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Yahya Jammeh’s Awards and Free Money Giveaways
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 12:49
By Mathew K Jallow In a news story in last Thursday’s issue of the Daily Observer, there was not the familiar image of an ignorant looking Yahya Jammeh, with the typical smug face adorned with that classic fake smile of deceit and deception. Instead, there was the insecure face of a docile, obedient and fickle-minded office-maid
with the glorified title of Vice-President, Isatou Njie-Saidy, and the mocking smirk on her stodgy face displaying apprehension about her day’s mission. The occasion, of course, was the presentation ceremony of yet another meaningless award to Yahya Jammeh; an event complete with one more elaborate ceremony; ceremonies, which both in frequency and daring, have frankly transmogrified from the comical and entertaining, to the costly, boring and annoying. If anything else, the award ceremonies have become distressing, because in the broader context, they are a drain on our meager resources, which Jammeh continues to squander without restraint or accountability. Today, many street-smart people around the world, aware of Yahya Jammeh’s searing nescience, and want to take advantage and exploit his gullibility, can line their pockets with wads of crisp, new dollar bills by simply purchasing one dollar bronze trophies from the U.S or Europe, and flying them across the ocean to the State House, where Jammeh’s equally clueless minions will orchestrate a publicity ceremony before Gambia Radio and Television cameras. And for blood-suckers and selfish individuals motivated by greed and desirous of preying on Yahya Jammeh’s raw ignorance and primitiveness, the financial rewards of stroking his maniacal ego with meaningless awards can be well worth the effort. In the most recent award ceremony last Thursday, the snickering look of amusement on the faces Isatou Njie-Saidy and the three others huddled with her in the picture footage said much to the eye with gift of understanding non-verbal communications. In the background, a bald man resigned to the caricature nature of the moment, and exhibiting mannerisms that border on boredom or disinterest or both, was looking down on the ground. Behind him, a man in blue uniform looked on with absolute indifference. This prelude is not meant to be the thrust of this commentary; rather, it is only designed to cast light on how Yahya Jammeh’s antics continue to cost us a pretty penny, and in so doing, are impeding national development by diverting resources from where they are needed. Instead, Jammeh has squandered millions of dollars in useless and frivolous endeavors carefully crafted solely for political advantage. By now, it is evident that Yahya Jammeh’s selective generosity and self-interest are bound together in a tandem march to the beat of his insatiable lust for power, privilege and fortune; the selfish prisms through Yahya Jammeh views the world. This shortsightedness was exemplified again last week in another Jammeh movie with a familiar plot-line. The introduction of the Banjul branch of the Gambia Women’s Federation had all the elements of the drama and theatre Gambians have become accustomed to in Jammeh’s lousily scripted melodramatic. And as usual, the thespian in this drama, Yahya Jammeh himself, was in character again. This time around, he was not receiving a new award; instead, he was parceling out a lot of money to the new Banjul chapter of the National Women’s Federation; seven thousand dollars to the chapter, three thousand to the elders, one thousand to the youth. On the face of it, Jammeh’s frequent money giveaway sprees may seem innocent and benign, but in reality, the practice is inadvertently undermining social and economic development in a major way. And Yesterday, Mrs. Zaineb Jammeh, after spending more than two months and tens of thousands of dollars on her two children and her large entourage in expensive hotels and shopping in the U.S, was again giving away close to twenty thousand dollars to the new-year born babies at the Royal Victoria Hospital. The amount which she spent on new-year babies alone, or the twenty thousand dollars Yahya Jammeh gave as a tip to his dentist’s nurses in New York City during his last visit, is each enough to sink a borehole that could provide clean running water to a rural community of five to ten thousand residents, including several thousand livestock. The economic benefits The Gambia can derive from investment in our people will not only save lives, but will also generate economic growth and help lift people out of abject poverty. Ironically, Zeinab Jammeh’s largesse came in the heels of information leaking out about the disgusting and disgraceful conditions of the toilet facilities at the Barra Ferry Terminal, a major entry point to the Gambian capital from Senegal and the northern regions of the country. Yesterday, an article in the Point Newspaper also delved on the sickening presence of filth, refuse and garbage around the Kanifing Municipal area, all this while Yahya Jammeh and his wife are looting and cannibalizing the meager financial resources of our country. The bothersomeness of Yahya Jammeh’s antiquated and paternalistic practice of doling money speaks to his total lack of understanding of the art and science of governing, and the purpose and meaning of institutions established over the millennia to facilitate the organization and effective management of the activities of human societies. The habit of giving out money to new institutions and civil society organizations, can often have the effect thwarting innovation, subverting creativity and by extension undermining social, economic and intellectual development. New institutions and civil society organizations sprout naturally in every society for a variety of reasons, often created by individuals and groups with the foresight and objectives that can foster individual, group and national development. Many such new organizations in The Gambia are being hijacked by Yahya Jammeh and either politicized for his selfish end, or neutralized into redundancy if there is the slightest exercise of resistance to their control and politicization. The case of the National Students Union a few years ago, The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council, The National Youth Council, The Women’s Bureau, The Gambia National Olympic Committee and the newly established National Women’s Federation are all examples where the footprint on Yahya Jammeh has stained the independence and non-partisanship of these organizations and institutions. Just recently, Jammeh nominated the head of the recently established Gambia National Women’s Federation to the National Assembly, and also head of the Banjul Branch of the same organization, and shortly there after, she was elected the Deputy-Speaker of the National Assembly. By continually giving money to civil society institutions voluntarily created to address specific needs in our society, the Jammeh regime is deliberately stunting their development into self-reliant institutions. The people, who had the vision to create these institutions, will have the wherewithal to intellectually find the resources to develop them to the benefit of society. Yahya Jammeh must, therefore, desist the practice of corrupting individuals and institutions with money for his own selfish ends, and allow civil society institutions to flourish and grow into meaningful change agencies for the good of society. Jollofnews Poll
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