>From: Jabou Joh <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Good Winds From Geneva-Jabou >Date: Sat, 21 Sep 2002 17:47:34 EDT > >In a message dated 9/21/2002 5:05:49 PM , [log in to unmask] writes: > > > > Jabou, > > > > What we are going through is the result of decades of > > neglect, embezzlement and downright thievery by leaders we trusted with all > > our hearts. Had they invested in what this government is investing in now, > > we would not be talking about them. We would have been talking about other > > things. > > > >GASSA, > >WE HAVE NEW STRUCTURES AND THAT IS GREAT, BUT AS FAR AS YOUR ABOVE ALLEGATION >IS CONCERNED, WE HAVE JUST FALLEN FROM THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE MY >BROTHER. >WE STILL HAVE CORRUPT LEADERS, JUST WITH A NEW TWIST, AND AN EVEN MORE CRUEL >ONE AS IT SI ACCOMPANIED BY AN UNCANNY DEVIOUSNESS AND DECEIT. > > THE APRC GOVERNMENT IS NETWORKING TO BUILD AND IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT >THE PEOPLE NEED TO ENJOY FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND HAVE THE MEANS TO BE ABLE >TO PAY FOR THE SERVICES THAT THE NEW IMPROVEMENTS WILL BRING. YOU CANNOT >PURCHASE A COMPUTER AND ACCESS THE INTERNET IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHERE >YOUR NEXT MEAL IS COMING FROM, AND THAT IS THE CASE WITH MOST FOLKS IN >GAMBIA. > >YOU ALSO WROTE: > > > Second, development is a process and not an event that just happens. The > > developments that other countries are enjoying did not just happen. It took > > great minds to work out strategies to pave the way forward. > >YOU ARE QUITE RIGHT. IT TOOK NOT ONLY GREAT MINDS, BUT HONEST AND UNSELFISH >ONES THAT HAD A VISION TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT BENEFITED EVERYONE IN THE >LONG RUN, REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL AFFILIATION. HOWEVER, THE MOST IMPORTANT >PART OF IT IS THAT IT ALSO TAKES SACRIFICE AND DEDICATION AND GENUINELY >USING MEAGER RESOURCES FOR WHAT THEY ARE INTENDED, INSTEAD OF TOWARDS THE >SERVICING OF EXTRAVAGANT LIFESTYLES FOR THE WOLVES GUARDING THE SHEEP, AND >BEGGING FROM THEIR PEERS FOR MORE TO MIS-USE. > > >YOU ALSO WROTE: > > > By the way, did you know that the old and delapidated oil mill at Saro has > > been demolished and that a brand new oil mill is at an advance stage of > > construction? Did I tell you that the EU is working out the modalities of > > carrying out a feasibility study to determine the feasibility of > > constructing a bridge between Banjul and Barra? > > > > Did I tell you that we are now implementing the first of several phases to > > provide affordable telephone lines and Internet access throughout the > > country? Right now we have Siemens of Germany in the country about to start > > the laying of a 350 Km fibre-optic cable from Fatoto across the river > > Gambia and along the North Bank to Barra. This would then be linked to > > Banjul to provide a fully redundant transmission backbone. Our people on > > the North of the river would soon begin to realise the benefits of good > > reliable communications just like those on the south bank. > >THIS IS ALL VERY GOOD GASSA, BUT FOOD, SHELTER AND FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE TO >ENABLE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO