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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
 Posted - 26 Dec 2009 : 14:04:33
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What is is about Gambians in particular and their hate for anything mechanical,here is another example of broken machinery,why ? what is the feeling that Gambians have to break everything mechanical? in other cultures if you have a job to look after machinery ,you are proud to have that job and ensure that the machinery runs without problems if you possiably can, but Gambians and Africans relish breaking things mechnaical, whether it be engines or throwing stones at car windscreens so that the glass breaks.
Why is this so prevelent in Africa.?
Link:http://www.foroyaa.gm/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4205&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ForoyaaOnlineNationalNews+%28FOROYAA+Online+-+The+Gambia+-+National+News%29&utm_content=FeedBurner
By Abdoulie G. Dibba on 24-12-09 (183 reads) News by the same author
The Ferry at the Sankulley Kunda in the Central River Region of the Gambia needS urgent attention. The ferry is without an engine to facilitate its plying from one crossing point to the other for the past four months. Due to the absence of an engine to facilitate its movements, commuters on board the ferry are to facilitate its plying which is a big burden to them. There is no steering wheel in the ferry. The ferry plies through the support of a metal rope that is tied at the two crossing points and runs through the upper right hand side of the ferry at Sankulley crossing point.
This is the rope that commuters pull to facilitate the plying of the ferry. Commuters who spoke to this reporter asserted that the authorities need to come to their aid. They argued that in this 21st Century, engines are replacing human labour to safeguard health. They stated that the building of the Sankulley Bridge should not be used as an excuse for not repairing the ferry. They noted that after the completion of the bridge, the ferry could be deployed to other crossing points that are in similar situation with Sankulley Kunda.
Editors Note
The reporter has informed this editor that the ferry in Bansang is in the same situation. Commuters have to pull it. The ferry in Barajally also lacks an engine and therefore not functioning. We add our voice in calling on the authorities to repair the ferry and deploy it some where else after the completion of the bridge.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Momodou
Denmark
11829 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2009 : 14:35:13
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Toubab, the issue is lack of proper planning for regular maintenance. You can't just take all the revenue and use it for other things without leaving some for maintenance.  |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2009 : 15:52:19
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quote:
Originally posted by Momodou
Toubab, the issue is lack of proper planning for regular maintenance. You can't just take all the revenue and use it for other things without leaving some for maintenance.
Momodou, whilst I fully understand and agree with what you say,you must also agree with my posting,the ferry saga is only one incident,there is a wider problem here that is never talked about,I can fully understand why Bantaba posters are reluctant to join in this discussion,as I am afraid it is critical of Africa,and most Africans are very weary of dealing with things critical of themselves,prefering instead to divert the subject and blame someone or something else,look for instance at the state of MOST cars and lorries (trucks to US readers) in Gambia ,except of course those newly imported luxury cars that cost 000,000,000,000,000,000 of Dollars or Gbp or Euro.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Momodou
Denmark
11829 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2009 : 16:29:50
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quote:
Originally posted by toubab1020
..the ferry saga is only one incident,there is a wider problem here that is never talked about,I can fully understand why Bantaba posters are reluctant to join in this discussion,as I am afraid it is critical of Africa,and most Africans are very weary of dealing with things critical of themselves,prefering instead to divert the subject and blame someone or something else,look for instance at the state of MOST cars and lorries (trucks to US readers) in Gambia ,except of course those newly imported luxury cars that cost 000,000,000,000,000,000 of Dollars or Gbp or Euro.
And what is this wider problem? |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Prince
507 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2009 : 18:27:32
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quote:
Why is this so prevelent in Africa.?
This is how the third world works... there isn't anything inherently African about machines not working. The maintenance guys are under-skilled, poorly paid and unmotivated -this is common to most developing/third-world countries in Africa, Mexico, Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin American, etc.
