This month marks one year since the establishment of the Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice – a year of unwavering dedication to truth, justice, transparency, and accountability in The Gambia. We are inspired by the legacy of Edward Francis Small.
In this one year, the Centre has consistently spoken out against corruption, impunity, abuse of power, and injustice, while promoting citizens’ participation, human rights, and the rule of law. As we mark this milestone, we reaffirm our conviction that The Gambia belongs to its citizens, and it is our collective duty to defend and build it.
For six decades, The Gambia has suffered from a culture of rationalization, appeasement, indifference, disengagement, and outsourcing. These attitudes have eroded public accountability and national progress. The painful outcome is evident in our high levels of poverty, unemployment, corruption, and inefficiency. It is time to end this national complacency. It is time to be on the offensive and uncompromising for justice, transparency, and accountability.
The Gambia Is Not a Poor Country
Contrary to the false narrative that our country is poor, we say The Gambia is not poor. We are richly endowed with abundant natural and human resources that, if managed well, can deliver prosperity for all. We have,
• Arable Land: Vast, fertile lands that can grow every crop suited to our soil and climate.
• River Gambia: A year-round navigable river rich in aquatic life, offering immense potential for agriculture, food production, tourism, transportation, sports, and energy generation.
• Renewable Energy: Abundant sunlight and wind for sustainable energy production.
• Ocean and Mineral Resources: Rich marine ecosystems and unexploited minerals.
• Cultural and Human Capital: Our greatest strength lies in our people: peaceful, hardworking, creative, and deeply rooted in rich cultural traditions of wisdom, art, and solidarity.
To claim that The Gambia is not endowed is false, misleading, and ungrateful to God and nature. The problem is not lack of resources; it is the failure to manage them with integrity and vision. There is no justification for poverty in the Gambia other than corruption.
Sixty Years of Plunder and Mismanagement
For sixty years, the state has been captured and plundered by those elected or appointed to serve. Instead of translating our endowments into peace and prosperity, public officials have looted, wasted, and mismanaged national wealth. The Gambia remains a Least Developed and Highly Indebted Poor Country, not because we are poor, but because of chronic corruption, poor governance, and lack of accountability. This betrayal of public trust is the single greatest obstacle to national progress.
The Tragedy of Citizen Indifference
The greatest tragedy, however, is citizen silence and complacency. For 60 years, Gambians have allowed public officials to loot and pillage with impunity. We have become spectators in our own democracy, defending politicians while they destroy our institutions and futures.
How long shall citizens remain dormant, lethargic, and disenchanted while our country is being plundered? When will we rise to confront corruption, injustice, and incompetence?
The answer lies not in waiting, but in acting now.
A Call to Action: A Year of Rededication
As EFSCRJ marks its first anniversary, we rededicate ourselves to the struggle for accountability and justice.
We call on all citizens – young and old, men and women, across all regions – to rise and defend this nation from the clutches of corruption and mediocrity. The Gambia will not change through fear or silence. It will change only when citizens:
• Demand justice and accountability from every public servant.
• Reject propaganda and falsehoods used to justify corruption.
• Organize and mobilize to protect their rights and the rule of law.
• Refuse to normalize failure and injustice in governance.
• Engage actively in civic and democratic processes to shape a new future.
Until Gambians stand up for truth and hold power accountable, the “Smiling Coast of Africa” will remain a tragic metaphor – a nation smiling through pain, poverty, and deception.
EFSCRJ calls for national awakening and citizen action to reclaim our dignity, sovereignty, and future. In this endeavour, we call for your moral, financial, technical and material support as we continue to:
• Speak truth to power without fear or favor.
• Defend victims of injustice and corruption.
• Promote transparency, human rights, and civic engagement; and
• Work with all citizens and partners to build a just, democratic, and accountable Gambia.
The Gambia belongs to its people, not to politicians, elites, or foreign contractors. Stand up today to save The Gambia or allow the rot to continue and perish.
“No Taxation Without Representation. No Representation without Adherence to the Rule of Law and Efficient Service Delivery.” Inspired by EF Small Legacy
2025 – The Year of Transparency and Accountability
