Njarama Mawdo Mareme Bamba Laye,
I have been trying to share the following important message with the Kambia L Bantaba Cyber Kafomolu but I have been getting repeated delivery failure notice:
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Subject: THE GAMBIA FILM VILLAGE SPC PROJECT- FOR THE RECORDS
Content:
For Record Purposes. NOT NECESSARILY FOR PUBLICATION (press release/competition notice already sent to the media). Excuse the typos:
Alningbara Kambiya L-Bantabamolu,
1. Yeah, I modified the official name of my Brother Jammeh. He is collecting all the titles in the world but forgot the most important and serious one - his MOTHER's name. So I added it as "Yahya Aabulaziz Fatou Asombie Jemus Junkung Jammeh (Yahya AFAJJ Jammeh). Sounds nicer and I believe he should make it official: Victory for African Matrilineal Heritage.
2. Coming to the crux of this update, I believe all the cats and dogs that are concerned about Gambian affairs are aware of my well-publicised intention of helping Gambians get a Film Industry they can proudly call their own.
3. The official names of the project are with immediate effects "THE GAMBIA ARTISTIC FILM AND CREATIVE VILLAGE (GAFCV)/SANKANURA PRINCIPALITY CLUSTER (SPC)." Hereafter known as THE GAMBIA FILM VILLAGE, SPC. The slogan/vision of the industry is to be "AUTHENTIC HEART OF THE PAN AFRICAN FILM CULTURE."
I have also created a generic name for our film industry. It is a mixture of Mandinka and English. The Mandinka should give me special prize for my passionate promotion of the language. Sorry, they don't own it anyway. The fun aside, once I get the approval from either the Office of The President, The Ministry of Tourism and Culture, The Standing Committee or the National Centre for Arts and Culture, I will commission the logo and unveil the brand name. I have the passion and energy to deliver but only Government bureaucracy will be wasting my time. I am however to waiting for politics as I have my own road map.
4. The website is up and running. I notified the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Beauty Pageant and Movie Production and the Director-General of the National Centre for Arts and Culture, and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture as three of the primary Government partner agencies about it.
5. The COMPETITION FOR THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN CONCEPTS is open as you can read from the Diaspora Gainako, Maafanta, Freedom Newspaper, Jollofnews, Hellogambia and others. The print versions on the domestic Daily News, Standard, The Point, Foroyaa, Daily Observer, etc., should appear during the course of the week or when the Editors deem fit.
6. As I once hinted somewhere, this strategic project cannot work without the approval or support of the concerned National Government OF THE DAY. If the sitting President OF THE DAY happens to be from your favourite political party or civil society organization different from AFPRC/APRC, he or she will take the credit. But time and destiny have it that the project will be initiated in Jammeh's era; so he wears the cap. Whoever SUCCEEDS Jammeh will wear the patronage cap of the time as the project is apolitical.
7. Governments come and go but the peoples remain. This project is NOT political but a nationalistic and commercial for-profit venture out to serve Gambian talents and our overall cultural and creative economy.
8. I leave the praise-singing to the "griots" and sycophants. Learning from the lessons of others, my impending working relations with THE GAMBIAN Government OF THE DAY will be guided by official protocol, common passion for profits, national development of Gambian creative talents and informal traditional joking relationships WHEN POSSIBLE.
9. There are EXIT routes. Should the sharks in the Jammeh System try to play with me, I will either cancel the whole thing or move it to VARELA in Guinea Bissau. The short-listed "PLAN B" satellite location. For now I am giving the Gambia the priority as I feel sorry for the young Gambian creative talents that are being wasted and abused. No risk, no progress. It makes no sense for me to wait till when the anti-Jammeh people wake up from their slumber and send him away. The dictatorial conducts of former opposition figures like WADE (Senegal) and GBABO (Ivory Coast) made me keep my general expectations from both opposition and ruling party politicians realistically LOW. This is however not a political project and my non-partisan neutrality stands.
10. This project is very sensitive as it involves LOADS of money, expensive professional gadgets, diplomatic skills and political manoeuvring to survive FACTOR X (the unpredictability, greed, hypocrisy, betrayal, lies and laziness in the Jammeh System). It will be a waste if, minutes before say, the release of multimillion dollar tranche of funds for particular project components/phases, lies and half-truths start circulating(ESPECIALLY ABOUT SOURCES OF FUNDS) - causing unnecessary delays and suspicions in the minds of investors and partners. THIS PROJECT IS FINANCIALLY SENSITIVE so even if something is not true, it causes unnecessary irritations. Participating investors and partners will however be coached on these negatives and risks.
11. This is PRIVATE initiative and not a public one. I am therefore not required by any law to disclosure the sources of funding and other sensitive matters except when I am subpoenaed by legitimate courts of law to testify on concerned issues. Whenever The GOVERNMENT OF THE GAMBIA acquires them majority or controlling stake, then anyone who is a taxpayer to The Gambian Treasury would have the right to know what is in the confidential books. Until then, people have to have to be satisfied with information that will be released by me or my appointed representative(s). If they poke their noses into project matters that do not concern them or The Gambian public, their assess will be dragged to court.
