Africa won't tolerate sit-tight leaders again, says Dawda Jawara

By Bolade Omonijo, Deputy Political Editor
Posted to the Web: Friday, August 24, 2007

Sir Dawda Jawara is one of the very few African leaders who have seen it
all. In the 60s, when most African countries obtained their independence, he
was there. Following independence of The Gambia in 1965, Sir Dawda Jawara
was elected the first political leader. He had been made the Prime Minister
since 1962, ratified in the position after the independence election and,
following constitutional change, transformed into President in 1970. Five
times, he recontested, and five times he was returned as President. Was
Jawara a sit-tight leader, having stayed in the office until he was
overthrown in 1994 by the military. The former President of the smallest and
least populous country in West Africa and his supporters say No.

He ran a multi party system, even when it was not popular in Africa. When,
shortly after independence, he conducted a referendum to determine if the
people wanted a full republican status, which he and his party, The Peoples
Progressive Party, favoured, he failed to obtain the endorsement of
two-thirds of the people. That experience was hailed the world over and it
established Sir Dawda Jawara as a true democrat. Although an attempt to
forcefully remove him from office was quelled with the assistance of
Senegalese troops in 1981, he was eventually heaved out of that office in
1994.

In this interview with journalists in Lagos, the former West African leader
who, twice, served as chairman of the Economic Community of West African
Countries, responds to questions on integration of African countries, the
importance of telecommunication to the quest of African countries for
economic growth and development as well as political development in Nigeria
and The Gambia. Sir Dawda Jawara, who just returned to his native country in
2002 after a spell of eight years in exile, spoke in a manner that belied
his 83 years. He pledged to continue with support for efforts aimed at
developing the continent. He spoke while in Nigeria to grace the African
Telecommunications Awards. Excerpts:

You were involved in integration efforts for Africa for more than two
decades. Would you say if you were to look back, that the dreams of ECOWAS
have been realised now? That Africa is more integrated today than when you
started the OAU and now ECOWAS ?

I think there has been some progress since the emergence of the organisation
ECOWAS. But there's a lot to be done and I hope that the incumbent leaders
of Africa will take it up. For example, one of the main aims of any
international organisation of this type, an economic organisation, is free
movement of persons, goods and services. So, it has been achieved to some
degree, but, there is a lot to be done to bring about the full integration
in the areas of free movement of persons, goods and services. There's a lot
to be done.

In Africa, we have problem of sit-tight leaders and this has hindered growth
on the continent. What is your view on leaders who do not want to leave
power?

Well, I think any leader who would not leave, even when his services are no
longer of value to his country, does not have the support of the people and
is doing his country and people no good. There is no room for such people at
this time and age.

You were one of the founding fathers of the liberation struggle in Africa
and one of the remaining few. Are you satisfied with the outcome of the
liberation struggle in different parts of Africa, in Zimbabwe, in Zambia, in
Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, among others? Are we where we dreamt, fifty
years ago, that we should be, and, if not, what's missing out and what can
be done?

What I can say on that is that our dreams have not all been realised. But,
was the struggle worthwhile, the answer is yes, there's no doubt about that.
But is it worthwhile to carry on with the struggle? Whatever we are today,
at least, we have freedom from colonialists. And that is something to be
happy about because no one would want to remain under colonial rule, under
the subject of alien powers, no! So, really, one of the greatest
achievements of the OAU, which is now replaced by AU, is  the liberation of
Africa from colonialism and subjugation, and OAU was very, very good in the
area together with the efforts of African leaders from various countries at
the level of United Nations and other international organisations to achieve
the freedom of the continent.

Recently, you were in Nigeria during the elections as an observer, and your
observations have been made public. Now, if you look throughout Africa, they
appear to be the plagued by the same problems, faced with same challenges-
disease, squalor, poverty, political; immaturity and economic subjugation to
foreign powers. The nations are not moving, violence everywhere and,
therefore, no peace and development in the continent. What do you think
should be done and, at a time like this, how would you advice President
Yar'Adua, who has said electoral reforms is one of the cardinal programmes
of his administration?

If he says it is one of the cardinal aims of his administration, then, he
would do something about it, so, that gives hope. But, how much he can do
about it, we have to wait to see because it is not an easy matter. Some of
the reforms are not something that can be achieved overnight, but, if the
proper policies are in place, no doubt, you will see improvements in these
areas. And I'm sure policies are in place in other countries too to improve
the level of democracy and good governance. This is how improvements can be
achieved and I believe that democracy is gaining ground in the whole
continent of Africa.

After the telecoms Awards, you visited former Nigerian leader, Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo, at his Ota home.What was the discussion about?
Well, this was a courtesy call on the ex-president. As you've said, I knew
him during his first regime as the President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria. He paid a visit to The Gambia when I was President and, of course,
I did the same. Then, he, as a military leader, decided to hand over to
civilians and that was highly commendable and this raised his profile. Then,
there were military leaders of different kinds, but he, as a military ruler,
decided to hand over to a civilian. So, he has created this very important
landmark in the history of democracy in Nigeria.