Are you really that narrow-minded and ill-informed to figure out something this basic? |
"When injustice becomes law, rebellion becomes duty." |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2009 : 19:36:51
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"there isn't anything inherently African about machines not working. The maintenance guys are under-skilled, poorly paid and unmotivated -this is common to most developing/third-world countries in Africa, Mexico, Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin American, etc."
I tried to initiate a discussion in which the African was not shown in the rosey light that appears to surround all Africans endevours knowing FULL well that the discussion could not run on smooth rails but be bounced back by the inherrant "blame someone else" culture that hangs like a cloud over Africa.
quote:
Originally posted by Prince
This is how the third world works... there isn't anything inherently African about machines not working. The maintenance guys are under-skilled, poorly paid and unmotivated -this is common to most developing/third-world countries in Africa, Mexico, Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin American, etc.
Are you really that narrow-minded and ill-informed to figure out something this basic?
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 26 Dec 2009 19:38:50 |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2009 : 20:28:17
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The wider problem is personal pride and jelousy,for instance, most Gambians have very little,a girl for instance may not have a mirror and know that her next door neighbour has just bought a mirror at the market with a stand etc.so the first girl borrows the mirror and when she gives it back the glass is broken deliberatly because the borrower is jelous that the neighbour has something better than the borrower who has nothing, thereby maintaining a level playing field of "nothing" or something that is broken to use.
This applies to most things hence the delapidation of MOST transport in Gambia.
Passengers in Taxis will break window winders or door handles on taxis, their thoughts being, This driver has a job and a decent taxi ,if the winder on the window is broken the taxi will not be liked by later passengers and the driver will not get any fares.
quote:
Originally posted by Momodou
And what is this wider problem?
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Momodou
Denmark
11829 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2009 : 20:58:55
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Yes, there is jelousy in the picture you try to paint but I don't think what you are saying above has anything to do with this news article about the breakdown of the ferry.
Factors such as incompetence, lack of funds, ignorance are reasons of poor maintenance of machines and other technical equipment belonging to the public. That is not petty jealosy. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Prince
507 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2009 : 21:25:55
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quote:
I tried to initiate a discussion in which the African was not shown in the rosey light that appears to surround all Africans endevours knowing FULL well that the discussion could not run on smooth rails but be bounced back by the inherrant "blame someone else" culture that hangs like a cloud over Africa.
Toubab, I am not blaming anyone for the ferries failure. I'm just highlighting the reason the ferry isn't working.... The ferry broke down due to poor infrastructure, which is common in ALL developing countries.
I am not a fan of painting rosy pictures of Africa and I don't blame any outsider for Africa's underdevelopment.
your logic is very impressive; you somehow concluded from a mirror analogy that people will deliberately sabotage a public ferry to "level the playing field."
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"When injustice becomes law, rebellion becomes duty." |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 27 Dec 2009 : 12:10:38
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Prince,you write,"you somehow concluded from a mirror analogy that people will deliberately sabotage a public ferry to "level the playing field." ,my reason was to try to show in simple terms the pervading thoughts of the average Gambian man and woman who I know and their behavior that I have personally observed.I do not have the chance to observe the behavior of "big men" but thir thoughts cannot be any different to the thoughts of normal Gambians that I have observed,my main thrust was to show that Africa and Africans are not "Rosey" and have faults that I believe are part of the reason for lack of development over the past decades.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 27 Dec 2009 : 12:15:18
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Momodou,people who get jobs in the Gambia are people who have family connections with the "big man" they are not people who are skilled at doing a job,there are Gambians who are more than capable of running machines,unfortunatly they are not well connected and therefore do not get jobs that they are competent to do.I thank you for accepting that all things in the Gambia are not great and that the Gambia is not paradise,that can only be found in the Second World.
quote:
Originally posted by Momodou
Yes, there is jelousy in the picture you try to paint but I don't think what you are saying above has anything to do with this news article about the breakdown of the ferry.
Factors such as incompetence, lack of funds, ignorance are reasons of poor maintenance of machines and other technical equipment belonging to the public. That is not petty jealosy.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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