B Jaiteh.
I believe you must be one of the very concern Gambians who would like  the
progress of Gambian people.

Your posting is calling for the colective concern of all Gambians to rally
behind the struggle to solve the ample supply of problems you
lamented.However, I am yet to believe that, any Gambian who had experienced
the Jawara regime whould not be out here to justify the good work of that
gvernment! The credits you gave to Jawara were the will of the people. In
essence, that was what they wanted! to be independent!!He couldn't do that
alone.

Jawara was sucessful in securing the highest level of trust and faith a
nation can have in a person. His natural leadership was
unquestionable.Consequently, he enjoyed the a convient moment of naivity and
delibrately ignored the detriorating economic, social and political
situation in the Gambia.To tell you that Jawara had failed us!!!Lets try see
the points you raised.

Free primary Education etc.
The question is, what was the quality? I hope school curriculum experts will
help us with this answer more acurately.The school curriculum in Gambia at
that time, when I attended primary andd High school was designed in a manner
that we learned much more of the UK than the Gambia.Apparently, we were
supposs to know more about the Uk than the Gambia.You can see why some of us
are so schooled that we still have a problem to understand that, the
problems in the Gambia does not only demand to be educated but education
with competence, which I mean to be as well aware of your environment.To be
aware of your environment will surely entail many things.

Yes, you are right that there was free feeding program nation wide, but how
long was that? It was during Jawara's regime that the free feeding program
was comercilized! and I can tell you that it was not all students who could
afford that.

Transport for provincial pupils during school breaks did happened.Well what
you failed to realised is that, there were thousands of other students in
the provences who walked and still does, so many kilometers to and from
school every day.I dont want to  go on breaking down the economic
implications involved in this, but I hope you understand what the pusposs
was. Admittedly, I want to tell you that, it was not all students who lived
in an environment of peace and tranquility! this will surely depend on how
you defined your terms.

Concidering an unemployed or as you know working class wage person in the
Gambia with a family,who cannot meet the nesesary incentives of managing a
family, do you call that a family living in peace and tranquility? That
regime of Jawara was a government for a few! We have seen and still sees a
handful of people being extremely rich at the expence of the Gambian people.
What was Sir doing? that is were the problems you lamented rooted from. It
was a compelete negligence of duty and alligence Jawara owed to the Gambia.
Missuse of power, proffesional missconduct for that matter. Ironically, he
deliberately brook the contract with the Gambian people. That is why I find
it strange when you questioned the faith of Yaya Jammeh. He is on the same
road, exactly the same as Sir! a copy card!He inherited the style! Even more
wild.

To experience Jawara's regime, it could not be hard to recognise the type of
interlectuals that graduated from his so called education policy. Some of
the people you named efter long battles of oppression
and endless problems at home, they fled else where.They are indeed  true
scholars and  did worked very hard for what they achieve in the accademia
today. I hope some of them will take the opportunity to explain their
individual eperiences with the Jawara regime.

Yes"the greatest loss of a nation is its human resource"! that is what
Gambia is lossing! Gambia was brain drain and still continues to be more
brain drain! incredible! Jawara chased out a lot and Yaya is doing it in
tons.

Talking about the health sector in the Gambia, is like, no I dont want to
remember the trauma and people I have seen and known died of such primary
sickness that are unexplanable. I mean, have you not heard that women in
some areas were, and still gives birth to their babies on donkey carts on
the way the nearest clinic? which can be as you may know many kilometers
away from their homes?

Social competence is a very important factor of service. This is one of the
main machineries that justifies a good and bad service. To trace along the
school curiculum of the Gambia, we can see the fault created by not
educating the people to be aware of their environment-
cross cultural communication! it may be difficult for you to understand that
there are many un-service minded people in that excellent civil service of
yours. However, we all have our individual experiences that has great
influence in the way we formulate organisation of meanings.

Brother, Gambia's economy was and still one of the worst economies in
Africa! the thing is there was a boom because of foriegn aid and loans, that
was why it as well went fluctuating!It became extremely bad that the dalasi
was devaluated, that the people who were to carry on the work for
development were terminated from their services, peole with families! As you
fef.from Justice Holm that "a greater loss of a nation is it's human
resource". Well the jawara's era was contrary to this theory. Where was the
excellent economy?- and now, its from the frying pan to the fire!

It was the people that built peace and harmony in the Gambia. The reason is
that, its takes the whole society to raise a child in the Gambia. There is a
logic in that! that is what is  great and fantastic with the Gambian people.
Love is our culture! we are naturally peace loving people, so near to each
other! That was not Jawara's work, he is also part of that.

