Thank you for the confidence Rene. It is very kind of you to make such a
kind statement about me and people like me.
Best regards,
Baba


On Mon, May 22, 2017 at 4:15 PM, <0000023fa19a99c8-dmarc-
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Mboge, it is unfortunate if that should be the case. People like Dr. Baba
> Galleh Jallow could have been very resourceful contributors. Our country is
> presented with an opportunity to evolve a true democratic dispensation, the
> rule of law and the consolidation of institutions and structures that will
> last for generations to come.
>
> Now that we have a regime change, and most Gambians want to take ownership
> of this government this is the best time to bring about a system change. If
> we miss this opportunity it would be yet another long struggle.
>
> Looking at the coalition blueprint I was fascinated with the idea of the
> Coalition Executive Committee. This is the foundation in developing an
> experiment that would have been uniquely suited for our democratic
> experience. However, it may be overtly ambitious as the contradictions
> between what is possible and what is ideal become a focal issue that test
> our commitment to a democratic experiment.
>
> I believe that is the reason why some contend that the coalition was just
> for a regime change. And once the regime is gone the contentious issues of
> the character of the regime change become more pronounced. And with it the
> idea of the Coalition Executive Committee, I presume, become a casualty:
> the highest decision making organ of the coalition government. Its
> governing authority.
>
> This was too good to be true. An "advise and consent' body that functions
> just like the United States senate and the US Presidency. The only
> difference is that in the US it is constitutionally mandated and in our
> case it can only work with the "benevolence" of an Executive President who
> wants to partake in the exercise.
>
> And just imagine if all the leaders of the parties that form the coalition
> were sitting as members of the Coalition Executive Committee. And they are
> handsomely rewarded with all the benefits that accrue to their ministerial
> positions. And instead of serving as minsters they will only serve as
> members of the Coalition Executive Committee: the highest decision making
> organ of the coalition government. Its government authority.
>
> It would have been an experiment. After all, American democracy was also
> founded on an experiment.
>
> Rene
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Modou Mboge <[log in to unmask]>
> To: GAMBIA-L <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Mon, May 22, 2017 1:33 pm
> Subject: Re: [G_L] Fw: Development is People
>
> Bro Rene, that think-tank is no more I guess.  It was something as you
> know, Halifa was in the lead to get it going but as we all witnessed,
> Barrow is following the advise of his father whose party members has a
> visceral hatred for anything PDOIS and Halifa.
>
> best,
>
> Mboge
>
> On Mon, May 22, 2017 at 6:28 PM, <0000023fa19a99c8-dmarc-reques
> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
> Thanks Baba and Mboge. That is why the idea of the think-tank is so
> pertinent. What happened?
>
> Rene
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Modou Mboge <[log in to unmask]>
> To: GAMBIA-L <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Mon, May 22, 2017 11:34 am
> Subject: Re: [G_L] Fw: Development is People
>
> Baba,
>
> It seems you have been having a telepathic conversation with Associate
> Professor Sanjay G Reddy of the New School. Utilizing the expertise of some
> in the diaspora can take New Gambia very far.  Countries like Isreal, India
> and Rwanda have utilized their diaspora efficiently.  Hope as you noted the
> government is capable of doing so.  I am not that optimistic thus far.
> See this quote I took from Reddy's piece:
>
> "Taking an inventory of national capabilities, some of which may be hidden
> (e.g. in the substantial Gambian diaspora, small in absolute number but a
> large resource for the country) is another necessary early step. "
>
> https://developingeconomics.org/2017/04/27/an-economic-strat
> egy-for-the-gambia/
>
> Sharing your piece on my facebook wall and sending you a friends request
> as well.
>
> Best,
>
> Mboge
>
>
> On Mon, May 22, 2017 at 5:13 PM, Baba Jallow <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Machudo Fulbe, Ajaarama. Great that Jolas are now speaking the language of
> their masters. We can now call you Pa Saikou Jallow. Hopefully our new
> government will listen and take note of well-meaning suggestions from some
> of us on the outside. Thank you for the feedback.
>
> Best regards,
> Baba
>
> On Mon, May 22, 2017 at 9:42 AM, Pa. Saikou Kujabi <
> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> "Jaraama machudoJola."  Well stated Baba. If Kairaba Hotel could serve as
> the seat of government for so long, I wonder why any important conference
> cannot be held in one of the hotel's magnificent Ball Rooms. The Gambia has
> a long road to travel and a particularly  daunting task of recovering from
> decades of economic injustice perpetuated by our own governments. We as a
> nation have to be able to identify our  developments priorities to our
> donors, and indeed dictate how those funds should be spent.  I couldn't
> agree more with you that Education and Skill Training programs are two key
> important priorities in achieving our short and long-term development
> goals. I would argue that when a people have the requisite academic and
> technical skills necessary to do for themselves what others have been doing
> for them for centuries, only then can they claim total freedom from the
> economic bondage of the west. We do not want to continue begging and
> receiving hand-outs for ever. Invest in our young Gambian citizens NOW.
> Human Development is National Development.
>
> Keep it up guys.
