In a message dated 9/21/2002 5:05:49 PM , [log in to unmask] writes:


> Jabou,
>
>  What we are going through is the result of decades of
> neglect, embezzlement and downright thievery by leaders we trusted with all
> our hearts. Had they invested in what this government is investing in now,
> we would not be talking about them. We would have been talking about other
> things.
>

GASSA,

WE HAVE NEW STRUCTURES AND THAT IS GREAT, BUT AS FAR AS YOUR ABOVE ALLEGATION
IS CONCERNED, WE HAVE JUST FALLEN FROM THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE MY
BROTHER.
WE STILL HAVE CORRUPT LEADERS, JUST WITH A NEW TWIST, AND AN EVEN MORE CRUEL
ONE AS IT SI ACCOMPANIED BY AN UNCANNY DEVIOUSNESS AND DECEIT.

 THE APRC GOVERNMENT IS NETWORKING TO BUILD AND IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT
THE PEOPLE NEED TO ENJOY FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND HAVE THE MEANS TO BE ABLE
TO PAY FOR THE SERVICES THAT THE NEW IMPROVEMENTS WILL BRING. YOU CANNOT
PURCHASE A COMPUTER AND ACCESS THE INTERNET IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHERE
YOUR NEXT MEAL IS COMING FROM, AND THAT IS THE CASE WITH MOST FOLKS IN
GAMBIA.

YOU ALSO WROTE:

> Second, development is a process and not an event that just happens. The
> developments that other countries are enjoying did not just happen. It took
> great minds to work out strategies to pave the way forward.

YOU ARE QUITE RIGHT. IT TOOK NOT ONLY GREAT MINDS, BUT HONEST AND UNSELFISH
ONES THAT HAD A VISION TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT BENEFITED EVERYONE IN THE
LONG RUN, REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL AFFILIATION. HOWEVER, THE MOST IMPORTANT
PART OF IT IS THAT IT ALSO TAKES  SACRIFICE AND DEDICATION AND GENUINELY
USING MEAGER RESOURCES FOR WHAT THEY ARE INTENDED, INSTEAD OF TOWARDS THE
SERVICING OF EXTRAVAGANT LIFESTYLES FOR THE WOLVES GUARDING THE SHEEP, AND
BEGGING FROM THEIR PEERS FOR MORE TO MIS-USE.


YOU ALSO WROTE:

> By the way, did you know that the old and delapidated oil mill at Saro has
> been demolished and that a brand new oil mill is at an advance stage of
> construction? Did I tell you that the EU is working out the modalities of
> carrying out a feasibility study to determine the feasibility of
> constructing a bridge between Banjul and Barra?
>
> Did I tell you that we are now implementing the first of several phases to
> provide affordable telephone lines and Internet access throughout the
> country? Right now we have Siemens of Germany in the country about to start
> the laying of a 350 Km fibre-optic cable from Fatoto across the river
> Gambia and along the North Bank to Barra. This would then be linked to
> Banjul to provide a fully redundant transmission backbone. Our people on
> the North of the river would soon begin to realise the benefits of good
> reliable communications just like those on the south bank.

THIS IS ALL VERY GOOD GASSA, BUT FOOD, SHELTER AND FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE TO
ENABLE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO USE THESE GOODS AND SERVICES IS THE
STARTING POINT. THEREFORE, IF THE GOVERNMENT IS PUTTING FORTH A GENUINE
EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF GAMBIANS, AND NOT JUST THE LANDSCAPE WITH ALL
THE NEW HIGH TECH SOLUTIONS THAT THE ORDINARY GAMBIAN WHO CANNOT FIND GAINFUL
EMPLOYMENT OR FEED HIS FAMILY CANNOT AFFORD, THEN SHOULD THEY NOT ALSO PUT AN
EMPHASIS ON IMPLEMENTING PROJECTS THAT WILL IMPROVE THE HUMAN CONDITION LEST
THE REST LOOK LIKE JUST OUTSIDE WINDOW DRESSING, WHILE THOSE FOR WHOM IT IS
INTENDED FIND THEMSELVES STARVING WHILE SURROUNDED BY ALL THE PHYSICAL
IMPROVEMENTS? THAT WILL SHOW THEM EVEN MORE JUST HOW POOR AND HELPLESS THEY
REALLY ARE.

