Barrow's cabinet reshuffle; the aftermath:

An utterly nauseating mutual consolation society will soon be formed on social media. Ndeysaan, wrong people are gonna be blamed for it.

You may want to get the popcorn, or go roll some weed, because it wouldn't be pretty. One must be incredibly very blind not to see the storm coming.

Well, it will be oddly fun to see those calling for a reshuffle couple weeks ago fuming because this one's a bit too close to home.

Another thing, feeling bad about a decision doesn't make it wrong. That terrible feeling that may want to second-guess the spine is usually the emotional effect.

Our young people aren't as choosy...

Most, if not all of us have been there, done that, dreamt, hoped, craved and occasionally wondered if the God abroad was more generous than the God ayard. But as soon as some of us travel or hit the big time, rather than being inspirations to many, we get all brusque, tweaking and embellishing our stories as if never-erred geniuses from birth, whilst trivialising the struggles of young people ayard.

By this, we confine them to despair, cause them to under-appreciate where they are, undervalue what they have at their disposal, and underrate what they can do with what they have at the moment. Eventually, in their heads, they create a situation in which no progress seem possible ayard.

I'm not denying the fact that you cannot climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets. But the way some of act as if to make it big, you gotta be that ultra-human, probably first in class from grade one to college type of person is a lie.

If success was the ultimate result of willingness to do difficult tasks, some people and projects get supported in this country will never make it beyond auditioning for Fools Got Talent, and some unconnected folks who our entrepreneurship openings don’t reach would’ve been tycoons.

A wise man once said that everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. Any fish, given the necessary appendage will take to the air. I’m quoting this as it relates to the often generalised youth-bashing I see on here. It annoys me, because I know better.

I find it incorrect when some of us associate this bread emergency to our youth feeling suited to desk jobs only. To me, the reason for that is because our education system lacks variety, because there’s very little regard for vocational and technical work.

I’m not gonna pretend to have done any employment survey or read any skills gap analysis report to authenticate my take. But, for what it’s worth, I can confirm that unlike prejudices held by some of us who’ve lost touch with realities on the ground, things have become so stiff ayard that our youth no longer have the luxury to be choosy as far as work is concerned.

It goes without saying that everywhere you go, even in mighty America, there are the lazy ones who feel too good to labour for their living. But, generally speaking, the number of young Gambians I see doing jobs that used to be alien-dominated, including owning bakeries, just like young ladies doing formerly male-dominated jobs deserve notice.

However, Napoleon believes that ability is nothing without opportunity. So they can only do as far as the opportunities presented permit.  And I am not saying that so young people can be too uncritically satisfied with the status quo. Rather, I want those saddled to create such opportunities to up their responsibility. May the good Lord lighten our individual burdens and better our conditions.

Those whose only tool is a wedge....

They say everyone is gifted. Some people never open their package. TRUE! As for the sycophants and jezebels, their only gift is a wedge. Since it’s a tool, be informed that they’re gonna use it to make you distrustful of the people you should trust the most.

If you're like, Mr. err… uhm… never mind!

If you’re the naïve type, or incredibly very (emotionally) stupid to believe everything they say, you'll start doubting motives and the loyalty of (even) those who've never given you reason to. That’s how they traffic and that’s how you’re gonna go down

Gambia, SSHFC Staff Protest...

They say you cannot make an omelet without breaking eggs and that’s true; but also, we need to overstand that anticipating a privilege can change one’s spending pattern, even one’s lifestyle, much less an age-long benefit. In view of that, grinding privileges like SSHFC's to a halt, even if it were the right thing to do, will rub many a beneficiary the wrong way, naturally.

So, even if the Social Security staff weren’t wronged as such, knowing how occasionally messy the process of managing change in a changing environment is, diffusing this situation requires that the authorities are sensitive in the way they handle matters.

For my part, I believe the staff would have made a better case if they stopped at exposing the alleged excesses of their MD and let the right authorities deal with the rot. But as it is, what the outsider sees are entitled members of staff and an outburst of unreasonable anger, which is an extra bullet for the MD.

Now, even if he were at fault, but smart and narcissistic, he can go anywhere and say: ‘you know what. If I have to, I will do it again. I cannot allow contributions that poor workers make into the system (in anticipation of benefits later on) be someone else’s osusu.”

Doing so, he’s going to get the support of the public and incidentally have his own sins absolved like it evidently is happening, because the show of uprightness that he parades is what we want to see in all heads of public institutions.

