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The Gambian Business Is Not a One Man Show
Sunday, 24 July 2011 12:42
By Dr Ebrima BadjieIt`s ever fascinating to realise where one can get inspiration from. Many a time I look forward to being inspired by big names in academia, businesses and political foras, not realising that even entertainment sector can do the job. Yes its from listening to conscious music that I am finally able to pull up my guts together and represent self as a dignified being. And thanks to Beres Hammond's
"keeping it real" song, I am just going to continue standing for what I am - a dignified human being who henceforth will not be intimidated by treats of torture or incarceration. It’s been far too long that me and many other Gambians keep showering praises on politicians and never stand up to speak against injustices they commit. Let those be the foregone days of our cowardy behaviour, else we will continue to be locked down by the system whose ultimate objective is to keep us poor and poorer. This way tyrants like Yahya Jammeh will continue to manipulate and subdue us onto their selfish wishes.
Yes its true that many of us have fallen prey to the brutal hands of his regime and a lot more will follow in this path if we all fail to take a decisive decision this November. The message to Jammeh is a simple one; "the Gambia business is not a one man show". Lets harnest the power of the vote and prove to this self-actualising king that our dignity and liberty are not for trash. Verily, his own notion that he is the only competent man for the job amongst our political figures is absolute nonsense. A free, democratic and fast developing nation can better be brought by a leadship that listens and serve the plight of the citizens, admits failure and takes critics as own corrective tool; not through fear or oppression of the citizenship. In contrast, Jammeh dictates the affairs of the Gambia as his own private ranch in mediaeval times. In modern day businesses; even private family size ones not only involve all stakeholders but sort advice on issues that are deemed critical. At the height of all psychopaths for that matter, Jammeh is the only head of state who claims he does not need an
adviser and hence he is not employing one. What then does he think he is, some kind of a God? or does he confuse his high school name (Gambia High School) for attaining the highest philosophical degree on Gambian issues. If this is his mentality, then Jammeh should realise that there are a lot more people out there who have attended his school including those who did better than him. One of the most fundamental mistakes we Gambians made in the past fifteen years was to entrust the affairs of our nation onto a high school graduate who is not even intelligent enough to sort advice on issues of the state he had no clue on.
Jammeh is not capable of analysing complicated issues, no wonder he believes intellects try to manipulate him into becoming closer to him and in time overthrow him. As the average man tends to forget things quite easily especially when face with multiple challenges, having a team of well experience specialise advisers is a do without for a man at the helm of the nation's affairs. This ensures that decisions are thoroughly thought through to arrive at a sensible and rewarding solution that represent the interest of the citizenry.
My dear Gambians, November is the perfect opportunity for us to have our own Arab Spring through the ballot to end Jammeh's reign and ultimately the sufferings and brutality we continue to endure for the past near two decades.
Fellow Gambians let us not be moved by Jammeh's 'so-called development strides' and empty promises, they are a mere propaganda tool which he use on our largely uneducated masses to ensure his clinch to power. The psychology of the power of the eye and money are powerful weapons that enable Jammeh to stay on with no thought to quit and we should not let this foul us. On his advance campaign for the November election (so-called meet the people tour), he have once again manifested to the whole world that his only interest from the poor farmers is there votes. Shall this be disputed, then let Jammeh explain to the Gambian public exactly what was he trying to prove by donating cash to poor farmers in Wuli whom he actually owe money from last year's groundnut trade season. If his gesture is a show of solidarity for those farmers then why was it not express earlier or better still pay them their hard earn cash and end their agony. Gambians, Jammeh reckons the fact that power really belongs to the people and this is why he is embarking on a tax payer funded tour to try to blackmail us with cash gifts and endless promises. As he continue to criss cross the length and breadth of the nation canvassing for votes, many promises are flowing out of his mouth with "Billahi Wallahi Tallahi" as assurance.
Notwithstanding, we should not be caught in these promises. For the last decade and a half he have uttered such promises and assurances even telling the people of Dimbaya and Darselameh that they should name their puppes after him if by the following year he failed to construct their roads. If the
people of these villages have gone by his name call, then they would have more than a thousand dogs named Yahya Jammeh. Jammeh's pride in the infrastructural developments itself must be critically scrutinise. Roads one of his regime's areas of intervention are a fundamental aspect of our communication network however, funds spent on the construction of these roads comes directly and or indirectly from us the tax payer.