ALLEVIATION OF THE SUFFERING OF PEOPLE TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER INFRACSTRUCTURAL
IMPROVEMENTS IF THE INTENTION IS GENUINE AND NOT MERELY  MEANT FOR
ONE-UPMANSHIP ( YOU KNOW, LOOK WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO, SO DO NOT SAY A WORD
ABOUT OUR CORRUPT WAYS AND OUR ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, OK? AT LEAST WE ARE
CORRUPT AND BUILDING STRUCTURES)

YOU ALSO WROTE:
> These developments and more, is what brings about development and is a
> gradual process. The rest, such as "farmers selling their
> produce", "journalists not questioned for reporting the news" and much
> more, would follow later. No hurry about that yet. For now, we want the
> infrastructures built and our human resources developed to enable our
> children carry on from where we stop.


WELL GASSA, WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT THE ABOVE? IT IS DEFINITELY THE MOTTO OF THE
APRC REGIME, AND YOU HAVE REGUTGITATED IT PERFECTLY HERE. NEVER MIND THAT THE
PEOPLE ARE STARVING AND BEING HARASSED, LET US CONCENTRATE ON THE
INFRACSTRUCTURE  BECAUSE THAT SERVES BOTH AS A SIGN THAT WE ARE MAKING
PROGRESS, AS WELL AS PROVIDE THE AMENITIES FOR THE FEW THAT CAN AFFORD TO
UTILIZE THEM.
IF THE MAJORITY WHO ARE IN DIRE STRAITS SUCCUMB TO MORE SUFFERING,  FURTHER
ABUSE OF THEIR RIGHTS,SUPPRESION OF SELF EXPRESION AND STARVATION IN THE
MEANTIME, NOT TO WORRY, THIS IS ALL GOOD FOR THEM.

YOU ALSO WROTE:

> Finally, until we can boast of Gambian Doctors curing Gambian patients,
> Gambian lawyers defending Gambian laws, Gambian journalists educating
> Gmabian people, Gambian agricultural scientists helping Gambian farmers,
> Gambian teachers teaching children, Gambian civil engineers constructing
> our Gambian roads, Gambian entrepreneurs exporting Gambian produce, Gambian
> farmers feeding us Gambians etc, etc, all we can see is what this
> government does.

GASSA, THE ABOVE WILL HAPPEN WHEN   THE MOST PRECIOUS COMODITY WE POSSESS,
NAMELY PEOPLE, ONE HUMAN BEING AT A TIME IS REGARDED AS SUCH BY OUR LEADERS,
AND SEEN AS WORTHY OF HAVING ALL OUR RESOURCES PUT TOWARDS SHOWING THEM THAT
WE CARE ABOUT THEIR WELFARE AT EVERY LEVEL BY IMPLEMENTING PROJECTS THAT
ADDRESS THEIR IMMEDIATE NEEDS SUCH AS FOOD, ADEQUATE SHELTER AND JOBS.
PROJECTS TO PROVIDE EACH INDIVIDUAL WITH OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE A DIGNIFIED LIFE
IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY ARE NOT IN CONSTANT FEAR OF POVERTY, LACK OF
OPPORTUNITY AS WELL AS ALL FORMS OF OPPRESSION.
THEN WE WILL BE TRUELY DIRECTING OUR RESOURCES IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
GAMBIAN PROFESSIONALS  THRIVE IN A NURTURED SOCIETY WHERE OUR PRIORITIES ARE
THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE. INSTEAD WE HAVE GOVERNMENTS WHO CREATE SITUATIONS
THAT FOSTER ATMOSPHERES THAT DO NOT ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO EXCELL AND THUS
CONSTITUTE A CHALLENGE FOR THEM  SIMPLY BECAUSE THESE REGIMES   THRIVE WHEN
IGNORANCE  AND POVERTY PREVAILS.

