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Momodou
Denmark
11634 Posts |
 Posted - 24 Jul 2012 : 23:24:52
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Culled from Gambia-L
The cost of the President being so generous
It will be seen unkind or even un-Islamic to say that the President should not be so generous especially in Ramadan in August. Nevertheless I sincerely believe that this kind of generosity has severe economic consequences.
First assuming average consumption of sugar in Ramadan is 1 kg per week per person; 27000 bags at 50kg per bag amounts to 1,350,000 kg
27,000 bags is could easily translate to 25% of sugar trade in the country at a time when corner store, street hawker hope they can make a few extra Dalasi to pay school fees, buy the extra food and enjoy the coming Eid. Its just like asking those in the trade which includes tens of thousands of little vendors and hawkers to take a 25% pay cut.
Secondly much of the gift is disproportionately going to security services, politically and economically connected people. These are the people with monthly income, those most able to buy sugar from the lady street vendor or the corner store boy. Some of these would end of not buying sugar for the whole of Ramadan. With back to school around the corner, one can only imagine what that would mean for clothing, shoes and book sales.
As for the big traders and importers, Ramadan is the "Teret" (trade season). Unlike the President they will have to pay top Dalasi to get their sugar transported to market. Of course the transporters also rely on that to get by. Unlike the President's gift the labor to load and unload their sugar is paid for (meaning more money into the economy). Should they come out richer, much of that is likely to go into building extra houses and apartments all of which means buying things like cement, other imported goods and engaging more labor.
I am not an economist but this is anything but trivial. While the President may be genuinely being benevolent, it does not always turn out that way. There is a Mandinka saying that a successful farmer makes sure that both the "Nioo" (millet) and the "Sossoo" (bean) are protected.
Malanding Jaiteh
Commercialising Islam is forbidden: Says President Jammeh, as he gives out Ramadan gift
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The president of the Republic has denounced the commercialisation of Islam, saying it is forbidden and will not be accepted in The Gambia. His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Yahya Jammeh was speaking Monday afternoon at State House grounds in Banjul, while distributing over 27,000 bags of sugar as Ramadan gift to Muslims all over the country.
The Gambian leader condemned what he called the commercialisation of death and the Quran recitation, something he emphasised strongly, will not be accepted. He urged the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council to regulate it before it develops roots in society. “These two practices must stop. These are very bad practices that are spreading it tentacles in our society. What kind of Muslims are we? Now I am challenging the Supreme Islamic Council to regulate these practices. As religious leaders, you have a huge task and I want to see that all these are regulated,” he said.
While emphasising strongly on the importance of the Holy Quran, the Gambian leader stressed that knowing and reading the Quran and without respect for Allah that knowledge is useless.
He continued: “You will realise nowadays people turn up in their large numbers attending rich people’s funerals than the average people, and prefer attending Quran recitations where they anticipate to earn money and you don’t mind you will not be able to accommodate everybody.
If you have faith in Allah, you should know that the way you are being affected is the same way that someone is also poor and there is a Surah in the Holy Quran which says that, one should not sell anything in the Quran. Now if people commercialise the Holy Quran recitation and funerals that means they are doing business with the Quran. And if I talk they say I am attacking people, but these are things that are happening.”
President Jammeh also stated that he will not tolerate any behavior or attitude that will portray this country negatively. “We should be contented with what we have and have faith in Allah and avoid taking what we don’t have yet. If you don’t have, maintain your faith in Allah because you don’t know what would happen in the future,” he advised.
Re-selling of goods
The Gambian leader used the occasion to once again highlight the unacceptable attitude of certain people in society, which made assistance sometimes even difficult for him. He said: “I said this because sometimes, I will bring consignments to make certain things affordable to all Gambians but some people used all possible means to frustrate that effort by using other people to buy the same product and resell it to an average Gambian people at an exorbitant price.”
This, according to him, is one reason why he decided to hold on to the sugar consignment, which arrived in the country since during his birthday in May. “I have also decided to cease selling of the cooking oil because of such attitude. My support to you is meant to push you to fear God, but, if it is pushing you to the opposite, then I should stop it, because instead of people being honest they are getting greedier.
And if this support is re-enforcing greediness and dishonesty among you, it is better I stop it,” he said, while citing a citation in the Holy Quran to justify his assertions in which he stated that one should not give a support that will make people act in contravention to the teachings of Islam.
While reminding the gathering of a day that everyone would account for his/her deeds, President Jammeh who does not only propagate the teachings of Islam but is also well-known for his generosity used the opportunity to challenge the Muslim Ummah to fear God and practice the teachings of the Prophet Peace be Upon Him (SAW).
“Let us be very careful and ask ourselves before doing anything whether what I am about to do is good and whether God would reward me or punish me for it. If God is to reward you for it then do it and never mention what you expect to get as reward,” he said, while urging people to be contented with what they have. “Let us marry for the sake of God and Islam and be careful of money,” he concluded.
Speaking earlier, Lamin Waa Juwara, the minister of Regional Administration, Lands and Traditional Rulers, said the generosity is a clear testimony of the concern President Jammeh has for Gambians. He also commented on the significance of the holy month, stressing that whatever assistance one gives to his or her fellow Muslims, Allah would reward the person for such good deeds.
