[log in to unmask] writes:

...> Folks, the relevant article carried by the Daily Observe newspaper
> intimates
> that President Jammeh did not give out the names of the companies that
were
> engaged in the exploration. It therefore naturally follows that the Jammeh
> regime does not deem itelf duty bound to tell the Gambian taxepayers the
> manner and style in which state revenue is expended. This Government
> continues to behave as if the Gambia is a fifedom and Yaya Jammeh is an
> absolute monarch presiding over our welfare....

Omar,

I am yet to be even convinced that Jammeh told the truth when he made the
announcement! Oil exploration involves such huge activities (movement of
equipment, personel, etc) that it cannot have taken place recently in small
Gambia un-noticed. Exploration did take place during the reign of Jawara and
the result, according to my understanding, was that drilling was not viable.

And besides, just why would the company/companies involved in the
exploration agree to go by Jammeh's antiques? Transparency is a catchword
which these days especially oil companies seem to be striving to be seen to
be adhering to, not least when dealing with dictatorial regimes like
Jammeh's.

Consider also just how and why there was not a single leak onto the
grapevine since Jammeh's "Gambia will soon become a donor nation" speech, in
a country where rumour mongering and gossip seems to be the favourite
pastime. There must be civil servants somewhere in the beraucracy who
are/were privy to such vital infomation and as such there was wont to be a
leak somewhere along the line.

I hope I am proven wrong and that oil of such amounts has been discovered
that drilling is viable, but given the Jammeh regime's history of gymnastics
with facts and figures, I'll rather await confirmation from the oil
companies supposedly involved before swallowing this potentially important
development the country's economic fortunes.

I have to run back to the Bopu kogne broadcast.

Regards,

Kabir.

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