The Scare-Crow in Town

September 18, 2006
"Wishful dreams are nice for the dreamer but little good for the society. On the other hand, the oil fantasies of Yahya maybe the reason for marrying an Arab woman." - BJ

Yahya has gone on a nation wide tour in the name of fulfilling his presidential duties. This whole idea of the president touring the country is a PPP legacy. The idea is great if performed sincerely, however PPP has wrongly used it to politicize their cause by manipulating the local government administrative structures. The AFPRC/APRC has no better idea and all they could do is to make it a constitutional requirement on the president. In an effort to make it appear different from that of PPP they changed the name. For both parties there has never been a clear distinction between executive function and party politics. They deliberately failed to make such a distinction so that they can utilize tax payer's monies to meet their political ends. It is also an adulterous venture for men and women to seek their pleasure at the expense of the people of The Gambia. Men/women will assign their sex partners some sort of organizational functions in the entourage with the ultimate desire for illicit sex. Others will claim perdiem or request cash floats that are never reconciled in any way better than miscellaneous expenses.

Yahya has been given farmers excuse for not been able to fulfill his constitutional duties in about three years due to unforeseen circumstances. He is lying which is a crime in the cause of performing presidential functions. Should it be true that he has unforeseen circumstances for three years, the people of The Gambia ought to know the unforeseen circumstances. Failure to perform ones duties is a reason for termination of service; hence he should have been impeached. In an APRC way this could have been stroke out of the constitution to relief Yahya a burden he could no longer carry. In a democratic and productive way, better structural arrangements such as a decentralized local government administration directly linked to both the legislature and executive could cost effectively enhance communication between the center and peripheries. Well in the fantasy world of Yahya, he knows what the future holds, at least as he proclaimed. The question is why he failed to know what prevent him from visiting the people in the short period of 3 years and the reasons cannot be told. Anyways he is a lunatic and psychopath.

Assuming he is truly performing his constitutional duties, this is not a good time for the president of The Gambia to go to the farmers. They are busy at the farms and do not need distraction. It will negatively affect production and as well the GDP. Considering the condition of our roads this will increase government vehicle maintenance budgets and as well worsen the condition of roads for the rural poor. Is it wise for people's government to engage in undertakings that will unnecessarily cost the people? That is exactly what our government and IEC did by scheduling the presidential elections in the middle of the rainy season. What good reason is behind the decision to hold elections at this time of the season? Nobody in his/her right mind can justify this schedule for Gambia. I can't think of anything other than another APRC government's attempt to deny Gambians free and fair elections. The opposition has no vehicles to get around quickly nor is the time span enough to cover the country. Let's hope and pray that the week of September 22 be dry, otherwise IEC may face a logistical nightmare. In the end ballots are likely to move without party agents and they will blame it on inaccessibility and inadequacy of transportation due to bad roads. Why can't we do it at a better time for Gambians? Maybe Yahya, the National Assembly and IEC have the answer. Always remember that our election laws are still military decrees. What a shame.

Yahya told the people of Essau and Nuimis that he has fulfilled his promise for electricity by pointing fingers to a building under construction called a power plant. So far we had more buildings called schools but declining education, more buildings and sites called hospitals but worsened medical services, GPTC depots but not buses, and how many times did Fatoumatta Jahumpa, Yankuba Touray and Yahya (President and Energy Secretary) danced behind a truck loaded with what they called a generator but Banjul and Kombos have worsened services than before July 1994. How can Essau and Nuimi get electricity when Banjul is under darkness? The Kombos had similar promises in the past. There is much bragging about electricity since Yahya unlawfully seized power in 1994. I'm not sure who told this psychic that electricity is our priority but I think is about time to revisit our plight and set the priorities straight. Buildings and generators are no electricity. Even if it is, where he could not guarantee himself an uninterrupted power supply how can he provide such for the farmers. In fact he has stolen a generator at Bansang to help himself at Kanilai. With the above how can Nuimi be electrify, maybe an arrangement for connections from Sogone village of Senegal may help? Ok, let's assume you get 24/7 supply. Can you afford the bill? Do you know how much it cost for less than 10 days supply for those in the Greater Banjul Area? Is electricity your priority or something else? Think about other things like freedom, security, food, housing, health, the future of your children, etc. Don't allow yourself to be fooled by a lunatic like Yahya. Do not allow his followers to tell you anything. They don't like Yahya; they are with him to continue to loot your tax money. Yankuba is yet to pay back the 2 million Dalasis an APRC Commission said he stole from the government. Maybe he used part of that money to pay his utility bills. Your vote can send them begging or farm like you do to make decent living out of their labor.

Yahya told voters this election is not between him and the opposition instead is about progress and retrogression. I am not sure if he knows the meanings of the words because he represents a big setback for Gambia in every sense. PPP may be corrupt but they are responsible in many ways. They had a good record of human resource development and we have no university. There was a significant difference between the mere number of educated Gambian on July 22, 1994 and February 18, 1995. We are respected among nations of the world and never associated with organized crime, money laundering and crimes against humanity. Infrastructural development was slow but in pace with the growth of the GDP. The loan volume and interest rates were high but not out of control. There were no killings and disappearances of citizens without explanation. An average Gambian family of 12 can provide daily meals without much of a hassle. Multi-party electioneering has always been an accepted standard of Gambians without burning the opponent's house and/or beating his/her family members. Although members of different parties sometimes throw sand or even exchange blows in worse instances it has never been such that we ambush and kill each other. APRC and Yahya represent the direct opposite of all the goods things that happened to Gambia. Gambia's progress lies on the better management of our national resources and Yahya is not in the first 5000 better managers for Gambia. Yahya is an accident of history that should not have happen if Jawara let democracy flourish. Please vote him out and see if his face will show up to tell you he is progress.

