Commissioners and staff of the TRRC should not forget its origin. The creation of TRRC would not have been possible if there were no change. The change that came on the 2nd December 2016 was not brought about by parties or civil societies taking to the street to drive away a self-perpetuating ruler. It was not brought about by a single political party showing its political weight either by taking to the street, the bullet or the ballot.
The change was brought about through the building of a nonpartisan coalition aimed at unifying the people irrespective of party affiliation, gender, religion or ethno-linguistic origin, to give The Gambia a new start. The TRRC is one mechanism that should continue to be guided by that aim and goal of unifying our people to building the institutions that would consolidate democracy, republican values, free and fair election on a level ground, rule of law, due process, good governance and unalloyed justice. It is anticipated that when it submits it report, it have been able to show evidence of how such values gave rise to self-perpetuating rule and impunity and would recommend the need to move away from the old brand of a political system based on patronage, intimidation, bragatory.
The TRRC should not be a place for the promotion of an agenda different from an agenda it is designed for and this paper trusts that those who are given this responsibility would be mindful of the effort made to save The Gambia from civil war and thus facilitated the release of political prisoners, the return of Gambians to their homeland and the creation of institutions which they occupy to serve their own people.
What is expected is the full devotion to the national interest and putting all parochial and personal interest aside. The real task is instrument and institution building for the common good. Any deviation from this would constitute a betrayal of public trust.