>
> On Sunday, May 21, 2017 4:30 PM, Baba Jallow <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
> *Development is People*
> *By Baba Galleh Jallow*
> A recent news report indicates that The Gambia government has just secured
> a $50 million grant from the Chinese government to build an international
> conference center. The question that immediately came to mind was who
> suggested the nature of the project for which this money will be spent? Did
> the Gambia government ask for $50 million dollars to build a conference
> center? Or was the project suggested and funded by the Chinese government?
> The underlying rationale for my question is whether this money could not be
> better used funding the education or training of Gambian youths in skills
> that would bring prosperity to themselves, their families and our country.
> Surely, a conference center is important. But it is certainly not Gambia’s
> most urgent need at the moment. It is true that the center will provide
> employment for some Gambians and that it could serve as a tourist
> attraction. However, I think if the Barrow administration has any say in
> the matter, they should indicate that while important, building an
> international conference center is not one of our top priorities at the
> moment and that the grant money could be more usefully spent on other
> areas, especially on the education and training of young Gambians. In the
> New Gambia we need our governments both present and future to be more
> discerning about our national priorities and avoid spending scarce
> resources on projects that, while important, will only add to our national
> expenses. Once this conference hall is built, it becomes another expensive
> structure to maintain and will hardly generate any significant revenue for
> the country.
> On the other hand, let us consider how many full five-year scholarships
> even $10 million can pay for Gambian students in any university, especially
> the UTG? Just $10 million can transform the lives of hundreds of Gambian
> citizens and their families. Should our government therefore spend all $50
> million on a building rather than use it to build Gambian lives? Can
> another $10 million not be spent on improving facilities at the University
> of The Gambia, buying adequate furniture, or equipping university
> classrooms with overhead projectors and labs and computer rooms with state
> of the art technology that will facilitate research and learning of the
> highest order? How about yet another $10 million dollars on the procurement
> of vital medical equipment, beds, and drugs for our hospitals and health
> centers? That would still leave $20 million dollars which is enough to
> build a decent conference center worthy of The Gambia. With all due
> respect, one cannot help but argue that spending $50 million on building an
> international conference center in The Gambia is unjustifiably wasteful.
> We do not doubt the Barrow administration’s good intentions. But good
> intentions must be backed by good thinking and planning. We suggest that at
> this crucial and potential-rich moment of our national history, there is an
> urgent need for more discerning consideration of our national priorities.
> Things have been done this way since independence and we have not seen much
> improvement in terms of general development of and for the Gambian people.
> There is a need to start thinking of new and more creative ways of going
> about achieving our national development objectives. Old ways of doing
> things have proven infective and if the Barrow administration or any future
> Gambian government does not take the time to carefully think about our
> national order of priorities and how to do things better, they will not be
> able to leave much of a mark in terms of developmental achievements.
> The key point we want to make here is that development is about people.
> While building expensive infrastructure will give our country some
> semblance of modernity, developing the human person through effective
> education and training will yield more significant results for our national
> economy and community. Investing in people is the key to African
> development and so far, African governments have not given this crucially
> important issue the attention it deserves. Who knows how many hundreds of
> millions of dollars in development aid have gone down the drain in our
> small Gambia alone since independence? And what do we have to show for it?
> The reason for this is not hard to find. It is simply that hundreds of
> millions of dollars have been spent on the wrong projects rather than on
> developing our precious human resources.  Development and prosperity have
> been elusive for our country because hundreds of millions of dollars are
> invested in projects that cannot bring about development and prosperity but
> take away from the meager resources we have. It is way past time to rethink
> our national developmental priorities which demand that we put the human
> person at the front and center of public investment.
> It is safe to assume that a Chinese company will be given the contract to
> build the $50 million international conference center from the Chinese
> grant money. This means that while we will end up with a beautiful
> structure, the immediate fruits of the grant money will benefit the Chinese
> economy and Chinese nationals more than it will benefit the Gambian economy
> and Gambian nationals. Needless to say, the project will create employment
> for many Gambians during the construction phase, and it will continue to
> provide a few jobs here and there afterwards. But these benefits are
> nothing compared to what hundreds of scholarships for Gambian students will
> yield. Why not consider sending at least 20 Gambian students to China or a
> country of China’s choice for training using at least a million dollars of
> this grant money? Chinese institutions will still benefit but the benefits
> for us will be more tangible and long-lasting. Yes, the Chinese government
> is giving some Gambian students scholarships and the conference project
> might be a tourist attraction. Still, just one million dollars set aside
> for more scholarships for Gambian students will be extremely useful to our
> country in the short, medium and long term. Again, suffice it to say that
> development is about people and the more we invest in our people, the
> closer we will get to whatever developmental goals we seek.
> At this moment in our history, there is an abundance of international
> goodwill for the New Gambia. The Barrow administration is in a position to
> benefit from hundreds of millions of dollars in loans or grants from
> well-meaning members of the international community. However, it will be
> helpful for the Gambia government to pause and reconsider how best these
> monies may be invested for the direct improvement of the lives of the
> Gambia people. In particular, the government should try to make it possible
> for a part of every single aid package to be invested directly on the
> education and training of Gambian citizens, and on other projects that
> directly impact the lives of Gambian citizens. Develop the people and the
> people will develop their country.
>
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