Jabou,
That's exactly what I thought when I red the article. What Jammeh did is
good, but it would be even better if he could table a coherent or
disciplined economic policy that would create jobs for Gambians so that
families can send their children to school in dignity. Undoubtedly, there
are tens of thousands of Gambians like the little girl's family who find
themselves in the same predicament annually. So, instead of the president
chastizing the mother for not speaking up earlier about her daughter strikes
me as typical Jammeh bs: idiotic, egoistic, and totally hypocritical. Why?
1. He's acting as if the mother's silence almost deprived the daughter of an
education. Who said she did not appeal to family and neighbors? Knowing the
economic conditions back home, it's little wonder that no one can help.
2. By turning the whole issue into a circus, he continues to perpetuate the
fake "benign Mansa/Lord looking after his flock" image of himself. True
philantropists avoid any publicity of their deeds.
3. It's totally hypocritical, because Yaya is acting as if this is an
isolated case. It's not, and never has been. The Gambia, at the best of
times, has had inumerable people like this family. What the country needs is
a Julius Nyerere (a leader who understands the poverty of his people and
lives like ordinary folks.) We don't need one who has grown filthy rich (at
the expense of the people!) in five years, while his people continue a
perillous slide into an abyss of abject poverty.
Therefore, to try to project this "Good Samaritan" image, when what the
people need are jobs, or at least a president who understands their poverty
and behaves sensitively to that, is a shame. The whole thing is a charade!
Even as I write this today, Yaya is killing 41 bulls and throwing a party at
what used to be McCarthy Square according to reliable sources. This, while
many of the few employed people are being laid off in the Hotel industry,
and the Education sector, just to mention two. How can anyone in their right
mind support such a hypocrite?
Saul.
>From: Jabou Joh <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: A wonderful gesture
>Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1999 08:52:02 EST
>
>If this gesture was done from the heart, and not another propanganda
>scheme,
>then it clearly deserves commendation. However, the question still remains,
>how many Gambian students and families find themselves in the same
>impossible
>situation as miss Bah and her mother, and what is the reason for this
>endless suffering? Mis-management of state funds that have plagued us
>for
>years, as well as an inability by our governments to manage the country in
>a
>competent enough way to bolster our economy, so that families can find
>gainful employment to take care of their families and pay for their
>children's education. These things are not supposed to be luxuries, but
>essentials of daily life.If the President wants to do an even more
>honourable gesture, perhaps he should give a sum that will take care of all
>the needy students in the country, or better yet, come up with a plan
>that
>will revamp our economy, and set our country on the right path, both
>politically and economically . Then, everything else will fall into place
>as it should. The question though remains, is the President independently
>wealthy, or is it the funds from the state coffers that are being used
>to
> demonstrate to the Gambian people how generous he can be?
>
>Jabou Joh
>
>
>In a message dated 11/5/99 10:36:32 PM Central Standard Time,
>[log in to unmask] writes:
>
><< All,
> Even though I have my reservations about the genuineness of this
>gesture
>because of the publicity involved, I truly believe that Jammeh has set a
>great example here that needs to be emulated by many.
> Stooges can be very generous sometimes -:)
> Read on........
>
>
>
>
> President Jammeh calls Observer
> helps needy Ndey
>
>
> Tuesday, at 4.30pm, the Daily Observer editor, Sheriff
>Bojang,
>answered a ringing phone.The caller said, "I saw a page three story in your
>paper today about a girl, a student, who needs help to continue her
>education. Can you tell her to... do you know who iscalling?", the caller
>asked.
>
> "I guess it must be the president," the editor replied
>(bemused
>at the thought that any Gambian could fail to identify the voice of the
>caller)."Could you tell the girl to come to State House tomorrow and go to
>the Chief of Protocol directly?""Yes, sir," replied Mr Bojang.
>
> Ndey Bah, 18, a student of Nusrat Senior Secondary School,
>was
>traced to her Serrekunda home and informed about the president's desire to
>meet her.Accompanied by her poor mother and our reporter, Lamin Jatta, they
>met the president in his office Wednesday afternoon.
>
> President Jammeh censured Ndey's mother, Mariama Jobe, for
>keeping silent all along while Ndey's education was being jeopardised."You
>should not feel shy (to ask for help) when your child's education stands at
>the brink of spoiling," President Jammeh noted.
>
> The president gave D5,000 cash for Ndey's educational
>expenses
>for the 1999/2000 academic year and said he would sponsor Ndey's education
>henceforth.He finally urged Ndey to take her education seriously and
>advised
>the mother that they can only spend the money on other needs if they had
>paid
>for all school
>
> expenses. Speaking to our reporter after meeting President
>Jammeh, Ndey's mother said she was overwhelmed with President Jammeh's
>kindness. She described himas "a saviour."Ndey Bah also expressed gratitude
>to the president and promised that she would not let him down in her
>academic
>efforts.
>
> The event was witnessed by the director of press and public
>relations at State House, Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay.
>
>
> Abdoulie A. Jallow
>
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