On the question of whom to support is a personal view. However, I still
believe that Darboe was among the policy makers during Sir Dawda's regime,
and I cannot understand why he could'nt see the fault with that regime- that
the judical system was currupt,the economic and the political situation was
at stake?

Yahya

>From: [log in to unmask]
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara the Pragmatic Leader!
>Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2000 18:21:58 EST
>
>FELLOW GAMBIANS:
>
>The state of our nation, The Gambia, is deplorable. The Gambia is now a
>fertile ground for drug traficking, prostitution, banditory, disease,
>corruption, state terrorism, intimidation, harassment and economic
>degradation. In a nutshell, it's Terra Incognito in The Gambia. What a
>shame!
>what an outrage! what a tragedy! Not too long ago that this very country we
>all call The Gambia (Homeland) was regarded as many in the international
>community the bastion for peace and the model for democracy in Africa under
>Dawda Kairaba Jawara.
>Sir Dawda is a man of great intellect, honour and integrity. The man who
>demanded from her majesty, the Queen of England, in 1965 the Magna Carter
>on
>behalf of the people of The Gambia. This document paved the way for the
>Gambia to take it's rightful place in the community of nations. Jawara's
>Gambia was very prosperous and peaceful. Jawara was an ardent believer of
>the
>rule of law, justice, and the custodian of human right all over the
>continent
>of Africa.
>Now my friends, let us review briefly, Jawara's policies sector by sector:
>Prior to the Economic Recovery Program in 1985, FREE PRIMARY EDUCATION was
>the order of the day, school feeding program implemented nation wide, free
>stationery in schools, free transportaion for provincial pupils during
>school
>breaks and a whole host of incentives accorded to the student population.
>More importantly, every student live in the environment of peace and
>tranquility. Jawara's mantra was that the sky is the limit for every
>Gambian
>regardless of profession or political affiliation. In economic jargon, it
>was
>laissez faire at it's best.
>The success of Jawara's education policy cannot be overemphasized and
>yielded
>the following impressive intellectual power house....to put it in human
>terms:
>The Halifa Sallahs, Malarfy Jarjus, Sidia Jattas, Sam Sarres, Alpha
>Robinsons, Waa Juwaras, Lawer Dabos, Dr.Nyangs, Dr. Tijan Sallahs, Lamin
>Leighs, Musa Bassadi Jawaras, Mariama Semega Jannehs, Idi Jobes, Madiba
>Saidys,Seedy Jammehs, Bakary Bunja Dabos, Yusupha Jows, Francis Njies, Sedi
>Sannehs, Tijan Sallahs, Ousou Jahs, Omar Jahs,Suwareh Dabos, Eliman Chams,
>Dr. Jacks, Dr. Dabos, Henry Baldehs, Abdoulie Saines, Katim Tourays.....
>and
>the list my friends, it's just too numerous to mention. This affirms the
>assertion by the late Justice Holmes of the United States that " the
>greatest
>loss of a nation is it's mineral resources, even a greater loss is it's
>human
>resources." Against this human backdrop, if you will, lies the elloquent
>testimony of Jawara's education policy triumps.
>In the area of health, prior to 1985, it was FREE UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE FOR
>ALL. My friends, this author removed his tooth in The Gambia under Jawara'
>s
>medical health services  for 0 dalasi, and performed the same proceedure in
>the United States for $300. In general, operations that could cost people
>fortunes in Europe and America,  mark you.. with the same quality, amounts
>to
>nothing in The Gambia. To speak of "real success".
>
>The Gambia had the best civil service, the best telecommunication system,
>the
>most independent judiciary, the healthiest economy and most important of
>all,
>the most stable and peaceful country in Africa. Folks, these were
>monumental
>achievements. What is happening now my friends, is the deconstruction of
>these giant pillars built by the illustrious son of The Gambia in the
>person
>of Dawda Kairaba Jawara.
>
>This is what is at stake and it's worth fighting for. As Lamin Waa Juwara
>elloquently put it after he was ignominiously assaulted, detained and
>released..."as long as democracy is not restored to The Gambia, prisons
>will
>be my second home; I am prepared to die for my beliefs..."  Fellow
>Gambians,
>our country is burning, the time to rescue it is long over due. But better
>late than never! Let us avoid total ruination of our country and now is the
>time to support Ousainou Dabos and Waa Juwaras in their cause to free Our
>country from servitude.  Let justice prevail!
>
>Readers please note, the author deliberately avoided making any contrast
>between the erstwhile and the current regimes because the two are not
>comparable for heaven sake!
>
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