In a message dated 4/15/2001 5:09:43 PM Central Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
Letter To The President: A Tragedy Should Teach A Lesson To The Wise
A government which is fit to lead a sovereign people is one which is
committed to principles, standards and values aimed at safeguarding and
enlarging the dignity and worth of our people. A personality whose only
vision is to acquire and retain power and whose only mission is how to
acquire and retain power by any means can only sow the seed of political
decadence in a nation. The ramification of this is the display of utter
disregard for the dignity and worth of the sovereign Gambian people.
Mr. president history is calling on your government to take charge of the
security machine of this country and give responsibility to those who can
distinguish anti government emotional out bursts from actual security
threats, law enforcement concerns from concerns operating to the security of
the state. Arrest utilised as instrument of coercion to suppress opinion can
never promote the integrity of a government on the contrary, it robs a
government of public confidence and outrages the conscience of all decent
citizens of a sovereign republic.
Mr. President, April 10 was established as remembrance day by GAMSU. The
Chairman of the symposium held to draw lessons from the incident declared
the day as one for mourning, prayer, fasting and reflection. Security forces
accompanied the students during their march. Intelligence and plain clothes
security personnel were present throughout the symposium. People spoke their
mind freely. The students reminded each other the significance of the day
and called upon the government to be true to its words. When Alhagie
Nyabally made his criticism his colleagues intervened and every body in the
hall could see that the organisers behaved with immense maturity without
giving any iota of indication that they were engaged in a state managed
activity. Every speaker spoke with sincerity. Divergent views were expressed
and the people present accepted the views that were clearer to them. There
was no clapping, no applause and no rousing of emotion of the whole exercise
served as the basis for reflection. Every one left the hall to go home
feeling that all had gained some food for thought in order to nourish the
minds groomed for sober reflection.
It is now clear that there were people in the hall who were not in tune with
the noble vision and mission of the day; people who are committed to
combating the opinions they disagree with by the power of reason but aim to
stifle opinion through methods of coercion. Such people can only succeed in
discrediting a government. Coercive measures can only alienate. It creates
uncertainty and discomfort.
What do we mean?
Mr. President, the crowd dispersed from GTTI before 2 pm. Mr. Nyabally's
colleagues claimed that they saw some people talking to him as he rode his
bicycle to leave GTTI.
They claimed that since the organisers and security forces congratulated
each other for making the remembrance day a reality few suspected that any
arrest will follow the incident. All those observers who attended the
symposium whose heart beat in unison with the heart beats of the just and
humane must have left the hall with a new spirit and commitment to reawaken
the conscience of the nation. Even though, Alhagie allowed his heart to
speak without just as it felt his colleagues were able to inspire him to
temper his words to suit the circumstances. Every competent observer could
see that the students were most organised and no one was allowed to stray
from the cause of giving their departed colleagues feeling remembrance. The
authority of the chair was given utmost respect without any equivocation.
The whole society became inspired by the maturity displayed by the students
and there was renewed hope that students unionism would not continue to be
seen as a pretext for hooliganism by the authorities. It was anticipated
that the maturity displayed by the students will be recognised and their
representative institutions respected as the embryo of representative
institutions at the national levels.
Mr. President, few students would have expected that after such a sober
reflection at the symposium, Alhagie Nyabally would disappear for almost
three days. Reports received by us indicated that at about 5.30 pm on
Tuesday 10 April no one had trace of him. We contacted the police and they
gave assurance that he was not under their custody. The NIA was contacted
and the Director promised to conduct an investigation. Eventually, we
received information that he was released. He is yet to fully reveale what
transpired after his arrest to the press. It is however necessary to convey
to you what is known so far so that you can intervene with immediacy to
arrest these coercive interventions. The constitution states categorically
that the authority of government should be exercised to promote the general
welfare of the people. This imposes on you the burden of establishing
institutions, standards and practices which are reasonable and justifiable
in a democratic society. In a civilised society opinions are fought with
opinions. The power of reason is utilised to combat what is deemed
unreasonable and unjustifiable. A mature leadership must engage the people
it leads to teach decency through decent conduct. It strives to earn respect
by decent conduct and power of reasoning not by coercion and might.
It is therefore absolutely essential for the government to recognise that
interest groups such as unions and other associations are instruments for
the articulation of collective concerns. In any democratic society such
civil society organisations should be encouraged to provide information for
the decision making process of policy makers.
