BambaLaye,

If staying in power for thirty years is not sit-tight leadership, I don't 
know what it is. Because of the nature of our political culture, responsible 
leaders should not expect the people to vote them out. Responsible leaders 
should put in place mechanisms to limit their own terms of office and step 
down at the end of those terms without any prompting. Despots like Omar 
Bongo and Robert Mugabe - to name just two of the most notorious examples - 
keep winning elections even though they have long out-lived their 
usefulness. Truth is, Sir Dawda is gagged, and he knows it. So he is in no 
position to tell us what is politically good for Africa just now. Thanks for 
sharing.

Baba


>From: Abdoulie Jallow <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list              
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Fw: Africa won’t tolerate sit-tight lea ders again, says Dawda 
>Jawara (Vanguard)
>Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2007 09:01:03 -0500
>
>   Africa won't tolerate sit-tight leaders again, says Dawda Jawara
>
>By Bolade Omonijo, Deputy Political Editor
>Posted to the Web: Friday, August 24, 2007
>
>Sir Dawda Jawara is one of the very few African leaders who have seen it
>all. In the 60s, when most African countries obtained their independence, 
>he
>was there. Following independence of The Gambia in 1965, Sir Dawda Jawara
>was elected the first political leader. He had been made the Prime Minister
>since 1962, ratified in the position after the independence election and,
>following constitutional change, transformed into President in 1970. Five
>times, he recontested, and five times he was returned as President. Was
>Jawara a sit-tight leader, having stayed in the office until he was
>overthrown in 1994 by the military. The former President of the smallest 
>and
>least populous country in West Africa and his supporters say No.
>
>He ran a multi party system, even when it was not popular in Africa. When,
>shortly after independence, he conducted a referendum to determine if the
>people wanted a full republican status, which he and his party, The Peoples
>Progressive Party, favoured, he failed to obtain the endorsement of
>two-thirds of the people. That experience was hailed the world over and it
>established Sir Dawda Jawara as a true democrat. Although an attempt to
>forcefully remove him from office was quelled with the assistance of
>Senegalese troops in 1981, he was eventually heaved out of that office in
>1994.
>
>In this interview with journalists in Lagos, the former West African leader
>who, twice, served as chairman of the Economic Community of West African
>Countries, responds to questions on integration of African countries, the
>importance of telecommunication to the quest of African countries for
>economic growth and development as well as political development in Nigeria
>and The Gambia. Sir Dawda Jawara, who just returned to his native country 
>in
>2002 after a spell of eight years in exile, spoke in a manner that belied
>his 83 years. He pledged to continue with support for efforts aimed at
>developing the continent. He spoke while in Nigeria to grace the African
>Telecommunications Awards. Excerpts:
>
>You were involved in integration efforts for Africa for more than two
>decades. Would you say if you were to look back, that the dreams of ECOWAS
>have been realised now? That Africa is more integrated today than when you
>started the OAU and now ECOWAS ?
>
>I think there has been some progress since the emergence of the 
>organisation
>ECOWAS. But there's a lot to be done and I hope that the incumbent leaders
>of Africa will take it up. For example, one of the main aims of any
>international organisation of this type, an economic organisation, is free
>movement of persons, goods and services. So, it has been achieved to some
>degree, but, there is a lot to be done to bring about the full integration
>in the areas of free movement of persons, goods and services. There's a lot
>to be done.
>
>In Africa, we have problem of sit-tight leaders and this has hindered 
>growth
>on the continent. What is your view on leaders who do not want to leave
>power?
>
>Well, I think any leader who would not leave, even when his services are no
>longer of value to his country, does not have the support of the people and
>is doing his country and people no good. There is no room for such people 
>at
>this time and age.
>
>You were one of the founding fathers of the liberation struggle in Africa
>and one of the remaining few. Are you satisfied with the outcome of the
>liberation struggle in different parts of Africa, in Zimbabwe, in Zambia, 
>in
>Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, among others? Are we where we dreamt, fifty
>years ago, that we should be, and, if not, what's missing out and what can
>be done?
