Musa,

I was reading the account of your sojourn in Gambia. I am pleased you enjoyed your stay and had an opportunity to travel to your native Kaur. Your children must be excited to see you back. We all have to attend to the more important and valuable matters in our lives.

I wanted to give you time to settle down, take a deep breath, and read your account again. I am pleased you did and returned some further clarification on your assessment of the state of Gambia. If you get a chance, read it again and you may present greater perspective. Sometimes our presentation can be misunderstood. I understand that one of the things that is not yet clear to you is how to evaluate the importance of the rule of law and democratic governance against the significance of the infrastructure that you saw. Structures can be exciting and exhilarating indeed. It can be even more tantalizing to realize what the structure actually contains or contributes to your society besides its aesthetics. I will share with you some stories about infra-structures later, however for now, I wanted to recommend Karamba's piece on Chretien's perceptions about Africa's governments and their peoples. Chretien expresses a desire to assist Africans.

I was excited to learn that you saw a couple of hospitals. I wonder if you had occasion to visit the wards and some of the patients. I would appreciate it if you could share with us what challenges the doctors(Gambian and non-Gambian alike) are facing if any at all. I don't mean surgeries and triple-by-passes, etc. Just preventative medicine and primary care. Sort of like "a day in the life of an RVH patient/doctor/nurse/janitor". You know, what goes on inside the structure. You may also enlighten us about wheelchairs, gurneys, fees, bandages, antibiotics, antiseptics, and diagnostic implements.  

I wonder if you had occasion to witness some classes in session at the university, or talk to students there? If I understand correctly, the medical school is a proposed project. Will it be a school in the university system or will it be an attachment to the hospitals - sort of like a teaching hospital. Have you seen the plan for this laboratory? Wonder if there is a plan?

We'll visit the road network you mentioned another time. I tell you, sharing your account of the state of Gambia has been an eye-opener. I look foreward to more accounts from you. I would be appreciative if you do not include politics in your narration. In other words you do not have to say Jammeh did this or did not do that. I want to keep the discussion focused on substance and avoid the back and forth from others who may not share your political views.

Another material for perspective is "The Green Book" or "Kitaabul Akhdar". It is supposed to be a compilation of the ideology of Gaddaafi and his vision in transforming bedouin communities into flourishing gardens (Hadiiqahs) with intolerance of dissent. I found out that Gaddaafi defers development and decision-making to able professionals and technocrats from Italy, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania, Egypt, Sweden, and the recently independent Soviet states. He also has enormous love and respect for his citizenry as long as they agree with him.

I remembered a friend of mine - Thurayyah, beaming with glee and gaucherry when they purchased their first Telefunken video from sweden. At the top of her voice she blurted: "FIL Haaja Takminul Hurriyya". Actually, Thurayyah was no fan of Muammar's. Nonetheless, the quotation came out matter-of-factly. If you couldn't lay your hand on the green book, see if you can see Mazrui's piece on the Akosombo etc.

Oh, by the way, did you visit with any Gambian whose father had been laid-off (fired) because of their political belief/conscience? Jammeh probably did not fire them. They were gotten rid of for incompetence, sabotage, laziness, and non-performance. In any event, some of them were the sole income-earners of their families. I wonder if we could figure out a way to assist these folk. Or did you find out that those allegations were not the reality on the ground, that sacred ground that we have to be on to know exactly what traverses it. I see lots of footprints, the size,shape,impression, and direction tell their varied odysseys.All heading in the same direction, away,away,away, Juxtaposed, some in a rythmic calypso of paranoid schitzophrenia, with an air of urgency, from what or whence I do not know. Their destination even murkier.

I look foreward to speaking with you. Meanwhile, welcome back.