Mr Nyang,
Could you please be kind enough to produce an iota of evidence to that effect. How can our right to a
dwelling be tribalistic. I think you are a very dishonest fellow, if am to be frank with you. How can you
ignore wholeheartedly the genuine heart wrenching plea of poor helpless people, and rubbish it as tribalistic.
Below is the email I had ready for you earlier, I didn't sent it for I thought others have responded
eloquently to your nonsense earlier.
Please read it carefully.
********************************************************************************************************
Take a breather my uncle, and read my commentary at the top of the forwarded article. No need to get all wound
up!
I do not know about the examples of developments in Ghana or Senegal, for I have never been to any of those
countries. I do not know who Taf Njie is or what tribe he is from, for last names are not the most definitive
way of defining ones tribe in The Gambia.
You asked how may years has the land been left un-utilised, this is a genuine question and I shall break the
answer down for you and in the event show the futility of that question.
Point one: Manneh Kunda is the the biggest family/clan in Brufut. Now let's do some simple mathematics; big
clan => big families => less space for houses (expansion), Result young men move out and build houses for their
young families on clan land. (This has always been the tradition).
Point Two: These folks are not complaining that they need the land for sustainable farming, but most
importantly due to the fast and explosive growth Brufut is experiencing, the land has already been divided
amongst the young men of the clan.
The clan gives/used to give out plots of land to people for free (all they needed to bring was kola nuts.
There are countless people in Brufut who have their homes/compounds through this traditional way). This is
definitely not the case here, instead one man wants to enrich himself even more.
Point Three: Less than 0.1% of these affected young men can afford to buy the houses Taf is building. So the
the question now begs, does Taf's entrepreneurship override their need for housing their young families?
Point Four: Since when do clans have to pay rates for lands belonging to them (Actually these lands have
belonged to this clan for over 10 generations. Maybe you are right that rates have to be paid, but please show
me. And if that is the case all efforts shall be made to make sure that it is paid (even the overdue ones). Am
confident that I can speak for my cousins and uncles on and off this distro!!
Point Five: Why should Taf compensate people, who do not want to get rid of their land and who most
importantly, need the land more than he does?
Point Six: Where is this WOLLOF disease nonsense coming from? Where is that stated either in my commentary or
in the forwarded article.
If there is any objectivity needed it is needed most from your side. This illegal land seizure, affects me
personally but I think I am being objective here.
NB. In the UK, am seen as another Black person, not Wollof or Mandinka, so the tribal bias you are insinuating
should be withdrawn forthwith.
All the best
Manneh
Sheikh Tejan Nyang wrote:
> Haruna, Bandy. Dave , karamba , Kutubo and others,
>
> Folks ,
> >From the statements ive had made here in The Gambia i am convince beyond reasonable doubt and came to the
> conclusion that tribilism is the main issue behind the seen on the TAF
> saga. For those who know me and my
> background, I will be the last person to be call a tribalist or an
> advocate of tribalism I have always been
> and continue to be a strong believer of speaking the truth come what
> may. Kutubo, I have also sisters and
> brothers who a mandika in the real sense .Thanks for your understanding.
>
> Chi Jamma,
>
> Kutubo Manneh wrot
> e:
>
> > Mr Nyang,
> > With all due respect,i think your comments are uncall for and to
> > say the least very distasteful!Like any community,one does not fold your
> > arms when your inheritantance is being taken away from you without due
> > compensation.This particular place has been transformed into its present
> > state through the back breaking labour of our grand fathers,fathers and
> > ourselves and i must say no power,be it individual or government has the
> > right to take it away from us!! JUST PUT YOURSELVE IN OUR POSITION FOR A
> > MINUTE!
> > And to bring in that TRIBAL COMMENT,is the most distasteful of your
> > piece,being a member of that KABILO,i have cousins who are WOLLOFS AND
> > FULLAS and anybody who knows BRUFUT wll tell you that it is the most
> > "tribally blind" town in the kombos!My brother please we are in the twenty
> > first century and let us take this TRIBAL NONSENSE from our lives.
> > But fight we will for OUR LAND,EVEN IF IT WILL TAKE A 100 YEARS!!
> > Kind regards.
> > KUTS
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Lamin Manneh PF <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2001 10:53 AM
> > Subject: Re: Mr. Nyang: TAF has got the BUG too!!!!!
