>From: Joe Sambou <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: They Are Still Owed Millions >Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 14:39:02 +0000 > >I am glad that farmers in the country are beginning to affirm >themselves. >They are speaking out and if they are not heard, my friends, we may >see half >of them just grow food for their own consumption, or take to the >streets and >I cannot guarantee you the aftermath. When either option happens, I >do want >to hear hungry folks or folks that could not go to work to scrape a >living >come here to cry over our shoulders. I guarantee you, you will not >be >heard, wailing and all. Hopefully, the road to liberation for our >farmers >has begun. Please read on. > >Chi Jaama > >Joe Sambou > >Groundnut Issues: Farmers Voice Out Their Concern On Govt’s Failed >Promise > >Once again it was the groundnut issue that was on the spot light >with the >farmers themselves narrating their plight on credit buying over >Radio I FM’s >Sunday newshours moderated by Seedy Ceesay and monitored by this >reporter >last weekend. Four farmers drawn from three of the five >administrative areas >in the country were at the studios of the said radio, namely Alagie >Karamo >Faati of Central Badibu in the NBD, Alhajie Suntu Darboe of Nuimi >Lamin also >in the NBD, Alagie Burama Sagnia from the Upper River Division and >one >Alajie Jerry from Fulladu in the central River Division. > >According to Karamo Faati, all the youths in their area have >abandonned >farming and travelled to the Greater Banjul Area as a result of the >failure >to market their groundnuts leading to their frustration. When asked >as to >the statement made by the government that all the monies owned to >the >farmers were being paid, Mr. Faati in replied said he being an >oldman of 70 >years would not at a public forum like the radio say anything that >is not >true or baseless. He further explained that whenever the president >is on his >annual meet the people’s tour, they would only allow APRC supporters >to >speak about their plight and these people always choose to be silent >about >it to feign their total loyalty to Jammeh . “We are here for Allah >and for >you. > >For me, I only blame my fellow farmers for our problems as they >failed to >voice them out’’. On the issue of President Jammeh’s donation of >tractors, >Mr. Faati claimed that these tractors are only used for APRC women >rice >fields and are never seen in any farms owned by men. He finally >called on >the government to have a clear cut plan for the farmers well before >the >rainy season starts. Burama Sagnia of URD said be cannot abandon >farming >because it is the only livelihood he has but added that this >government is >totally disappointing them for not providing or facilitating >reliable >markets for their groundnuts. For him, he could not have his money >for his >groundnuts. > >“ Koriteh came and passed, tabaski came and passed and I even had to >borrow >money here and there to pay for my child’s school fees. Myself and >my family >depend on coos for our meals as we don’t have money to buy a bag of >rice. >“Almost everyday they would tell us that our money would come. I >would then >ride my bicycle to the secco only to be asked to come the following >day.” >According to Sagnia, he and others had to go and sell their >groundnuts >across the border to the local lumos. Suntu Darboe of Nuimi Lamin >said, he >decided to grow only coos last year because of the frustration he >encountered trying to receive money for his groundnut. According to >Alagie >Jerry, although he stays with farmers, his job is purely business >which does >not allow him to stay one place therefore he would not know whether >farmers >received their money or not. > > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ >Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at >http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >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] > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~