>From: "Foroyaa" <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
>To: "Sheikh Ndow" <[log in to unmask]>
>CC: "Alagie Jobe" <[log in to unmask]>, "Alpha Robinson"
><[log in to unmask]>, "Basiru Ndow"
><[log in to unmask]>, "Haruna Darbo" <[log in to unmask]>,
> "Joe Sambou" <[log in to unmask]>, "Jabou Joh"
><[log in to unmask]>, "Maba Jahu" <[log in to unmask]>, "Mbye Ceesay"
><[log in to unmask]>, "Ndey Tida Kejera"
><[log in to unmask]>, "Pasamba Jow" <[log in to unmask]>,
> "Sarian Loum" <[log in to unmask]>, "Sheikh Faye"
><[log in to unmask]>, "Musa Famara" <[log in to unmask]>,
> "Musa Manneh" <[log in to unmask]>, "Omar Touray"
><[log in to unmask]>, "pdois group" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: [pdois] FOROYAA Burning Issue
>Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 13:00:31 -0000
>
>
>FOROYAA
>
>
>
>NO: 7/2002 19 - 21 February, 2002
>
>
>
>Editorial
>Citizen FM Is Missed
>
>Radio Gambia and the National TV plus the independent press had tried to
>cover the sittings of the National Assembly. However none of the media
>houses have be able to give the direct and timely coverage that Citizen FM
>used to give. Citizen FM used to focus on the main points of the contention
>during its news coverage and then broadcast the sittings immediately after
>its news programme.
>
>Many patriots have been lamenting that Citizen FM is still off the air and
>the National Radio is unable to cover important deliberations like the
>National Assembly sittings with consistency. The press can only cover some
>points. Hence only some aspects of what happened could be comprehended.
>
>There was a very interesting debate on the constitutionality of the first
>session of the National Assembly. Part of the sittings were focused on by
>the TV but essential points which revealed the whole picture were missed.
>Some people have tried to give the picture that the minority parties are
>only involved in criticising lapses in procedure. Some felt that the
>Speaker was maintaining a strong arm position to suppress some members of
>the minority parties.
>
>In fact, the Speaker claim that he was new on the seat that he was not
>incompetent and that things will improve with more knowledge of the
>Standing Orders, all indicate that the issues are not the question of
>stubborness or strong arm Speaker but one of competence, maturity and
>sincerity.
>
>It is very clear from the contributions that the members of the minority
>are moving away from empty criticisms of the government and are now engaged
>in substantive analysis. However if there is no media coverage the real
>developments in the National Assembly will not be fully conveyed to the
>people.
>
>Citizen FM is being keenly awaited
>
>
>Independence And Today's Gambia
>On 18th February 2002 the country commemorates the 37th anniversary of its
>indenpedence. Attempts had been made to give 22nd July more prominence than
>18th February since the coup d'etat of 1994.
>
>However 18th February has again been given more focus this year with the
>invitation of president Abdoulie Wadda. National events should be a time
>for reflection. Many people are still wondering about the significance of
>February 18th, April 24 and 22nd July.
>
>It is important to point out that independence comes when the sovereignty
>of a nation no longer resides in the hands of a foreign power or state. Two
>types of independent nations have been known. The first type came into
>being when national monarches led their people against the domination of
>other foreign powers and then established independent kingdoms of their
>own. In many places such monarches ultimately set up constitutions and
>parliaments to help in the running of the countries. In such countries the
>kings stay as the executives while prime ministers run cabinets and
>parliaments pass bills which have to be assented to by the kings.
>
>Such a system of government is called constitutional monarchy. Morocco,
>Lesotho and so on are examples of independent countries governed by
>monarchs.
>
>On the other hand there are independent countries which are not under the
>sovereign rule of the foreign powers or local monarchs. Such independent
>states where sovereignty resides in the people are called independent
>Republics.
>
>The most advanced form of independent state is the Republic.
