Culled from Allafrica. How so true. Please read on. 'Bigmanism and Pajerocracy' The Daily Observer (Banjul) EDITORIAL March 3, 2003 Posted to the web March 3, 2003 Banjul Why Black man dey suffer? Asks the Nigerian poet. The question asks why Africa must be the epicentre of famine, war, disease and death? The problems are plenty, of course, but the one wey plenty pass the odas be the problem of person wey no get hundred dalasis for pocket but wey wan behave say him na millionaire. Let's call it Bigmanism and Pajerocracy; the original Africa man palaver. And it has already become a disease, from top to toe, you hardly find people with the genuine desire to use their positions and honour to help develop the society. All we care about now is the name and the fame. Just be the boss, and it doesn't matter what you are as the boss. And every boss wants to drive a Pajero, Pajerocracy, you can call that. And it is already becoming an entrenched culture, a shameful culture where people are not respected for who they are or for the things they can do. But just because of how 'big' they have become. It is here that you see people who cannot even make a decent children's tricycle calling themselves prominent businessmen. Or half-baked PhDs getting mad if you refer to them without the title. It is reported that Mr Bill Gates, the world's richest person, sometimes go to work in public transport. That will be difficult here, where every 'semester' with their second hand junk thinks nobody should pass them on the streets without getting a feel of their ghetto blasters tuned louder than even manufacturers would have advised. It would be even more difficult in a place like Nigeria where a few millions of an ailing currency is enough to earn a chieftancy. But Africa doesn't talk, especially when the 'big man' is concerned. It is here that the silly elder is not told to behave because elders must not be undressed in public. As if undressing little girls is ever acceptable. It is here that the wife goes out of her way to ensure that her drunken husband gets the best food even at the expense of her children. The husband must not know that she has no money for food and she dare not tell him that if he does not buy food, then he shall not eat. It is here where the clothes we wear are more important than the food we eat. Here that naming ceremonies are far more important than the consideration of proper education for the child. When we look closer, we realise it is more than just a Government thing, we have all got the virus in the blood. Of course, it becomes even worse when it gets to the Government level. Our leaders are members of the jet set, globe trotting from one conference to the next without making any significant contribution except to show their national dresses and display their national flags. And it is more important for them to make sure that the army band is well prepared for the presidential welcome at the airport than to ensure that they are well fed. If anyone would make a count of what we spend on public displays of wealth and power, the figures could be staggering. Yet, here is where you find the poorest and weakest countries on earth. Only heaven knows who we are fooling. But things won't change until we start thinking more about what than just who. A father whose house leaks may think himself big, but he is in reality not bigger than the rat in the kitchen. And the director who cannot direct his department to profitability and success is not worth his name. It is not the Pajero that makes a man big but his positive contributions to society. Those who have nothing positive to give will find their names erased from the history of their people. It is the work that is of importance, not public displays of self-importance. _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 helps eliminate e-mail viruses. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~