Jabou,
Thank you very much because such [powerful and relevant truth can be a scarce commodity on
this forum.
Musa Jeng
Jabou Joh wrote:
> Gassa,
>
> Since the days of your incognito operation days on the L, it is obviosue to
> anyone with a brain that your job is to try to paint anyone who dares to
> point out the ugly side of this regime as full of hate and refusing to
> acknowledge any good that they do.
>
> I repeat that people cannot eat the infrasatructure and they cannot afford to
> have their rights abrogated just because someone is improving the
> infrastructure. Priorities are being directed to areas that will not impact
> the condition of the majority of our countrymen and women. Most of them do
> not own vehicles that they can drive on the new roads and most of them cannot
> even afford telephones. This does not mean that accomplishments in these
> areas are not good, but they are certainly not urgent and first priority.
> Addressing the suffering of the people and implementing programs to alleviate
> this suffering takes precedence for any government that says their priority
> is the people.
> By the way, this si not advocating a welfare state as you said in your
> response to me. We are talking about giving the people a means to work and
> improve their circumstance.
>
> Gassa, I am the daughter of a man who made a living for over 50 years buying
> groundnuts from Gambians farmers. As child in Jangjangbureh, I watched daily
> as farmers would bring in their groundnut crops to my dads' premises to sell
> and as they
> also stocked up on all the food and supplies they would need for the year
> from the proceeds of the sale of their crops. Even as a very young child, i
> could see the happiness and relief and sense of satisfaction and
> accomplishment on their faces
> because they were able to provide for their families for the coming year.
>
> I watched this for years not only in Jangjangbureh, but in Kuntaur whare my
> grandmothers' husband Pa Omar Jallow also engaged in the same business as my
> dad, as well as in Bansang where the husbands of two older sisters of mine
> did the same. There were buyers of groundnuts all over the country, and
> Gambian farmers could sell their crops and feed their families, and live in
> dignity.
>
> I remember how lively Jangjangburah used to be and the market business that
> would continue into the night at Kuntaur because framers were able to sell
> their crops and buy the goods they needed to see them through to the next
> harvest season.
> The house I was born in still stands on the banks of the river in Georgetown
> and is now a tourist attraction because it was a house that was connected to
> the slave trade, something we never knew as kids.
>
> At any rate, I also watched farmers in kombo South bring groundnuts and palm
> kernel nuts to sell to my dad and purchase their supplies for the year in the
> same manner.
> Gassa, you told me the other day that there was no poverty in The Gambia
> although the exchange between us was triggered by an article you forwarded
> where the government had solicited for funds for the alleviation of poverty.
> Yet you say there was no poverty.
> Gassa, i am telling you the above to show you that I am not just a spectator
> when it comes to knowing our country and and how the majority of our people
> earn their livelihood.
>
> The majority of Gambians are not civil servants or priviledged wealthy
> businessmen. Thay are not people who have funds to take advantage of
> investment opportunities that may come up. The majority of our people are
> farmers, groundnut farmers up and down the river Gambia and into the Kombos,
> this is how the majority of Gambians have fed their families and maintained
> their dignity over the years.
>
> Unless someone has substituted that for more lucrative ways for these people
> to earn a living, all they have is their groundnut farms and their crops. If
> these people do not sell their crops, they are deprived of the means to feed
> and clothe their families for yet another year, and how many years has it
> been since there was a decent groundnut season where these people could sell
> their crops and feed their families?
>
> Yes, these people are suffering and the progress in the areas that you come
> here to peddle will not put food on their tables or clothes on their backs.
> If any government whose majority constituents are comprised of people like
> these does not see that situation as priority, and instead concentrates on
> improving the infrastructure to entice outside investors, this is worth
> talking about.It does not make us less patriotic, but rahter more so because
> it is our job to demand that those who come forward to lead us do what is
> required since we are the reson they are there and not the other way round.
> Do not worry, i am not trying ot undo anything to curry favour with anyone. i
> leave that to those who have no worries except their own welfare.
>
> Outside investors are good only if what they bring will impact the entire
> population. These improvements and the resultant investments in and around
> the greater Banjul area will not do a thing for farmers in the interior of
> the country, and it will not do anything for Gambians who have no money to
> invest or even have partnerships with these foreign investors.
