Brother Kabir,
I can see your point and I certainly share your fears. The article even
mentions developments that are purported to have taken place in the last six
months. For such information to have been around without being leaked, would
have been very uncharacteristic of the Gambian government we all know.
However, we all have the best of intentions for the Gambia and sincerely
wish our fears are not vindicated.God bless the Gambia and all her genuine
friends and neighbours, Ameen!
Omar Joof.


>From: Amadu Kabir Njie <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Oil, gas and heavy metals?Omar
>Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 17:59:33 +0100
>
>[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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