> >
> > > Mr. Nyang, i think Taf is not a smart businessman. I will not make a multi
> > > million Dallasi housing project in somebody's bonafide property. If he
> > > succeeded against the will of the legitimate owners in Brufut(because
> > > government backed him), be assured that another government can avert the
> > > executive order of this government and Taf will be the big looser at the
> > > end. Remember, what the government is saying is not a law but a cabinet
> > > decision which is unfair to the coastline Kombokas.
> > > Being a son of Manneh Kunda Kabilo in Brufut, i support any kind of
> > > development efforts in Brufut whether it is government or private sector
> > > investments but such development initiatives must follow certain protocols
> > > and traditional regiments. I think Taf and government are overlooking
> > these
> > > realities. Mr. Nyang, this is a very simple matter- Taf can simply go to
> > > Manneh Kunda, asked the size of land he want and buy it from them. He
> > could
> > > have put in the millions of Dallasis allegedly used to bribe government
> > > officials to purchase atleast some part of the land by now. Businesses
> > don't
> > > prosper or last longer in Africa mainly because of the corrupt way they
> > > started.
> > > Finally, i think your idea of tribalism is very misleading and unfair to
> > the
> > > Manneh Kunda Kabilo. Taf is not rejected because he is a Wollof but mainly
> > > his unscrupulous and dubious manner of acquiring the land of poor farmers.
> > > Hey, we host Ghanaians in Ghana Town and give a vast area of land to them
> > > free. How would you describe that? We have Wollofs, Karoninkas, Jolas,
> > > Fullas, Lebou(from Senegal), Ghanaians Shriffs etc in our Kabilou and they
> > > are all united in this struggle.
> > >
> > > Please withdraw your ugly comments
> > > See you all in Atlanta
> > > Lamin PF Manneh
> > >
> > >
> > > >From: Dave Manneh <[log in to unmask]>
> > > >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> > > ><[log in to unmask]>
> > > >To: [log in to unmask]
> > > >Subject: TAF has got the BUG too!!!!!
> > > >Date: Wed, 4 Jul 2001 05:50:12 +0100
> > > >
> > > >Culled from the Observer.
> > > >
> > > >Makes an interesting reading as it seems that TAF Njie too has got the "
> > > >BUG". That disease of greed that unfortunately seems to be gripping the
> > > >Gambian Business community.
> > > >Just because The Gambia is unfortunate to be lumbered with a bunch of
> > > >idiots as a government should not warranty the few Gambian Businesses we
> > > >all look up to, to become self-obsessed with making millions whilst
> > > >trampling on the rights of poor innocent citizens.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Tuesday, July 3, 2001
> > > > BRUFUT ELDERS PETITION
> > > > JAMMEH OVER TAF LAND
> > > > ALLOCATION
> > > >
> > > > The elders and people of Brufut, Manneh Kunda Kabilo,
> > > >last week
> > > > petitioned President Jammeh over the allocation of a
> > > >swathe of
> > > > land which they claimed belonged to the community of
> > > >Manneh
> > > > Kunda Kabilo in Brufut to Taf Construction by the
> > > >Department of
> > > > State for Local Government and Lands. The petition
> > > >which was
> > > > signed and thumbprinted by Kajali Manneh, Kijera
> > > >Manneh,
> > > > Amadou Manneh, Kebba Musa Manneh, Omar Manneh and
> > > > Kebba Jatta was also sent to all secretaries of state,
> > > >commissioner,
> > > > Western Division, director of lands and surveys, seyfo
> > > >of Kombo
> > > > North and the alkalo of Brufut.
> > > >
> > > > Below is the full text of the petition: Your
> > > >Excellency, We feel
> > > > deeply honoured to bring to your attention a serious
> > > >land problem
> > > > currently taking place between the Manneh Kunda Kabilo
> > > >of
> > > > Brufut and the local government authorities. The past
> > > >few weeks
> > > > have witnessed serious confrontations between the
> > > >people of
> > > > Manneh Kunda Kabilo, local government authorities and
> > > > Mustapha Njie of Taf Construction. After the
> > > >controversial
> > > > housing scheme called Operation House the Nation at
> > > >Bakau
> > > > failed, Taf Construction has again been allocated a
> > > >vast stretch of
> > > > our land in Brufut by the local government authorities.
> > > >We learnt
> > > > of this allocation by demarcation pegs without any
> > > >prior
> > > > consultation between the relevant authorities and
> > > >traditional
> > > > landowners.
