How Many Privileged Oriented Laws Are in Your Country?

Our mainstream Media houses in and beyond Africa are hereby given an assignment to give others assignments for better laws , better country, continent, and world. It can be an open assignment for every citizen, but I am tasking our media houses to directly engage such assignment to all the political parties with smart timing to avoid cheating. So contact them and have a submission date, then publish without allowing any form of plagiarism. Beside political parties, all universities, colleges, and even high schools can be directly engaged in the assignment ; responds from all political parties and a specified selected minimum of responds from each school be also published; plus possible prizes where companies choose to sponsor this essential national debate. It will be vital to define the different types of laws and how to spot privilege oriented laws, contrast their claimed purpose versus actual purpose, and versus effects; then write the possible advantages and disadvantages of the laws, plus how it should be changed or totally stopped. I will write an example and give more details on how we can diversify the responds, later.

I consider ‘meet the farmers tour ‘ as the worst privilege law in the Gambia, mandated by our questionable constitution since president Dawda Jawara. Since privilege are hardly given up by those who benefit from it, president Yahya Jammeh retained the law in our next to present constitution; president Adama Barrow also retained the law and He can change the law through Parliament, to the best of my knowledge. Few Gambians have lamented about this particular law, but no political party ever made attempt to change the law, so we cannot blame it all on the ruling parties or the dead president who started it. Life is like a relay and the country/world or baton is now entrusted to us to improve it. In 2017, Foroyaa of PDOIS , a political party in the Gambia actually urged president Barrow to perform the constitutional duties of ‘meet the farmers tour’ . I think it was an irresponsible urge by PDOIS, Foroyaa, and/or Halifa Sallah, because bad laws should be changed, not enforced or performed. For those who do not know, President Adama Barrow came to Power in late 2016/2017 and the financial situation of the Gambia was very bad and perhaps contributed to why he was not keen on the expensive tour he understood as political and elections were far… The silence or echo by other opposition parties reiterate my take that they and many of us are similarly guilty or not doing enough.

This annual ‘meet the farmers’ tour is too expensive for all tax payers, ever inefficient, ever political, outdated in its limited good, and directly costly to the very farmers they claim to care about.

How expensive: I must admit I am too lazy to investigate how much each tour cost since its inception, every five years, every administration, total to date, etc. However, we can do very reasonable estimations and task our investigative journalists to list the cost in the mentioned. The movement of a Gambian president even ten kilometres can directly cost us about tens of thousands of dollars, so touring a whole nation can directly cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars or millions, and remember this is a poor country with annual budget of around three Billion dollars now and lot less before. The fleet of cars must be fuelled, hundreds or thousands of staff paid to move, damage to vehicles, security cost, hired entertainment material and dancers+, etc are the direct cost. The indirect cost can include traffic disruption against workers and business folks who are not attending meetings; the time some farmers took off for preparation and actual meeting, the extra food and xyz locals contribute, the time the president and others could have served in better ways, etc.

Claimed intentions versus actual effects: Politicians are very crafty everywhere, so they will always forward a purpose that the naive may buy. A president going to meet the people to hear from them and learn about their needs and wants is indeed noble from a distance. However, do we honestly need a president to tour a whole nation annually? Is physical tour by a president the most efficient way of gathering information in our age? What portion or percentage of the tour is political ? Does the tour help the farmers in which specific ways and is their better ways to help them?

So I seriously think President Barrow and all Gambians should try to end this law to help Gambians in much better ways. I think even if President Jawara was raised from death , he may agree this law was ever questionable, but lot more questionable in our age. We have Television+ for president Barrow to annually address Farmers. He can take hourly video calls for one month from farmers and their farms… We had very weak agricultural government workers then and/or now, but we can buy body cameras for workers and perhaps even some farmers to forward to the Agricultural department and special website or WhatsApp number, etc.

Limited good: Since the Quran admit even ‘alcohol has some good, but the evil outweighs’; then I have no problem in admitting the tour may have limited good like those who sell them fuel or meat to eat may think I hate them until they hear or see where we can shift the money.

