BY PA NDERRY M'BAI


It appears that there will be no "Meet the People's tour" this year. There
are  no indications suggesting that The Gambian dictator will embark on such
a tour. Perhaps Jammeh is not comfortable in meeting the farmers, sine he
could not honour his repeated failed promises over the years to address
their plight.


JAMMEH WITH  WADE. THIS YEAR NO "DIALOGUE WITH THE
PEOPLE TOUR" HOW ABOUT THE LOOMING BORDER CRISIS?
Gambia's farming community are  today more impoverished ever in the history
of  the tiny West African country. Yahya Jammeh had lied to them time and
time that he will uplift their status.  Each time he embarked on the so
called "Dialogue With The People Tour", he will bombard farmers with empty
promises.  We can comfortably say that Jammeh is nothing but a deceiver and
also a "politrick" president.

We were not the least surprised when he decided to relinquish the
agriculture portfolio and surrendered it to  "Jali Yankuba Touray" who is
today reduced to a laughing stock in The Gambia. Knowing fully well that he
had lied to the farmers, Jammeh recently sent Yankuba Touray to the country
side to sound the opinions of the farming community.  Touray visited Niamina
Dankunku, where he was told by the alkalo Ebou Mboge,  that the 2004 poor
turn out was due to farming activities in the District.  That most of the
residents were at the farm when Jammeh toured the area. While being hunted
by political uncertainties, Jammeh is also worried about the type of
reception he will receive this time around,  if he visit  the farmers.

Our Niaminarian people started the "revolution"  last year, when they
unanimously boycotted his Dankunku meeting.  Some APRC big wigs including
Jammeh received the greatest shock of their lives when the Niaminarians
refused to accord them any kind of official reception. The Alkalo of
Dankunku including few elders and school children were on the ground to
welcome the "kanilai" mansa.

Frustrated by the Dankunku poor reception, shameless Jammeh branded the
inhabitants of the locality as sympathisers of the opposition and vowed not
to visit the area if they fail to renounce their support for the opposition.
  At the time, the Niamina Dankunku lion Lamin Waa Juwara, alias "Mbarodi"
was at his "second home the Mile Two prisons".  He was being jailed on a
bogus sedition charges. While the APRC were with the opinion that the
Niaminarians action to boycott the Jammeh meeting was compelled by the Waa
Juwara imprisonment, some local observers believe that the farming community
were increasing fed up with Jammeh's broken promises to improve their lives.

One thing is evident however, there is a growing discontent among the
farming populace. Yahya Jammeh is aware of this and will do everything it
takes to avoid disgruntled farmers.  With the help of alkalos and divisional
commissioners, he decides who should and who should not  talk at such
forums.  Farmers with complaints regarding hunger, economic hardship, and
lack of farming incentives are usually denied access to microphones. With
the instruction of Jammeh, local government leaders will screen speakers
interested in addressing the farming community.  Views critical of the
dictatorship are usually censored.

The farming community indeed,  have good reasons to be pissed off with Yahya
Jammeh. They are getting poorer by the  day, when Yahya and his corrupt
government are embezzling millions of dalasis from our treasury. There are
no good roads today in The Gambia.  This could be a possible factor
responsible for Jammeh's failure to tour  the country. He feel too good to
travel under such messy roads. Secondly, the rural folks also do not have
access to clean drinking water, despite Jammeh's repeated promises to
provide them with wells.

WHY ARE YOU RICHER THAN OUR FARMERS?
Farmers are eagerly waiting to hear from Jammeh to explain why he
relinquishes the agriculture portfolio. Farmers also want to know when will
this government guarantee them the sale of their produce. They also want to
know when will the days of credit buying be over. They will be more than
happy if Jammeh honour his rural electrification project. The said project
is at stand still. There is no serious efforts on the side of the Jammeh
administration to provide electricity to our rural folks.

From day one, we knew that the said project will fail. A government that
cannot provide six good hours of  uninterrupted electricity to urban folks,
will not be able to launch a  rural electrification project. The energy
crisis will continue to go abated,  as long as Yahya Jammeh continues to
preside  over the affairs of the state.

With the recent border crisis between The Gambia and neighbouring Senegal,
our farmers will be in more trouble. Their chances of selling their produce
in Senegal will be hindered by this impasse.  We blame  Yahya Jammeh and his
ignorant government for failing to chart way forward to address this serious
state of affairs.

Whether we like it not, Gambia's economic activities cannot work in the
absence of Senegal. We derive good percentage of our Gross Domestic Product
or  GDP from sub-regional trade and other commercial activities. Our customs
officers usually collect thousands of dalasis on a daily bases from
Senegalese businessmen travelling to The Gambia. In addition, The Gambia is
being considered as a shopping centre for our Senegalese brothers and
sisters.  Each time they buy goods or merchandise from The Gambia, our
country stands to gain economic income.

When the border crisis started, we cautioned Jammeh to handle it with
urgency, but he never heeded. Instead, he kept on paying deaf ears to the
situation. Former foreign Affairs minister Baboucarr Blaize Jagne was denied
entry in Senegal few years ago, amidst the border tension. Now,  we are
again hearing an  APRC member of parliament being denied entry. Who knows if
Jammeh will be denied entry in Senegal one day? The current border crisis is
a cause for concern. There is nothing wrong for The Gambian authorities to
listen to our Senegalese neighbours. If it's true that their claims are
valid and reasonable,  we should waive the ferry tariffs, which are regarded
as "exorbitant"  by the Senegalese community.

With the current hostile relationship between the two sister countries,
there is no doubt in our mind that the proposed Yilli Tenda/Bamba Tenda
bridge, which was signed by the Wade and Jammeh government will be a thing
of the past.  We were  at the Kairaba Hotel,  when the sacked Senegalese
prime minister Edrissa Seck and our own Vice President Isatou Njie Saidy
signed the said memorandum of understanding for a bridge to be constructed
on our river. Both parties agreed to  scout  for funding to realise such a
Senegambian project.

Since the Banjul meeting, we have not been told about the situation of the
said project. We do know that the current government is having problems in
attracting funding from donors. This could be partly attributed to the
regime's lack of transparency and accountability.
Developmental projects often failed,  without the government advancing any
reasons for it.

In view of the current state of affairs, we are convinced beyond all
reasonable doubts that Yahya Jammeh is not a solution to the current
economic woes, hunger and maladministration hitting the West African
country. To our farmers, we say go ahead with your normal businesses. Jammeh
will never and  ever stick to his promises. His past lies to better your
lives is enough for now.  Don't allow to be fooled.

_________________________________________________________________
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