KB,
I'm glad you've seen the sense in waiting for Mr. Jobe to give us his
complete overview before taking him on constructively. Based on the facts
alone, I don't see how the Brother's position can withstand scrutiny, but I
have to repeat: the man deserves commendation for putting up a coherent case
for Yaya Jammeh. Frankly, I've never met/read anyone whose arguments for the
APRC make any such sense. And I'll tell you what I mean by sensible
arguments.
I red your exchange with Musa Jeng, and I'm not really clear about whether
we (I and Mose) are talking about the same thing. So, I'll clarify my
position so far.
Curse my naivete, but I agree with Mr. Jobe on several things:
1. I believe that the APRC govt deserves credit for the tractors, and
combine harvesters they've invested in. These are long overdue. If we are to
ever become self-sufficient in food production, our agriculture HAS to be
mechanized. And I commend the APRC govt for the equipments they've bought
for this bed-rock of our economy. That they don't have any mechanism in
place to help store, or market agricultural produce, points to the type of
myopic, and knee-jerk management style we've come to expect from them, but
in any case, they deserve credit for giving farmers implements that would
lessen their physical labor on the farms.
2. The revival of the rice production units in Kuntaur, and other places is
a step in the right direction. Jobe is right that the sector has been
neglected by the ancien PPP regime. And with that neglect, went many jobs.
Two of my own mom's younger brothers worked for GOMB down there. And how
that place was left to go down the tube is a shame. So in my view, the APRC
deserves credit for trying to revive all those sectors so that rice
production could be boosted. Our country needs it.
3. I also give an extra kudos to Mr. Jobe's govt for the efforts they're
doing in the River Transport division of our Communication sector. We all
know from either personal experience, or Gambian Geography that the River
Gambia is one of the most navigable waterways in West Africa. And we also
know that river transportation is cheaper than land transportation. Not to
mention road building. It's therefore incumbent upon any govt of the day
back home to pay attention to that sector. Where roads are impassable (which
is all over that tiny country,) boats could reach easily. But since the Lady
Chilel went down in the mid-80s, the entire sector was left to rot. So, I
commend the APRC for investing in, and trying to revive the sector. The
country desperately needs it.
4. I whole-heartedly agree with Mr. Jobe about the population issue. I've
personally had problems with some members of my own family about this crazy
"baby factory" mentality that is so prevalent among us. There are still too
many of our people (both men and women) who define their importance in terms
of how many children they have. This is absolutely crazy! And it ought to
have been a subject of national discourse a long time ago. But the fact is,
most of the PPP leaders were not setting any better examples in that area,
so they regarded it as another "sensitive" issue that ought to be left
alone. Which is baloney, if you ask me. Jobe is right that our population
has doubled in two decades. Even when our economy wasn't growing at all, our
population was growing at around 4.5% annually. How can there be any
meaningful change in our collective quality of life when such crazy
tendencies are so prevalent? And things would be great if only the elderly
people think like that. Sadly, people my age, and much younger, are even
worse. I have former classmates who have two wives, and more kids than I
care to keep track of. My own younger brother had a kid four years ago, when
he didn't have any means of supporting the child. And I don't even want to
go into AIDS, and what's going on in that area. Talk about sexual
irresponsibility! So, I totally identify with Mr. Jobe's sentiments on this
issue, and I'm very glad that the APRC govt is taking the issue head on. I
can only hope that they'll aggressively use all means at their disposal to
hammer the message home that "one is not a man, because one has ten kids."
Our very survival depends on it.
5. On the ideas they've stolen from the PPP, I have no doubt that that's
true. When it comes to ideas, the PPP had the best of them. But that's
simply not good enough. Back in 1989, I was in a MRC vehicle one day
travelling from Fajara to W. Kiang, when we picked up some guy I knew in
Mansakonko in Brikama. He lived in Mansakonko for decades dabbling in
everything: politics, business, PWD know-all, etc. This guy told me that day
that, he had just come from some Minister's office, and that "they've
finally approved and secured the loan for a major hospital to be built in
Jarra Soma." This was 1989, five years before the PPP was kicked out! Did
they ever start building a hospital in Soma? Should we deny the APRC credit
for such a hospital because it was the PPP's idea? The PPP had plans for
everything, but they didn't do a darn thing! They had those plans, and every
five years, they would pull them out of drawers and tout them to illitrate
voters just to get their votes. How can anybody develop a country like that?
So, if the APRC looks at those plans, and recognize them for the good ideas
they are, and implement them, then the APRC gets the credit for the progress
in my book. I therefore give them full credit for implementing all the ideas
they got from the PPP. If this is what Musa Jeng meant, I'm with him
entirely.
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. Also, I do not believe that accepting and crediting the APRC for the
good they've done will in any way ameliorate their overall gross
mal-handling of our collective destiny. The good they've done pales in
comparision with the terrible things they've done. I don't have any problems
according them their 20% credit as long as I have the opportunity to
highlight their 80% damning record. I guess that's where we differ. But,
overall though KB, we're in sync about our fear of where the APRC is taking
us. And their record alone could be used to discount any claims they may
have to legitimate Gambian leadership. When Mr. Jobe is done with his
submission, I'll find time to give my take on why I think he's betting on
the wrong horse.
Good afternoon, and have a nice weekend.
Saul.
Everything is these were originally
Jobe, I can see that you are up to your neck trying to 'justify' why a child
murderer should lead us. Therefore, I understand if you cannot grasp what I
wrote and answer my points in a logical and coherent manner. I will not
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