Yahya has already threatened certain parts of the country that if they did not vote APRC there will be no development project in that part of the country. This is simple; don't pay taxes to the government that will not consider you in the equitable allocation of national resources. How about voting him out? Then you will be discussing projects with someone else and not Yahya. He doesn't know that you are the masters and he is a servant.

Yahya has warned against election violence. Citizens are constitutionally required to maintain law and order, therefore a president or anyone for that matter can sincerely advice others to refrain from actions contravening the law. The question is how sincere is Yahya? We know one Manlafi, a police officer, threatened Gambian citizens with a firearm? Where is Manlafi today? It is time for Yahya to know we know the difference between huffing, puffing and reality. Violence and crime is Yahya and APRC in The Gambia. Even the use of tribalism arguments is a hallmark of APRC's divisive efforts to stay in power with a polarized society. Gambians may be afraid of guns but we know the truth. If we cannot remove you with the ballot, you will some day be like Jawara. Maybe worse because we will try you for your crimes. After all Yahya brought all kinds of violent to Gambia. They are foreign to us before July 22, 1994. Just vote him out and he will be arrested and tried for treasonable crimes committed against the people of The Gambia.

Yahya promised to bridge Sankulay Kunda "Bolong" and a number of roads. Are these new promises or repetitions? Yahya's fantasy world is catching up with him; at least the bridging of Sankulay Kunda and electrification of Kombos are no new promises. In order to win the admiration of Gambians, AFPRC jumped on the reserves of Jawara government and put up buildings they called schools and hospitals. They rushed on to construct the planned Kombo coastal road network. Surprisingly they did not even talk about the Serekunda By-Pass (Sting Corner to Abuko/Lamin) through the Josuang swamps. They also contracted new loans especially from new friends whose course Gambia can do very little. Well Jawara reserves are long gone, no more loans for Gambia or at very dare interest rates and the honeymoon with new friends are over. He definitely knows there is no money tree for anyone to harvest. The little taxes collected are servicing loans and the rest is looted to pay for the flamboyant lifestyle of Yahya and praised singers. The promises cannot be fulfilled with his blood and flesh; hence he resorts to swearing to the Quran, hoping to convince the religious people who have his faith in less than 10 days. Yahya is a combination of problems who is living in a fantasy world while Gambia is in the real world. Under Yahya we loose stuff we already had such as buses, reliable telecommunication services, workers social security savings, a profitable GIA (Gambia International Airlines) without an aircraft, Banjul/Basse South Bank road. The current state of that road is an economic nightmare for our country. Yahya is a problem and not a solution.

As he entered the Kombos, people where forced to buy and dress in green attires (ruling party colors). Instead of learning, kids are clapping and singing along his routes. This is contrary to the norms of free society. Ironically, even with the acclaimed popularity, other views are not given equal air times both at the national radio and television. In addition they are on air telling Gambians the commencement of a Pharmaceutical Factory/Plant at Brikama and an Oil Exploration contract signed with a Canadian firm. Also few months ago there was news of a Computer Assembling Plant. Although Gambia is in need of economic development, Yahya's economists should advise him the potentials Gambia can offer. The Gambia does not have adequate factors of production needed for most complex manufacturing. It is not a good market due to low incomes and its small size and the link to the rest of the world is not comparatively attractive. The Gambia for the last 12 years has very fluid pseudo security and an unstable regulatory environment that do not guarantee impressive return on investment. Both availability and cost of electricity has placed the country at the bottom of possible investment for energy demanding industries. Lying and deceiving voters may earn few votes but it will catch-up with you very soon. Certainly, as usually, someone else is blamed, fired and probably jailed. As a start any good government of Gambia should work with firms specialized in marketing, processing and preservation of agricultural produces such as assorted vegetables, fruits, peanut, livestock, fisheries products, etc. These are areas that engage majority of Gambians and a little improvement will positively affect the lives of larger number of people with a greater multiplier effect. Wishful dreams are nice for the dreamer but little good for the society. On the other hand, the oil fantasies of Yahya maybe the reason for marrying an Arab woman. GamOil is one of the fantasies. First we need a government paper showing where we have minerals, what mineral and in what quantity. With prove of substantial mineral deposits, this is a viable economic resource that has to be handle by the government and not Yahya and APRC entourage touring and sexing the country. The National Assembly should be central in this and/or even promulgate some laws as to how those minerals will be extracted and managed. Geologist will tell you, there is probably some mineral in every foot of the earth but do they all worth the economic effort of exploring. The Gambia deserves more than being at the service of one person.

Yahya told people that he has toiled so much for Gambia. He is not going either by ballot or bullet, in fact he came when nobody is aware. Sometimes you wonder if he implied to own The Gambia. That's a fool's paradise. How many people are so far killed by Yahya's motorcade? Reports have that he killed at Farafenni, Faraba and Yundum. This is not reported by the local media or by APRC to explain the circumstances of those accidents. Whatever the cause it is with a great regret that anytime Yahya took to the roads he must kill. People are not chickens. Sedat Jobe has resurfaced at an APRC rally. No surprise, this is how most educated Gambians do. What is different with Sedat is that he was said to be a respected diplomat at the world body, however with APRC job he lied to Gambians and disgrace the nation trying to defend Baba Jobe and APRC's involvement in the Blood Diamonds. Sedat Jobe is no political substance in Gambia. His support for APRC will earn them his vote and probably those of his immediate family but no significant general effect. He is another job seeker. Just continue dancing "Futanpaf" that is how others do. All we question is your sincerity and integrity.

Looking forward to the outcome of September 22 polls. Whatever that is the struggle continues.