Auntie Jaboh This is an excellent piece. I hope Ebou Thief Jallow READS, DIGESTS AND THEN SHUT UP! The poor guy is not credible on Gambian politics. My sincere regards Sanusi --- Jabou Joh <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Ebou Jallow. > > I agree that the quest for power for the sake of > power by African > politicians is and continues to be our doom, and > indeed where the nation and people have > needed the politicians to set aside their petty egos > to save the day, these > egos and quests for power by any means has always > gotten in the way, prooving > the acccusation true every time. Instead, save for a > very few, the annals of > African politics are unfortunately not the place > where men and women of honour > resign from political positions as a gesture of good > faith when the occasion > calls for it. Moral convictions and the willingness > to make sacrifices to > protect them cannot be worn on and off like > jewelry only when it suits one. The > people notice although our politicians assume that > ignorance is the order of > the day and their best asset. > > However, where in your mind does Yaya Jammeh fit > into this picture of power > hungry African politicians who will do anything to > get and stay in power? He > certainly does not rank among honourable men because > honourable men do not make > brutality and repression their tools for success in > their quests. > > Here is a man who seized power claiming he was out > to eliminate corruption > and would relinquish it to a civilian government > after a specified period of > time, and that he would not leave the army for > politics. > > Here is a man who then reneged on this promise and > has since ran for office > twice and "won", and is set out on a course to > remain president for as long as > he can,and is ready to do whatever it takes to od > that, and the evidence of > this is there for all to see. > He has set an agenda of violence, murder and mayhem > upon his countrymen and > put fear in the hearts of Gambians all for the sake > of assuring that he remains > in power, and there seems to be an array of Gamboans > willing to participate > in this ugly quest for temporary personal gain even > at teh expense of > tarnishing their images forever. > > He thinks he is a king when Gambians have not > elected him king, and he finds > all kinds of excuses to throw bogus charges at his > opponents so he can > incarcerate them, kill them, or do whatever is > necessary to buy himself time and get > them out of the picture. > > Yaya Jammeh claims that Gambians in the Diaspora are > responsible for Gambia's > woes because our outdry and accusations against his > regime are the reasons > why investors and donors stay out of Gambia. > This is another ample evidence that he and his > government have absolutely no > understanding of World politics and economics and > what criteria governments, > donor agencies and the investors who are the > citizens of these countries base > their decisions to work with any government upon. > The APRC regime has a simplistic view of the World, > and it bespeaks of their > utter lack of competence to lead our country, and > yet, they will never have > the courage and honour to admit this and step down > it seems. > They are hardly the stuff that courageous and > honourable men and women are > made of. > In a democracy, those who understand the process do > not try to eliminate > their opponents by attempting to get rid if them > with all sorts of excuses. > > Therefore, Yaya Jammeh and the APRC regime do not > understand the Democratic > process, and among African leaders who seek and > attempt to maintain Power by > any means necessary, they rank number one for us > Gambians and they are also > contributing to achieving that on the international > scene. They are the ones > responsible for the economic doom that has visited > our country, but they will never > admit it. They will continue to find excuses to lay > the blame elsewhere when > they are the ones whose actions spell their eventual > doom.The World is not > interested in dealing with or supporting repression > and it is bad for business as > well as for the reputations of those who support > repressive regimes. > Please do have the courage to label all culprits if > you are going to label > anyone. > > I have a theory about this senseless quest for power > by our politicians so > that it becomes more inportant than taking care of > the people's business and > interests which should be the main reason for being > a politician, and relegates > the purpose for becoming a politician in the first > place to the back bench. > > I think it is povety, deprivation and the lack of > opportunity that is > prevalent in Africa, and which in turn is a result > of the corruption of politics, so > it is a vicious circle. > Politics has become the avenue to "get rich quick" > because we see politicians > become wealthy overnight with their pockets stuffed > full of the people's > money which they are entrusted with, so that this > evil has actually been accepted > as nomal. > > Our youth have no opportunities, no jobs, no chance > for higher education > unless they struggel to get it themselves which most > of the time involves all > sorts of personal struggles and untold suffering. > There are no opportunities for enterpreneurs to get > teh funds they need to > start businesses and no assistance of any sort to > ensure their success. > > There is much hopelessness and dejection and so > people are not shocked by > corruption in politics anymore and infact, there is > instead a scramble to join > the game to "get your share". And yet, we expect > our rights and interests to be > protected when we are the enablers of those who > subjugate us. > > The corrupt array of governments we have all over > the continent have no > interest and no plans to uplift the people > economically or otherwise because it > is easier to exploit people when they are poor and > ignorant of their > rights.Poor people are too busy trying to get the > next meal and put a roof over the > heads of their children, and survive deseases in an > enviroment of limited or no > access to even average medical care. > They are vulnerable and afraid, and it the perfect > targets. > > Instead, these dispicable, currupt leaders blame the > people for their > failures like Yaya Jammeh does. > They hire and fire people at random because they are > ignorant enough to think > that there must be some expertise that these > political stooge appointments > they make every so many months have that will > repair the looted economy > overnight. It is scary to think that there is not > even the level of intelligence to > understand the simple theory of cause and effect. > Namley that if you steal, mis-manage and neglect the > economy and the > implementation of the tools for improving the > economic and social conditions of the > people, and instead focus on the crime against the > people of utilizing the > state's funds to build wealth for yourself and your > partners in crime, and to > implement all sorts of devious tactics to stay in > power, this will eventually > manifest itself, and no amount of quick fixes, > blames, brutality and > grandstanding will work. > > For the average African political power then becomes > a means of achieving > wealth even though that wealth is not yours. Case in > point, Yaya Jammeh who in > his speech accuses Gambians he appoints to office as > only seeking wealth when he > has stood before the same Gambians and declared that > he === message truncated === __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search http://shopping.yahoo.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~