12. Personally, I have nothing to lose as I can live fabulously well without this project. But the construction workers and their families will feel the immediate pains while the Gambian talents will be affected by the delays caused by the cleansing exercise of the gossiped mess. Time is money as well. As I remain the centre of gravity, anyone who is sincerely interested in getting accurate information or credible insider updates is free to contact me for clarifications. Though I am legally bound to keep updating ONLY the committed stakeholders through the agreed channels of communication, my schedules permitting I will be updating all and sundry, ESPECIALLY ALL MY FERVENT SUPPORTERS on matters of public interest.
13. I am imploring both the pro and anti-Jammeh camps to keep their political and religious fights out the GAMBIAN FILM VILLAGE, SPC. It is a NEUTRAL and liberal Vatican of Creative Freedom. If they cannot help me deliver they should just back-off. Any one who feels that he or she has the sophistication required to help the Gambia get a dynamic film industry better than me, SHOULD PLEASE COME FORWARD AND TAKE THE FINANCIAL, LEGAL, IMAGE AND LEADERSHIP RISKS for it.
14. This is better than hiding in a safe comfort zone and gossiping out malicious garbage. I would not mind requesting the African Jalangs to curse the hell out of entities, PRO AND ANTI JAMMEH, that try to sabotage the project for whatsoever reason!!! Don't laugh!
15. The end - building a Gambian film industry for the peoples of the Gambian Rivers Basin - justifies the means and PECUNIA NON OLET: money does not stink. The religious, political and economic troubles of Nigeria are forcing key wealthy Nigerians to look for safer bunkers for their enormous petrol-dollars beyond the Swiss banks. Attracting part of this fleeing capital into the Gambia will be good for our economy. And the buildings of the Gambia Film Village will NOT be uprooted and repatriated to Nigeria, Angola, Germany, Luxembourg, Qatar, Liechtenstein or other countries where I will be mobilizing the funds from.
16. Besides, the Nigerian Federal Government has created Sovereign Wealth Fund modelled to MUBADALA of Abu Dhabi to invest its surplus crude oil revenue in infrastructure projects across Nigeria and Africa. I will lobby The Gambia Government to tap into this Sovereign Wealth Fund as we move on step by step. I believe the Nigerian Government should be sending us more oil and gas dollars than mercenary judges. Since no one is actively lobbying for this lucrative alternative/option, I will make it part of my duties once am accorded Immunity to make negotiations easier.
17. The Gambia Film Village SPC project will take at least TEN (10) years to complete as it is not a political project that can be rushed.
18. Like any other major infrastructure project, this venture carries financial, operational, geographical and policy risks. The LAST THING I will do is to to ask and wait for Gambians at home and abroad to share the risk burden. They will SLAUGHTER my reputation once the INEVITABLE REAL LIFE obstacles and teething problems crop up. They will not show maturity, decency and decorum in finding solutions to the obstacles. Nailing my integrity and coffin while calling me names will be their desired approach. There are EXCEPTIONS to the rule and this is no blanket indictment of all Gambians. It is just a bitter reflection on some of the nastiest Gambian attitudes.
19. Whatever, anyone who wants to just move into say, the completed fabulous Beverly Hills-like KUNDA of The Gambia Film Village SPC must be ready to cough out the right amounts of millions (in US Dollar) per villa, pent-house or apartment. Based on current calculations, the MINIMUM entry price for a residential luxury turn-key apartment of 80 qm2 space (not villa, not house, not mansion) will be pegged at ONE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS. This sum will GO UP due to inflations and the dynamics of the markets in the coming years. Part of the Sankanura Principality Cluster (SPC) aims to be The Gambia's answer to Monaco, Beverly Hills or Potamac. So anyone who wants to join the MY COSY ELITE PRINCELY PARADISE should start saving for it today.
20. The "monkey dey work, boon dey chop" laziness will not be condoned. The PIONEERS who take the risks to support the project with resources, patience, discipline and sweat deserve to be compensated by asking the new or last comers to cough out the money bags or stay away from the Gates of the Principality. It is responsible business, not charity.
21. The least I expect from Gambians at home and abroad are:
A) Supporting me in any useful way they can and, PATRONIZING Gambian Cultural productions by watching the films, buying the original DVDs, CDs and merchandise, hosting the screenings/presentations through their various community associations, attending other live events and engaging in mouth-to-mouth propaganda in their contact networks to help secure more market shares for Gambian productions;
B) Keep looking out for TALENTED members of their families and communities who could be useful in our Gambian Film Industry. Your can never tell. May be the next top class of Gambian film and arts stars could include your nephews, brothers, cousins, sisters, sons, daughters, aunts, grand dads and grandmas. I do not care about tribal, political, religious and economic affiliations. Just show the right LIBERAL performance and creative talents and you part of the class.
22. I will be spending around seventy (70%) percent of my time and talent behind the project cameras and behind-the-scenes of the industry as a grey eminence and ultimate macho-in-chief. The remaining 30% will be on screen and stage roles just for fun and passion for performance arts, time permitting.
23. Meanwhile, the current official website of Gambia Film Village SPC project can be reviewed below. The web-master is engaged in continuous updates. So information that could be missing now will appear the next time you visit. The site's contents and domain name are subject to change and suspension at all times with or without prior notice for good reasons:
http://www.thegambiafilmvillagespc.com/
ALNINGBARA, DJARAMA, JERJEF, XANAWARI,
Prince B.A. Sankanu
http://www.thegambiafilmvillagespc.com/
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