Ebrima and everyone that contributed to the campaign to educate Mr. Ford
about Gambia and Yaya, I say a big THANK YOU. You did a superb job. It is
vital that we let the whole world know how callous Yaya is.
Ebrima, the concerns raised by Saul Khan are quite legitimate. We should
always endeavor to give people like Ford benefit of the doubt and deal with
them as friends. If they prove to be otherwise, we then deal with them
accordingly. It was in recognition of this principle that I decided in the
first place not to write to Ford myself. Better writers like your able self
can sell our case more appropriately to wavering politicians like Ford; who
might mean well, but are simply misinformed.
However, after coming across the following article from a Bermuda newspaper
and also reading the mail from you about Ford's conference in Abuja, I think
I am now convinced that Ford might require tactics similar to those employed
for Stovall. I do not think that we are dealing with a naïve American
politician that is misinformed about Africa and developing countries in
general.
On Friday when I wrote that there is more than meets the eye about this
conference, I was referring to the Bermuda experience. My fears about the
conference's cost to the Gambian taxpayer were confirmed by the mail dealing
with the Abuja conference. Ebrima, if I read your mail right, Abacha paid
all the expenses for the Abuja trip. The article below also shows that some
shenanigans were going on in Bermuda. Although Ford was not personally
implicated.
This has led me to believe that Samba Faal and Yaya have promised Ford to
use our meager resources (that is not even enough to feed our people) to
finance this conference in Gambia. At the very minimum, these so-called
mayors will be put up in top hotels free of charge to them. Our government
will probably pay for their airfare to go vacation in the sun in Africa.
In return, I can safely bet that Ford has promised our moron that he (Ford)
is going to bring businessmen in Gambia that are going to invest in the
country. Ford will also help put Gambia on the map and attract more
tourists, etc. etc. All are empty promises that Ford and his organization
will not be able to deliver on. Besides, Yaya and his cohorts have poisoned
the atmosphere back home so much so that the environment is not conducive
for the things Ford will promise (assuming he will be able to deliver).
So, is it moral for Ford to take advantage of the Gambian poor in this
manner? I hope that after Ford digests the material we send him, he will
realize that he cannot help us by affiliating himself with Yaya in this
manner. The money that is going to be consumed by his members could have fed
hundreds of Gambian families. The blood money they will use to buy them
airline tickets and put them up in fancy hotels, could be used to put poor
Gambian children through school and also buy basic medicine for our
hospital.
Ford cannot take business to Gambia. Ford cannot erase the brutality already
committed by Yaya and his regime. Ford cannot also save us from future
brutality from Yaya. Ford has to realize that there is already a state of
war between Yaya and us. We will continue to combat until Yaya is defeated.
Under these circumstances, no sane person will want to invest in The Gambia
or go there to vacation. In short, Ford cannot help us by trying to
misrepresent Yaya's record. I would have more respect for Ford if he came
out clean and declare that he and his organization are only interested in an
all-expense-paid vacation in The Gambia. If a moron like Yaya is going to
use money he stole from the Gambians (money he will regurgitate when we
catch up with him) to entertain the Fords of this world, that is one thing.
It is an entirely different thing for someone like Ford to attempt to stand
at the world stage and tell deliberate lies about who Yaya really is.
We should assure Ford that we will challenge anyone that wants to paint a
tyrant like Yaya as someone that respects democracy and human rights. Where
the hell were these people when Yaya's forces massacred 15 innocent children
in broad daylight?
KB
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Ford: Conference to go ahead as planned
By Meredith Ebbin
THE POINT man for the World Conference of Mayors yesterday poured oil on the
troubled waters of its Bermuda convention, saying it will go ahead as
planned in November.
Johnny Ford, Director General of the World Conference of Mayors, said the
convention will take place from November 15 to 20 at the Southampton
Princess Hotel.
It will be attended by between 300 and 400 people, including 70 to 100
mayors as well as representatives from black colleges in the U.S. and city
and county officials.
The World Conference of Mayors will also be making approaches to U.S. civil
rights organizations such as the Urban League and the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to encourage them to send
representatives.
Mr. Ford also said the Tourism Department -- in the wake of its decision to
cut its ties with the controversial coordinator of the event Benita (Bonnie)
Marshall -- has taken over responsibility for marketing the convention.
Premier Pamela Gordon will open the convention and mayors Hamilton's William
Frith and Lois Perinchief of St. George's will be the official hosts.
Mr. Ford, a Baptist preacher, former mayor of Tuskegee, Alabama and current
Alabama state representative, spoke at an hour-long press conference
yesterday at the Bermuda Industrial Union, a day after arriving in Bermuda
to straighten out the fiasco.
He said neither government nor the Bermuda Industrial Union will end up out
of pocket because of the $90,000 that has been handed over to Ms. Marshall
in the hope that she would generate business for Bermuda chiefly from
African-Americans.
The $50,000 in taxpayers' money that the Tourism Department gave to Ms.
Marshall will bring business to Bermuda.
He made it clear that any promises Ms. Marshall failed to deliver, the World
Conference of Mayors would honour. That includes lining up corporate
sponsors and repaying the $40,000 lent to Ms. Marshall by the BIU.
"Your investment is not lost," he told the press conference, which was
watched by BIU members attending a workshop. "It will be returned to you."
He also said he has informed Southampton Princess Hotel that the 260 rooms
booked by Ms. Marshall will be taken.
The controversy, which has gone on for months, was caused mainly by Ms.
Marshall, whose past exploits it emerged last week, include holding a parade
in honour of Dr. Martin Luther King in Texas in 1985 and pocketing the
proceeds.
Mr. Ford stopped short of criticizing Ms. Marshall, who was hired by the
World Mayors to coordinate an event he usually organizes himself as a paid
employee of the World Conference. He praised her for persuading the World
Conference to hold the convention here this year.
Mr. Ford apologized to the government, the BIU and the people of Bermuda for
the controversy and admitted mistakes have been made.
And while the World Conference of Mayors will continue to deal with Ms.
Marshall for its Bermuda convention, he said the Conference has changed the
way it awards contracts.
Mr. Ford, who was chiefly responsible for awarding the contract to Ms.
Marshall, praised Mr. Burgess for his "foresight" in contributing money to
the convention, which will have a labour component.
In a brief statement, Mr. Burgess said the loan was not made without the
knowledge of the BIU membership -- it was dealt with at the Board level and
by the General Council.
Mr. Ford said later that while Ms. Marshall persuaded the union to lend her
money, the BIU got involved because they knew him.
In 1983, when he was mayor of Tuskegee, Mr. Ford was a guest speaker at the
BIU's Labour Day events.
_________________________________________________________________
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