>From: "Ceesay, Soffie" <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Trade & Investment Session at Howard University by Reps from the AFPRC - 2 >Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 13:26:23 -0700 > >Hello again - > >For the great benefit of having Dumo and his co-accused freed, we will >tolerate, only so far, the carrot and stick games of this regime. The >majority of those in attendance had no idea that two square meals a day for >the average Gambian was a luxury, that our society has been reduced to a >beggar-dom, that there is no such thing as accountability and transparency >or probity, that there is no freedom of the press, or that law and justice >took flight when the soldiers with a difference marched in. Granted, the >reps from the government were not there to talk about my musings or the >realities on the ground. They were there to sell the idea that trade with >the Gambia is a good thing. Yes, it is a good thing but for whom? > >The representatives extolled the virtues of our "democracy", our wonderful >health care and communication systems, amongst the reasons why to invest in >our country. The media bill which in effect, puts into law the further >muzzling of the press, opened up the question and answer session at Howard >on Monday. > >Pa Samba averred the failure of the delegation to mention the media amongst >the independent institutions in the country. He said he found it >interesting given that the media suffers the "brunt of the government's >harsh treatment of people". He followed with this question - "Mr. Jagne, >you stated that investment will result to growth and stability. How do you >expect people to invest in a country whose government is one of the most >vicious dictatorships in Africa, where people who are deemed to be opponents >of the government are targeted and seen as enemies? You do not have to take >my work for this but you can go to the internet and check the Amnesty report >and the US state department report." > >"We were told that there would be Gambians who would be hurling insults at >the Gambia regardless of what we say here" responded Blaise Jagne, after >which asked Mr. Sallah to respond. > >"If the Gambia was as bad as this man is making it to be, then we would not >be doing business with the US. We all know that the US does not do business >with governments that are not democratic." He went on to name the number of >private radio stations and print media houses and briefly mentioned the >incident when supporters of the regime set a radio station on fire. > >Saul Saidy Khan told them to drop that crap and educated them, not that I >think they are ignorant of them, about the countries that the US does >business with and how anathema democracy is to them. Saul asked how they >can brag about being #3 for good governance when they cannot account for >$500 million from the crude oil saga being investigated in Nigeria. Of >course, Mr. Sallah downplayed the issue, calling into question the >credibility of the newspaper that reported the deal and that Gambia >government responded to the inquiries. In effect, saying that there were no >improprieties in regards to the crude oil. > >Yes, they kept repeating this #3 standing which, like a magic pill, has >catapulted them into this regime that does everything right and as a result, >has qualified and has been accepted into the world's business circles. > >I welcomed and thanked them for representing our country so well. I said >that if their pronouncements and hopes come to fruition, Gambia will benefit >which hopefully, will result in the cessation of children eating out of >dumpsters, that with our health care system being what they say it is, the >president's wife can now take her baby to our able doctors for well-baby >visits instead of jetting to the US for such. Having said that, I reminded >them of what they said - that the government bought tractors for our >farmers, agriculture being the backbone of our economy. I wanted them to >tell the audience why our farmers could not afford to buy their own tractors >and what their earning power is. This was never answered. Instead we were >treated "to my family use our health facilities" and I don't know what the >president's wife does and that the country is a poor developing country, >that the country now graduates so many students who do not have to come here >and spend so much money to be educated, and that perhaps I am able to raise >these issues because of my privileged station in life and should go home - >excuses ad nauseam. > >None of their responses was a surprise. Except for Blaise Jagne's >disingenuousness in responding to Pa Samba and former ambassador Hailey's >sad comment that Gambia was the finest and most stable country in Africa and >that Pa Samba should do more research to know his country, no surprises. >Interestingly, the ambassador was not there for the whole session so that Pa >Samba could make good on his promise to speak to him afterwards. Yes, >Gambia is a fine country but stability is relative. If we are being >compared to the Ivory Coast of Sierra Leone, or Liberia, of course it is >stable. However, ask those whose rights and liberties are abrogated on the >whim of gun totting, torture enjoying do-no-gooders, and they may tell you >differently. > >Thanks for your indulgence and the struggle continues. > >Soffie > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~