Zakaria Kemo Konteh Gambian residing in the United States
By: Zakaria Kemo Konteh- USA
Our religious and cultural values place higher premiums on reverence for elderly and leaders of our community. This becomes more nuanced when matters relating to the head of state are involved. The stakes are significantly higher because we are dealing with the occupant of the highest institution of our country, which comes with prestige, respect, and honor.
But, since running afoul of UDP and even before that became official, President Barrow has reduced the institution of the presidency to unimaginable circus of banter, pettiness and mudslinging. He has personally deployed and, in many instances, directed or sanctioned unrelenting,vicious personal attacks on Ousainou Darboe and UDP through his many supporters and sycophants from or on State House grounds. These attacks become even lounder and more deafening further afield in taxpayer-funded Meet the People tours and other official engagements. Using the presidential megaphone and leaning into his own insecurities and bullying tactics, President Barrow has repeatedly engaged in behaviors that are, to put it mildly, borderline juvenile, diminishing the respect, clout and honor of his Office.
With human natural tendency to defend themselves and counteract when attacked or pushed to the corner, I can understand why Ebrima Dibba and others resorted to giving President Barrow the taste of his own medicine even while I disagree with their tones and employment of such colorful language. In fact, he hasn’t said anything that unruly supporters of the president haven’t directed at Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, UDP, and other opposition. President Barrow is our president and head of state, but Ousainou Darboe is also the leader of the largest opposition political party, elder stateman, and father figure to many. Things can get pretty personal, pretty quickly, when he is publicly disrespected.
And for Gambia Police Force to jump on and arrest anyone who may have verbally offended the president – elevating Barrow above and over every harsh criticism and shielding him from people who have endured his routine insults – is at least a lousy police work and, at best, a despicable weaponization of law enforcement instruments to silence, intimidate and harass opposition. This is utterly unacceptable and must stop.
Thus, as a country and people, we must all strive to bring in civility and decorum in our body politics; sharply disagree on policy angles and take our government officials and politicians to task. But this objective is next to impossible when the president, who is supposed to set the tone for civility, mature discussion, and responsible criticisms, is found to be the one instigating the opposite.
It is my hope that President Barrow will find wisdom in the power of presidency and set meaningful examples for the rest of the country. He should cease and desist from utterances that are inflammatory, divisive, and outright insulting. He should embody unity, peace, tolerance, and development. He should immediately institute these course correction measures, let Ebrima Dibba and others go and, ultimately, abandon his ambitious but destructive third term bid.