Mr. Camara,
Thanks for posting that piece to the L. I commend of course as pessimistic I
might be called, with a lot of reservations that President Jammeh is talking
about the recent Auditor General's report. Following the dismantling of his
own built protective security; The July 22nd Movement, it will be unfair to
say that this is not a positive development in Gambian history. Certainly
history cannot come back as it always repeats itself. And also I might be too
young to remember, but I am not aware of any time in Gambia when the
government has publicly given such an Auditor General's report.
However, the question now is who is corrupt? Who are the criminals here? One
thing certain, the Gambians are the victims as always. Since the Sanna Manneh
case when Jawara said the "Whoever was found guilty in the courts was going
to face the music," only time will tell us that this is not the same. Today
is November 28th. and Jammeh has given himself a date line, Jan. 1 2000.
Looking at the corruption crime in the Gambia, politicians then and now the
military living flamboyantly whiles the masses struggle in search of enough
food and adequate shelter, the criminals here is the government. I am not
surprised that Auditor generals report did not criticize the legal robbing of
public funds by the military. If I am right, it did not even report to us the
expensive trips Jammeh has been unnecessarily making to abroad.
The current Gambian economic problems might be beyond only corruption. It is
arguably the lack of prioritizing of funds. A mere family unit continuos to
struggle for their daily bread, continuos to be eroded due to the economic
difficulties, it must take Jammeh a 'Dare I do not' to even publicly talk
about corruption.
How long or how soon shall we see a turn around, only time will tell. Whether
it is a sign of changes coming and a form of commitment, time will tell. I
have no doubt that Jammeh is realizing that the Gambian might be known for
his/her extreme patience hence it took Jawara over 30 years to know it, but
unless Jammeh or anybody else as a matter of fact fails to realize that we
cannot do anything without our people, we are bound to failure. Sooner or
later, the people will rise and rise high and recapture all that they have
been denied from. I hope this is what Jammeh is seeing. It is not a matter of
only reality, but a must. It is a precondition as much a prerequisite to
survival and again, I hope this is what he is seeing.

Ousman Bojang.

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