Abstract
This paper seeks to examine the degree to which political actors in The Gambia have instrumentalized intellectualism and the impact this has had on society and politics. It concerns the issues of average mediocrity, the emotiveness of an argument, and the lack of ideas in a society. The paper analyzes the importance of meritocracy and human capital development in the governance system of a democracy and compares them with other countries. It profoundly assesses the risks of manipulative politics, counterfeit intellectualism, and ethnocentric elitism, which impede constructive national discourses and cause brain drain. Possible measures suggested by the paper include increasing education levels, promoting critical thinking and emotional intelligence, and altering employment politics in the public sector. If these problems are controlled, The Gambia will lay sound fundamentals for intellectualism, assert good governance, and buttress development. Further, the present study points towards the need to cultivate a culture of knowledge and reasonable communication in society to enhance the quality and depth of knowledge in society.
The political interplay of intellectualism has brought about severe and significant socio-economic and political problems in The Gambia. Some of the social issues in the country are that meritocracy is not strong and political loyalty is valued more than knowledge, skills, and expertise. This act has led to the promotion of mediocrity in the stations of government and public-sector entities. There is always passion for a given subject when conducting debates, regardless of the side you are on. This problem is due to the absence of new, innovative, and creative strategies the country can employ to address its concerns. These compose a cycle of poor governance and slow development, with the populace receiving the socio-economic misfortunes. Skilled people tend to emigrate to other countries for better job opportunities. This brain drain continues to exacerbate The Gambia’s capacity to handle its problems. This emphasis on political loyalty also hinders the growth of young people’s abilities and education whilst stifling talent and creativity. Therefore, The Gambia faces significant challenges in developing the required durable institutions and human capital for its economy’s growth and society’s overall development.
Post-independence Gambia has experienced various political and social movements that have leveraged intellectualism for positional power of influence, control, and advocacy tools. Further, this has shown that a broad spectrum of the Gambian society, particularly its intellectuals, aligns with or against ruling governments by pushing for socio-economic and political change, advancements, and reforms. However, this has led to a crisis of vision between policymakers, captains of industry, and scholars, who are influencing national policy direction and decisions.
Importance of Meritocracy and Human Capital in Governance
The principles of meritocracy and competitive competence are essential in the governance process and overall performance of the public sector in The Gambia. When politicians can recruit government officials through competency rather than political influence or ethnicity, better staff is recruited, quality is enhanced, performance is improved, and better institutions with successful outcomes are achieved. The merit-pay system ensures that people of high capabilities are placed strategically, such as in the headship of essential public service and policies. This approach holds tremendous success in countries like the United States, where the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act introduced in 1883 overpowered the political influence of patronage and implemented a merit-based hiring system through competitive tests. This reform put professionalism in the US government workforce and, therefore, enhanced the efficiency of the public entities. For instance, space exploration has significantly boosted America’s technology due to its ability to attract the best scientific brains, such as those at NASA. Likewise, adapting these practices in The Gambia could increase the quality of the services delivered by the government and the public’s confidence in the government, which would positively impact the country’s general performance economically.
Ethnocentric Elistism, Emotionalization, and Poverty of Ideas
The circulation of deceptive politics and false intellectualism masked as moral principles and negative political discourse is evident in The Gambia’s polity. Such an environment of fake news can lead to people being divided into separate hostile camps, where each is unwilling to hear the other. Worse still, when this becomes “the new norm” or the “accepted foolishness,” it misleads young people into accepting the same as the right thing to do; it teaches them that facts are irrelevant and that being right in the political game is what matters.
However, ethnocentric elitism continues to pose a real threat to Gambian public thought and discourse. This phenomenon happens when some people, mainly from a specific ethnic background, think they are smarter than other ethnic groups for whatever reason other than academic achievements but are biased by their ethnic group. The compounding effect of this problem is when business success is determined by one’s connection with the government rather than the quality of work done. In other words, when leaders and critical opinion makers feed the public with wrong information or even twist the facts to suit their agendas and use their sphere of influence and contacts, this erodes people’s confidence in government and makes it difficult for citizens to make good choices. Perpetuating such attitudes leads to an environment where ideas and contributions from other ethnic groups are not only ignored but are also considered unworthy of merit. Besides, it narrows the choice of people and thoughts that can be used to solve the state’s problems. It strengthens social inequality.
