My brother SLB,
Happy independence anniversary to you and the entire Gambian fraternity at
home and in the diaspora. May the Almighty God answer your prayers for our
country and  people in the best possible way for all of us, Ameen.
Bajinka I hope you are aware that the attainment of independence was
supposed to signal the dawn of the end to foreign domination and control.
From that point, we are then supposed to attain freedom from poverty;
ill-health; and ignorance.
However, it is sad to note that since independence, particularly since July
22nd 1994, colonialist domination, subjugation and exploitation of the
people of the Gambia has been replaced by a home grown system of
exploitation, the very hallmarks of which are privilege and political
opportunism. It breaks a committed patriots heart to see the amount of socio
economic dislocation and disintegration that has taken place in our farming
communities since independence. With Yaya Jammeh's vision 2020, there is no
hope of progress for Gambian farmers. This neoliberal blueprint for
development is the death warrant for farming in the Gambia. A sensible
blueprint for the Gambia's development should focus on the majority of our
population. This is a case of social justice.
But you should not expect otherwise because Yaya Jammeh and the architects
of his vision 2020 thought Gambian Farmers, workers and students were too
ignorant to be drafted into drawing a blueprint for our national
development. It is therefore not surprising that vision 2020 can improve the
welfare of only a few ruling party politicians and their collaborators in
corporate society.
My brother SLB, the struggle for independence continues, and would have to
continue while the system in place continues to sideline the majority of our
citizenry!
Happy independence anniversary; while the struggle for true independence
goes on!
omar Joof.


>From: Seedou lamin Bajinka <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: HAPPY INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY TO ALL
>Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 09:02:50 EST
>
>I wanted to wish each and everyone on this forum a HAPPY INDEPENDENCE
>ANNIVERSARY and PRAY FOR MANY MORE TO FIND US IN PEACE AND GOOD HEALTH.
>BROTHER MINTEH,SPECIAL HAPPY INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY TO YOU
>                                 GOOD DAY
>                                      SLB
>
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