>
>What I can say on that is that our dreams have not all been realised. But,
>was the struggle worthwhile, the answer is yes, there's no doubt about 
>that.
>But is it worthwhile to carry on with the struggle? Whatever we are today,
>at least, we have freedom from colonialists. And that is something to be
>happy about because no one would want to remain under colonial rule, under
>the subject of alien powers, no! So, really, one of the greatest
>achievements of the OAU, which is now replaced by AU, is  the liberation of
>Africa from colonialism and subjugation, and OAU was very, very good in the
>area together with the efforts of African leaders from various countries at
>the level of United Nations and other international organisations to 
>achieve
>the freedom of the continent.
>
>Recently, you were in Nigeria during the elections as an observer, and your
>observations have been made public. Now, if you look throughout Africa, 
>they
>appear to be the plagued by the same problems, faced with same challenges-
>disease, squalor, poverty, political; immaturity and economic subjugation 
>to
>foreign powers. The nations are not moving, violence everywhere and,
>therefore, no peace and development in the continent. What do you think
>should be done and, at a time like this, how would you advice President
>Yar'Adua, who has said electoral reforms is one of the cardinal programmes
>of his administration?
>
>If he says it is one of the cardinal aims of his administration, then, he
>would do something about it, so, that gives hope. But, how much he can do
>about it, we have to wait to see because it is not an easy matter. Some of
>the reforms are not something that can be achieved overnight, but, if the
>proper policies are in place, no doubt, you will see improvements in these
>areas. And I'm sure policies are in place in other countries too to improve
>the level of democracy and good governance. This is how improvements can be
>achieved and I believe that democracy is gaining ground in the whole
>continent of Africa.
>
>After the telecoms Awards, you visited former Nigerian leader, Chief
>Olusegun Obasanjo, at his Ota home.What was the discussion about?
>Well, this was a courtesy call on the ex-president. As you've said, I knew
>him during his first regime as the President of the Federal Republic of
>Nigeria. He paid a visit to The Gambia when I was President and, of course,
>I did the same. Then, he, as a military leader, decided to hand over to
>civilians and that was highly commendable and this raised his profile. 
>Then,
>there were military leaders of different kinds, but he, as a military 
>ruler,
>decided to hand over to a civilian. So, he has created this very important
>landmark in the history of democracy in Nigeria.
>
>What, in your opinion, is the significance of telecommunications to 
>economic
>development of Africa?
>Without this, I think Africa will be left behind again. I think it was
>largely bypassed by the industrial revolution, but, right now, we have
>entered another revolution and that is the ICT revolution. In this new
>revolution, I think Africa has the means to match alongside other
>continents. In Nigeria, for example, we have the human resources, we have
>other resources and so on and, throughout Africa, we have these resources.
>All we have to do after this is the determination and the political will to
>move ahead and the need to work hard, everyone of us in this particular
>area, to work hard and move things forward, having in mind to do everything
>that we need to do at the same standard acceptable internationally.
>Therefore, the mission is to award the recognition to excellence and
>progress. This is also to push forward the efforts of Africa in information
>and communication.
>
>Let me ask you two follow up questions. First, recently, you had the first
>of such awards and you were involved. What was your impression of that
>ceremony and what does it tell you about the way Africa is going in
>telecommunications? Secondly, how did you get involved?
>
>Well, I have a very good impression, I was impressed by the energy and
>efforts put in to organise such a complex ceremony. Such a thing, as you
>know, is the very first one and hosting any venture of its complexity is a
>bit difficult. But the energy of Otunba (Ajiboye who led the organisers) 
>and
>the members of the board, I think, are commendable for being able to
>organise it to that level and being the very first award. So, I was
>impressed by the occasion and it gave me the impression that it will
>succeed, if the efforts continue.
>
>So, how did you get involved?