The primary purpose of the taxes we pay is to get roads amongst other infrastructures and social services, hence no politician or Jammeh should expect any praises for a job he is paid to do. Taking an in depth look at his infrastructural developments, we will all be appauled to realise how much poorer we have become and if there is any value for the tax payer's money on those investments. On many platforms, Jammmeh wonders how after investing through loans more than $300, 000, 000 (three hundred million US dollars) on roads, little or nothing actually trickled down to the masses. According to him, the problem is due to a lack of Gambian firms and labour to dispense those projects. Alright, lets say we agree with him on this little problem but wonders what his solution is? Isn't it obvious, blame the youths for been lazy and not take up skilful jobs in the construction
industry. It is obvious and well said that every individual is born with a talent however, practicalising such talent needs one to harnest it and part of the harnesting process is training. So lets quiz Jammeh if his government was able to establish a single institution that is equipped and resourced to play this role. Perhaps it may be for his problem identification skills that Maryland University awarded him honorary doctorate degree, however thats not good enough because Gambians need solutions to their development challenges. Well I have no doctorate degree in anything but I am also not dump to realise that those funds would have actually trickled had the local firms and
youths alike been empowered. State funds that Jammeh spent on senseless festivals, musical parties and unworthy donations to artists are well enough to even establish five well equipped construction
firms.
The Gambia Technical Ttraining Institute could have been upgraded and equiped to give post paid training on construction and civil engineering just as per the requirement of the labour market. The cost of training these youths may later be taken on a monthly base as graduates get employed.
Jammeh dare not accuse the Gambian youths of been lazy, what actually has his government did to improve the conditions of the youths, is it his military style National Youth Service Scheme. No he cannot be serious, because the only success that NYSS hardly brought is giving youths basic handcraft skills and leave them to rot. Yes some may argue that we need a beginning somewhere, but the truth is basic is not just enough for the advancement of our nation. Our nation needs highly skilled individuals in all the productive base of our socio--economic activities. Hence we not only need institutions to serve in the training process but also a scheme that guarantees graduates employability. Jammeh has catastrophically failed in this regard and uses the youths as escape goat. Ofcourse no government can provide jobs for everyone and all sane persons know this, however, Jammeh and the APRC have failed to put in place a mechanism that ensures smooth transition from graduate to work. This would have untraped the youth folks from our streets and avert the increasingly looming psychological meltdown. Such a meltdown will have devastating consequences for our mid to long term development endeavours. Clearly, Jammeh has no idea how to solve these issues, yet the more reason why he needs to be kick out of office this year. Having in place structures
as the hardly occupied business park at the Banjul International Airport and a silicon valley dream all make no difference if you don't get your policies right. Sound and vibrant policies must be in place coupled with an attractive and conducive business environment if any sustainable and serious investment is to be achieved. The adjectives 'attractive' and 'conducive' for the APRC regime I understand means putting in place incentives such as tax breaks and infrastructure respectively, thus their frustration why this world bank funded project is not working to plan. A conducive business environment means a lot more than these, its also about competing for investor confidence. This means, any serious investor must not have any questions about stability of our nation, the justice system or the most basic right of any human being; the right to a freedom of speach.
Jammeh failed abjectly to give these core human values to the ordinary Gambian because he believes they endangers his clinch to power. Stability is not just the absence of gun fire rather its a gauge of how likely a society may be prone to civil unrest. Unfortunately our nation is highly likely to all trap in such unrest given the brutal and political oppression that Jammeh continues to mastermind. Unlike his outer looks and utterance that paints him scary, he is really paranoid and therefore takes no chances for what he believes is a treat to his reign. Anyone whom he sees in this light is usually subjected to tortured, incarcerated, framed of treason or simply sent six feet deep as he likes to call it.
Surely, if any blame is to be laid, then Jammeh must take it all for leading the most reckless spending spree and oppression our nation has ever seen. Unfortunately most of this funds are loans that are miss prioritise and sometimes unnecessary. Funds that were meant to uplift us have turn out to be the source of our impoverishment and oppression and thanks to Jammmeh we are paying for something we cannot afford hence leaving huge chunk of the debt for our children and grand children to inherit. Whiles the ordinary Gambian is struggling to bring home a cup of rice, Jammeh is busy on lavish spending. And anyone at his grip who dare point to this recklessness is considered an enemy hence calling for torture and possible dead by his state sponsored machineries.
Fellow Gambians, how long can we let this in bearable situation continue? Do we actually think that Jammeh is actually powerful as he wants us to believe? Ofcourse not, Jammeh is as powerless as any other coward, we are the real power and can prove this to him in the November elections. Its just unfortunate that he have manipulated our security apparrels into believing that they are serving him and not the nation. Notwithstanding, the double bottom line is sending out of office come November.
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Comments
just in 2010 he left sheraton hotel where he was working.
Jammeh's poor education ( no disrespect to High Sch. qualification Holders) makes him a dangerous man for the job of president.
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