USE THESE GOODS AND SERVICES IS THE >STARTING POINT. THEREFORE, IF THE GOVERNMENT IS PUTTING FORTH A GENUINE >EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF GAMBIANS, AND NOT JUST THE LANDSCAPE WITH ALL >THE NEW HIGH TECH SOLUTIONS THAT THE ORDINARY GAMBIAN WHO CANNOT FIND GAINFUL >EMPLOYMENT OR FEED HIS FAMILY CANNOT AFFORD, THEN SHOULD THEY NOT ALSO PUT AN >EMPHASIS ON IMPLEMENTING PROJECTS THAT WILL IMPROVE THE HUMAN CONDITION LEST >THE REST LOOK LIKE JUST OUTSIDE WINDOW DRESSING, WHILE THOSE FOR WHOM IT IS >INTENDED FIND THEMSELVES STARVING WHILE SURROUNDED BY ALL THE PHYSICAL >IMPROVEMENTS? THAT WILL SHOW THEM EVEN MORE JUST HOW POOR AND HELPLESS THEY >REALLY ARE. > >ALLEVIATION OF THE SUFFERING OF PEOPLE TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER INFRACSTRUCTURAL >IMPROVEMENTS IF THE INTENTION IS GENUINE AND NOT MERELY MEANT FOR >ONE-UPMANSHIP ( YOU KNOW, LOOK WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO, SO DO NOT SAY A WORD >ABOUT OUR CORRUPT WAYS AND OUR ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, OK? AT LEAST WE ARE >CORRUPT AND BUILDING STRUCTURES) > >YOU ALSO WROTE: > > These developments and more, is what brings about development and is a > > gradual process. The rest, such as "farmers selling their > > produce", "journalists not questioned for reporting the news" and much > > more, would follow later. No hurry about that yet. For now, we want the > > infrastructures built and our human resources developed to enable our > > children carry on from where we stop. > > >WELL GASSA, WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT THE ABOVE? IT IS DEFINITELY THE MOTTO OF THE >APRC REGIME, AND YOU HAVE REGUTGITATED IT PERFECTLY HERE. NEVER MIND THAT THE >PEOPLE ARE STARVING AND BEING HARASSED, LET US CONCENTRATE ON THE >INFRACSTRUCTURE BECAUSE THAT SERVES BOTH AS A SIGN THAT WE ARE MAKING >PROGRESS, AS WELL AS PROVIDE THE AMENITIES FOR THE FEW THAT CAN AFFORD TO >UTILIZE THEM. >IF THE MAJORITY WHO ARE IN DIRE STRAITS SUCCUMB TO MORE SUFFERING, FURTHER >ABUSE OF THEIR RIGHTS,SUPPRESION OF SELF EXPRESION AND STARVATION IN THE >MEANTIME, NOT TO WORRY, THIS IS ALL GOOD FOR THEM. > >YOU ALSO WROTE: > > > Finally, until we can boast of Gambian Doctors curing Gambian patients, > > Gambian lawyers defending Gambian laws, Gambian journalists educating > > Gmabian people, Gambian agricultural scientists helping Gambian farmers, > > Gambian teachers teaching children, Gambian civil engineers constructing > > our Gambian roads, Gambian entrepreneurs exporting Gambian produce, Gambian > > farmers feeding us Gambians etc, etc, all we can see is what this > > government does. > >GASSA, THE ABOVE WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE MOST PRECIOUS COMODITY WE POSSESS, >NAMELY PEOPLE, ONE HUMAN BEING AT A TIME IS REGARDED AS SUCH BY OUR LEADERS, >AND SEEN AS WORTHY OF HAVING ALL OUR RESOURCES PUT TOWARDS SHOWING THEM THAT >WE CARE ABOUT THEIR WELFARE AT EVERY LEVEL BY IMPLEMENTING PROJECTS THAT >ADDRESS THEIR IMMEDIATE NEEDS SUCH AS FOOD, ADEQUATE SHELTER AND JOBS. >PROJECTS TO PROVIDE EACH INDIVIDUAL WITH OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE A DIGNIFIED LIFE >IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY ARE NOT