P.S. If you want to survive the cannibalism of this our crocodile age and you got no principles to safeguard, you gotta be a croc yourself: be ruthless, be acquisitive, be competitive, and look out for your own interest. Otherwise, use your intelligence, know your cannibal, work your plan, and avoid the fleas; good luck!  

Live and let the UDP live...

I woke up this morning, refreshed my browser and the first nasty-arse political post I saw motivated this:

Whichever way you want to interpret it, or wherever you think I belong, it's fine by me. I'm not some fool to blind his eyes pretending not to see what's happening, particularly by the NLF (National Lowlife Foundation) on social media.

I say if talking down to, or wishing to see everything go wrong for the UDP is your definition of having a nation to build, this nation is better off without your fervor, because you're so blinded you cannot see that the members of this coalition government who rate zero in my book, as far as producing or supporting any desired outcome is concerned, aren't even UDP.

But I guess I get it... that's us for you: bigotry towards everything and everyone reaching success but our own. I think it's the price the UDP is paying for being great, and more than probably why Talib enjoys some 'he-is-one-of-us' sort of clemency even though he's UDP.

The Gambia: the planned protest.

Maybe the rationale behind the protest is not just for the heck of palming off delusion upon the public. Maybe it represents the views of far more people than are actually declaring theirs on here. But you may not know that if rather than being inviting, you wanna beef with every supposed fence sitter, or all whose (careful) attention to the probable effects of the planned protest resembles support for the status quo.

Fact is: managing change in a changing environment is every change-seeker's job, and it isn't easy. Yes, fundamental rights shouldn't be given away, but one gotta overstand that this country had a hell of a history as far as street protests are concerned, and even though the history of violence and highhandedness was largely to the shame of the shitstem that was, it's natural that people are still hesitant. Once bitten, twice shy they say.

BUT, if you must protest because you feel it's a silver bullet, they say honey catches more flies than vinegar - honey metaphorically meaning tact... and because taunting one another advantages no one, you gotta use honey to enlighten, to let the hesitant appreciate that protesting is not like anyone should lose their breathing privileges. The goal is to enlighten and if reasonably done, many may come round eventually.

Don't say I didn't...

It's promising to see young Gambians evolve from a once painful desire to travel abroad at all cost (wanderlust or 'napseh' we call it) to an impulse to stand for something of greater good.

However, while every movement like that requires inspirational leadership, it needs some peers with prudence in regard to possible unpleasant consequences, and to try to put a proactive brake on the excesses; they aren't the "hypocrites."

You want to know the hypocrites, look no further than those borderline-inspirational adults who never saw your belief worth their while until now that it's easy and popular, some of whom were a part of the creation of this Montgomery 1963 out of a 21st Century Gambia.

These crocodiles will want to wheddle your impulse so hard and so much that even if there's nothing so dire, they'll cause you to see emergencies to warrant upset.

Watch this... if by your will you're heard, they'll say they're proud of you. "Now allow us to take it from here." But only to go and break bread with the very people that disgusted you, and gossip about you. Then you'd be like: "chaaa, Koto yi hijack nanj sunj victory bi rek."

Walk your own path...

You know you're not a kawuyeh (foolhardy) if you cannot be wheedled into (misguided) action, especially living amongst drama kings and queens who are willing to do for attention what (even) America wouldn't do for Iraqi oil.

See, once you're independent like that, say Glory Hallelujah and "don't touch the dial..." because it means none can influence your decision more than the power of your own volition.

Use your God-given common sense to determine what reason is acceptable motivation for action, then walk the path, your own path, because the only future you have with bad guidance is more misguidance, disappointments, regrets, and anger for allowing yourself to be played.

About Faraba still...

About Faraba:

I don't know if the National Assembly Select Committee on the Environment acted with adequate protocols. But knowing former IG Kinteh, having travelled and broken bread together, I know he's a decent human being. I expected nothing less.

However, his principles aside, here's what I think: if executive decisions are to be at the mercy of every culturally-confused yet entitled rogue on social media, we are screwed.

Seriously, an online community which, in size to the entire population, is just a drop in the ocean, albeit loud, calling the shots?? That's not so inclusive and it's scary.

This executive should realise that they wouldn’t take us far if they're to stop and throw stones at every dog that barks. Part of what it takes to lead is to know when to wipe the dust off your shoulders.

Gotta give it to them...

