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Momodou
Denmark
11645 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Apr 2007 : 02:01:54
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FOCUS ON POLITICS
BENEATH THE POMP AND SELF-AGGRANDISEMENT LAY A BLOOMING OFFICIAL CORRUPTION
With Suwaibou Touray
Continued from: http://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3524
We have been writing the history of the Gambia from pre-independence to post independence era. We have stopped where we mentioned the new philosophy coined by Sir Dawda “Tesito”.
Let us start from where we had stopped.
Now that Sir Dawda had overwhelmingly won the elections, he was comfortably placed to carry out his promise of creating job opportunities for the numerous school leavers who were desperately hanging around without any meaningful engagements.
A five year development plan was already laid before the parliament and approved. Was the five year development plan realistic considering the limited resources of the country?
The plan covered 1975/76-1979/80.
The main intervention areas of the plan covering both social and productive sectors were centred on:
- Rural development
- Food self-sufficiency
- Creation of a more equitable income distribution mechanism;
- Better educational opportunities; and,
- Increased participation of people throughout the nation in the planning and development process using the slogan “TESITO” a mandinka word- to tie one’s waist, implying self- reliance.
In order to meet the specific agricultural sector objectives emphasis was placed on the following broad strategies:
- Improving the nutritional status particularly in the rural areas;
- Limiting bulk cereal imports;
- Increasing cash crop production; and
- Diversifying the agricultural production base to reduce the vulnerability of the economy to exogenous and internal shocks.
In this regard according to a government owned booklet, Government pursued the policy of direct intervention in agricultural production, processing and marketing justifying it on the need to popularise the adoption of improved technology to enhance productivity and increase market efficiency and increase farmer’s income. Farmers were provided with highly subsidized fertilizers, seed, free vaccination, pesticide concessional credit facilities as well as subsidized services for ploughing and irrigation services. Government also controlled the price of groundnuts, rice, and cotton through exchange rate, import and export regulation.
This resulted to the restructuring of the GPMB, creation of the (L.M.B) Livestock Marketing Board for the marketing of all livestock and livestock products and the establishment of the planning, programming and monitoring unit (PPMU) for the agricultural sector.
In the area of food production also national food strategy has been prepared and its recommendations reflected in the second five year plan. A food security scheme designed to establish national Grain reserves with a plan target of 8,000 tonnes of cereals.
During the campaign the P.P.P convinced the people that if S.M. Dibba or the opposition were to come to power, this second five year plan would not be implemented. The NCP also told the people that even if Jawara was to win the election, the P.P.P would be able to implement only about 30% of the plan. He did not elaborate why.
Since the resources were not readily available, the government’s new coined philosophy “Tesito” was to encourage party agents and the whole general public to implement the programme to fill the financial gap. A lot of money has been pumped in the country through loans and grants during this period.
Looking at the real outcome of the plan implementation.
The farmers in 1975 produced 133,451 tonnes, 124,436 tonnes in 1976 and 82,221 tonnes in 1977/78 Groundnut reason.
The plan was also envisaged to increase exports. In 1975 exports amounted D73, 186 dalasis, D106, 713 in 1976 D80, 219 in 1977/78 and D94, 913 in 1978/79? Production and exports instead of increasing were instead decreasing.
The highest groundnut production was in 1973/74 when farmers produced 136,000 tonnes as well as 134, 727 tonnes in 1974/75 season which was before the second plan. But as you can see since the commencement of the new programme the production level had continued to drop.
Contrary to expectations things were not going as envisaged. According to the quarterly survey of the employment and earnings by the central statistics division, once the activity of the Groundnut trade of the local buying agents and the tourist season comes to an end, employment figures dropped considerably. Those people had to be laid off.
As far as the plan for the education sector was concerned, Government could not cope with the proliferation and the requests for schools. The Action-Aid The Gambia.
(AATG) is one of the biggest NGOs that started operations in the Gambia in 1979. They got involved in poverty reduction, agriculture but mainly education at the primary level in the rural areas. This columnist was a teacher for the Action Aid.
The period also witnessed the sahelian drought. The drought was serious but not as serious as in Senegal, Niger or Mali but serious enough to threaten the economy, Sir Dawda always referred to the drought as one of the reasons for the set back of the second five year plan, but critics always cited the rising corruption and wasteful travels and flamboyant lifestyle of Government officials.
In 1977, heads of states of the sahel had to meet in Banjul to discuss and exchange ideas on the issue.
According to the book meant to promote 15 years of Sir Dawda’s rule “the Gambia since independence”, “if one were to sum up the events of the first ten years, One would be inclined to say they have been years of growth and consolidation, years when the goal of economic viability loomed larger on the horizon but was accomplished successfully.”
So for the P.P.P, they prided themselves on the projects such as the “Tesito” wharf at Barajally built in 1977, the new airport building, Radio Gambia transmitters, the new central bank building opened in 1978, the Banjul harbour, the Banjul Breweries, the Bintang Bolong ship launched in 1978, Yorobawol Health centre in Wuli West opened in 1979 and Yundum Airport brought to international standard, all on borrowed money.