IN CONSTANT FEAR OF POVERTY, LACK OF >OPPORTUNITY AS WELL AS ALL FORMS OF OPPRESSION. >THEN WE WILL BE TRUELY DIRECTING OUR RESOURCES IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. >GAMBIAN PROFESSIONALS THRIVE IN A NURTURED SOCIETY WHERE OUR PRIORITIES ARE >THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE. INSTEAD WE HAVE GOVERNMENTS WHO CREATE SITUATIONS >THAT FOSTER ATMOSPHERES THAT DO NOT ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO EXCELL AND THUS >CONSTITUTE A CHALLENGE FOR THEM SIMPLY BECAUSE THESE REGIMES THRIVE WHEN >IGNORANCE AND POVERTY PREVAILS. > >YOU WROTE: > >After all, none is stopping any of you from coming home. > > and showing us where we are going wrong and how to do things differently. > > Is that asking for too much? > >WILL THAT REALLY MAKE YOU SEE THE LIGHT GASSA, AND DO WE HAVE A LEADERSHIP >THAT IS OPEN TO IMPUT FROM ORDINARY GAMBIANS OR EVEN TOLERATE DIFFERENT VIEWS >FROM THEIR OWN? THE RECORD DOES NOT SHOW THIS. INSTEAD, IT REEKS OF >INTOLERANCE FOR ANY VIEWS THAT DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO THE HEAVY HANDEDNESS THAT >IS IN PLACE TO ENSURE LONGEVITY FOR THE REGIME. THAT IS THE SUPREME GOAL AND >THE REST IS JUST WINDOW-DRESSING TO APEASE THE IGNORANT AND THE HELPESS AND >THOSE WHO WANT TO USE IT AS JUSTIFICATION TO CONTINUE WITH BUSINESS AS USUAL. > > >SOME OF US CANNOT WITHSTAND LIVING IN SITUATIONS WHERE WE HAVE TO SUPPRESS >OUR NATURAL INSTINCTS TO SPEAK THE TRUTH, AND WHERE ONE HAS TO SACRIFICE >HONESTY FOR SURVIVAL,, AND LOOK THE OTHER WAY WHEN INJUSTICE IS DONE, OR EVEN >GOD FORBID, START TO SING THE PRAISES OF THOSE WHO DESERVE ANYTHING BUT >PRAISES FOR A SMALL PERSONAL GAIN. SOME OF US WOULD RATHER CHOOSE SELF EXILE >THAN LIVE UNDER SUCH A SITUATION GASSA, BUT HOW CAN YOU UNDERSTAND OR >APPRECIATE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE THE VIEWS YOU DO? OR IS IT MORE LIKELY THAT YOU >ARE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND ACTUALLY, BUT THAT YOU AND MANY LIKE YOU HAVE CHOSEN >SELF INTEREST AND COMPROMISE FOR SELF PRESERVATION OVER HAVING THE COURAGE TO > STAND FOR THE TRUTH ? > >PERHAPS IT IS OUR EXPERIENCE AT THE HANDS OF BAD LEADERSHIP AFTER EVEN MORE >BAD LEADERSHIP THAT HAS RENDERED SOME OF US INCAPABLE OF RECOGNIZING THAT >PROGRESS IS NOT MEASURED BY THE TOKENISM OR EVIDENT LACK OF PRIORITIZATION >OF THE BASIC NEEDS OF A SUFFERING PEOPLE THAT WE ARE BOMBARDED WITH. > >RECOGNIZING THAT IS NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK OF SUPPOSEDLY INTELLIGENT PEOPLE IF >THEY ARE NOT BENT ON SELF PRESERVATION AT THE EXPENSE OF THE REST. > >WE CAN DEBATE FOREVER, BUT IN YOUR DEFENSE OF THE INDEFENSIBLE, AND YOUR >REFUSAL TO CONSIDER LOGIC, YOU ARE LIKE GEORGE BUSH WHO IS HELL BENT ON >ATTACKING IRAQ. HE WANTS PEOPLE TO ACCEPT THE PROPAGANDA THAT THERE IS >JUSTIFICATION WHERE THERE IS NONE. > >LIKE JAMMEH, YOU SAY YOU WANT US TO COME HOME AND CONTRIBUTE WHEN EVEN OUR >IDEAS AND CRITICISM THAT SHOULD SERVE AS A RESOURCE FOR A WELL INTENTIONED >GOVERNMENT ARE LABELLED A LACK OF REFUSAL TO ACCEPT THAT THERE IS PROGRESS. > > > JABOU JOH > > > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >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] > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~