We were going through our Facebook feed and came across a post comparing Gambia to Senegal and asking Gambians to keep quiet whenever we meet Senegalese. We never knew it was written by one Momodou Njai, a name and picture bearing semblance with someone with a much regular presence in Gambian online media, especially when Yahya Jammeh was in power. We don’t know Momodou Njai. If this is the same Momodou Njai, who, at some point was believed to be the son of IEC’s Alieu Momar Njai, here is what he has written with the same name Momodou Njai:

“Some parts in Dakar you would think you’re in America. We have nothing on the Senegalese and should just keep quiet when we see them. They are progressing while we remain sleeping. Look at what our neighbors are doing and they are constantly building while we seem to engage in massive corruption and big talk. See how wide roads are meant to look like!!When will one part of Gambia look like this? It’s just sad that this is our reality. Yet we don’t want to learn from others. I didn’t walk or drive on a single street that was not paved or didn’t have a road. It so easy to know and feel that they have a vision. Nyaka ham bahut!! We should send every single person of those in charge of the affairs of our nation to visit Senegal. Perhaps many have already travelled there, but we are just wicked to our nation. Get your acts together and work for the interest of our small Gambia or vacate your offices. Chem!! What a shame that when we go to other nations we realize how wicked we are to ourselves. Those that can do the job are easily sidelined or given tough times just because they want to eat from them. This is unacceptable and unsustainable. We need to move along with other nations or just give our country to others to develop. Chey nyun. Ma korh wah..Bon sung borpa leng def, ak nyaka ham lu bakh leng def. Just sad and pathetic!! A country should have a vision and projection of where, when, and how it wants to get there. Get to work Gambia and stop sleeping! We also need to have some respect for ourselves because the process of getting into Dakar is painful, and the fact that our Dalasi currency is not even accepted for exchanging dalasi into xfa in Dakar thanks to our leaders which is an insult. Hope this motivates you to put your pride aside and get to work for the betterment of our future, and generations to come. Let’s do this!”

Here is our response:

Brother, please understand history first! France built Dakar, and for France. The rest of Senegal is like Gambia! Dakar is the capital city of French imperialism to date. Clauses in their colonial pact include:

Still paying colonial tax to France; saving their foreign reserve of billions in French coffers which they can’t access; import mainly French goods and services (count how many times you see Honda, Toyota, Benz, etc., in Dakar compared to Renault, Peugeot, etc.

French companies own much of Dakar. Even their ports authority is owned by Bolores, a French company. If Senegal is an inspiration, why are hundreds of thousands of Senegalese hustling in Gambia as if Gambia is their Germany, UK, or US?

Most importantly, Senegal still doesn’t have full independence from France. They aren’t allowed to tap their natural resources without consulting France. Please let’s look elsewhere, i.e, Singapore, Luxembourg, UAE, for inspiration.

Also, learn the French policy of assimilation in Dakar, which was an attempt to kill all African culture and civilization to replace it with French culture. Look at how many Senegalese act French, dress in suit and tie even in extremely hot sun. All their presidents married non-African women, except Macky.

The problem with Gambia is leadership! Like Singapore, let’s employ the MPH model (meritocracy, pragmatism, and honesty) by putting the best people, most qualified, and honest, in positions. And let’s adopt any good policy as long as it works!

P.S: I just realized that this post I’m responding to was made by Momodou Njai, someone I used to see in the media crusading for change in the Gambia when Jammeh was in power! Mr. Njai, I’m glad it’s you writing this.

By now, corruption in the Gambia, coupled with the fetid constitutional and leadership malaise is macabre, I’m sure you’re aware. If you really trust this post of yours and its veracity, please trust yourself and come for a debate with my humble self at forgambia radio or any platform of your choice.

Please you can read and prepare as best as you please, or bring along as many helpers as possible! A lot of Senegalese have been brainwashed so severely during the policy of assimilation. We salute Lat Dior, Sheikh Anta Diop, Aline Sitoe Diatta, and few other Senegalese citizens who stood up to the French.

Yes, it’s true Gambia has a long way to go. And with Adama Barrow, an even longer way to go. Mr. Momodou Njai used to write regularly about Gambian issues. But I’ve not seen the same effort since this new gov’t came to power. Why?

As we write this, there’s only one functional fire service truck for the entire Greater Banjul Area. And for the entire Western Division, from Brikama, Kartong, to Kalagi, only one fire truck in Brikama and one in Kanilai.

Mr. Njai, but Barrow has allocated D150,000.00 a day for his fish money. Most Gambians can’t afford fish anymore. Instead, Gambians are dying of both hunger and murder under tis Barrow. Dr. Samateh’s cell phone allowance alone is more than the salary of most teachers.

He is collecting D115,000.00 a month on allowances alone which is different from salary and other benefits. Barrow’s State House allowance of D663 million in Gambia’s budget is bigger than the country’s entire agriculture budget.

And just few days ago, Barrow’s gov’t granted a Senegalese fish processing plant to take over our Tanji fish market at the expense of poor Gambians. Can’t Barrow’s gov’t invest in that and allow the money to stay inside Gambia or even create employment for our hopeless youths?

Instead, he gave out electricity supply contract to Senelec and pays them D25 million when NWAEC could have been improved. Think how much wealth is being siphoned out of Gambia to Senegal, please!

When 35 million was deposited into First Lady’s account, they kept lying that they knew neither the depositor, nor the withdrawer, even in this age of electronic fund tracing. Few weeks later, the Chinese company that deposited the money was awarded a contract in The Gambia!

Tell me where in The Gambia you see women toiling with donkeys to fetch or pull water from the well, please! We do use wells in Th Gambia, but not with donkeys in an unusual poverty!

Please let’s stop the propaganda for Macky Sall. He and his brother still have to answer to the Senegalese about the billions of Dollars scandal with Frank Timis while there’s extreme poverty in Senegal for women to draw water from the ground using donkeys!