Let’s say this one privilege law cost the Gambia government thirty or xyz million dollars since inception, debating how and where that money could have helped is legitimate and relatively useless. Understanding, the law can cost us five or xyz million dollars within the next five years, then where does each political party, student, or myself recommend us to spend that money? I think building exemplary preventive health centers in every district will help us lot more, including the farmers. By creating very physically fit farmers, they will work harder with less fatigue and more productivity than hearing a president or seeing him smile yearly. Again, it is to kick start it as business and private business folks will then open lot more across the country, just as private curative health centers and pharmacies are popping up. That is Shifting the funds.

Sitting presidents have undeniable advantage, because they have a right to campaign and the state must guard and support that tour, at least partially. If they do not see that as tolerable privilege, then they may create intolerable privilege laws in greed. Since Barrow is hopefully in his last term, it is very important to pressure him to use his conscience and try to end the law ASAP. By pressuring political parties to list all what they deem questionable privilege oriented laws and give their reasons, we can better remind them if they or someone sits. The worst of them may refuse to participate in this national dialogue, but if we have our high school to university students seriously read and write about even ten privilege laws in every country, then you, myself, and who else may learn from such writings? Our collective learning will help us to confront wrongs and scare politicians from enacting or supporting privilege oriented laws for themselves or groups they value against others. May the Lord bless us through Showlove Trinity: Let’s learn, let’s work, let’s have fun.

By Jarga Kebba Gigo

An Activist and Transformer.

Optional note:

Privilege laws exist in many countries, beyond the Gambia. So I truly recommend sending this assignment to all media houses in and beyond Africa. Stephen Harper, A prime minister of Canada , once tried to enact a privilege law called ‘preventive arrest’. The name sounds so caring, but it literally meant He would have had the power to arrest anyone on so called suspicion of terrorism. Sometimes privilege laws can be to groups like LGBTQ, women, etc as protection, but the effects can be much more vital than the claimed intentions.

Detailing by the media houses and or the professors may greatly help. For example, the students may be too lazy to read the whole constitution and other laws. The professors of even law studies may have never thought about it or fear political repercussion if they initiate such assignment in government schools. However, if media houses present it as national dialogue or competition, then many professors or teachers may not fear. The lecturers of law, English, History, Civics (government), political science, etc can read the law books, pinpoint potential privilege laws to assign students to list or grade them from worst to bad as first part of the assignment . So the university of the Gambia may list thirty privilege oriented laws; St Augustine High (senior) School may list only ten laws they deem privilege oriented laws; similarly different political parties may see differently. Each student will first do their grading from a random pinpoint list, then the teachers will gauge which laws students deem much worst… Every student will then be assigned to write two papers: first paper on the one they deem worst; second paper on the one that falls on the month or date of birth of the student corresponding to the graded school list, not student list. For example, if the student was born in December and number 12 on the school list is stopping traffic for president and vice president, then the student will write on that (December for 12), or 20 December will mean number 20 on a list of thirty identified privilege laws. The teachers can twist it well, so that we have a paper on every identified privilege law. Do not allow the students to choose their second paper or based on their personal list, or they may put their second favorite to correspond to their dates of birth. After they submit a rough number based grading and the average of the school list is re-oriented , then you assign the second paper . Although each professor reading all is best, they may divide the law books and if three professors read book one separately, the ones they identified can be debated within themselves before students finish the work. Then other professors can read book two to xyz…

Again, it is very vital for every political party to know our laws, ponder on them, and see how to adjust them. I have repeatedly said nation building must include how to create great opposition parties, not just any opposition parties. You should penalise political parties who refuse participation in such, including refusing non essential coverage of non-complying parties. They should be held accountable even as opposition parties and people have the right to know what they think about our laws, not just vague manifesto. Of course this is just one direct engagement and recommending other engagements personal rights laws, crimes between creatures laws, where to raise or reduce gap of recommended punishment, etc.

