Dr. Saine:
I agree with you entirely. Like you, I've never met Mr. Sanneh personally
but have exchanged several private e-mails with him. From our primate mail,
I'm convinced that his commitment to The Gambia in particular and African in
general cannot even be questioned.
People have a right not to make public their commitment to positive change
in The Gambia. There are many men and women who worked with the Mandelas,
Nkrumahs, Garveys, Kings, etc. whom we will never know. That does not mean
that they were not committed to their causes.
While I was in Cairo this past March, I ran into an Egyptian diplomat who
upon learning that I was a Gambian asked me if I knew Sidi Sanneh of the
ADB. He spoke very highly of him in the presence of my colleagues. I sat
in that El Gezira hotel lobby as a proud Gambia. I did not mention this
encounter to Mr. Sanneh!!
Mr. Sanneh, as a Gambian...an African, I'm proud of you!!!
Omar
----Original Message Follows----
From: Abdoulaye Saine <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: To Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2000 13:23:57 -0400
Mr. Jassey-Conteh:
Mr. Sidi Sanneh does not need to convince anyone of his commitment to
The Gambia/Africa, nor express his political views publicly. If for
whatever reason he chooses not to make public statements on the Bantaba,
that is his right and choice.
In fact, Mr. Sanneh has been remarkably consistent in not making public
political statements, but this must not be taken to mean that he is
apolitical because he may express them privately.
While I do not know Mr. Sanneh personally, I find his contribution
invaluable. The postings he provided on the Gambians who were victims of
the Kenyan Airplane crash, the Gambian students in the US in the late
1950s, early '60s and his numerous data-rich postings on various
economies in the continent are cases in point.
Also,Mr. Sanneh is an Executive of the ABD and not the ADB. Whatever
weaknesses and failings the ABD may have are not to be confused with the
personal attributes of Mr. Sanneh.
I share and commend your unwavering commitment to the cause for change
at home. But let us not, as you have often warned us on this forum, be
deflected by discussions over personalities. Because there are many on
this forum who while remaining silent, are supportive of our cause.
Thanks.
Abdoulaye
"B.M.Jones" wrote:
>
> Hamjatta,
>
> You have said it all. Mr. Jasseh Conateh has suprised me by his
> veracious attach on Sidi. It shows that Mr Jasseh-Conateh lacks the
> basic knowledge and understanding of the role and functions of
> the African development bank. To enlighten yourself of what the ABD is
> all about visit their web site at www. afdb.org and the myriad of
> questions you raised will be answered. It is very easy for people like
> you (monday morning arm chair quarterbacks) to pontificate and
> take the moral high ground whilst honest professionals like Sidi are
> working their socks off to make a difference in the economic and
> political development of the continent. Have we not been saying the
> solutions to African problems have to come from within and not from
> North Carolina.
>
> Because of his humble nature, Sidi provided you with an honest answer
> to your rhetorical questions. He desisted from informing you that he is
> an EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR at the ADB representing at least 6 countries. He
> is therefore constrained by rules to make political comments of a
> public mature to an informal forum like the L.The ADB has a modus
> operandi to channel their views of develpments in the continent. Do you
> know what they, the ADB are doing with regards to governance in the
> continent. My friend you are showing lack of understanding and
> disrespect. Sidi is old enough to be a father to many people on the
> list. You have your views and strongly support the opposition and from
> your posting you always tend to tell people to be in your camp. that
> does not mean that we all have to agree with you. Our view and opinions
> do not always have to converge. Mr Jasseh-Conateh you owe this
> respectable gentleman and apology for your relentless attacks.
>
> Sometimes some of you guys do not fail to amaze me.
>
> Basil
>
> On Tue, 20 Jun 2000 06:37:13 EDT Hamjatta
> Kanteh <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > Dear Mr Jassey-Conteh,
> > I write publicly to show and register my disapproval of your
relentless
> > attack on Mr Sidi Sanneh's principled political quietism vis-a-vis the
> > current political imbroglio in the Gambia and elsewhere in Africa and
as a
> > result questioning his commitment to the Gambia and Africa in general.
> > Initially when you raised the issue it occurred to me that your
concern
> > since on the face of it was rooted in the ignorance of not actually
> > understanding Mr Sanneh's peculiar position, was genuine albeit
misplaced.
> > However, after your exchanges, the gentleman has gone out of his way to
> > explain his situation to you. Amongst others, he had explained that he
is no
> > political eunuch; he has his own political, economic and social
worldviews,
> > he shares the same concerns over the Gambia and Africa like all of us
well
> > meaning others do, he explained to you in the simplest language
possible that
> > he is duty bound out of the decorum and protocols of his office not to
> > express views that are directly related to member countries that are
clients
> > of his organisation at any rate not in an informal forum like this
List. He
> > did this at a risk of unveiling what his true colours are as to the
political
> > conundrum in the Gambia. And he highlighted to you that there are
others like
> > him in such peculiar situations who decided to play it safe and stay
mute
> > rather risk even making indirect comments on the situation back home on
the
> > List. Yet unlike his colleagues, he is taking risks to make comments on
many
> > issues online.