YOU WROTE:

After all, none is stopping any of you from coming home.
> and showing us where we are going wrong and how to do things differently.
> Is that asking for too much?

WILL THAT REALLY MAKE YOU SEE THE LIGHT GASSA, AND DO WE HAVE A LEADERSHIP
THAT IS OPEN TO IMPUT FROM ORDINARY GAMBIANS OR EVEN TOLERATE DIFFERENT VIEWS
FROM THEIR OWN? THE RECORD DOES NOT SHOW THIS. INSTEAD, IT REEKS OF
INTOLERANCE FOR ANY VIEWS THAT DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO THE HEAVY HANDEDNESS THAT
IS IN PLACE TO ENSURE LONGEVITY FOR THE REGIME. THAT IS THE SUPREME GOAL AND
THE REST IS JUST WINDOW-DRESSING TO APEASE THE IGNORANT AND THE HELPESS AND
THOSE WHO WANT TO USE IT AS JUSTIFICATION TO CONTINUE WITH BUSINESS AS USUAL.


SOME OF US CANNOT WITHSTAND LIVING IN SITUATIONS WHERE WE HAVE TO SUPPRESS
OUR NATURAL INSTINCTS TO SPEAK THE TRUTH, AND WHERE ONE HAS TO SACRIFICE
HONESTY FOR SURVIVAL,, AND LOOK THE OTHER WAY WHEN INJUSTICE IS DONE, OR EVEN
GOD FORBID, START TO SING THE PRAISES OF THOSE WHO DESERVE ANYTHING BUT
PRAISES FOR A SMALL PERSONAL GAIN. SOME OF US WOULD RATHER  CHOOSE SELF EXILE
THAN LIVE UNDER SUCH A SITUATION GASSA, BUT HOW CAN YOU UNDERSTAND OR
APPRECIATE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE THE VIEWS YOU DO? OR IS IT MORE LIKELY THAT YOU
ARE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND ACTUALLY, BUT  THAT YOU AND MANY LIKE YOU HAVE CHOSEN
SELF INTEREST AND COMPROMISE FOR SELF PRESERVATION OVER HAVING THE COURAGE TO
 STAND FOR THE TRUTH ?

PERHAPS IT IS OUR EXPERIENCE AT THE HANDS OF BAD LEADERSHIP AFTER EVEN MORE
BAD LEADERSHIP THAT HAS RENDERED SOME OF US INCAPABLE OF RECOGNIZING THAT
PROGRESS IS NOT MEASURED BY THE TOKENISM  OR  EVIDENT LACK OF PRIORITIZATION
OF THE BASIC NEEDS OF A SUFFERING PEOPLE THAT WE  ARE BOMBARDED WITH.

RECOGNIZING THAT IS NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK OF SUPPOSEDLY INTELLIGENT PEOPLE IF
THEY ARE NOT BENT ON SELF PRESERVATION AT THE EXPENSE OF THE REST.

WE CAN DEBATE FOREVER, BUT IN YOUR DEFENSE OF THE INDEFENSIBLE, AND YOUR
REFUSAL TO CONSIDER LOGIC, YOU ARE LIKE GEORGE BUSH WHO IS HELL BENT ON
ATTACKING IRAQ. HE WANTS PEOPLE TO ACCEPT THE PROPAGANDA THAT THERE IS
JUSTIFICATION WHERE THERE IS NONE.

LIKE JAMMEH, YOU SAY YOU WANT US TO COME HOME AND CONTRIBUTE WHEN EVEN OUR
IDEAS AND CRITICISM THAT SHOULD SERVE AS A RESOURCE FOR A WELL INTENTIONED
GOVERNMENT ARE LABELLED A LACK OF REFUSAL TO ACCEPT THAT THERE IS PROGRESS.

> JABOU JOH
>

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