The article below was posted at AllAfrica.com from The Independent. Despite
the announcements made by the Secretary of state for Agriculture that
farmers will be paid their monies after the Eid Prayers the poor farmers are
yet to see anything. How disheartening it is that a government can blatantly
lie to it's citizenry. One thing these people must realize is that: 

"You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. 
So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what 
is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, 
one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There 
is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory 
of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at 
least still know."

       - Rene Daumal



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Farmers Demand Their Money, Accuse Gov't Of Insensitivity

The Independent 

March 9, 2001 
Posted to the web March 9, 2001 

Alhagie Mbye, from a tour of the provinces
Banjul, The Gambia 

Hundreds of farmers in the North Bank Division (NBD) and beyond have called
on the government to put the necessary mechanism in place to enable them
receive their groundnut money from buying agents. They said they could no
longer be convinced by "mere promissory notes" given to them during the past
months while their nuts were carried away without payments.

The farmers, who believed that they have not been treated with respect and
attention, accused the government of insensitivity, claiming that the
problem has persisted due to the government's disregard for their welfare.
Desperate and furious the farmers, who described the non-payment as broad
day light robbery, said they could not provide their families with proper
food, shelter, and clothing as a result of the situation.

They said there was a short-lived hope of receiving their money when they
were informed that they would receive money before the Tobaski feast,
prompting hundreds of them waiting for the buying agents for the whole day.
"The agents never turned up," one of them said.

The Independent was informed about the proposed payment and our reporter
trekked up country from Kerewan to Farafenni and Kaur where many villagers
waited for two days for their money only to discover that the buying agents
were no where to be found.

Farmers who suspended their various domestic engagements stood in different
seccos looking desperate and withdrawn.

Some who spoke to The Independent complained that as a result of the
situation they have been rendered hard done by, unable to afford proper
meals for their families.

They noted that this was not the first time that farmers were given such
"false promises". Last year they said also saw them in such trying
situations following the delay in paying them for their produce "which we
toiled hard to get". They demanded that their money be paid without further
delay.

Since the unceremonious seizure of the Gambia Groundnut Corporation (GGC)
business premises by the government, the farmers said they started
encountering numerous problems, claiming that this year they were unable to
acquire the required fertilizer and loans in order to engage in proper
farming despite numerous promises to that effect. The Farmers said their
plight has worsened following the expulsion or suspension of their children
from school for unpaid school fees.

"How can government expect farmers to buy books, pay school fees, clothe
their families, provide proper shelter with clean drinking water when
certain individuals are still keeping their groundnut money away from them,"
asked Fasaikouba Ceesay a farmer in No Kunda, where farmers felt cheated.

Bintou Sidibeh, an old woman in Kataba Village, stressed that it was
annoying that their produce has been carried away to unknown destinations
"leaving us with only promissory notes".

"With no money for the Tobaski, no money to buy sugar, candle or cooking
oil, we are definitely suffering and need some assistance", she pointed out.
A shopkeeper in Kerewan also complained that since farmers were given
promissory notes with a promise to pay them, they have incurred debts from
shopkeepers who they cannot pay now.

"I gave away on credit all my foodstuff because people are suffering but at
the same time expecting money. So I have to help them. Now you see we are
all encountering trouble," he added.

However when Sarjo Jallow the chairman of the government spokespersons
committee who is also the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports was
contacted, he said that the government was not encountering credit buying
and that efforts were being made to pay the unhappy farmers.


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Copyright © 2001 The Independent. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media
(allAfrica.com). 

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======================================================================

Abdoulie A. Jallow
www.dalasigram.com
Making sending funds home more fun than hassle.
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