> > Politely he told you to lay off but you wouldn't get it. Frankly
this is
> > a good opportunity for me raise a related matter; your irritating and
> > simplistic ways of forcing people to think alike and adopt the same
> > strategies when it comes to the struggle back home. We are different in
our
> > own ways. Circumstances have placed constraints on us all which will
never
> > enable us to act the way we always yearn to. What is so difficult to
> > understand about that? You and I and possibly others have free reins to
act
> > and speak like we wish but this in itself doesn't give us the moral
high
> > ground to think little of others who haven't shouted loud enough. This
> > tantamount to moral authoritarianism which I vehemently abhor. We have
no
> > moral authority to castigate or dictate to others who are constrained
by
> > circumstances beyond their immediate control and as such are not
speaking
> > publicly everytime on events as you and I did or are still doing.
> > This need to strike a balance between the two conflicting goals of
> > staying true to your conscience and honouring protocols you are duty
bound to
> > uphold in respective professions be it in the public service or
international
> > appointments, is a stark reminder how conflicting the private and
public
> > agenda/spheres can be and underlines the tragedy inherent in pursuit or
> > overvaluing of one over the other. It is of course, very easy not to
respect
> > public servants and other personnel of international bodies who have to
live
> > this every day of their lives; trying to do the right thing by
balancing very
> > conflicting values. When you are living in the States and working in a
> > Fortune 500 company with no political limbs or baggage, you will not
respect
> > these conflicting strands that has co-existed between the public and
private
> > sphere because your are not living it. It is very unfair however, to
> > attribute to such unpatriotism and insensitivity to our continent's
plights
> > As I noted earlier to someone online here, political quietism is as
much
> > a virtue as political activism. Just because you are at the forefront
doesn't
> > make you any holier than those impeded by their peculiar circumstances
to act
> > only as behind the scenes operatives. There are well over 600 members
online
> > yet only a minor guesstimated 2% contribute to online discussions. So
those
> > this make the 98% spineless or selfish people who do not share our
concerns
> > about the Gambia and Africa in general? Many of these people have
various
> > reasons why they have not stuck their necks out; some not very noble
reason
> > but others very noble and deserving our understanding.
> > Also you made countless jeremiads against the AfDB calling it
amongst
> > others abettors in the ransacking of Africa and politically moribund
outfits.
> > By inveighing against the AfDB with such cliched nonsense prejudices
> > tantamount to idiocy of the type Jammeh entertains us with when he
starts
> > lambasting the West. Have you ever bothered reading AfDB literature;
it's
> > current status, the strides it is taking each year in the face of
mammoth
> > difficulties posed by our seemingly intractable and never ending
vicious
> > cycles of political violence or check out it's chequered history? See
it is
> > always easy to be in the West to be disrespectful to others on the
ground who
> > are doing the little they can to give Africa some success stories we
can
> > proudly cling on to and say there is still life in us Africans.
Slagging off
> > Mr Sanneh in your comfy little world of North Caroline is the easy bit.
> > However, one is inclined to pose you these simple questions. What
practical
> > alternatives have you been working on since you went to the States?
Have you
> > ever considered going back home like the Mr Sannehs of this world and
do what
> > they are trying to do? What have you done for mother Africa practically
since
> > graduating? Perhaps you will be kind enough to answer these questions.
> > I will not be an onlooker as over zealous low naive political
operatives
> > like your self, eager to exploit the failures of the current regime,
and
> > traduce a figure like Mr Sanneh. It is one thing for you to be consumed
in
> > your over zealousness, it however amounts to else if you wish to drag
others
> > into the muck. Please in your zeal to aggrandise your aims of political
life,
> > just remember that some of us have other ideals and ways of fighting
the
> > battle to free Africa. This is worth remembering.
> > Finally, your assertion that you have "absolute right" in
questioning Mr
> > Sanneh's adopted political quietism is cobblers and shows your
ignorance or
> > your simplistic understanding of the notion of "rights". Mr
Jassey-Conteh,
> > there is never a thing like an "absolute right" at any rate, not in
this
> > materially inclined and rationalist world. To lay claims to it, is
tantamount
> > to pinch a line of reasoning from no one other than Jemus Jammeh, you
so
> > fervent wish to see the back of. Are you really sure you are not only
in this
> > struggle to see Jammeh gone and you become the new political class of a
> > post-Jammeh Gambia?
> > I have said enough and hope that we understand each other. And in
> > conclusion leave you with Wittgenstein's dictum that: whereof one
cannot
> > speak, thereof one must keep his silence. I hope you remember this
before you
> > have another go at the Mr Sanneh's of this world.
> > In anticipation of your usual kind co-operation, i remain,
> > Respectfully,
> > Hamjatta Kanteh
> >
> > hkanteh
> >
> >
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> >
> > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the
Gambia-L
> > Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
> >
> >
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