Minister Juwara remarked that the gift would go a long way in assisting the poor and needy, and manifests President Jammeh’s interest in the welfare of all Gambians irrespective of tribe, age or political affiliation. “Gambians should be proud of you. You are a leader who does not only think about the world but also hereafter. We are happy and proud of you for your generosity,” said Minister Juwara. He finally urged the recipients to distribute the gifts on time to the beneficiaries at their regional level.
For his part, Dr Njogu Bah, secretary general and head of the Civil Service also thanked President Jammeh for the donation. He described the gathering as one of returning thanks to Allah for the blessing the country is enjoying under President Jammeh’s leadership. He described him as a leader who sympathises with his people and prayed that God give him long life and guidance, protection for his family and the country at large.
Yankuba Colley, the mayor of the Kanifing Municipality who doubles as the APRC National Mobiliser also heaped praises on President Jammeh for the gift, noting that the number increases every year. He also urged the gathering to pray to God the Almighty to shower His infinite reward and blessings on the president for his relentless support to the promotion of Islam.
North Bank Region and the Kanifing Municipality that got the biggest share of the sugar, each went with 4000bags and 4500bags respectively, while the remaining amount was shared among other regions as well as the security services, ‘Yai Compins and the Supreme Islamic Council.
Banjul City Council got 2100 bags; Central River Region, 2500; Upper River Region 3500; Lower River Region 2100; West Coast Region 3500; Security Services 3000; The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council 1000; ‘Yai Compins’ 1000; Interior Wives Association 300 bags and Soldiers Wives Association 300 bags respectively.
Author: Musa Ndow
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jul 2012 : 02:06:45
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| Where is president Jammeh getting all the money he distributes in different forms ? If his source is not clean, then how good is that charity ? |
Karamba |
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Momodou
Denmark
11634 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2012 : 15:23:28
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Daily News Editorial: The Ramadan Gifts, How Right?
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
 Last week, The Gambian head of state dished out thousands of bags of sugar to the country’s Muslim population. The first presentation of what was reported to be a traditional Ramadan gift, witnessed the distribution of over twenty- eight thousand bags of sugar among the seven administrative regions in the country.
Soldiers’ wives association, the ruling-APRC party women groups, and the armed forces also had their share of the distributed gifts. The second disbursement benefited so-called low-income earning civil servants.
Certainly, gifts to economically struggling Gambian Muslims by the president at such times, such as Ramadan, is quite commendable. It can be explained that the public is in dire economic conditions, thus needs help. The president was perhaps proving to The Gambians that he was quite aware of their situation and cannot sit idly by.
However, the questions that have been on our lips have not been answered: Is the giving of such handouts that would last for less than a month the solution to the dire economic conditions of Gambians? Is this not akin to, or, promoting what this current regime referred to as ‘dependency syndrome’ that was allegedly existing in the first republic and which this regime came to rectify? Surely, if not to nurture the culture of begging, poor people deserve to be taught how to catch the proverbial fish rather than to be always given fish.
In a democratic state, such gifts from the president which has become a tradition rather than a one-of thing, can only be accepted by conscientious citizens when the source is made clearly known. Realistically speaking, however, asking the hungry man to reject the gift, or, ask the source before accepting it, could be seen to be quite ridiculous. But, is it morally justified for the president to take advantage of this weakness to further perpetuate the belief that he directly holds the key to their survival?
Nonetheless, if the Ramadan gifts are from the president’s personal purse, this should be made crystal clear to the public. Also, it should interest the public to know how the president gets these resources. This is especially necessary considering the fact that what the president gives out, is more than what he earns – his salary and other allowances. It therefore invites into question the government’s commitment to transparency, accountability and probity. The president and his government have been preaching transparency for over seventeen years now. In fact, the alleged lack of it in the first republic was said to justify their takeover. But seventeen years on, we have not seen transparency practiced.
On the other hand, if the Ramadan gifts are from the government, this should as well be clear to the public. Then, the tax payers or their representatives should debate and decide whether their tax money should be spent on such gifts. Also, it should be subjected to a public debate as to the sanctity of the gift, given the constitutionally guaranteed secular status of the country.
Yes, majorities are Muslims, but Christians do pay taxes. Certainly, they have to put their money where their mouth is. In this case, their mouth is not in the Ramadan gifts. Arguably, the Christians do have their turn during Christmas. But even then, we should not be oblivious of the fact that The Gambia does not comprise only Christians and Muslims. There are people of other beliefs. And they are paying taxes. Have we considered them? How morally right is it for the government to feed the Muslim or Christian population with the money that does not belong to any single religion?
In either case – whether the gifts are from the government or the president – what should worry every Gambian, young or old, lettered or unlettered, poor or rich, is how our head of state is acting like an eighteenth century tribal chief. If the people want food, the chief provides, if they want corrugate for their roofs the chief provides and so on and so forth. For goodness sake, we are in the 21st century! The citizens deserve not to be reduced to beggars?
What the government should concentrate its energy and resources, should be to reducing the prices of basic commodities, reducing the high unemployment rate, and reducing the escalating debt. Or better still, how to make a greater majority of Gambians economically independent – for instance, to be able to put descent food on the table without one crawling on the knees.
It is worth the while of citizens, especially parliamentarians who are mandated to scrutinise the public offices, to ask where these gifts are coming from, lest it makes a hole in our national purse. Tax money is not for charity but to be transformed into essential services for the people. It may be sacred to give charity or gifts, but not what belongs to the nation to a chosen group to achieve ones individualistic purpose.
Source: Daily News |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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