Gassa, I understand very much why people like Joe Sambou are so frustrated about the fact that our President became one of the richest head of State in the Sub region within a very short period of time. For if you have SOS like such funny character, you need not wonder how is it possible that our African head of States behave the way they do. This SoS has definitely been reading Gambian newspaper and since Tobaski the plight of poor farmers have been hitting news headlines. He never reacted and now listen to how this funny character reacted to an old problem; “SECY said credit buying has been substantially reduced over the past few weeks. He revealed that as at now it stands at D45 m, that will be reduced next week with the pumping of an additional D23 m. For the remaining, Sallah said, plans are afoot to clear all the debts by the end of April 2002…” And listen again; “…. He even suggested that with the buying of 1000 tons of hand picked nuts the figure for nuts purchased this year could be put at 70,000 tons.” He did not even stop there, but when further to say: “… On the oil mill, Sallah revealed that the current 75 tons being produced would be increased to 100 tons by next week. “With all these improvements, we will be able to handle 100, 000 tons by next year”, He just could not make a stop; “And certainly the good news of it all: Sallah revealed that in six weeks time good refined Gambian groundnut oil will be available.” Gassa, should we not tell this funny character that we are getting very immune to promises from that end. Sometime back a mail was sent to the G/L saying that we will soon be buying rice produced in the Gambia in our supermarkets etc, one would have thought by then that poor quality imported rice will soon be a history, but certainly the story is still the same as the question of our electricity,here also we learned some time back that by next July 22 celebration if 98 % of country is not electrify, there will be no need for celebration and it will soon be July, for the second time. Perhaps this year too it will not be worth celebrating, for electricity supply in the country is still normal. Few weeks time is not long waiting and we hope that the SOS will come back to tell us that the situation now is as he promised. But before then, experience is telling us that let this remain as story telling. Had he told us that he has not been and will not be receiving salary until every farmer is been able to sell his/her groundnut in cash,his worries would have been taken with great concern.And or tell the sons and daughters of these poor farmers that they will be receiving free education as long as the problems of their parents is not solved. For Freedom Saiks ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~