By Mr A. Bojang: CEO, Kabboumb Volunteers Foundation
BISMILLAHI RAHMANIR RAHIM
ALLHAMDULILAHI RAHBIL ALLAHMIN
ALLHAMDULILAHI RAHBIL ALLAHMIN
ALLHAMDULILAHI RAHBIL ALLAHMIN
CHIEF OF DEFENSE STAFF, OFFICERS, GUESTS OF HONOUR, MEMBERS AND EXECUTIVES OF THE INTAKE 29 ALPHA SOLIDARITY ASSOCIATION, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. ALL OTHER PROTOCOLS DULY AND RESPECTFULLY OBSERVED. I SAY ASSALAMUALAIKUM WARAHMAHTULLAHI WABARAKATHOU TO YOU ALL!
This morning, I stand before you to give a short speech captioned the Gambia owes you! YES! You heard me right. The Republic of the Gambia owes you all.
You all have been and still in absolute solidarity with the Republic of the Gambia. You all with passion, commitment, patriotism and valor voluntarily laid your young, healthy lives for the nation at all given times and conditions-rough or smooth.
We all slept because you were awake. We enjoyed bliss of family and community because you all left yours and sacrificed for us to enjoy ours.
We were home; in towns and cities because you were in the jungle and faraway lands for us.
We enjoyed governance and her luxuries because you diligently served us. We knew peace and stability because you gave us. We got recognized globally; because you stood high and tall for peace in the midst of plenty against war for regional and global peace.
What more can we ask of you? We owe you; the Gambia owes you!
And today, we celebrate you not because of your heroism alone but for your unmatched level of patience, patriotism no one politician, doctor, teacher, president, imam, pastor can ever possibly give his or her country. Above all else, your spirit of togetherness and solidarity is absolutely commendable and worthy of support from government, organizations and individuals. All jokes aside, this is a model example. I encourage you all to keep this spirit f unity and solidarity ll and alive. In your unity and solidarity lies strength and progress.
Yes; you did great!
Yes; you all are heroes
Yes’; your all are patriots
Yes; you all are true citizens
Yes; we are proud of you all
And yes; the republic of the Gambia owes you all!
You all have not left anything in your armory of patriotic service to country, you gave your prime time and age, your blood, your lives and everything else unconditionally.
This is because you saw nothing greater and better than total service to country and humanity. This country is dearer to you than all else. You defied all odds just to serve your country.
Today, we are this far because you never left where you supposed to be and what you supposed to do at any given time and at any given circumstances. You saw nothing more important than your country. You never used your guns and power to rob us. You did all this just to be told: go scramble and gamble central bank of the Gambia security vacancies, go on the search, scramble and gamble private bank security, private security, charcoal burning, lumber and timber business or take the back way to Europe if you are fortunate; only to arrive and get molested and discriminated. If you are unfortunate; the Mediterranean sand and shark have you as their company in the form of bones and carcass. This is our sad painful reality as a country. We cannot continue that way. It is fixable and let’s get it fixed. The government should get it fixed up once and for all.
Yes; you evidently did all this for country, for humanity. The question is as a country and government; what have we done or created in compensation and appreciation for you; our pure unrivaled heroes?
Is the government and politicians in solidarity with you?
What have the government prepared for your families, your future?
The simple sad answer is nothing except the good for nothings. Yes; there is something. Something unfortunate and solely reserved for you- regret, frustration, hardship, pain, poverty, discrimination. Yes discrimination; even in terms of who you can marry, where your kids can go to school to, where your kids can access basic health care from. After military or security service duties for country, you are simply non-existent and government is too busy for you and your future.
Yes there is something again, pension or service. Unfortunately, that is only good enough for a trip to GORREH Island or St. Louis in Senegal or maybe three months standard living fish money.
All in sincerity, the Gambia owes you all! Security is your area, but even establishing private security companies is heavily civilian dominated. You all struggle to pay house rent, school fees, medical bills, and many other things even after you gave this country the highest possible national duty and sacrifice. The Gambia owes you all.
What is the way forward?
Love for country, honesty and being real to ourselves is the first chapter of the book of nation building. We can’t have this old, bias one side party of taxpayer money. We can’t have the monkey work, baboon eat tradition. We can’t have rob Peter; pay Paul system. That cannot continue and government must begin to rethink and reorient towards how the military and after military life is lived in this country. Soldiers, police, others are human beings, they have families, and they have a future and a dignified life to live.
Going forward, the government and all relevant authorities must make sure Gambia Armed Forces Act (GAFA) and other relevant regulations pertaining welfare and reintegration of ex-military and other service men and women is implemented and serves its purpose to guarantee a proper reintegration back to civil dignified, independent and financially stable living for our heroes. It is unfair and probably criminal to not train and provide means of reintegration from security or military life to civil life. Above all, it is immoral, unfair and inhumane. Authorities should divide the 12 years service time in a way such that, the last 4 years is largely meant to up-skill, retrain and create a possible on-boarding system back in to the civil life. Create business and investment opportunities and make sure the soldiers and ex-military are given the due and position they deserve from us all.
I understand today may not be a better and inclusive Gambia as it should have been. I am hopeful a better and ex military friendly Gambia is on the horizon. Lets all keep the peace and solidarity and we will surely get there.
The Gambia owes you all and we say bravo and sorry.
I say thank you, albarakah, ehmiteh katou, jerrejef, jarama, alninbara wanjalankoll banko dingkengdoll