You are duty bound to make it a policy for the security chiefs to be alerted
of the arrest of any member of GAMSU leadership so that they can discuss and
advise each other what to do to prevent any unnecessary harassment. The
GAMSU leadership need the protection of law. The government has the duty to
offer such protection.
History is taking evidence. It will distinguish facts from fiction. It will
pass its judgment based on facts. Power is borrowed from the people and must
be given back to them. Those who exercise it to promote the general welfare
of the people will always be absolved by history. Those who utilised it to
spread pain, misery and mischief shall always be indicted. History will not
absolve such people. You have a choice to make while you are at the helm.
The way to avoid the mistakes of the past is to learn from the lessons
derived from them.
For the Central Committee
Voices From The Graves: The Speeches On Remembrance Day April 10
The Gambia Students Union organised a symposium for reflection on the
tragedy of April 10th and 11th. Halifa Sallah addressed the students on the
lessons of the tragedy and the way forward as well students and the law. Mr.
Ousman Sillah who was reported ill could not address the gathering on the
subject ''student and the law''. FOROYAA will feature the speeches of the
vice president of the union, Mr. Alhagie Darboe, Mr. Halifa Sallah, the
guest speaker, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Besenty Gomez, president of
the Student Union, University of the Gambia, Ousman Bah, acting vice
president, Alhagie Camara Information Secretary. FOORYAA will begin by
publishing the speech of Alhagie Darboe vice president of GAMSU.
Alhagie Darboe's Speech At The Symposium
I seize this opportunity on behalf of our President, Mr. Omar Joof, who is
not with us, to commemorate this day and therefore on his behalf. I have the
honour and pleasure to give the Keynote address on behalf of the executive
of the Gambia students' Union an on behalf of the entire student body.
Students of the Gambia, the nation at large, today is April 10th , one year
when the following colleagues of ours and indeed others were shot down dead
by live bullets apparently fired by security officers or died as a result of
inhuman treatment in some cases. I cannot go on with my speech without once
again trying to recall my memory on the departed souls.
Baboucarr Badjie from Tallinding, Wuyeh Foday Mansally, Tallinding Islamic
Institute; Momodou Lamin Chune, Latrikunda Junior Secondary School; Momodou
Lamin Njie of GTTI, Callisco Priera of New Jeshwang; Karamo Barrow, ICE;
Reginald Carrol, Fumi Institute; Lamin A. Bojang, Nusrat; Ousman Sabally,
Brikamaba; Sainey Nyabally, Brikamaba, Bamba Jobarteh from Bansang who died
two weeks after the incidents a result of inhuman treatment he encountered
at Janjangbureh; Abdoulie Sanyang, OldJeshwang; Omar Barrow, Journalist and
Red Cross volunteer; unknown teenager from Brikama; may their souls rest in
perfect peace.
The day being considered as the bloodiest day in the history of the Gambia
may be important to be honoured if not at state level but at our level as
GAMSU. Thus, we are gathered here to represent the entire student body to
commemorate the killing of our brothers. The commemoration is not meant to
get the bereaved families and indeed the entire nation in tears as we
remember the loved ones to give the honour our colleagues deserve, moan
their untimely death and pray for their souls to live in perfect peace. As
we reflect our minds on these parish souls it is important we reflect our
minds on all those who have sustained injuries physically or emotionally.
It was on this very day last year students in most parts of Greater Banjul
had undergone experience of traumatic nature that is characterised to be so
inhuman. As we remember and we also reflect our minds on these beloved
colleagues we also should seize the opportunity to reflect our minds still
on those who are hospitalised. We always wish them speedy recovery, though
it is hard for them to do that.
It would not do justice if GAMSU should be commemorating this day to
remember how our colleagues were gunned down; who our colleagues were
departed from us; without putting a statement or a word or two on the
outcome of the commission of enquiry. We can all remember soon after the
incident, a commission of inquiry was put in place soon in May that was
assigned to look into the circumstances surrounding the incident and to
submit a report. It was in the month April also after the inauguration of
the members of the commission of inquiry that the executive members of the
Gambia Students' Union were called on to Kanilai.
I will not try to say here anything that had happened. As I speak I don't
only count that I speak only to the people that are here present. I feel I
am speaking to the entire nation and therefore I owe it to find myself to
speak nothing but the truth.
