The Civic Scribe: Articles & Poems

BANJUL, The Gambia – Imagine a nation blessed with sun-drenched beaches, a vibrant river artery, and resilient people. Now imagine that nation systematically bled dry for six decades by its own leaders. This is The Gambia’s reality since independence in 1965. Corruption isn’t merely a problem; it has been the defining operating system of successive regimes, each leaving its own distinct, corrosive mark on the smallest nation on mainland Africa. Understanding this continuum is crucial, not just for Gambians demanding justice, but for any nation wrestling with the legacy of kleptocracy.

Sir Dawda Jawara (1965-1994): The Gentle Erosion

Jawara’s era is often nostalgically recalled as a time of relative stability and democracy. Yet, beneath the surface of his “gentle giant” persona, corruption took root. This was not the brazen looting of later years, but a pervasive “politics of patronage.” Jawara’s People’s Progressive Party (PPP) maintained power through a network of favors, nepotism, and the quiet siphoning of state resources. Government contracts, licenses, and jobs flowed to loyalists. State-owned enterprises became fiefdoms of inefficiency and graft. While Jawara himself may not have amassed vast personal wealth ostentatiously, his tolerance of systemic patronage politics laid the foundation. Institutions meant to provide checks and balances – the civil service, judiciary, parliament – were gradually weakened, normalized to the idea that access and loyalty trumped merit and law. The cost? Stunted development, misallocated resources, and a burgeoning culture of impunity where small-scale corruption became endemic.

Yahya Jammeh (1994-2017): The Brutal Kleptocracy

The 1994 coup promised to cleanse Jawara’s “rotten system.” Instead, Jammeh erected a kleptocracy fused with terror. Corruption wasn’t just tolerated; it was the regime’s engine. Jammeh and his inner circle operated like a criminal syndicate masquerading as a government. State coffers were treated as personal bank accounts. Millions vanished from central bank reserves, state enterprises, and phantom projects. Extortion became policy: businesses faced arbitrary “taxes,” land was seized from citizens, and even basic services required bribes. Jammeh’s infamous “presidential initiatives” (farming, medicine, etc.) were vast, opaque slush funds used to reward loyalty and launder money. Fear was the ultimate enforcer. Dissent meant torture, disappearance, or death. The Janneh Commission, established after his 2017 ouster, documented staggering theft – over $1 billion USD allegedly siphoned, including $50 million in cash alone from Jammeh’s private residence. The human cost was catastrophic: clinics lacked medicines bought with stolen funds, schools crumbled, infrastructure decayed, and a generation lived in fear and economic despair.

Adama Barrow (2017-Present): The Fragile Fightback

Barrow’s victory, backed by a historic coalition, ignited hopes for a “New Gambia.” The initial steps were promising: the Janneh Commission exposed Jammeh’s looting, key institutions saw reforms, and new anti-corruption bodies like the Gambia Anti-Corruption Commission (GACC) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) were empowered. Laws like the Anti-Corruption Act 2012 (amended) and the Asset Recovery Act 2019 provided tools. Civil society and media experienced a renaissance, fiercely scrutinizing power.

However, the rot runs deep, and the fightback is faltering. While Jammeh-era prosecutions inch forward, progress is agonizingly slow. High-profile figures implicated in past or even current graft often seem to enjoy impunity. Barrow’s own administration has been rocked by significant scandals – questionable mining deals, procurement irregularities, allegations of influence peddling. The GACC, while active in investigating lower and mid-level officials, faces immense political pressure and resource constraints when targeting the powerful. The perception is growing that “business as usual” is creeping back, albeit less brutally than under Jammeh. Patronage networks are reforming. The sheer scale of Jammeh’s theft and the institutional decay he left behind make rebuilding extraordinarily difficult. International partners, crucial for support, grow impatient with the pace of reform.

The Crushing Weight on Gambians

The impact of this sixty-year plunder is etched into every facet of Gambian life:

• Stagnant Development: Vital funds for roads, clean water, electricity, and education vanish. The Gambia remains desperately poor, reliant on remittances and aid.
• Eroded Public Services: Doctors lack supplies, teachers go unpaid, courts are backlogged. Citizens pay bribes for basic care or justice.
• Economic Suffocation: Legitimate businesses struggle against a tide of cronyism and extortion. Youth unemployment soars, fueling the dangerous “backway” migration to Europe.
• Deep Distrust: Decades of betrayal have shattered public trust in government and institutions. Cynicism and apathy threaten democratic participation.
• Human Cost: Poverty, preventable disease, and lack of opportunity are the direct results of stolen billions. Dreams are deferred; lives are shortened.

The Long Road to Eradication

Eradicating six decades of systemic corruption requires more than commissions and new laws. It demands:

1. Unwavering Political Will: Barrow’s government must demonstrate zero tolerance, starting at the top. Investigations and prosecutions of high-level corruption, regardless of political affiliation, must be pursued rigorously and transparently.
2. Empowered & Independent Institutions: The GACC, NHRC, Judiciary, and Auditor General need guaranteed funding, true operational independence, and protection from political interference.
3. Robust Asset Recovery: Aggressively pursuing Jammeh’s stolen billions and other illicit assets abroad is vital for both justice and national coffers. Selling such assets should be transparent and according to government standards.
4. Strengthened Civic Space: Protecting and empowering media, civil society, and whistleblowers is non-negotiable for sustained scrutiny.
5. Systemic Reform: Overhauling procurement, land management, and the civil service to embed transparency and accountability is essential to break old patterns.
6. International Support: Continued pressure and targeted assistance from partners like the US, EU, and international financial institutions are crucial, but must be conditioned on genuine reform progress.

The Gambia stands at a precipice. The initial hope of the “New Gambia” risks being extinguished by the stubborn embers of old habits. The choices made now – by the government, civil society, and the international community – will determine whether this resilient nation finally escapes the shadow of the stolen state, or succumbs once more to the corrosive legacy of six decades of graft. The Gambian people, who have endured so much, deserve nothing less than a government that serves them, not itself. The world should be watching, and supporting, their arduous climb towards integrity.