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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Mar 2006 : 21:12:06
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| Amen |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
Posted - 27 Mar 2006 : 22:12:51
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kondorong,
i was thinking of starting a thread called : Senghor - his Legacy, but i'll just put it under here. this year will mark the 100th anniversary since his birth and it is being celebrated the world over, in Senegal and in the Francophone
i'm sure most people know more about senghor than me and have even met him perhaps? anyway for those who dont Senghor was the first President of Senegal. from childhood he showed an early interest in learning and this earned him scholarships to study in Dakar and then to the prestigious Sorbonne University in Paris. there he developed what he called 'Negritude' and wrote many poems/books.
when the war broke out, he volunteered and fought for France. he was captured by the Nazis. After the war, he returned to lead Senegal into independence, first in a Malian Federation and then as a sovereign country.
in 1980 he did the unthinkable and resigned !.the first African President to resign. he was honoured by the French Academy with life membership during his retirement and he died in 2001.
perhaps we can discuss his legacy and what it meant for Africa |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 27 Mar 2006 : 22:18:10
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That is most welcome. We will dissect his legacy and please bring forward anything you know about him. I know we have a problem as a result of "religious" beliefs. I have heard many preachers saying that when someone dies we should not talk bad about him. may be that is why people are not forthcoming with the "other" side of the story in some instances.
I will do my best to the topic and hope others will |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
Edited by - kondorong on 27 Mar 2006 22:19:14 |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2006 : 00:40:05
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Sir Dawda K. Jawara , the first president of the republic of the Gambia ruled for thirty years , from 1965 to 1994. His long rule was ended abruptly by a small group of disgruntled junior officers of the Gambia National Army on July 22 nd , 1994.It was appalling ; Gambia was one of the longest surviving multi-party democracies in West Africa.
The aftermath of the coup of 1994 prompted an intense discussion about the future of the Gambia. Those who welcome the overthrow of Sir Dawda and the PPP did so because of what they thought to be many "mistakes" he made during his leadership. Those who opposed the coup argued in favor of the many "blessings" his leadership brought to the Gambia.
Therefore , Sir Dawda's legacy , in my view is a mix of "blessings" and "mistakes". What are the "blessings" of Jawara's rule ? Here are just a few :
(1)Democratic culture: Sir Dawda's thirty year rule has helped instill a strong culture of dialogue and negotiation in the Gambia.Gambian people generally preferred democratic discourse to violence , especially at a time when our subregion was mired in wars .Consequently the Gambia became the "oasis of peace" in West Africa.
(2)Political and economic stability:The Gambia under Sir Dawda was relatively very stable .This made it possible for our strong image around the world during the first republic.We were the "smiling coast".
(3)Rule of law: Under Sir Dawda's rule , the Gambia's adherece and commitment to the rule of law far exceeds today's Gambia.Sir Dawda was once hailed as a "champion of human rights".
Now let us examine the "mistakes" of Sir Dawda's rule. Here are a few:
(1)Overstayed in power:The fact that Sir Dawda stayed in power for thirty years in a multi-party democracy is scandalous.Sir Dawda and PPP's hegemony in the Gambia undermined the growth of multi-party democracy in the Gambia ultimately leading to it's own demise.No single person should monopolize political power.Political power needs to change hands regularly.
(2)Slow rate of development:The gambia had no TV or university under Sir Dawda.The roads were terrible , and communication generally was poor although GAMTEL started great.
(3)Corruption:The massive corruption scandals that rocked the last years of Sir Dawda's rule really damaged the Gambia's character in the world.The collapse of the Gambia Commercial and Development Bank ,and the case of Mommdou Dibba and the Gambia Cooperative Union for example left millions of dallasis unaccounted for . Furthermore Sir Dawda's reluctance to investigate and prosecute those called by the Assets Management and Recovery Commission (AMRC) because of the involvement of his son-in-law , Ousainou Njie only created a sense of government conspiracy and cover-up.
(4)Alienation of the Gambia National Army (GNA): During his last years in power , Sir Dawda was guarded largely by the Senegalese gendermere and later the Nigerian army team. This is a result of Sir Dawda's apparent lack of trust for the GNA.Even though there was a lot of discontent in the armed forces , some of whom mutinied following their return from ECOMOG duties in Liberia , Sir Dawda continued to shield himself from the Gambia's military by using foreign forces.
(5)Factional in-fighting within the PPP:During his presidency , Sir Dawda presided over a deeply divided ppp.His annoucement at Massakonko of his intention to retire from politics in 1992 accentuated the internal conflict in PPP.Jawara did not make an honest annoucement in Massakonko. He apparently punished B.B.Darboe and Nyimasatou Sanneh Bojang for supporting his retirement , and rewarded Saikou Sabally and Kama Badgie for begging him to stay.Following the 1992 election he replaced B.B. Darboe with Saikou Sabally for the Vice president and Nyimasatou Sanneh Bojang was outright denied ppp candidature.
