Brother Joe Sambou,
I have with keen interest just read both articles you forwarded: this one and Ousman Manjang's "What Can we do about the dalasi".
A little conclusion is that President Yahya Jammeh should return the private jet for a serious scheme of belt tightening - "tesito!"
Sidibeh
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Sambou" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 9:26 PM
Subject: Tale of Three Assemblies
> Folks, below was culled from AllAfrica website. A parliament in one of the
> wealthiest countries in Africa, said no to their President's request to
> purchase a $51 million Presidential jet, and the parliament rejected the
> request. Another parliament in the same neighborhood as the first, also
> rejected a similar request, this time from their King for a Royal jet.
> However, the third Assembly, has an attitude of "see no evil, hear no evil,
> and know no evil". This third Assembly has a Philosopher/King -
> Dictatorship. He did not request as the first two above, as state funds are
> his funds and how can he seek permission to use his own funds. Naaah! This
> parliament also happens to be one of Africa's poorest. The first two
> Assemblies had a process and went through the established protocols and let
> the DEMOCRATIC process run its course. The third Assembly has a similar
> process, but has no need for it. Ladies and gentlemen, this third Assembly
> is none other than our very own. Please read on.
>
>
> "Power Tends to Corrupt And Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely" - Lord Acton
> Power to the People True Or False?
>
>
>
> Email This Page
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> Print This Page
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>
>
>
> The Independent (Banjul)
>
> October 28, 2002
> Posted to the web October 28, 2002
>
> Banjul
>
> Recently, we heard in the about the decision of the Swazi Parliament not to
> approve the purchase of an executive jet for King Mswati II.
>
> That was followed a few days later by loud criticisms of the plan by
> President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa to purchase a 51 million Dollar
> presidential jet.
>
> It was indeed quite amazing that the parliament of an absolute monarchy like
> Swaziland would dare to prevent the King from purchasing an aircraft while
> in a so-called democracy like The Gambia, President Yahya Jammeh seems to
> have acquired a 'presidential jet' from the blue without the National
> Assembly or anyone else being aware of it. That is indeed another indictment
> of the democratic credentials of this regime, which seems to be doing
> everything above the heads of the people. President Jammeh appears to be
> behaving like an absolute monarch who says and does whatever he likes and
> there is hardly anyone who dares to call him to order. One is therefore
> tempted to wonder what has become of transparency, accountability and
> probity, which this regime has made so much noise about. Of course it would
> be foolhardy for anyone to expect that the National Assembly as it is
> constituted at present to ever have the courage to question anything done by
> President Jammeh and his regime. It is because a majority of its members
> seem to owe more allegiance to President Jammeh and the executive than they
> owe to those people who they supposedly represent.
>
> As an ordinary lieutenant in The Gambia National Army before the coup in
> 1994, President Jammeh was never known to be a rich man. Therefore, if
> within eight years of coming to power he can afford a personal aircraft and
> so much apparent display of wealth and affluence, then he owes an
> explanation to the people of this country as to how he acquired all that
> wealth. It is certainly not enough to tell us that it is from the Almighty
> Allah's world bank because we all know that does not exist.
>
> Since the appearance of his 'personal' jet about three years ago as Central
> African, several attempts seems to have been made to disguise its real
> ownership, including of course its renaming as Gambia New millennium Air.
> However, all indications point to President Jammeh as its real owner.
>
> To crown all that unnecessary extravagance the regime went ahead to acquire
> a jet fighter again from the blue. It is indeed hard to imagine how anyone
> can justify any butut spent on the acquisition or even the maintenance of a
> jet fighter when the economy of this country is in tatters. We certainly do
> not need it and I do not think we ever will.
>
> To fight who? Certainly not with Senegal, our only possible adversaries,
> considering our geographical location. Even President Kumba Yalla, despite
> all his 'open calls' could not have been able to 'crush' The Gambia without
> Senegalese acquiescence.
>
> However, neither the purchase of The Gambia New Millennium Air nor that of
> the jet fighter were ever discussed in the National Assembly, let alone it
> be done with the consent of the Gambian people.
>
>
>
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