Optional note 2:

Which opposition party in the Gambia, Ghana, Senegal, or xyz was the first opposition party to sponsor a Bill (law), successfully and unsuccessfully? Too lazy to even try or initiate, or which party does not have qualified lawyers to sacrifice time or ask its followers to crowd fund a bill they believe in? Which opposition party have the most and least sponsored bills now and in the next five years? To avoid quantity race that is presently at zero for most African opposition parties, which opposition parties have the most effective laws and in what category of laws? Which parties enact the most laws on crimes between creatures, infringing against personal rights versus protecting personal rights , etc? Which Gambian or xyz opposition party will be the first to have one or two term limits as head of party to avoid personalising parties before personalising countries? These and other important questions are vital for better politics and history in each country, Africa, and world at large. Excuses like they won’t support our bills as minority is not acceptable. The number of bills you support or against on what grounds matter, but initiating bills and adjusting laws to suit our time matters.

A bad law is initiated In the Gambia or xyz by who in fear, greed, or arrogance? These are the primarily guilty ones. Who support the laws or refuse to fight it until ? These are the secondarily guilty ones. Who will ever urge to end bad laws by when and why or how? These are the forerunners, whether they succeeded or not in changing the laws. Who will support each other until the willing Lord make them change the law happily or as resort choice? The people of the right and even people of the left are known through times…

I am not personally against anyone or party, especially in our small Gambia. Despite my strong criticism against Jawara, he is in many ways my GrandPa in not very close or distant relationship. Beside our blood relationship, our national and human relationship are all vital, but the greatest favor I can do for him is appreciating the good he left and confronting the evil he left, for him, present, and future Gambians. If his soul is in hell , then reducing his continuing sins may reduce his hell towards heaven; if his soul is in heaven, then still reducing his initiated sins may raise his heavenly status, and who wouldn’t want good for the person who was the president when I was born, and happens to be a relative? His generation were supposed to ‘exhort each other to Truth’ on everything, including this questionable tour. My other blood Grandpa Alagie Abou Khan was a highly respectable chief of Jokadu and he has lost lot of personal Money through this annual tour, sponsoring cows+. Of course, he was a chief and enjoyed some privileges too; similarly we do not know where his soul is and I have largely good memories of him and will love to raise his status, his and others’ association with this tour cannot be highly positive. If there is one to few people I can save among the death, it will have to be my relatives. One of the vivid memories with him was when I did the wrong of dropping lot of food while eating with him; he said, ‘pa kebba look at this, pa kebba look at this, pa kebba look at this, in his limited English; and the elders around him laughed and said since is his grand child, he spared him, but would have hit us. He was known to be a tough leader for largely good reasons and Jawara was known to be a soft leader for questionable kindness . The lessons of this event with Chief Abou Khan is not just grandpa- grandchild effect, but understanding I was young and he at least point out my wrong. My crime was understandable and may the Kind God forgive him his mistakes as he invited me food and spared me punishment.

The best thing Adama Barrow can do for Jawara is not endlessly praise him in adoration or to get the votes of up to his present supporters, but to run the relay race in better ways. Although I am not directly blood related to Adama Barrow to the best of my knowledge, but we knew each other when we were in school and living in a five minute walk neighbourhood. Beyond that, we lived together in the same compound years after. Of course, he is older than even my blood brother, who he happens to be close friend with. Then God chose him to kick out censor mongering Yahya Jammeh for all of us. All these things can only mean I have all the reasons to love Adama Barrow, but if love means let’s learn+, and if ch.103 demands to ‘ exhort each other to Truth ‘, then I want to be the most truthful one in his presence and absence. I am strongly urging you Mr. President to end this law and every questionable law you inherited… I have repeatedly told you to stop measuring yourself with lower leaders in our country or even Africa, but try to be as conscientious as you want to be the best president or person in the world. I may not have the sweetest words for you, but I try to urge you the best I know and eager to rightfully defend you. My taxes to your government may be low, but my suggestions are among the best around the world, not just Africa. Not one of your paid advisors is more truthful or kind than me to you, the nation, or humankind. I however prefer conscience over my own raw desires, and this is why I care little about your raw desires or adjustable reputation. I want to raise our collective character or be a witness against open wrongs.

