In a message dated 27/04/2001 21:02:23 GMT Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
> << I just don't feel comfortable denying anyone what is due them. Besides, if
> we are calling on the APRC govt to treat Gambians fairly, I don't understand
> how we can treat them unfairly because we disagree with how they're running
> things. Fairness and justice go hand in hand -to me. And I believe in
> applying one rule accross-the-board. Despite the terrible record of the
> APRC, their efforts in these aforementioned areas are **very progressive**
> in my
> book. >>
>
>
> Brother Saul,
I don't quite see how **very progressive** can be alluded to "efforts", as
you put it, that haven't help ameliorate the miserable conditions of those it
was purported to alleviate out of poverty? If you agree that Gambians are
more miserable in their living standards today than pre- Jammeh, then to call
**very progressive** whatever it is/was that the APRC/AFPRC has done for
Gambians is to contrtadict oneself totally. There is a logical discrepancy in
saying on one hand that Gambians are poorer and getting poorer under the
watch of the APRC yet you turn around and allude to whatever it is/was they
are doing as **very progressive**. I will grant that occasional spurts of
ameriolation did occur. Yet taken as whole to correspond to the bigger
picture, these have amounted to virtually nothing in the general advancement
of the average Gambian. I like the example you gave earlier about the
mechanisation of rice production. Granted that this was a significant step
forward and should be applauded [like you i'm a fair person; just check my
piece on the APRC/AFPRC on their fifth anniversary celebration]. Attempts at
making the Gambia a self-sufficient nation in food production is a very
worthwhile venture for any gov't - the APRC inclusive. Yet - and as KB
painstakingly keeps pointing out - albeit this development, the cost of rice
has risen sharply and occasionally becomes a scarce commodity. All these defy
economic logic in a situation where we are informed that marked improvement
has occurred in rice production and yet we are not even exporting any of it
but still maintain or even increased our insatiable penchant for importing
rice. We are not exporting rice but importing large amounts of it; if in the
event we increase our rice production, cold economic logic dictates that
surely there should be a marked change in the relationship albeit the rise in
population that "Jobes" blatherings seemed to tender. At the very least, the
pressure or necessity to expend scarce foreign reserve on importing rice
should decline - notwithstanding the registration of a huge pouplation rise
in the Gambia. This is what happens to be missing from the Gambia's economic
vignette. See, taken as an aside, it might make an impression but added to
the whole picture, the mechanisation and increment of rice production
obviates the giving of accolades to the APRC for being **very progressive**
in their "efforts" to alleviate the miserable condition of the average
Gambian.
I've always granted that in terms of propping up new infracstructures, the
AFPRC/APRC record simply indicts the PPP as
useless-negligent-good-for-nothings whose 36 years at the helm of our State
of affairs, ought to be tried for high treason. But these infrastructures, by
their very own, haven't made that much of a dent, if any at all, in the
miserable conditions of Gambians. Instead, the general welfare and fortunes
of the average Gambian has and continues to plummet to abominable levels. You
don't attach the notion of **very progressive** to such a situation. As i
pointed out earlier in my other intervention, there is a chorus in the
Liberal hymn sheet that tells us that all good things come together. If you
agree with such a proposition, then how come all these "efforts" and the
infrastructures they have churned out, haven't helped in alleviating the
miserable condition of the average Gambian? Instead, the average Gambian is
ralatively well-off under a regime that was arguably negligent in its
attempts to alleviate the sufferings of the Gambian masses. It can't all just
be reducible to mere bad luck in terms of attracting foreign cash and general
goodwill from donors.
The legitimate question we should be asking ourselves is this: if all these
"schools", "hospitals", "bridges", "roads", etc, etc, are indeed **very
progressive**, how on earth can we explain the fact that under the same
milieu, health care costs, tuitions fees and cost of living, have all risen
dramatically; wages are not matching the high consumer price index that has
ensued from desultory economic management and the toll debt servicing is
having on the economy in real terms; why the Gambian private sector is
virtually non-existent and we have an economic milieu which is very hostile
to economic ingenuity, enterprise and entrepreneurship? Why after
accumulating all these astronomical figures as our external debt - in the
process of building these infrastructures and implementing these "projects" -
there is largely nothing to show for the abominable economic standards of the
average Gambian? Why an economy that can average at least a 5% growth in a
year is registering a measly 3% growth a year?
