BY PA NDERRY M'BAI



Reading today's Point newspaper, President Yahya Jammeh is quoted as  having
said that if he did not solve the country's ailing energy crisis come the
next July 22ND anniversary, he will woefully fail as a president of The
Gambia.   It's late for Jammeh to realise that he had failed as a president.

THE FAILED PRESIDENT WITH HIS
BIG EMPTY PROMISES!!!!
Interesting times in The Gambia.  Is Jammeh day dreaming?  I'm compelled to
ask this question in view of his numerous promises to address the energy
crisis without success.    Since he assumed that portfolio things are going
from bad to worst.  It's reported that people living in the Greater Banjul
Area can hardly have now a days  four good hours of uninterrupted
electricity.  This resulted in many businesses closing down.  They cannot
afford the exorbitant gas prices to maintain their generators.

The same Yahya Jammeh promised Gambians four years ago that NAWEC'S problems
will be a thing of the past, since he Jammeh is presiding over the affairs
of NAWEC. Yahya Jammeh did constantly brags that the Rural electrification
project would be a success story.  That poverty stricken farmers will have
access to 24 hours undisputed electricity supply.

His promise attracted a swift reaction from the Niamina Dankunku loin Lamin
Waa Juwara, who vowed to join the APRC if Jammeh honoured  his promise of
bringing electricity in his home village of  Dankunku.  Juwara knew fully
well that Jammeh was hell bent on lying to the electorates in a bid secure
votes in the past elections.  Now the rest is history.

We are witnessing more electric cuts today ever in the history of The
Gambia.  Most government offices do not have stand by generators in the
event of powerful failure.  If they do, then they must be using the few ones
left by the deposed PPP administration.   How many times did  we hear  civil
servants saying "today there is no light and it means easy day for us."
Some will exploit the situation and secretly go home to drink the usual tea
"attaya."

Yes, we cannot blame these folks  to some extent.  Their action  is
compelled byYahya's  reckless policies.   What's the point of sitting in an
office, when there is no power to run  computers, type writers and fax
machines?  The few ones who stay in the offices spent the day by gossipping
their fellow associates.  How can the Gambia develop under such a situation?

Staff morale is very low today in Gambia's civil service.   For years, some
civil servants had not been raised in terms of salary and promotion  wise.
Salaries are still stagnant and there is no indication that they will get
pay raise under Yahya's regime anymore.  The funds are just not there.

In view of these economic and political night mares hunting the civil
service, many civil servants no longer considered  corruption as some thing
illegal.  Some will openly take bribes to sign national documents that are
meant for free of charge.  Failure to "give them money under the table"
will mean that you will not get what you wanted  from them.

Reading the Daily Observer, recently a local corporate lawyer Pa Badou
Conteh lamented about the bureaucracy and red tape taking place at the
Department of State for local government and  Lands.  Mr.Conteh raised
important points regarding the unnecessary delay on the side of local
government authorities in getting citizens lease documents signed.

Indeed, lease documents have gathered dust at this Department of State for a
long, long time now.   This had resulted some selfish "alkalo's to create
confusion in some localities.  How can a piece of land be sold out to two
different individuals?  The Lands ministry which should allocate lands to
citizens have shirk its responsibility by allowing greed, corruption and
nepotism to overshadow their expected roles as public servants.

Walking into these offices, be it at the Immigration Department, Lands,
Police License office, ministry of health and local municipalities, the
first thing they will tell you is"Ndowkay ibay Jolang La deeh"  meaning you
have to "pull out money" to get what you wanted.    How many times have
these public servants complained about poor salaries to justify their
corrupt activities?    To add insult to injury, they will tell you"Yeh Neso
sitti damen, abay Ballou la jay" meaning in short and plain language that
"wherever, you tide a cow that's where the cow  survived."

Are we today witnessing "survival of the fittest" in The Gambia?  Why
exploiting our poor farmers, rural and urban folks under the cover of "poor
wages or salaries"?  Let justice guide our action for the shake of the
common good.

Some public servants will tell you if the "big man Yahya is eating, who am i
not to eat."  Two wrongs cannot be right.  If Yahya  Jammeh is corrupt that
should not compel you to emulate him.   His days are numbered and anybody
who aided and abetted him in his corruption schemes will certainly face
justice.   The Gambia is ours and we should not allow some 'misguided and
greedy" politicians to wreck it.

Corruption is today endemic in the Gambia.   This had led to the total
collapse of governance and development.  All major roads are in deplorable
conditions.  Our health sector is no longer dispensing drugs due to lack of
drugs.  Poverty stricken sick citizens cannot afford exorbitant drug fees.
Some will result to the slogan"harral ma harr Yallah" meaning let me wait
for God's decision since they cannot afford to buy malarial drugs.  A sad
and worrying situation.

Gambians are not interested with Jammeh's unfulfilled big promises for
better health care, energy and economic development.  Our preoccupation now
is how to rebuild a new Gambia, free of corruption, nepotism, dictatorship
and rule of law crisis.   There is life at the end of tunnel.  Gambians
should not give up the struggle to free our dear country from the Jammeh
dictatorship hell bent on undermining our God given rights and freedoms.
Liberty must be restored sooner or later.

_________________________________________________________________
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