What, in your opinion, is the significance of telecommunications to economic
development of Africa?
Without this, I think Africa will be left behind again. I think it was
largely bypassed by the industrial revolution, but, right now, we have
entered another revolution and that is the ICT revolution. In this new
revolution, I think Africa has the means to match alongside other
continents. In Nigeria, for example, we have the human resources, we have
other resources and so on and, throughout Africa, we have these resources.
All we have to do after this is the determination and the political will to
move ahead and the need to work hard, everyone of us in this particular
area, to work hard and move things forward, having in mind to do everything
that we need to do at the same standard acceptable internationally.
Therefore, the mission is to award the recognition to excellence and
progress. This is also to push forward the efforts of Africa in information
and communication.

Let me ask you two follow up questions. First, recently, you had the first
of such awards and you were involved. What was your impression of that
ceremony and what does it tell you about the way Africa is going in
telecommunications? Secondly, how did you get involved?

Well, I have a very good impression, I was impressed by the energy and
efforts put in to organise such a complex ceremony. Such a thing, as you
know, is the very first one and hosting any venture of its complexity is a
bit difficult. But the energy of Otunba (Ajiboye who led the organisers) and
the members of the board, I think, are commendable for being able to
organise it to that level and being the very first award. So, I was
impressed by the occasion and it gave me the impression that it will
succeed, if the efforts continue.

So, how did you get involved?

I was informed about it and I felt it was a worthy course to support at all
levels. If I see a venture that I think will be of a great value to any
country in Africa or to the continent, I think it is good to support such.
It is in the vein that I got involved and I came along and I'm not
regretting supporting it.

What is the state of ICT in The Gambia?
Well, I can't give you any precise definition of it, just like most African
countries, we have made a stand, we are moving along and I'm sure we still
have a lot of things to be done.

Some African countries- Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa- have been enjoying
services of the telecom companies like MTN and others for a while. To what
extent would you say this has affected their economies positively?

I think I said this at the opening ceremony, it has definitely impacted on
the economies of all African countries because there's no African country
that has not actually started doing something on this new ICT age. And, of
course, they have been affected at various levels, depending on the amount
of their investments, internal and external investments in the development
of technology and also in the services of technology. There have been
various achievements from various countries and the efforts of the telecom
awards is going to encourage Africans- at the individual level, the company
level and also external companies to invest in telecommunications as much as
possible to push it forward.

You just witnessed and participated in the first African Telecoms Fiesta,
which you have commended as highly successful. As a leader and as a key
member of the Africa Telecoms Awards Committee as it were, how do you look
at the future of the awards or what do you think could be done to make it
better?

This is a question really you have to put to the Board of Trustees and the
organisers. Otunba Ajiboye is there to speak on that and I'm sure that their
aim is how to start from this beginning and to move it forward, making more
success and ready to learn from any little mistakes the organisation made.
Also to improve their organisation and to expand it in some volumes and I'm
sure they learnt from the experience of running the Nigeria Telecoms Awards,
they applied that experience through the initiative of the Africa Telecoms
Awards and I'm sure they will learn and improve.

The organisers also said that they planned that the next edition should take
place in South Africa. What that implies to people listening is that this
award will move round Africa to be held on an annual basis. How do you see
that?

There's one principle of necessity in making the rest of Africa think that
this is, indeed, African awards, not just Nigerian awards. The first edition
is here and the next one will be in South Africa and I don't know when they
will come to The Gambia. Also, may be some day they will be in Kenya, Sudan
or where-ever. It is the right step to give all a sense of belonging and
promote excellence at the continental level.

Your excellency, you have seen it all. You have seen Africa grow in stages.
The stage that we are now, a number of people say there has been progress,
others say there is no development, that we have merely seen invasion of
foreign values and technology. When you see these companies come in under
the guise of privati-sation, what you see next is capital flight and
repatriation. What is your view on this and how do you think the trend can
be arrested?

This is your view of what is happening, because, really, when it comes to
technology of this type, there are companies which have developed and
specialised and become a role model in a particular area of technology, it
may be the Japanese, Americans, it may be some African countries. And if
there's any country like that, it is a great value for that country to come
and invest and start producing, not just selling, and in that process, they
will get employees from the host country and, therefore, that country can
derive values from that investment. This is how I see it, if any company is
going to other places to invest in them. I think one of the aims for them is
to attract more and more external investments. That is one of the first aims
of countries to actually advance economically and technologically.

What can be done to ensure that Africa is no just a dumping ground for
foreign goods, that there is value added and adequate laws to guide foreign
investment and investors to benefit the host countries?

I assume that every country has its policies for inviting investors. Foreign
investors don't just come to any country without respecting the domestic
policies on how foreign investors can come and establish with an eye to
having the maximum benefit to the country. So, I assume that sort of
policies and principles exists in Nigeria and many other African countries
because, if you allow the foreign investors to come in and do exactly what
they feel, they will maximize their profits without having any regards for
the host country and that will be unfortunate. But, every country should
have its own rules and regulations for foreign investors.

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