“KU BOKA C GETA GEE NAN C MEOW MEE”

Anyone who has grown up in or around the Gambia’s electoral politics knows that when it comes to party politics, there is a dirty word that has more than four letters; that word is “PATRONAGE.” 

Political patronage or the spoils system (indeed, any patronage) employs a method that plays favorites. In party politics, the patron is usually the leader or Secretary-General of a political party who has the power to hire their family and friends to political appointments and other attractive jobs that pay well. 

The Gambia, since its independence, has long been known as a nation where the patronage system has held sway despite the many attempts to destroy it.

Musician Ali Cham, Killa Ace known by his stage name, eloquently and brilliantly described “Political Patronage or spoils system victory” meaning in one of his masterpiece songs in Wolof, “KU BOKA C GETA GEE NAN CI MEOW MEE” literary and roughly means “all those belonging to the diary heard or cattle herd deserve to drink milk.” Those without cattle herd do not deserve milk.

However, most government appointments,  jobs, and contracts become political rewards, with workers kicking back to the political parties they owed their jobs all through the ecosystem of patronage. 

Unfortunately, this system of chaos and intimidation in government service has become a reality— precisely the system President Adama Barrow seems to want to return to. 

He appears to be following his predecessor, President  Yahya Jammeh, in the politicisation of the civil service, encouraging or inheriting the politics of political patronage. 

At present, in both the diplomatic and civil service and government-owned institutions, no organisation and system are safe from that chaos; no integrity test is safe from partisanship; no questioning of qualification is safe from that intrigue.

In the Gambia, political patronage (also known as the patronage system) is a practice in which a political party, after winning an election, gives civil service jobs to its supporters, friends, and relatives as a reward for working toward victory and as an incentive to keep working for the party. 

The opposite is a merit system, where offices are awarded based on some measure of merit, independent of political activity.

Julius Bing, a renowned civil service reformer, has advocated for the professionalisation and depoliticization of the civil service. This system has served nations well for many years all around the world. 

That reform of the civil service matters today in the New Gambia, as President Barrow plans for disruption to appear, including the wholesale undoing of the civil service itself, like his predecessor destroying the foundation of Africa’s most capable civil servants.

President Barrow must start permanent employment in the civil service and end the politicization of the civil service by firing corrupt, incompetent, and dishonest workers and using the presidency’s powers to remove and discipline government employees who have violated the public’s trust. 

The civil service seems benign at best, boringly so. There are few advocates presently speaking up for it. However, if we wait too long to pay attention or speak out, it might be too late. 

The Gambia depends on a competent, ethical civil service for the stable functioning of our government and economy—the very foundation of our greatness. 

The Gambia has grown used to official and reliable statistics, forecasts, reports, and investigations to keep us informed, stable, and safe. 

However, this stability and professionalism have been undone by former president Yahya Jammeh, now the government of Adama Barrow following the same path with the stroke of a pen on a late Friday afternoon through an executive order to hire and fire civil servants.

The Gambia’s civil service system was based on the Westminster style and, after years of efforts, aimed to cure the ills of patronage and corruption that to that point had defined government employment. 

In addition, it aimed to professionalize and depoliticise government employees, allowing civil servants to serve the people and the country rather than petty politicians or ideologies.

It is unethical but a tradition: presidents and political parties treated government jobs as part of the patronage and spoils system. 

Political party loyalists were regularly rewarded with jobs, promotions, raises, or even paid leave for work on political campaigns. 

Political machines depended on the system, for it provided an army of hacks and bosses to run the machine. As administrations came and went, so did most of the federal workforce. 

This led to the constant flux in employment and workers who owed their jobs solely to political connections. Their morale was low, and they lived in constant fear and anxiety of losing their jobs. 

Besides the apparent corruption, this created a massively inefficient workforce incapable of the critical work required of the federal government, with few workers qualified for their jobs.

An array of political prostitutes and opportunists engaged in politics for selfish interests and benefits. They had access to the state treasury and control over issuing remunerative licenses and contracts. Interestingly and surprisingly, participation in party politics does not mean automatic rewards in the Gambia, as most people who enjoy the dividends are latecomers.

Then, it is beyond speculation that the rewards after election victory are usually based on political loyalty, commitment, and patronage! However, of course, those that made heavy sacrifices are left out.

By Alagi Yorro Jallow