Patriotism developing among Gambians abroad, Says Halifah Sallah
The Independent <http://www.qanet.gm/Independent/independent.html>  (Banjul)
June 23, 2000
Banjul - Halifah Sallah has said that in a recent visit to the United States he
found 'a genuine sense of patriotism is developing among Gambians abroad.'
Mr. Sallah travelled to the US at the invitation of the Gambian Leadership
Conference, a non-profit organisation registered in Washington DC.
'Many care what happens at home. The killing of the students devastated many
hearts. Gambians were united in denouncing the killings and calling for action
for redress,' he said in an interview with The Independent.
He said he had to combat a prevailing perception among Gambians abroad that
Gambians at home were 'doing nothing about the situation that has developed in
the country.'
He said he told the Gambians he met there that 'Gambians at home are developing
higher levels of maturity and are gaining deeper sense of ownership of this
country; that people no longer have any reservation in expressing their opinions
and that no political force can survive in The Gambia which pays deaf ear to the
aspirations of the people.'
He said he also emphasised to them 'that Gambians should abandon the feeling
that Jammeh is a Goliath needing a David to save the country' and 'that no
person can subjugate an enlightened and organised people.'
'Each Gambian should see himself or herself as an embodiment of power and voice
to determine the destiny of this country,' he added.
'It is the people who must decide whether they live in poverty or prosperity,
liberty or under tyranny by voting for the party of their choice,' he said.
Mr. Sallah said that while in the US, after addressing a Pan African gathering
commemorating African Liberation Day at Malcolm X Park he was also warmly
received by Pan Africanists there and was invited to speak with a number of
groups there.
'They are Africans born in the United States and wanted their fate in Africa in
Africa's future rekindled. I tried my best to do that,' he said.
On development Mr. Sallah said The Gambia, like other African countries was
caught in a debt trap which hampers the country's development and that
Structural Adjustment Programmes instituted by the IMF and World Bank 'only harm
the poor while extravagance at the top is not really eradicated.'
He said that while the IMF and other external economic forces influence the
economies of African nations 'we are our own enemies.'
'The amount of money kept in Swiss banks by African leaders since independence
would have found itself in an African Development Bank which could have provided
resources for development of many sectors in the economies of many African
countries if we had genuine leaders,' he said. 'That is the dilemma we are
confronted with today. Poverty in the face of abundant wealth,' he added.
Mr. Sallah said the PDIOS is 'doing everything in our powers to put our ideas
before the people and we will be putting up candidates in the next Presidential
and Parliamentary elections to examine how far we have gone to win their trust
and confidence.'
'I know many people went to the polls to vote for me in the past elections
without inducement or intimidation,' he said.

Co

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