All and all , Sir Dawda's "mistakes" added up to make the 1994 military coup successful without a drop of blood.
Sir Dawda's legacy is a mixed one of "blessings" and "mistakes". We will remember the man , the politician , the veterinarian for all of those.
Thanks.
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BornAfrican
United Kingdom
119 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2006 : 03:08:58
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Sir Dawda might be a very democratic fellow, but he was one of the most myopic statesmen that Africa ever had. Sir Dawda's legacy was a creation of an information poor society. he miseducated Gambians. he refused to educate Gambians because he was scared we will be better than him and will oneday break the royal family of the Gambia. his agenda was for us to be ruled by the PPP (royal) family for ever. when international schorlaships come, they were dished out to the children of the PPP family members. some scholarships got rotten on the tables but they were not given out to the "angry" poor whose main objective was to topple his government intellectually.
educating few did not make him feel secure enough. what did he do? he formed the National Army, something the Gambia did not and still does not need.
my advice is that, "never rare a wild animal as a pet. sooner or later, it has to follow its natural instincts and do what all other wild animals do. it will bite your head off." thats exactly what the army did to him.
the Alpha and Omega lesson is: "what goes around, comes around"!!! |
me |
Edited by - BornAfrican on 29 Mar 2006 05:16:45 |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2006 : 00:57:46
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sir Dawda K. Jawara , the first president of the republic of the Gambia ruled for thirty years , from 1965 to 1994. His long rule was ended abruptly by a small group of disgruntled junior officers of the Gambia National Army on July 22 nd , 1994.It was appalling ; Gambia was one of the longest surviving multi-party democracies in West Africa.
The aftermath of the coup of 1994 prompted an intense discussion about the future of the Gambia. Those who welcome the overthrow of Sir Dawda and the PPP did so because of what they thought to be many "mistakes" he made during his leadership. Those who opposed the coup argued in favor of the many "blessings" his leadership brought to the Gambia.
Therefore , Sir Dawda's legacy , in my view is a mix of "blessings" and "mistakes". What are the "blessings" of Jawara's rule ? Here are just a few :
(1)Democratic culture: Sir Dawda's thirty year rule has helped instill a strong culture of dialogue and negotiation in the Gambia.Gambian people generally preferred democratic discourse to violence , especially at a time when our subregion was mired in wars .Consequently the Gambia became the "oasis of peace" in West Africa.
(2)Political and economic stability:The Gambia under Sir Dawda was relatively very stable .This made it possible for our strong image around the world during the first republic.We were the "smiling coast".
(3)Rule of law: Under Sir Dawda's rule , the Gambia's adherece and commitment to the rule of law far exceeds today's Gambia.Sir Dawda was once hailed as a "champion of human rights".
Now let us examine the "mistakes" of Sir Dawda's rule. Here are a few:
(1)Overstayed in power:The fact that Sir Dawda stayed in power for thirty years in a multi-party democracy is scandalous.Sir Dawda and PPP's hegemony in the Gambia undermined the growth of multi-party democracy in the Gambia ultimately leading to it's own demise.No single person should monopolize political power.Political power needs to change hands regularly.
(2)Slow rate of development:The gambia had no TV or university under Sir Dawda.The roads were terrible , and communication generally was poor although GAMTEL started great.
(3)Corruption:The massive corruption scandals that rocked the last years of Sir Dawda's rule really damaged the Gambia's character in the world.The collapse of the Gambia Commercial and Development Bank ,and the case of Mommdou Dibba and the Gambia Cooperative Union for example left millions of dallasis unaccounted for . Furthermore Sir Dawda's reluctance to investigate and prosecute those called by the Assets Management and Recovery Commission (AMRC) because of the involvement of his son-in-law , Ousainou Njie only created a sense of government conspiracy and cover-up.
(4)Alienation of the Gambia National Army (GNA): During his last years in power , Sir Dawda was guarded largely by the Senegalese gendermere and later the Nigerian army team. This is a result of Sir Dawda's apparent lack of trust for the GNA.Even though there was a lot of discontent in the armed forces , some of whom mutinied following their return from ECOMOG duties in Liberia , Sir Dawda continued to shield himself from the Gambia's military by using foreign forces.
(5)Factional in-fighting within the PPP:During his presidency , Sir Dawda presided over a deeply divided ppp.His annoucement at Massakonko of his intention to retire from politics in 1992 accentuated the internal conflict in PPP.Jawara did not make an honest annoucement in Massakonko. He apparently punished B.B.Darboe and Nyimasatou Sanneh Bojang for supporting his retirement , and rewarded Saikou Sabally and Kama Badgie for begging him to stay.Following the 1992 election he replaced B.B. Darboe with Saikou Sabally for the Vice president and Nyimasatou Sanneh Bojang was outright denied ppp candidature.
All and all , Sir Dawda's "mistakes" added up to make the 1994 military coup successful without a drop of blood.
Sir Dawda's legacy is a mixed one of "blessings" and "mistakes". We will remember the man , the politician , the veterinarian for all of those.
Thanks.
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