Seeing how Mo Bamba is being distinguished even before he sets his game in motion, Kevin Garnett reaching out and all, got me thinking like, really, the notion that America is the land of opportunity is indeed true. 

I see that kinda drive being followed in Senegal and it’s taking them far. They too are supplied with people who just wanna keep adding greatness to their brand - you know, people who when they see latent talent or potential, they just want to go out their way to bring it out or develop it.

See how to Dr. Youssou Ndour's credit for instance, and thanks to Bercy and TFM, many a talent from some origin was afforded platform and has now blossomed.

I’m not saying they do not envy; let me qualify that. Well, comparatively, I can say so, because here meanwhile, even our hangouts are livelier when it’s someone’s misfortune being discussed, especially someone who once was. Like: ‘he thought he was all that.’ ‘She never thought it’d come to this.’ ‘Gatt di, she's back. Now we are even!’ You know the: "if I can't have it, neither can you" BS.

I don’t know, hejjna deff nyu dabb, or maybe I should blame that too on our 22YO Dictatorship. But whatever the reason, unless we change ways, we can have Barack Obama as president, Vladimir Putin as his vice and Mother Theresa as minister for relational matters and still, this so-called smiling coast (deliberately lowercased) will remain a trying coast, because none can thrive on schadenfreude. Glad I said that.

Gambia, random thoughts:

One:

Until we subtract all dissimulations from our national conversation, our motto (Progress, Peace, Prosperity) will remain an error in belief.

Two:

If you agitate for the right thing to be done, whilst covertly wishing that it remains undone, so that you can say you knew it, when the right thing is done, you acknowledge that yeah, that’s the right thing right there, but scoffing at it still, because it’s not by your bidding, you’re a hypocrite.

Three:

If you wish to know what you do not know, true ‘ehwoo’ (awareness) demands that you first realise that you do not know, just like everyone is ignorant in some way. If you do not know and you think you know, or you act like you know, just to present yourself as current or elevate your social standing, you will remain badly informed, and very awkward consequences lie ahead of such.

Four:

And because of their (chronic) high-handedness, I fear that by the time our law enforcement agencies turn to serving, protecting and loving us as they should, we (the civilian community) would've turned to hating, for having had enough to make even the angels weep. But I hope not.

About Farababantang...

They say behind every hand stained with blood, there's another, but that’s by the way and probably just a saying.

Life is precious. That’s why when there’s loss, grounds regardless, it’s only right and decent that we identify with those who’ve lost, that we are sensitive in our dealings with them, and offer all the support appropriate to their condition.

Accordingly, and because I hate to bring politics into play to express judgment about rights and wrongs, I reserve my opinion on the issues being debated for fear that my (honest) observation may seem freakish or unintentionally hurt feelings.

May the departed souls, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. May we be imbued with the capacity to think and behave reasonably. May God grant us sincerity and sense of justice in our actions. May God cleanse our hearts from pretense. May God make us not mere knowers but also followers of truth, amen!    

what most borderline-educated people do:

Compromising one's conscience to downplay morality or to willfully excuse decadence in the name of open-mindedness is hypocrisy. In fact, the illest form of insincerity is the justification of wrongs just to look right.

It's OK to be different...

You cannot be a Zuckerberg, a James Bond, a Messi, a LeBron, or the moon and the stars all at the same time. Inner peace is achieved through contentment, and you cannot be contented if you spend your life competing with others. Free yourself from envy and disquietude by bringing yourself to terms with reality: that you're different, and it's OK to be you.

Envy motivates. It should. It's not weird…

Once you give off the smell of success, your presence will naturally intimidate those who were deluded to think that they're the cream of creation. And that upset will evoke envious feelings and reactions; hate more like.

Nicki Minaj posed: 'you wanna know what scares people?' She said 'Success.' She added: 'When you don't make moves and when you don't climb up the ladder, everybody loves you because you're not competition.'

Writing's telling...

If you want to know the writer, pay attention to the writings - pick up the WORD within the words. This art usually gives off the writer's just as it can evoke readers' emotions. It's one of those things you do and it ends up revealing a lot about your personality, and even quicker when you're arrogant, selfish, entitled or one who wants to be a part of every win.

GMB - The Faraba Incident

"If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable." - Louis D. Brandeis

Certainly, using live ammunition against unarmed protesters leading to the reported killing of two in Faraba (may their souls rest in peace) cannot count as respectable, if not blatantly callous, and sadly happening under a watch that's thought to be different. I hope it proves that it's different.