I will want to share my experience with you in the form of Top Ten List which has been the tradition of this Bantaba,after my recent visist back home.I also made a trip to the country-side trying to get another view of the situation through the experience of the rural people.
The results of my findings through discussions, observations,with the people are as follows;

A. AUTOCRATIC RULE 

1. The  bureaucracy is in effective ,there is that type of "AUTHOCRATIC" rule where the government is absolutely controlled and ruled
by one person ,the President.The fact that he sees the Gambia as his personal property is evident in  many his speeches to Gambian people; " Whether you vote for me or not  I will win" "Today is my sun that is lightning for Thirty years it was Jawaras, Whether you like it or not am the President" and  
"If  you don't like me ,then don't watch my TV, don't go to my hospitals, Don't enter my  busses .."

                                                      
I could not believe my ears when one of his minister,Jakuba said;"..any one who does not support us will never be given a jobb" 


2. During the President's Tour there were special people who just sit next to her and fanning her with the "Tafiya". This i fine degrading and a slavery attitutde. I asked my self, why should this woman be fanned, when thousands of Gambians are standing in that hot sun listening to the President's insults.

3. The technocrats are the most frustrated,their resources are not put into use,the president proposes policies without consulting those it concern and are asked to implement it. 

B. THE STATE OF FEAR AND SILENCE

1.The state of fear in the minds of the people is deepen by the continuous treat from the president in every speech he made in addressing the nation.    

 2. The NIA,the July 22 Movement under the leadership of BABA JOBE have become an instrument of terror,they torture,arrest and detain people who are opposed to the government.  

BABA JOBE has become a symbol of thugery, murder, intimidation and  inhuman treatment of the Gambian people.

 
3. The AFPRC , JULY 22nd Movement and the NIA have managed to build a state of terror at home and i believe this is a serious issue that needs an immediate intervention before it is too late. People across the country live in a perpetual state of fear. That is why I commended the opposition for coming up with the declaration they made in relation to the unlawful arrest and detention of Syngle Njasi.

C. POVERTY AND DISILUSSION

1.Our nation is almost turn to a nation of beggars,now begging is not  reserve
only for the Bline and handicap. The economic condition of  families is becoming more and more a threat to the family unity we are so much proud of and this alone weight heavy on the minds  of parents.Unemployment is rampant,the consequences are many and can escalate !!!! People will tell you that before you can go to the port and get a laborer job just to earn a living now that is impossible. 

3.The Youths are more affected, unemployment among them is not going to be solve by the skill centers,most of them join their UN-skill friends in the unemployment wagon after the training programme. There are no jobs,the skill
centers do not prepare the youths to face the challenge or provide them with possibilities to establish themselves after the training programme. Even during the discussion of  the"Youth Bill" in parliament nothing was said to
shed light on the  doubts of the youths; "What happen after the training?"


D. SCHOOLING AND SKILL TRAINING

1.Many of the Parents can't afford school fees,the children are sent home for not being able to pay the fees and parents will be running around looking for means of paying for the fees 

E. HEALTH SERVICES

1.The Health Service is in a serious situation(as it has always been),there are Cuban doctors with health workers of other nationalities,but the problem is the hospitals lack basic equipments and medicines needed to facilitate a better health service. 

2. The dead of a friend in the hands of her husband was the most heart breaking that I experienced.After being sent home  because of lack of bed space in the hospital,I visited her at home and I decided that a new attempt should be
made,we went to the hospital and she was to be treated as an emergency case,since there was no medicine at the hospital we were asked to go to the drug store to buy the needed medicine,by the time I returned to the hospital with the medicines she was dead.I began to wonder how many Gambians died this way and how many more are going to experience the same thing,an old woman told me this is a daily experience.

Now I can understand the critics of our health service,when they say,why going round the whole country saying you have built hospitals when basic things ,like medicines that makes a hospital worthy are not available.


3.It take ages for rubbish to be collected, mosquitoes are as aggressive as the state
security,no doubt the high rate of malaria outbreak,this partly explains the high death rate in thecountry. People are just dying at a very young age.

F.TRIBALISM ;DEVIDE AND RULE

1. The issue of tribalism is becoming a problem in the country and this is very unfortunate.The AFPRC regime is consciously using trabalism to tactically devide the people.We know that tribalism is false,it is only use to devide the people, it has never brought any set of tribe out of the general suffering,but it has always proved to be an important and effective weapon for the rulling class to consolidate their power on false grounds.

G. CRIME LEVEL

1.The level of crime is growing. These crimes are not only committed by civilians but also by the law enforcement unit. 

2.The abuse of the citizens rights by the soldiers is very common. The soldiers are taking
the law in their own hands and people are so scared to talk or even express their concerns. 

3. The use of drug is also a big problem. Infact  the
police/soldiers are even among the users as well as the pushers.



H. INFRASTRUCTURE

1. The infrastructure is in it worse state. The roads are terrible especially when it rains. Infact the only good road I can think of is the one in Banjul.  

I. THE POSITIVE SIDE

1. Some of you might asked what are the positive developments,the positive is that the masses are striving very hard to over come these constrain.

2 People are working ten times as hard to get their daily bread.  People are aware of the fact that there is the need for a positive change as the only solution to the decadent situation.

3.People are also aware that for positive change to happen the Present regime needs to go for good.



To sum up, I would like to suggest that as Gambians abroad we should stratetgies to save the country from seeking. I believe as membes of the L we can join hands through organising as groups ie  doctors, lawyers, economics etc. in finding out solutions to the problems at home. Being out side does not neccesarily means we cannot make a difference. 

We can also devise mechanism in which we can take resources home. For example we can have Union of Gambian Doctors who would be looking into the health problems at home as well as mobilising resources from outside to the country. The samething can be done with people in other fields and areas. 

I would also urged every member of the L  including myself to join GESO in order to address the educational crisis at home. I would also suggest that GESO should include membership dues in its activities in order to raise more money in sponsoring more school kids as well as widening its activities at home.

I would also like to suggest the Union of Gambians Abroad in order to carry out neccesary activities both material and human resources.

I hope that the opposition would form a coalution party in order to get rid of this oppressive regime and also we would support them both financially and materially in the struggle to make Gambia a better.

Finally, I believe that the Gambia L can be a birth place of a new strategy in addressing the problems at home. The situation does not look good and we all need to be part of the process to change the situation. 

The Struggle Continues!!!!!!!!!!
Ndey Jobarteh