Hamat NK Bah, Party Leader of the National Reconciliation Party (NRP)
By Buba Gagigo
Hamat NK Bah, Secretary-General and Party Leader of the National Reconciliation Party (NRP), has urged Gambian youth to pursue skills training and actively prepare to contribute to national development. He also cautioned them against being misled by individuals with divisive or destructive agendas.
Speaking at the NRP’s party congress held in Brikama Ba on Saturday, Bah underscored the importance of peace, stability, and hard work in shaping the future of The Gambia.
“If you joke with peace, it is because you have never seen violence; if you joke with stability, you have never seen anarchy; if you joke with justice, you have never seen injustice. This country believes in peace and stability; this country believes in hard work. I want to call on our youths to go and learn skills; let them be prepared to participate in national development. Don’t be misled. You are going to take up this seat tomorrow. When we are out, you are coming in; if you don’t prepare yourself when we are gone, it will be extremely difficult for you to take over from us,” the NRP leader said on Saturday during his party’s congress in Brikama Ba.
The NRP leader, who also serves as the Minister of Lands, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to democratic governance and warned against any attempts to derail it.
“This country is on the move, and nobody can stop it. Therefore, those who have ill intentions to stop our democracy, let me send a clear message that the Gambia will never go back to dictatorship. The Gambians will never go back to military rule; no amount of chaos and anarchy you wish to bring this country will turn us back to undemocratic rule. Democracy is here to stay in this country. Therefore, we ask you to join the wagon of democracy. Go and campaign for your party, and move up and keep the peace in our country,” he emphasized.
Bah reiterated the value of peace and urged Gambians not to take the country’s stability for granted.
“If you joke with peace, you have never seen violence; if you joke with stability, you have never seen anarchy; if you joke with justice, you have never seen injustice. This country believes in peace and stability; this country believes in hard work. I want to call on our youths to go and learn skills; let them be prepared to participate in national development. Don’t be misled. You are going to take up this seat tomorrow. When we are out, you are coming in. If you don’t prepare yourself when we are gone, it will be extremely difficult for you to take over from us,” he said.
Addressing the recent protest by the Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), who demonstrated over concerns about corruption and lack of transparency in the sale of former President Yahya Jammeh’s assets, Bah stressed the importance of lawful expression.
“I once again call on the Gambians. You have a right to demonstrate. But you have no right to cause chaos; you have no right to disturb the peace of this country. It’s your right to demonstrate; feel free when you are permitted but you must make sure you respect the law. You must also respect and maintain peace in our country. This is the only country we have. We have no winner to go to, except our little Gambia. We are facing out. We are facing out. You are the ones who are coming on board. But once you come on board, you need a peaceful environment. And the only way you can have a peaceful environment is when you have skills. You work hard and you make sure that you deliver, and you work towards national development. I urge all of us to unite,” Bah stated.
Turning his attention to the country’s political parties, Bah called for civility and collaboration in the political arena.
“Political parties, We are all together in this game. We all love the Gambia. We all work for the Gambia. We all want to make the Gambia better. That’s why we have parties, and that’s why we are working hard to make sure we leave and form a government. Nobody should be abused and insulted because you are into politics, no matter what party you belong to. It’s a career people choose to do, and that career you are not insulting to insult anyone. It’s a sacrifice that they are carrying. A great sacrifice. Let’s have our politics embody our culture to make sure we respect our values, our norms, to make sure that we believe in what the Gambia calls the elderly and we need to respect that,” he concluded.