Hi Saul,
I agree with your observations. My emphasis though, was especially on the
political side of the issue. Interestingly, Gambia is currently running a
couple of capacity building projects financed by the World Bank. One is the
Poverty Alleviation and Capacity Building project and the other, approved in
July last year, is the Capacity Building for Economic Management project.
Both of these projects will be difficult to sustain in the absence of
macroeconomic stability and, especially, political committment to project
goals. While it will be extremely difficult to maintain fiscal discipline in
the face of spending on infrastructure projects for example, the absence of
transparency and government's notorious deliberate sacking of experienced
staff - mostly on political grounds - must necessarily go to undermine even
those institutions supposed to be strengthened by the projects.
Naturally, we must wait and see for the evaluation of these projects, but
the issue of capacity building can hardly be seperated from politcal
committment. The same thing goes for all those micro-credit schemes being
vigorously experimented upon throughout the Third World. Besides, however
you look at it, fighting corruption must begin by rigorously exercising
transparency and accountability from the very top.
Sidibeh, Stockholm/Kartong
----- Original Message -----
From: "SS.Jawara" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2002 12:17 AM
Subject: Re: Hi Sidibeh, Re: Putting things in their proper perspective.
> Hi Modou:
>
> I recently attended a conference in Stockholm with representatives from UN
> and experts from various countries on the issue of CAPACITY BUILDING IN
> AFRICA. This is the hottest issue at present at the UN.
>
> You wrote:
>
> "it is important that Gambian youth are convinced of the integrity of the
> political system that controls their lives if they are to sincerely engage
> in commercial activity with the conviction that it could mean the
difference
> between poverty and economic well being. Because they are citizens, who
are
> going to spend their lives in Gambia, they eschew a responsibility to the
> society in general, and so cannot be expected to behave like hustlers who
> see Gambia as a half-way-house to New York or Paris, and whose concerns
are
> purely mercenary. They need to know that as long as they are willing to
work
> hard, their political allegiance would have no impact whatsoever on their
> rights to run a business as long as this is legitimate. Bluntly put,
> government must see to it that even political opponents can start and run
> successful businesses without fear of official interferance. "
>
>
> Well, the building of local human and institutional capacities should in
> fact occupy central position in all government sector. CAPACITY BUILDING
> initiatives should address four major concerns: Improving conditions for
> capacity development, shifting gradually from one activity of concerned to
> another, relating trade activities/business assistance to local capacity
> building, and enhancing capacity to manage various business activities
> including import/export programmes.
> It is also important in capacity building to concentrate efforts towards
> enhancing the government´s leadership role in economic management of all
> sectors by improving policy formulation, monitoring and evaluation.
Planning
> , budgeting and accountancy management should also need to be
strenghtened
> as a prerequisite for great accountability of local leadership. Banks and
> financial institutions as you mentioned including local experts should be
> integrated into local efforts towards capacity building so that it
> systematically complements and augment in benefiting local societies.
Local
> government, the regional and district administrations, community based
> organisations as well be included in the strenghtening efforts for the
> purpose of promoting the society´s actual involvement and participation in
> development at all levels, especially on trade.
> I think this is the most effective way government can enhance in shifting
> towards to better socio-economic changes in a more dynamic manner.
>
> You wrote here:
>
> Secondly, there must be a sincere and visible return to the old slogans
of
> ATP : ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND PROBITY. The mere sight of
> millionaire leaders ruling a multitude of poor and tired citizens reeks of
a
> society engrossed with inequality. If it is legitimately suspected that
the
> quickest way to wealth and influence and pomp is to become a minister, why
> on earth should all the poor not want to become one? People in power must
> not just declare their wealth; the source of such wealth must be
transparent
> to every Kanjura, Kekoi, and Keluntang.
>
>
> Well Mr. Sidibeh, there is nowhere on the face of the earth where
corruption
> has totally been eradicated. Nevertheless, it is very important for
> government to take the right leading role in the fight for reducing it
and
> to try to dicourage the act. I know that there is a growing perception of
> increase in curruption in all government sectors. I have had my personal
> experiences during my trip to the Gambia last year.
> It would be wise for government to set up a special commission to look
into
> incidence of corruption. Something must be done about it in order to
> maintain government´s credibility and authority in the eyes of it´s
> citizenry and of the tax payers. Leading the way to decrease corruption
is
> the right direction towards accountability and transparency which would
> lead to a reliable and democratic socio-economic programmes for the
country
> now, and in the future.
>
> Thanks for sharing!
>
> SS.Jawara
> Sweden,Stockholm.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Momodou S Sidibeh" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2002 6:53 PM
> Subject: Re: Putting things in their proper perspective.
>
>
> Gassa,
> perhaps the passages you quoted would have sounded very well if not for
this
> serious flaw:
>
> "Because they are citizens, who are going to spend their lives in Gambia,
> they eschew a responsibility to the society in general, and so cannot be
> expected to behave like hustlers who see Gambia as a half-way-house to New
> York or Paris, and whose concerns are purely mercenary. .......". It
should
> have read:
>
> "Because they are citizens, who are going to spend their lives in Gambia,
> they do not eschew a responsibility........."
>
> Sidibeh
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jungle Sunrise
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Monday, June 10, 2002 5:30 PM
> Subject: Re: Putting things in their proper perspective.
>
>
> Sidibeh,
>
> On the contrary, I found your piece highly informative and interesting.
It
> is very unfortunate that I cannot give you a comprehensive response on
many
> of the issues that you spent so much of your valuable time explaining.
These
> days i am extremely busy but I hope things would ease in the next few days
> or early next week.
>
> For now, I would like to reproduce the following quote from your piece
> that really caught my eye. You wrote:
>
> ang!"
>
> The main reason I picked the above quotation is that last week I read
the
> first part of a series Mr. Charles Sam has started, on the opinion column
of
> The Daily Observer which somehow expresses similar sentiment to yours. I
> plan to put it on the L when he finishes and I am less busy. I really
liked
> his first installment as he does not mince his words.
>
> I might respond to some other specific aspects of your piece later.
>
> Have a good day, Gassa.
>
>
> There is a time in the life of every problem when it is big enough to
see,
> yet small enough to solve. -Mike- Levitt-
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
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