>
>The lesson that Gambians should learn is that on the 18th February 1965 a
>foreign monarch still held executive power in the Gambia. This is why the
>British monarch had the authority to appoint a Governor General to
>represent her in the Gambia. This is why section 32 of the constitution of
>the 1965 stated :
>
> "There shall be a parliament which shall consist of Her Majesty and a
>House of Representatives." Section 62 subsection (1) further added:
>
>"The executive authority of The Gambia is vested in Her Majesty."
>
>Section 60 subsection (1) indicated:
>
>"The Governor-General may at any time progue or dissolve parliament".
>
>Section 56 sub section (1) added :
>
>"The power of Parliament to make laws shall be exerciseable by bills
>passed by the House of Representatives and assented to by the
>Governor-General on behalf of Her Majesty."
>
>Section 29 emphasises a foreign monarch to appoint the Governor-General. It
>reads:
>
>" There shall be a Governor-general who shall be appointed by Her Majesty
>and shall hold office during Her Majesty's pleasure and who shall be Her
>Majesty's representative in the Gambia."
>
>This is why Gambia cannot be said to have become independent in 1965. It
>is on 24th April 1970 that The Gambia became completely free from the
>sovereign authority of a foreign power and became an independent republic.
>On 22nd July 1994 the Gambia was still politically independent. However the
>Republic was overthrown since the leaders no longer owed their power to
>the consent of the people. The real date that is worth commemorating is
>24th April 1970.
>
>
>
>Independence Celebration
>
>Speech With A Difference
>
>Time For Stock Taking
>FOROYAA wondered what there was to celebrate. We were therefore waiting
>keenly to hear what the president had to say to the Gambian people.
>Apparently the president himself realised that the Gambia is as dependent
>as ever after 37 years of so called independence. He therefore decided to
>give an ironical speech which is likely to go down well with anyone who is
>not interested in flowery ceremonial speeches.
>
>The president started by indicating on the 18th of February 2002 at the
>Stadium in Bakau that it was time for stock taking.
>
>The President welcomed President Wadda to the Gambia and indicated that his
>presence confirms the importance he attaches to Senegalo Gambian
>relationship.
>
>That the celebration attaches importance to civil rights and liberties;
>that children are are exposed to danger, casualties to war, refugee
>stations, hunger, illiteracy and epidemic, external indebtedness and poor
>economic circumstances of least developed countries.
>
>President Jammeh indicated that children are the focus of the government;
>that for 37 years we are still importing candles, matches." What have the
>colonialists done for us for 400 years. Political independence is
>meaningless unless we have economic independence. Independence will not
>come from the sky. The 21st century is the century of the survival of the
>fittest. We have to work, we have to acquire skills. How long will we
>benefit from that benevolence of others? he asked. He said that Gambian
>youths must be educated and disciplined; that there must be a change of
>attitude. He emphasised that we must change our attitudes in order to be
>responsible for Gambia's future.
>
>President Jammeh indicated that the independence of the Gambia is linked to
>the independence of Senegal; that the two countries must unite; that
>Africa must unite; that Gambia and Senegal are inseparable; that we either
>swim together or sink together; that Gambia ns will always be willing to
>move with the Senegalese people; that Africans must unite, stop killing
>each other so that there will be development.
>
>He left the children with the message that to drink tea one must have
>water; that Gambians must provide their own water. President Jammeh
>indicated that all Gambians must engage in stock taking; that to have
>sugar, tea cup and coffee without water will not enable a person to drink
>coffee; that Gambians must realise that we cannot continue to import
>everything and still see ourselves as independent. He emphasised that
>intolerance, hate, racism destroyed the world. We human beings must make
>the world a haven; that humanity is challenged by one disease; that of hate
>and intolerance. That intolerance and terrorism must be fought in all their
>forms. That tolerance will breed destruction; that there must be tolerance
>of diversity; that unless we love each other as different tribes, religions
>the nation cannot move forward; that is easier to destroy than to build.
