Saul, this is a debate I will respectfully shy away from. I hope you
understand. I also hope that by the time I am done with Jobe, you will see
exactly where I am coming from.
KB



>From: saul khan <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Some answers to pt1 & 2 of why I can ...
>Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2001 20:01:29 -0000
>
>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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