Optional note 3:

Although a strong urge for 100% mass literacy is best, we should consider having our constitution and other laws in audio local languages. Our comedians are mainly illiterates or do prefer local languages. We should equally engage our entertainers on and beyond this issue. Rename the tour in comedies: call it ‘go fool the farmers tour ‘, ‘go promise and brag tour’, ‘collect the votes tour’, ‘ let’s misuse tax payers tour’, ‘ass shaking tour’, ‘pollute the environment tour’, etc. Just try to be largely truthful, because slightly disrespectful words to end evil actions is understandable. Tell them God will pay and you will look for companies to sponsor awards for non journalists, professors, comedians, etc who contribute to significant changes. Wouldn’t you want to improve our comedy+, to have law and policy related jokes than personal or misspoken words? Make songs about it until such laws are gone and we try to live in much better ways. May God forgive us and bless every second we try to end questionable ways, especially laws.

Hello black+ folks, we want to make a privilege law where you become slaves or second class citizens. It is life, don’t you see God make us white, Arab, or xyz and you black? Every thing was predestined, including evil choices, according to even questionable black folks. Leaders and laws should be worshipped, not questioned even where wrong? Don’t you read how Moses (pbuh) was told, ‘speak respectfully to Pharaoh, perhaps he may learn ‘; yes! Speak respectfully can be exaggerated to mean do not speak up if Jammeh, Barrow, Crown Prince Do wrong? You see Jarga, you are not wise, you should be a toady to Barrow, perhaps he may give you those big envelopes of cash he reportedly give to praise singers or xyz. You are qualified for many things even as stranger, and he happens to know you? He may even give you a job and let you stay with him in the state house and eat meat everyday, travel around the world, enjoy… What! You are a vegetarian and you see how big Barrow is, if he knocks you out with his big belly or fist, then I wonder who will help you? Don’t you know Adama Barrow have first class gym , paid by the farmers+, his ministers have similar facilities as privilege or paid enough for such, and you want him to care about gym+ for farmers instead of tour of words? Your God does not care about you much, or why are you so poor, and sometimes cannot even access a gym in your poor villages you are too attached to? May be Adama Barrow or the new Nigerian president should help you with a home and gym, to shut you up?

Beside a strong focus on the present administration, it is vital for entertainers to include words , silence or imaginary words of other politicians on issues they should speak on, or best act on. The way I point to PDOIS wrong urge can be smartly put in comedy. They may argue Foroyaa and PDOIS are different, but do they take credit where Foroyaa is right?

Gambian politicians are so caring to the farmers, you do not know American, Ukrainian, or xyz presidents tour annually or monthly to their farmers to help supply fertiliser and food to Europe and Africa? Once the questionable farmers see the president, they feel like marijuana vapor is poured on them, they smile, and even forget those who died through malnutrition? Care! Is vague, subjective, and so good. Our lawmakers come tour us annually or every few months. Actually some come to even our naming ceremonies, so we don’t care if they ignore changing bad laws or refuse to initiate new good laws. We do not care if they refuse to tell us hemp farming is free fertiliser or reduces the need, as long as they loan us fertiliser and our children risk their lives for us, all is good? No! Indeed we are a guilty nation, at least partially, so let who so ever will repent and urge where need be. No country is perfect, but are we equally guilty within and between countries? Life is a distinctive test from collective tests, so God knows the most conscientious ones in the Gambia, from mindsets, words, and actions. Try to save yourself and whom you can, we are very lucky to have certain knowledge reach us. So sharing truth is certainly worth more than atom’s weight.

Knowing some may convince you to have the tour every two or three years, I remind you a sitting president will have occasional visits and a re-election tour unless we have the one -term limit I long advocated. God has standards we should strive to meet. Even the laws of religion are not to be worshipped, let alone man made laws. Conscientious laws matter and you are reminded to be cautious of what you are entrusted with, be humble in deep consideration. Leadership is a test, not just a privilege to abuse. Every law you initiated, followed, ended, adjusted is a choice to be judged from intentions to effects. So focus on building your next life and know that sins between creatures are not one to one, but may be multiplied by ten , hundred, or millions. Wasting million dollars against malnourished people can hunt you more than you may imagine.

Today, you may be more guilty than Jawara and Jammeh on this particular law , and you know I care for you in very deep sense. Change and urge your fellow presidents around the world to improve immensely.