>That young people must prepare to be parents tomorrow and therefore respect
>their parents and teachers today. That teachers and parents should import
>on the children high moral values.
>
>That children must prepare themselves to be the judges, the tailors, the
>shopkeepers and so on in order to prepare to be part of an independent
>country.
>
>FOROYAA considers the speech to be one with a difference because it was
>free from any mystification of the realities of the country.
>
>
>
>Education For All By When?
>It has been a universal principle that education is a right and not a
>privilege. The world set up an agenda for the year two thousand (2000) to
>give rise to free and compulsory education at the basic educational level
>under section 30 paragraph (a) of the Gambia Constitution which states in
>section 30 that all persons shall have the right to equal educational
>opportunities and facilities and with a view to achieving the full
>realisation of that right and Paragraph a indicated that basic education
>shall be free, compulsory and available to all.
>
>In his state of the nation address at the national assembly president
>Jammeh indicated that the government will also strive to provide free
>education for children in lower basic and upper basic schools in a gradual
>manner. That in the not too distance future, all girls will benefit from
>the scholarship scheme for girls to encourage their enrolment relation and
>performance in school.
>
> Many wonder whether the provision of free basic education is not a
>dream. The fact of the matter is that the scholarship scheme is providing
>approximately 1800 girls in upper basic and secondary schools in the CRD
>and URD with sponsorship to the live of 1.7 million dalasis. Suffice it to
>say a sum of 1 million had to be requested for by the president's office
>for expenditure on the president's inauguration. If the sum spent on the
>inauguration and the independence celebration are put together, other 1800
>girls could be provided with sponsorship. In short we can never achieve our
>goal if free and compulsory basic education on the basis of self reliance
>unless we cut the fact out of government expenditure we must do away with
>wastage and extravagance and sacrifice for the nation to develop. This is
>the only way forward. The other way is to depend on foreign donor and grant
>which is not sustainable.
>
>
>
>Boat Capcised In The Sea
>
>A fire ravaged the house of one Mr Alagie Ceesay, a resident of Ebo Town on
>Friday morning.
>
> Alagie who operates a canteen near Super Bird told Foroyaa that he
>was at his place of work when the fire started, pointing out that he
>was informed by one of the neighbours that their compound was on fire.
>According to him, upon arrival at the scene, he found out that the fire was
>at its peak.
>
> "The fire burnt my refrigerator, cupboard, television set, video,
>money, beds, clothes , etc. I have some of my money inside my safe, the
>safe is burnt but I don't know whether the money inside is burnt", he
>lamented.
>
> Majang Jobe, a tenant at the compound narrated that he too was
>not in when the fire started, but was later called by one of the
>neighbours. Jobe noted that he lost valuable properties, pointing out that
>all his belongings and that of his room mates were burnt to ashes. He noted
>that even though he lost enormous sums of money and things, he could not
>tell what started the fire. He pointed out that most of the items his
>room mates purchased for the Tobaski were devasted by the fire.
>
> Lamin Fatty, one of the neighbours who came to extinguish the fire
>said the fire brigades from Serrekunda fire station came to the scene with
>inadequate water. He further stated that some of the people who came to
>quench off the fire got minor injuries during the course of the exercise.
>
> Most of the people at the scene were heard blaming the fire
>service for not measuring up to expectations. The fire officers at the
>scene declined to comment on the matter, instead they referred our reporter
>to their public relations officer who could not be reached at the time for
>comments. It could be recalled that the Public Relations Officer of the
>Fire Service Department, Haddy Konneh, had earlier informed this paper
>that their tanks are always full, but then a tank can only take 400 gallons
>of water. She said years back, the fire tenders they could take 800
>gallons. She also told this paper that their tanks discharge 150 litres of
>water per minute, which means once they start discharging water, the tank
>empties within a period of three to five minutes. She noted that the
>vehicles are expected to operate well where hydrants exist since the tank
>will be connected to the hydrant as the tank empties its water on the fire.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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