Jabou,

You took the words right out of  my mouth.

You wrote:
"The budget grew to more than that original $2 million, but it sure did not
do much for the average Gambian and instead a society of " the connected
getting served at the expense of the rest" was created."

I wonder why we are sometimes so quick to forget the problems we faced
during the Jawara regime.

We need to continue looking at ISSUES with consistency and objectivity.

In my opinion,  Jawara was no saint either.


Thank you for calling it like it is.

Best Regards,


Ablie Njie- LEKBI
Atlanta





>From: [log in to unmask]
>Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [>-<] 1965 Address to the nation by Sir Dawda Kairaba Juwara
>Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 22:25:43 EST
>
>Karamba,
>
>Too bad that the legacy that the Jawara regime left us obliterated the
>possibilities that were envisioned in 1965. The budget grew to more than
>that
>original $2 million, but it sure did not do much for the average Gambian
>and instead
>a society of " the connected getting served at the expense of the rest" was
>created..
>
>I hope that the present tyrannical regime we have is not used as an excuse
>to
>glorify the PPP regime because they were not ideal either. Just the usual
>nepotistic and tribalistic politics which will never bring success to those
>who
>practice it, and time will always prove that.
>
>Jabou Joh
>
>In a message dated 2/25/04 5:10:39 PM Central Standard Time,
>[log in to unmask]
>writes:
>
>
> > This is the finest speech I have ever heard  and I must confess that the
> > first time I listened to it, I had a tear drop. It marked the personal
>truimph
> > of an ordinary man who had sheperded a nation to a goal a significant
>portion
> > of his own people , the colonial authorities and much of the
>international
> > community thought was impossible .With tact and political skills, Sir
>Dawda
> > was able to concieve and help deliver what  came to be the modern
>Gambian
> > nation , a fact that almost gets lost on those of us who weren't around
>then. We
> > came perously close to being candy wrapped and handed over to our
>cousins next
> > door in a manner pregnant with expediency and utter lack of faith in the
> > ability of our people to create and maintain a viable state. As he made
>this
> > speech , he and his gov't were looking at running our new nation on a
>tiny
> > budget i believe was two million pounds with a whopping projected
>deficit of close
> >  to 50%. Inspite  of these tremendous odds , they managed to
>successfully
> > run the affairs of state in 1965.
> >            What stands out in the speech itself, is the calm and
>gracious
> > tone of a man who could have succumbed to the vane and selfish
>temptations of
> > many an African leader . He did not gloat or project a pompous sense of
> > personal triumphalism. Instead he thanked political leaders that came
>before him,
> > credited his political opponents some of whom actively opposed the
>concept of
> > Independence at that time and perhaps more importantly he credited the
> > Christian Missionaries and other voluntarry organisations who have been
>in the
> > country for generations providing basic education and other services
>that
> > produced men like him.He also sought to sooth what was then a fairly
>polarised
> > electorate by extolling them to come together to make Independence work
>because
> > he knew that both himself and the nation needed what then amounted to a
> > critical portion of the establishment. In the process he faced down
>extremists
> > within his own party who wanted to pursue a very divisive brand  of
>politics
> > which sir dawda in his infinite wisdom knew to be wrong and inconsistent
>with a
> > functional democracy.That my friends is the test of a true leader.
> >             Finally I submit that Sir Dawda will stand in history as a
>great
> > man. But for him and  the folks that aided his efforts, our history
>would be
> > have been  entirely different.Today our task and challenge is to reshape
>and
> > endeavor to make better what the good people of that generation bequeath
>to
> > us in the shape of the Gambian nation. These people did good with the
> > resources  and circumstances they had to contend with.When we measure
>the scope and
> > extent of their contribution to what we call home, let us not only look
>at
> > what they could have achieved in their storied careers especially what
>we
> > often deem to be our rights and entitlements as post 1965 Gambians. More
>and
> > better schools, good infrastructure and a much more expansive democracy
>anchored
> > in a more prosperous economy should be things Gambians yearn for , but
>we
> > must resist negating the accomplishments of our fine citizens especially
>Sir
> > Dawda  Kairaba Jawara.I wish our nation's founding President a glorious
> > retirement.
> > Karamba
> >
>

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