Moreover, ethnocentric elitism fosters a paradigm of intellectual elitism, effectuated by the circulation of ideas within a closed loop of similar minds, depriving the process of creativity and multiculturalism. This theory suggests that when critical issues are discussed by people more interested in their team than the entire country, problem-solving ceases, and people are set apart. This fake smartness can result in rules that benefit a select few instead of the masses. Similarly, when business success is all about who you know, it harms the economy and stifles innovation and fair competition. These practices not only decelerate economic growth but also make people, left out, feel angry leading to social issues and more political instabilities.
Emotionalization and poverty of ideas are two other problems that deepen the existing troubles of The Gambia. Instead of people being logical and using their minds to discuss a subject civilly, opponents begin to use emotions, religious, or historical phobias. While this approach may secure temporary electoral victories, it also degrades the quality of national decisions and policies. This leads to a socio-political climate that does not respect facts or the knowledge of subject-matter experts but adores populist rhetoric. At the same time, people suffer from the poverty of ideas, which means the absence of creative thoughts in a political and, in particular, intellectual environment. This lack of fresh concepts mainly arises from a lack of innovation that shies away from upsetting the current system, combined with low creativity in educational systems, which may heavily emphasize rote learning. Therefore, The Gambia fails to develop local soul-searching solutions for its peculiar development challenges and implement imitative solutions outside the country.
Proposed Solutions for Politicized Intellectualism in Gambia
A significant solution to these problems includes increased education and critical thinking skills among the populace of The Gambia. This process might entail revising school curricula to dedicate more time to reasoning skills, critical thinking, and skepticism regarding media content. By training the young generation on how to think critically and argue constructively, it is possible to bring up a generation of citizens who will not be easily fed fake news and who will be able to engage in healthy national discourses. Furthermore, the government could engage civil society organizations in managing campaigns that change societal attitudes toward using research in decision-making and responsible conversation. They would also assist in establishing a culture of people embracing knowledge, reason, and the spirit of intellectualism over populism, people loyal to their respective camps.
Another key measure in this regard is the need to undertake civil service reforms regarding the hiring and promotion criteria, focusing on merit and experience. This step could mean that the government hires exam writers to develop examinations for possible government posts, there are precise descriptions of jobs with prerequisites for those positions, and the existing committees that make hiring decisions are independent.
The government could also start new programs to lure back professionals from The Gambia, living in the various diasporas, for higher salaries and better promotional opportunities. If these had happened, it would have enhanced the efficiency of government operations and made a positive impression on the stay or return of talented human capital in The Gambia. Considering that skills and knowledge are valuable, it may encourage more of the young generation to embrace education and foster their talents in the country’s development.
Conclusion
The Gambia remains a country with many challenges because of the politicization of intellect, structural and institutional deficits, and low-profile characters dominating the political landscape. This leads to a crisis of vision on resource identification, prioritization, and execution between policymakers and scholars. This in turn influences national policy direction, decisions, and other sections of The Gambian society. Nevertheless, advocating meritocracy and education, and introducing better practices within the public sector provides the nation with a more robust and tolerant environment for intellectuals to advance engaged scholarship.
These changes will enhance the structure of governance and the economy’s performance. They will also enable the recruitment of competent personnel. In the future of The Gambia, it will be necessary for everyone to change their way of thinking, promote rationality, and support constructive changes for the betterment of the nation. In this journey of national development and intellectual growth, leaders should remember the words of Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” This quote shows the transformative power of knowledge, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking in shaping a nation’s future.
References
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- Rao, P. (2017, August 10). Gambia’s democracy survives political turbulence. Africa Renewal. https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/may-july-2017/gambia%E2%80%99s-democracy-survives-political-turbulence
- Robinson, S. (2019, December 18). From dictatorship to democracy: lessons from The Gambia. Institute of Development Studies. https://www.ids.ac.uk/opinions/from-dictatorship-to-democracy-lessons-from-the-gambia/
- World Bank Group. (2023, June 13). New report on human capital as a driving force for economic development in the Gambia. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2023/06/06/new-report-on-human-capital-as-a-driving-force-for-economic-development-in-the-gambia
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Dr. Jallow, a seasoned tax administrator with over 15 years of experience in The Gambia, is a public finance expert and author of "Computerisation of Tax and Customs Administration in The Gambia." He holds a Ph.D. in Public Economics and is pursuing a DBA in Finance. A certified Chartered Economist, his research interests span public finance, political economy, and more. In his free time, he enjoys outdoor activities, meditation, music, and live shows.