Manneh,
Thank you for a respectful debate on this issue. Nothing emotional, at least
not from me. I just want us to keep a clear head so that we can forge a new
nation for all Gambians where fairness is the order of the day.
Please also proceed with caution when you feel tempted to start saying
somethimg about defending your inheritance. Remember Manneh that all the
other people in our country are not exactly strangers to the Senegambia
region, which is what it was before the British drew a line around the river
and called it Gambia.
Remember that when one speaks of our region, we are also speaking of people
who had kingdoms like Baol, Sine, Saloum, Futa Bondu and Futa Torro, Nuimi
etc, and on into Cassamance.
These being the history of the wollof, Jola, Fula, manjago, Karoninka, Serere
etc all of whom have a history in this region dating back a long time. These
groups have a history of living together in this region, and this is why you
find that there is a "kall", a cross cousin joking relationship between the
Serere, Wollof, Jola and Fula.
This is because as the Batswana say, we have "sat together". We have a
history of living together in this region. Therefore, we are not strangers in
this region. We can claim an inheritance here if that is what the argument is
all about.
After having said that, what matters now is that all the groups in what is
now Gambia, both those who were here and those who came from elsewhere to
settle here, have lived together long enough to forge a history together.
Improving on this is what matters now, and I hope every Gambian is cognisant
of that important fact.
The Klans who hold land are holding land that far exceeds that which was
cleared for farming and dwellings. They have annexed other surrounding land
to end up with what they hold now.
The government is also taking land from the Klans, especially choice
beachfront land, in the name of tourism development, but all they are doing
is selling this Gambian land off to the highest foreign bidders. Gambians
cannot have this land and their so-called plan for development in this sense
is one driven only by greed.
However, the kabilos, or certain individuals in these groups have also
discovered that they can make money selling off land to the foreigners.
The situation then is this. Both the government and the holders of large
tracks of land are selling off Gambian land, mainly to foreigners. If this
continues, only the Gambian people will be the loosers since we will look up
one day to find that the best land is in the hands of foreighners.
Development and foreign investment is supposed to benefit the people, not
relegate them into second hand citizens in their own country.
I hope that one day, we can all put our heads together and forge a new nation
whose agenda and that of it's people is guided by conscience so that we may
all continue to co-exist harmoniously.
Jabou Joh
In a message dated 7/9/2001 3:00:08 PM Central Daylight Time, [log in to unmask]
writes:
>
> Mrs Joh,
> I think I can say with confidence that we will agree to disagree on
> this one.
> I respect your point, and I hope yo can see mine in a fair-minded view too.
> The land is my inheritance, and we will do everything in our power to see
> that people do not just come and
> rob us of that. Taf may have the land today, but as we are all hoping and
> praying, when Jammed and his idiots
> are banished, and courts again function indecently,
> that we shall battle him court.
> In the meantime I cease to exchange views (or even worse, emotions) on this
> issue with you.
>
> Lots of respect
> Manneh
>
>
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