Now, after that he ( the President) added; "Now that a commission is in
place, I don't want to do anything or I will not do anything until the
commission finish their work". And he asked whether we would all agree and
wait until the commission finish their work job and not to involve
ourselves in any other activity.
As at then there was a rumour of another planned demonstration which we did
our level best to make sure it did not materialise. We told him, yes we are
quite willing to wait for the outcome of the commission and he promised to
act on the outcome of the commission. I must say I took the President very
seriously on his words. He is a man of his words and therefore I expect the
President to act on the outcome of the commission. Four months after the
report was submitted and the action of the government was indeed
disappointing.
Yes, it was meant for reconciliation. I agree we should reconcile but I must
add that we should reconcile when justice is done. There is a need for
justice not only to be done but must be seen to be done. Then people will be
in a position to serve that idea of reconciliation. But here trying to
balance for the shake of reconciliation. I am saying inequation cannot be
taken as equation and if you want to balance inequation as equation. It is
mathematically wrong.
The stand of GAMSU We have always loved to be law abiding. People make
their reactions, everything was said but you want to be law abiding. Our
stand is we are still knocking at the door for justice not to be put in
communicado. It has to come out. The incident cannot be put under cover.
Here we have history as the judge until the culprits are brought to book.
Again the commission made recommendations. Most of them were rejected. Some
were accepted such as the compensation for the deaths and the injured. Up to
now at our executive level I am not aware of any compensation going on and I
am not aware of any development towards that compensation.
We are therefore calling on the authorities to consider compensating the
dead and injured. And we are also calling on the family of the deceased to
come out and give the names of all those have encountered injuries or all
those who passed away during the course so that this can be drawn to the
attention of the authorities to compensate the injured and the dead.
On Reconciliation There is a need for us to reconcile but here it is very
frustrating. I must commend certain institutions for opening their doors to
GAMSU for that spirit of dialogue to flourish, particularly the police
institution. But here also I must also call on our partners the Education
Department to please consider GAMSU as a partner, otherwise what you hope to
avoid, that is, the recurrence of such incidents may not be achieved. The
example to this is the tragedy that happened just last week. Students are
disassociated completely from matters that have to do with students. It
would not tell well.
Let us all come together we try and put our things in place. But if we are
isolated, we are disassociated, that can be dangerous. It will not tell
well. Please consider GAMSU as a partner in development.
The growing number of problems in schools, may be doors are closed to us and
we are appealing for doors to be open to try our level best to make sure
that for....under common understanding is injected in all the students at
all the schools so as to minimise problems.
Before ending my Keynote address I would not do justice if we fail to
congratulate the lawyers that have been standing for GAMSU since when the
incident happened and therefore on behalf of the students and the entire
executive. I want to commend the lawyers for their effort that they have
done to see that justice is done not only in the case of the student leaders
but also our parted brothers, our brothers that have gone away. In this
regard, I now take the opportunity finally on behalf of the executive to
express our heartfelt condolence once again to families of the bereaved and
we wish our loved ones, may their souls rest in perfect peace, Amin
An International Organisation To End Brain Drain
An international organisation supported by the French and Canadian
governments has been formed which is aimed at encouraging African
intellectuals whose brains are "drained" to serve Europe to come to come
back to Africa assist the continent to overcome its setbacks.
This leads us to question whether the problem of development in Africa is
just a problem of human power, structural institutional system oriented.
There are many African intellectuals who become ministers of Finance in
their countries and later join the World Bank or IMF as international civil
servants. A number of African Presidents have worked in the UN, and the
World Bank or IMF before assuming office. Despite all this the problem of
the continent continues to deepen and its culture of dependency continues to
rise.
Culture Of Dependency
We live in an unequal world, unequal opportunity, unequal access to income
and unequal access to consumer goods. While authorities make distractions
with regards to citizens they make little distinction with regards to the
search for profit. Multinational corporations can be found in the Delta
region are reaped and only pipelines and polluted environment are left
behind.
Since independence which had a Pan African agenda and called for an African
Central Bank to facilitate the continental mobilisation of resources for
investment just like the World Bank and the IMF were sabotaged and their
visions deemed unworkable. However, today, a World Bank contribution can
boast of finance of almost 300 billion which came from interest on loans.
