By Da One
Life in the 21st century as we know it will be hard to imagine without the internet. No part of human existence is safe from this phenomenon that was unthinkable in just two decades ago. It comes with both big challenges and phenomenal opportunities. Nations that have embraced its emergence and invested in it from the initial stage with huge financial capital and human capacity building are ripping the rewards in a windfall.
Social media is the child of the internet revolution. It is said to still be in its infancy because the imminent proliferation of systems and gadgets run entirely on powerful artificial intelligence (AI) programs will be the biggest revolution mankind has ever known. This phase of the development is what is giving rise to an inter-connectivity known as the Internet of Things. But it’s a bit delayed by ethical wranglings in many parts of the world; yet, come it shall.
Just a few months ago, the head of the erstwhile NIA now shamelessly referred to as SIS, Momodou Sowe, either through a slip of the tongue or deliberate attempt to hoodwink the unsuspecting masses on the dangers of social media, said social media is the biggest threat to national security. I could only shake my head at his callousness and lying habits. What social media does is to shift the control of information from the behest of the traditional custodians into the hands of ordinary citizens all around the world. Sowe and his ilk, who have subjected us to psychological manipulations over the years are sweating under their collars at the prospect of losing their control over information.
I wrote an opinion piece to debunk the claims of Momodou Sowe that fake news is a threat to our national security. I reminded him that the biggest threat to Gambia’s national security is the men and women we pay to keep our lives, properties and our borders secure. This was manifested in Kanilai when Arona Jatta was murdered in cold blood. Another instance of the potency of the “security services” was displayed in Faraba Banta when three young people, defending their ancestral farm lands from capitalist greed and government corruption were gunned down in broad daylight. I challenged him to come out either in a brief press conference or issue a press statement and indicate one single incident where his so-called fake news has cost a Gambian his or her life. He did not.
I naively thought that noise will naturally die out in the face of the monumental development challenges facing our country. Then a clueless nominated National Assembly member came out to espouse a similar lie before he got tackled by an ever-vigilant citizenry who will no more allow anybody to water down their democratic gains from an autocratic regime.
Now here comes the icing on the cake. Momodou Sabally (someone I am personally very intrigued by), at a talk show called Giss-Giss, said he is advising the government not to be reacting to social media. He said the majority of Gambians are not on any social media platforms and they do not even know what social media is. He said he himself is an ardent user of social media but sees no reason why the government has to react to stories and other forms of information that emanate from the various social media platforms and channels.
To say Sabally‘s statement is completely out of touch with the reality will be an understatement. Tens of thousands of Gambians rely on social media to generate and consume information relevant to their lives and their families. According to Indexmundi, 19% of Gambians have access to internet on some kind of device in the year 2016. One would expect this figure to grow since the change of government and the liberalization of the many telecommunication platforms such as WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook just to name a few of the well-known web applications. The media company hosting the Giss-Giss show where Sabally was being invited was streaming on a social media platform (Facebook Live). Probably he has forgotten he was advising the government not to listen or react to his own advice because he is giving his advice on a social media platform. What an irony!
The way forward is to embrace the internet revolution including social media and the internet of thing; at the same time, tackle the challenges it comes with in the form of education and relevant but measured legislation.
Finally, stifling the free flow of information is taking a position to violate the birthright of citizens to receive and to give information. Gambians should resist any attempt to go back into the dark days when every aspect of their lives was controlled by an elite class who only cared about their power, status, and the money they benefited from rightly or wrongly from the public coffers.