The answer to these were largely answered by both Basil and that hypocritical
vulpicide of an old maid, Musa Jeng, in different ways: Basil aptly laid it
on the doorstep of threadbare economic empiricism and rationalism in the
gov't's economic management and or approach whilst Musa Jeng said decisions
made on economic policy were based more on or motivated by political
expediency and not out of love for our country. These judgements are spot on.
As i wrote of the same issue on the fifth anniversary of Jammeh's ascension
to power, "As for its economic philosophy, save it’s Peter Pan economics of
decisions taken at fringe political meetings with self appointed local
leaders, Jammehism has increased pork barrel politics, political expediency
and gesture politics in the shaping of economic policy and consensus. With
poor economic performances over the past three years and pandering to the
panacean medicines and handouts of the IMF and the world bank (despite his
pastime of rhetorical counterblasts against the “forces neo colonialism”
these institutions are supposed to be part of ), there is nothing new in
Jammeh’s economic philosophy. With national debt sky rocketing to more than a
billion Dalasi, new upsurges in youth unemployment figures, dwindling real
incomes in relation to high consumer price index and the ever increasing gap
between the new noveau riche and elites and the downtrodden commoners,
Jammehism has done little to alleviate the sufferings of the masses he came
to liberate. A booming micro economy of infrastructural developments was
prevaricatingly used as signs of a thriving and advancing economy but as is
becoming unfoggy now the construction sector is only thriving on a seasonal
and contractual basis and cannot be used as a holistic approach to economic
management when an economy has to rely heavily on foreign capital to sustain
such infrastructural developments."
In short, the reason why all these "projects" failed dismally to dent the
rising poverty situation in the Gambia, can largely be attributable to lack
of a coherent economic program and the motivation behind all these "projects"
was purely political expediency and gesture rooted in pure political
opportunism, pork barrel politics and the graft that ensued from awarding the
implementation of these "projects" to close business associates and family
members of Jammeh - in order to make a quick buck along the way. Avery neat
way of killing two birds with one stone.
Be all that as they maybe, i will advise Brother KB that he should take cue
from you and not get drawn into being projected as a PPP defender and or
revisionist. See, people like "Jobe" love nothing more than portraying us as
some fanatical PPP revisionists who will defend the PPP record at all cost.
This, of course, is nothing but off-the-wall malarkey and APRC
disinformation. Besides, i think Brother KB's wiseacres look emaciated each
time he serve remonstrances to "Jobe" for parading "projects" that emerged as
a result of pinching PPP ideas. There is a case for that line of argument but
it is susceptible to a ploy that inevitably draws us into a more or less
defence of past PPP records. It is all true that what they are now calling
their "university" is nothing more than MDI, GTTI, Gambia College, College of
Nursing and Midwifery, and other vocation training institutes - all nutured
and matured under Jawara. So how can it be taken away from Jawara and
suddenly become Jammeh's? What, because they chose to tie the loose
federation between these insitutions and started awarding "degrees" to those
who graduated from them? In the event, let them not make any deceitful
attempts to extricate Jawara's role in the formation of their "university"!
Similar contentions apply to Gamtel - which has now become not only
dilapidated but bankrupt from rivalling a giant like South Africa's telecom
corporation - a feat that was Jawara's but which "Jobe" would not even pause
to acknowledge! But going about with these, only soils the arguments and
gives succour to our detractors who are hell-bent on potraying us as PPP
revisionist activists.
I hope you will understand that occasional Brotherly disagreements/debates
between compatriots can only help foster the bond that ties them together.
And do please excuse the inevitable typos - time constraints again.
All the best,
Hamjatta - Kanteh
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URL: http://hometown.aol.co.uk/hamzakanteh/myhomepage/newsletter.html
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