Note: It is a hypothetical response to a job that was never offered to me.



October 2, 2003

The Gambia State House
Attn: President Yaya Jammeh
Banjul, The Gambia

Dear Sir :
It is one of the highest compliments for any citizen to be reached out, and asked to serve as a Secretary of State. I personally thank you and your government for offering me the job of the Secretary of State for Economic affairs. This is of course one of the most difficult decision I have ever made in my life time, and I think it is important for me to give a serious thought, and also catalogue how I ended up with this decision.
This particular explanation may not seem to be relevant, but it is important to put in perspective where I am coming from. I am presently employed with a great company that pays reasonably well, not to mention a very challenging job indeed. It is also a reality that I happen to work in a country with a racial history, and being a foreigner is always a challenge in all aspects of our lives. However, it is also a country where the rule of law is the bedrock of the society. My bosses may not like my skin color, they may not even be crazy with my foreign accent, but my right is protected and my civil liberties cannot be trample upon. In the final analysis, what I bring to the job on a day to day basis becomes an important determinant of my success in the company.
Sir, if you are looking for a Gambia who would sincerely work with you as an advisor, and would help you honestly implement your policies and defend them at all cost, I am your man. As long as the aforementioned policies are in the interest of the Gambia, I will work with you to bring about the economic development we all yearn for. Although, it is important to say if for any reason in the future you decide to terminate my employment, I would like you to tell the rest of my employers----the Gambia people, the reason for the separation.
Sir if the only reason I am offered this job is the reason stated below, then unfortunately, I am the wrong person for the job.
A. A secretary who is committed to your individual political survival
B. A secretary of state who is going to be a party to the violation of the constitution.
C. A secretary of state who does not care to keep heed to the rule of law, and only accountable to you, and not to the Gambian people
D. A secretary of state who would be a partner in crime, as long as it is deemed politically viable.
E.  A secretary of state who is only a token, and irrelevant to the real decisions that are going to be made in the future.

I would like to add that, I would not work with political opponents, or people who disagree with your policies to undermine your policies or the success of the programs. I will go the extra mile to defend your policies, and would fight with you against your political opponents in the interest of your government, our policies and what is ultimately in the interest of the country. We will fight these fights without sacrificing the democratic ideals or at the expense of the rights of the Gambian people.
Sir, finally, with what I have witnessed these past ten years, I am not sure I can make a significant difference in accepting this job as Secretary of economic affairs. It is evident that the economy is on a slippery slope, and I am sure there is not much I can do to reverse or halt this trend. You have indicated in one of your speeches that there are million Gambians for you to choose from to your cabinet, and you have been playing the musical chairs very well. Maybe, there is one change that the country really needs and that is the job for the President of the Gambia.  I thank you again for the consideration.
Sincerely



Musa Jeng

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~