> At best, more of our people will migrate to the city to look for
> opportunities just like they did during the Jawara era, and most of them
> spent the majority of their time sitting around waiting for opportunities
> that never materialized.
> I remember people sitting around the ports authority infrontt of our former
> home on Wellington street in the early 1980's when I came home. My heart sank
> each morning i walked outside to go to work, and saw all these people just
> sitting there. My mother used to call some of these people in discretly and
> give them left-overs to eat because most of them would spend the day right
> there with not a penny in their pockets.
> What has happened in our country is that since most of our young men and
> women cannot find opportunities at home, they have left the country to find
> jobs elsewhere. These people have proven to be the lifeblood of their
> families back home because they send money for the farmer who has not been
> able to sell his crops, or the parent or relative who cannot find work or
> opportunity or funding to get into business.
>
> The mark by which to measure the accomplishments of any government is how
> they respond to the urgent needs of the people, ow they utilize the resources
> albeit meager that we have for the benefit of the people, and where their
> first priorities lie.
>
> Attracting foreign investment by concentrating on cosmetic improvements and
> other premium services that the majority of the population cannot afford to
> partake in, instead of implementing programs to empower Gambians to be the
> majority of investors in our country is creating a situation where our people
> will become just a cheap labour pool for foreign investors who are able to
> take advantage of opportunities that should go to Gambians simply because
> they have the funds and our people do not.
>
> Our government is busy enticing foreign investors by concentrating on these
> improvements that few can enjoy due to their limited means, so it is easy to
> see where the priorities of this government lies. The few priviledged and
> their supporters are gearing up to position themselves so they can benefit
> from the foreign investments while the majority will just be spectators and
> if they are lucky, maybe they can join the cheap labour pool.
>
> As for my commentary on the speech by Ambassador MacDonald, my comment is
> that the U.S government was once partners with Osama Bin laden and they gave
> biological warfare materials to the Iraqis. One of their valuable allies now
> is the president of Usbekistan, who is killing and arresing people for
> simply going to the mosque 5 times a day. He has even given himself the
> divine power of telling the people the number of times they are allowed to
> go to the mosque.
> Today, Usama is enemy number one.
>
> If The Gambia was to become a non-strategic location for the U.S, ambassador
> Macdonald will probably be outlining all the human rights abuses that the
> Gambian people are suffering at the hands of the Jammeh regime and telling
> the World that these are some of the reasons that Jammeh is such a bad guy.
> In the meantime, we Gambians know this and have been shouting about it all
> over the place. The U.S is not oblivious of our situation under teh regime of
> Yaya Jammeh, the ysimply shoose to ignore that aspect of things for the sake
> of expediency and self interest.
>
> To take the comments of the U.S representative in our country as proof that
> all is bliss in our country is only for those who are novices in this game of
> modern day diplomacy which is more like a game of " you scratch my back, and
> i will scratch yours"
> The urgent matter we have is a majority population that is not making ends
> meet, and anyone who is sincere in helping us move forward will not stand up
> to say that all is well without addressing the pressing human rights issues
> in our country and the poverty that investments that do nothing for suffering
> majority will bring.
> We can celebrate all the accomplishement only when the urgent needs are given
> priority and when all issues are addressed, not just those that serve only
> the interest of a few, but are nevertheless being peddled as useful
> accomplishments for all.
>
> You have a good day Gassa, but I will urge you to sear your conscience
> always.
>
> Jabou Joh
>
> In a message dated 10/2/2002 3:28:23 PM , [log in to unmask] writes:
> >
> > Jabou,
> >
> > Let's just say, you can't unring the bell. Both you and I know that
> > progress is being made in all the areas that you consider as prerequisites
> > for development. You just wouldn't admit it.
> >
> > By the way, why are you mute on Ambassador McDonald Jackson speech when he
> > opened the Business Forum at The Kairaba Beach hotel last week. Take your
> > cue from that speech and accept that slowly but surely we are getting
> > there.
> >
> > Have a good day, Gassa
>
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