase, the crib I’ll own, the places I’ll visit, and all that. Well, Decembers come and go, I’m still broke, but I’m still hoping.

Myself, my hopes have always been my companions in thought, and I can confirm that nothing’s as encouraging. Today, tell folks where you picture yourself a moment from now and they’ll callously laugh. Some will say you're delusional, or you should just shush and quit lying to yourself. But they say even if the shore is out of sight, keep swimming.

Be a flower and blossom...

Beautiful flowers bloom in the dark - most of them. You just wake up in the morning and see the buds expanded like wow, OMG, amazing!

But like such flowers, you're gonna be faced with challenges, a lot of them, and it's gonna get so, so gloomy, sometimes. Just be patient and remember that most beautiful flowers bloom from gloom.

When things change, conspiracy nutjobs who do not know your story, don't know a thing about your grind, nor your struggles will hypothesise, often negatively like, can't they just be happy for you. I say if the lies will make them sleep better at night, let them and move on.

Evolution of a monster...

Whosoever feels no sorrow and shows no regret for wrongdoing is a very dangerous creature, and such a person's progression of change to a full-fledged monster is as follows:

First rung is a single BS (Bullshit), and rather than coming clean, repenting or making amends, the doer will rather go to the next rung: MS (More shit), that is in an attempt to conceal the other shit. Soon shit becomes unmanageable, hence the third rung: PhD (Piling higher and deeper).

Like all shitbaggery, it's emotionally wounding to be at the receiving end, but it doesn't endure. It usually takes one straw to stir the pile and soon all noses will be turned up like eww, chum lakat, and I hope all such monsters will get their just deserts in the end.

If you love compliments, accept criticisms too...

Sincere compliments can whet anyone's appetite and that's natural. But how many of us are imbued with the spirit of dealing with constructive criticisms is what's few, and that's perhaps one reason why servile flattery, insincerity, and sycophancy is rife round here, and why any who sets aside all personal proclivities to state the facts is likely to awaken all hidden sensitivities.

When folks believe they're entitled, and they ask for your take on it, you tell them your mind like it is, no benkeh nyenkeh, it doesn't float their boat, though well-intentioned, and even if it's what they require to improve, you're often said to be envious, or you're being a hypocrite. Now be me and remain in your cool and you're enyaan still. But that's none of my business. What baffles me is: why ask what I think if you know you're not open to an unappealing though candid feeback; can't you see you can't unring a bell?

Is it politics over humanness?

To God and Nabi, I don't know why some of these supporters of the ex government that shall never be known by anything other than terrible are still prowling around as if relevant, stubbornly conspiring to create discord within, and driving the wedge deeper, like they're glad to be accessories to all these wickedness, extreme criminality and cruelty being unveiled of theirs by the day.

Really, after everything I have seen and heard so far, I'm heartbroken and can't believe that it's taking some forever to come round, and as if politics is more important to them than their humanness. But then if they go far, I will blame us, especially the pseudo-democrats amongst us. Ndik saisai su yabbeh ponkal si doxin wa la.

If despite being proponents of this New Gambia, we keep nursing every invented and highly divisive issue, rather than counting our blessings and making sure that we don't lose it, and as if we are bored already and can't wait to bring about its downfall, we are not only saying a prayer to the devil, but also aiding the disgruntled remnants of what was and that's so dangerous.