> > > >
> > > > On seeing the pegs, we made appointments and met first
> > > >with the
> > > > director of lands and surveys and then with the
> > > >secretary of state
> > > > for local government and lands on February 26, 2001. At
> > > >both
> > > > meetings, we were informed that the area was allocated
> > > >to Taf
> > > > Construction and on each occasion, we expressed our
> > > >concerns
> > > > about the allocation and appealed for a reconsideration
> > > >of the
> > > > decision as we had already allocated the land area to
> > > >some 300
> > > > youths of the Kabilo who are still in family compounds
> > > >and are
> > > > without land to build houses for their families.
> > > >
> > > > The meeting with local government and lands secretary
> > > >concluded
> > > > with an agreement that a technical team would be sent
> > > >within the
> > > > shortest possible time to further discuss the issue
> > > >with us. What
> > > > we saw the following day (February 27, 2001) and indeed
> > > >to our
> > > > dismay, was a team from Taf Construction putting up
> > > >more
> > > > demarcation pegs in the area. This was baffling and
> > > >irritating to us,
> > > > as it was inconsistent with the agreement we had
> > > >previously with
> > > > the secretary of state for local government and lands.
> > > >After all
> > > > these, we were invited to a meeting at the tribunal of
> > > >the district
> > > > Seyfo on Sunday March 11, 2001. In attendance at this
> > > >meeting
> > > > were the commissioner of Western Division, the district
> > > >seyfo, the
> > > > National Assembly member for Kombo North, Brufut
> > > >village alkalo,
> > > > elders of Manneh Kunda Kabilo, representatives of
> > > >Brufut Village
> > > > Development Committee and a representative from Taf
> > > > Construction amongst others.
> > > >
> > > > At this meeting, we were told that government has
> > > >allocated our
> > > > land to Mustapha Njie as compensation for the land that
> > > >was
> > > > previously allocated to him in connection with
> > > >Operation House
> > > > the Nation but subsequently withdrawn. We expressed our
> > > >
> > > > concerns and total rejection of the project because we
> > > >believed it
> > > > was unacceptable for a single man to benefit at the
> > > >expense of
> > > > thousands of underprivileged people of Brufut. The
> > > >meeting ended
> > > > in a stalemate.
> > > >
> > > > On March 18, 2001, we were invited to another meeting
> > > >at the
> > > > tribunal of the district Seyfo. This meeting was
> > > >attended by the
> > > > commissioner of Western Division, the district seyfo,
> > > >the National
> > > > Assembly member for Kombo North, an officer from the
> > > > Department of Physical Planning, alkalo of Brufut,
> > > >Manneh Kunda
> > > > Kabilo representatives and a representative from Taf
> > > >Construction.
> > > > At the meeting, we again emphasised and reaffirmed our
> > > >concerns
> > > > over the landlessness of our youths and the negative
> > > >impact the
> > > > project would have on the livelihood of over 400
> > > >households in
> > > > Manneh Kunda.
> > > >
> > > > Here at stake is the enrichment of one person and the
> > > >future
> > > > livelihood of over 2000 persons who cannot afford a
> > > >house in the
> > > > scheme. This meeting too ended in a stalemate. On hand,
> > > >Your
> > > > Excellency, we wish to inform you that vast areas of
> > > >Brufut land
> > > > have already been allocated; instances of such
> > > >allocations are the
> > > > Brusubi Housing Scheme on the East, TDA on the North
> > > >and the
> > > > Wildlife Reserve Area on the West of Brufut. In
> > > >essence, we are
> > > > left with very little land to accommodate our coming
> > > >generations
> > > > and it is unbearably difficult for us to create a
> > > >gloomy future of our
> > > > children and enrich a single person. We have the
> > > >confidence that
> > > > your government is by the people and for the people and
> > > >the
> > > > livelihood of a people is more paramount to you than an
> > > >individual
> > > > economic interest.
> > > >
> > > > Your Excellency, we are bringing this crisis to your
> > > >attention for
> > > > your quick intervention in the light of the concern you
> > > >have for the
> > > > poor and downtrodden. If the government were to have
> > > > educational or other development projects that would go
> > > >directly
> > > > to benefit the people, definitely we would not have had
> > > >any
> > > > objection but giving our land to a single rich man just
> > > >to make him
> > > > richer is disheartening and intolerable. Finally, while
> > > >we await your
> > > > intervention, we wish to assure you that we will remain
> > > >peaceful
> > > > and law-abiding until justice takes its course. We
> > > >thank you in
> > > > advance for your due consideration of this matter.
> > > >
> > >
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