The Satellite Earth Station at Abuko which was opened in 1978 amongst others.
They also cited an example of wasteful endeavours by Jawara such as the buying of an expensive yacht, the “Mansa-Kilaabaa” the king’s messenger which he took along on his “meet the farmers’ tour” and other provincial tours.
According to the outlook, the so-called Tesito Projects were misplaced to the extend that not only were they not always viable but were not prioritised. They cited an example when in 1977 Sir Dawda travels on the Yacht up to Barajally, Niani but could not anchor at the only Tesito” bridge in the area. He said the beauty and expensiveness of the Yacht were in complete contrast with the nature and appearance of the wharf, which he said is a paradoxical drama that exposed the true decadent nature of Kuntaur Area Council.
Amid the seeming pomp and gait lay beneath a social dissatisfaction steadily brewing mainly in the urban areas. The civic education (civics) in schools helped many young people to understand how a government should operate.
The newspaper such as the Gambia Outlook, the nation the sun touch etc exposed the corruption that was raising its ugly head in the society.
Every now and then, parliament would approve an exorbitant sum for this or that project but the projects were either cancelled or in efficiently implemented. For example there were many loans approved for the construction of the Lamin Koto/Passamas road but were not implemented.
Every now then Radio Gambia or Newspapers would report on the holiday of Sir Dawda from abroad after a period of what they would call “a well earned rest”, abroad. Thousands of people would be organised to hail them on their return.
According to the information and Broad-casting booklet, Sir Dawda’s policy was to attend to all conferences himself to represent the interest of the country. According to the book, the only summits he missed attending in 1973 coincided with a period of ill-health for him. So as you can see, Sir Dawda can best be described as a travelling president, instead of a seating president
Some people saw all these as wastage of the meager resources of the country when the living condition of the people was getting more and more difficult.
Schools such as Armitage, students expressed their anger on 2nd October 1977.
According to the progressive Newspaper, over 300 students went on the rampage in Georgetown and vented their anger on their principal, Mr. Heddle, Mrs. Roberts and a care taker. They hauled stones on them in their houses, broke door and window glasses, until they took refuge under a bed for a whole day.
Brikama Secondary Technical School students also went on the rampage and Mr. William Forster, Principal, also went under a similar experience on 13th October 1977.
Gunjur Junior Secondary also on 15 November 1977 gave a serious beating to their head-master. According to Outlook, the man had to flee to the chief’s compound but even that could not make him escape the beating.
With the emergence of Gambian underground movements appeared many Clandestine Newspapers. The future at the time could not be predicted.
See next issue that will shed more light on underground politics in The Gambia.
Continued: http://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3560
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 45/2007, 20 April - 22 April, 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2007 : 20:38:37
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Momodou, many thanks.
This text is full of good and useful information to help link the past president, and future of Gambia. Some vital lessons are clearly spelt. The belief and practice that a political leader has to be provided for comes clear. In the case of Jawara, he was provided all affordable state comfort and security. In turn, Jawara did not commit himself sincerely to see Gambia developed. Ministers and senior public servants recognised this and they helped to establish the selfish ambition of getting rich quick with public resources. I wish to shift this issue on the economic livelihood of both government and the governed. For every government minister or head of establishment, economic self-empowerment started with the Jawara regime. Corruption was so rife that Jawara did not keep quiet about it. The term "White Collar Crime" was a popular expression of Jawara in his public speeches, referring to corruption at official level (pen pushers.) Certainly, corruption was not played at the level of ministers and heads of government institutions alone. The Gambia Produce Marketing Board GPMB, Public Works Department PWD, Gambia Public Transport Corporation GPTC, National Trading Company NTC,and Gambia Ports Authority GPA can be named here. These state revenue based operations became personalised at the detriment of public benefit. Heads of these and many unlisted revenue generating institutions up to July 1994 served as personal cash point for their managers and their cohorts. Some of the establishments died (economically) by July 1994. Ministers in the Jawara government counted whole ministry under them as personal gift from the president. The system was rotten to core at the time of July 1994 coup.
When Jammeh staged his coup it was normal that ordinary citizens felt relieved and thought it was salvation for everyone especially the down trodden in deprived societies. With the promise that he came to change that system, Jammeh was able to score on the sentiment of normal Gambians.
For 13 years now, what we see Jammeh doing is moving chairs as he continue playing the same corrupt hands. His difference with Jawara is one big contrast. Jawara bullied his political opponents in similar ways as Jammeh now does. Jammeh abducts and kills, something Jawara did not do. What worries Gambians is that Jammeh is getting worse in his handling of resources, harassment, killings and imposing hardship more than what people are ready to accept. He uses the Radio and Television to deliver promotional information for his selfish political gains at very high cost to everyone. In short, Jammeh inherited every bit from Jawara and he (Jammeh) added more spice and poison to kill in the crudest way.
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