In Africa we are left with leaders like Abacha who has billions of dollars
and pounds in Banks in Britain, Switzerland etc. instead of depositing them
into an African Central bank to facilitate Africa's development by Africa's
financial resources. Many analysts maintain that Africa's problem is
political, institutional, structural, human resources and system oriented.
The availability of human resources alone does not lead to the eradication
of underdevelopment.
The Current State Of Africa's Underdevelopment
The failure to address the structural imbalance and the system of the
production inherited from colonialism kept Africa to be a producer of cheap
primary raw materials and importer of expensive manufactured goods and
technology. Capital formations continued to be externally appropriated. The
flight of capital leaves African countries without industrial or processing
industries.
Investment objectives of the multinationals are simply to exploit cheap
sources of labour in pursuit of maximum profit and least cost on labour
power. Consequently jobs are not only scarce in Africa the wages are also
extremely poor. Herein lies the principal reason for the brain drain as the
African elites look for greener pastures. Infact in a situation where
governments are not committed to the reconstitution of African economics
many Africans with knowledge and skills find themselves under utilised and
poorly remunerated. Hence they neither achieve personal or national
development. Their creative activities simply go to waste.
To many analysts such person can do better in getting higher incomes abroad
and invest it at home than to stay in Africa and live in poverty. This does
not mean that this is a solution. It means that sometimes it serves as the
best of the unsustainable and where Africa's resources are drained abroad,
African brains sold abroad do serve to make them invest in Africa the higher
income. Unless the vicious cycle imbalance is broken the agenda to end the
brain drain would be more wishful thinking. The real task is how to end the
financial drain through interest and debt repayment and the unequal trade.
Subsaharan Africa has 33 out of the 48 nations which are classified as least
developed countries. The Jubilee 2000 coalition has raised these issues and
had handed a petition signed by 22 million people world wide to the UN
Secretary General, Kofi Annan.
Despite the Toronto, London, Lyon, Naples and Cologne plans and the highly
indebted poor countries initiatives, Africa's debt burden continue to rise
and her terms of trade continue to deteriorate as a result of internal and
external factors.
Statistics being circulated in documents derived from the Conference on
African and the Third World Debt held in Dakar from 11 to 17 December, 2000
indicate that between 1988 and 1999 African debt has increased by $65.1
billion of which only $21.4 billion is new money. It is estimated that
during that period, the continent has paid as debt service a sum of $145
billion. It is estimated that the amount constitute a ''seven times the
amount received from developed countries and multilateral institutions.
According to the statistics extracted from UNESCO's finding 42 million
African children are deprived of education. Since countries are finding it
impossible to service and repay the debts rescheduling is now the norm. For
example Senegal has rescheduled its debt repayments about 12 times between
1980 to 1995
The Gambia with a debt burden of over 8000 million dalasi now pays the
equivalent of its health, education, agriculture and Works and Communication
budget combined to service and repay her debts. In 2000, the country paid
390 million on debt servicing. In 2001, it is estimated that 414 million
will be paid on debt servicing.
We must address the debt burden and the deteriorating terms of trade of the
African countries internally and externally before the inequalities in the
world is reduced and the brain drain in search of greener pastures
addressed. The solution to the brain drain is linked to the eradication of
the very inequalities and unfairness in trade, monetary policies and debt
arrangements that are internally motivated by corrupt practices and
inappropriate policies and externally motivated by monopolistic and
sophisticated protectionist policies under the guise of quality products and
patent laws to prevent countries from reinventing what is deem to have been
invented
Rice Growers Society Of Bansang, Bantanto And Dobong Kunda On
Rice Milling Machine
The report states that the rice growers society of Bansang, Bantanto and
Dobong Kunda were promised a rice milling machine by ROC Technical mission.
The farmers secured a building for the machine and were waiting for the
machine.
According to the report, Mr. Chin had been asked about the milling machine
and he had made it abundantly clear that the machine is for the rice growers
society and not just for a particular individual.
The report has it that the machine is yet to be available; that they had
made enquiries from the authorities and were told that the availability of
the machine was linked to increases in the repayment of loans by farmers.
The members of the society cannot understand the link between a gift from
ROC and loan repayment; that they can understand other conditionalities
which will affect individuals who fail to repay loans and not subject
everyone to collective punishment.
FOROYAA will contact the authorities of the Integrated Rice Development
Project, the SoS for Agriculture and the ROC Embassy for further
clarification.
>>
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