>
>I was informed about it and I felt it was a worthy course to support at all
>levels. If I see a venture that I think will be of a great value to any
>country in Africa or to the continent, I think it is good to support such.
>It is in the vein that I got involved and I came along and I'm not
>regretting supporting it.
>
>What is the state of ICT in The Gambia?
>Well, I can't give you any precise definition of it, just like most African
>countries, we have made a stand, we are moving along and I'm sure we still
>have a lot of things to be done.
>
>Some African countries- Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa- have been enjoying
>services of the telecom companies like MTN and others for a while. To what
>extent would you say this has affected their economies positively?
>
>I think I said this at the opening ceremony, it has definitely impacted on
>the economies of all African countries because there's no African country
>that has not actually started doing something on this new ICT age. And, of
>course, they have been affected at various levels, depending on the amount
>of their investments, internal and external investments in the development
>of technology and also in the services of technology. There have been
>various achievements from various countries and the efforts of the telecom
>awards is going to encourage Africans- at the individual level, the company
>level and also external companies to invest in telecommunications as much 
>as
>possible to push it forward.
>
>You just witnessed and participated in the first African Telecoms Fiesta,
>which you have commended as highly successful. As a leader and as a key
>member of the Africa Telecoms Awards Committee as it were, how do you look
>at the future of the awards or what do you think could be done to make it
>better?
>
>This is a question really you have to put to the Board of Trustees and the
>organisers. Otunba Ajiboye is there to speak on that and I'm sure that 
>their
>aim is how to start from this beginning and to move it forward, making more
>success and ready to learn from any little mistakes the organisation made.
>Also to improve their organisation and to expand it in some volumes and I'm
>sure they learnt from the experience of running the Nigeria Telecoms 
>Awards,
>they applied that experience through the initiative of the Africa Telecoms
>Awards and I'm sure they will learn and improve.
>
>The organisers also said that they planned that the next edition should 
>take
>place in South Africa. What that implies to people listening is that this
>award will move round Africa to be held on an annual basis. How do you see
>that?
>
>There's one principle of necessity in making the rest of Africa think that
>this is, indeed, African awards, not just Nigerian awards. The first 
>edition
>is here and the next one will be in South Africa and I don't know when they
>will come to The Gambia. Also, may be some day they will be in Kenya, Sudan
>or where-ever. It is the right step to give all a sense of belonging and
>promote excellence at the continental level.
>
>Your excellency, you have seen it all. You have seen Africa grow in stages.
>The stage that we are now, a number of people say there has been progress,
>others say there is no development, that we have merely seen invasion of
>foreign values and technology. When you see these companies come in under
>the guise of privati-sation, what you see next is capital flight and
>repatriation. What is your view on this and how do you think the trend can
>be arrested?
>
>This is your view of what is happening, because, really, when it comes to
>technology of this type, there are companies which have developed and
>specialised and become a role model in a particular area of technology, it
>may be the Japanese, Americans, it may be some African countries. And if
>there's any country like that, it is a great value for that country to come
>and invest and start producing, not just selling, and in that process, they
>will get employees from the host country and, therefore, that country can
>derive values from that investment. This is how I see it, if any company is
>going to other places to invest in them. I think one of the aims for them 
>is
>to attract more and more external investments. That is one of the first 
>aims
>of countries to actually advance economically and technologically.
>
>What can be done to ensure that Africa is no just a dumping ground for
>foreign goods, that there is value added and adequate laws to guide foreign
>investment and investors to benefit the host countries?
>
>I assume that every country has its policies for inviting investors. 
>Foreign
>investors don't just come to any country without respecting the domestic
>policies on how foreign investors can come and establish with an eye to
>having the maximum benefit to the country. So, I assume that sort of
>policies and principles exists in Nigeria and many other African countries
>because, if you allow the foreign investors to come in and do exactly what
>they feel, they will maximize their profits without having any regards for
>the host country and that will be unfortunate. But, every country should
>have its own rules and regulations for foreign investors.
>
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