I leave aside the contentious and contested local issues around Gunjur because I am not informed as to what exactly the actual facts are. But on a general pan-African level, Madi raises a great question: “why can’t we Africans set up our own factories and sell to the rest of the world?”
The answers are as follows:-
For the same reason that the INDEPENDENT King Jaja of Opobo was not allowed to set up his own factories and trade with the rest of the world by the British after the 1884 “Carve-Up Africa” Berlin Conference. When King Jaja stubbornly insisted on being an independent trader, he was tricked, exiled and murdered (PLO Lumumba has a new UTUBE lecture titled “Africa is the meat on the plate at the dinner table”).
For the same reason that Patrice Lumumba was killed by the Belgians and the CiA in the 1960s (would we have the Belgian SEMLEX scandal all over Africa in 2018 if the likes of Patrice Lumumba and Kwame Nkrumah – overthrown by the CiA – had lived long enough to put their Africa-First policies into practice?);
For the same reason that Gen. Murtalla Muhammed was assassinated in Nigeria: would the British have siphoned off Nigeria’s oil wealth, destroyed Ogoni land and murdered Ken Saro Wiwa if Murtalla Muhammed had lived?
For the same reason that the French overthrew and murdered Thomas Sankara: might not “the land of upright people” have succeeded in becoming truly upright if Sankara had lived?
Madi then offers a solution to Africa’s economic woes:-
“The solution is the same that America, Europe and China and UAE or Qatar and … produce honest, efficient and visionary leadership that is hard working, patriotic and accountable. But with dedicated leadership and strategic organization and pragmatic vision, they were able to transform their countries from poverty to prosperity within a generation or two”.
Leaving aside the questionable assertaion on “leadership accountability in China, UAE and Qatar”, the fact is that The American Empire which had “developed” on the back of African Slavery, SWALLOWED Europe and then offered the European Elite “Marshall Aid” for recovery – on the strict condition that the European disinvested from Wall Street and allowed America to invest in Europe. The alternative would have been for the European Elite to face a revolt of the poor in their own countries – and a swallowing up of Western Europe by Soviet Russia which had already swallowed up Eastern Europe.
Today’s fight in Europe over Trump’s trade tariffs and over US giants such as Google and Facebook REFUSING to pay taxes on profits made in Europe (they argue they already pay taxes in the USA!) is a result of the Marshall Plan. Today’s row between Europe and USA over Iran is another case in point: The Europeans have lucrative contracts with Iran and want to continue to trade. Trump on the other hand wants regime change in Iran so that USA can set up its own government in Iran and US companies can have ALL the trade – while at the same time turning off the Iranian oil pipelines to China! Macron has fumed: “France is not America’s vassal!” (Oh yes you are Macron!).
Of course, the USA enforces its will in Europe by a formidable presence of US MILITARY FORCES in Europe under the guise of NATO. SAUDI, UAE and QATAR are America’s OIL WELLS – and funders of Islamic Terrorist Organisations at the behest of the CiA and there is nothing more to be added to that. If they were truly independent nations the Palestinian and Jerusalem issues would have been solved a generation ago. All these countries have USA military occupation too (also called “bases”).
South Korea and Japan are militarily OCCUPIED countries … and Trump is prepared to kill 10 MILLION South Koreans to “OBLITERATE” North Korea (10 million people will be “collateral damage” to maintain US Imperial Hegemony in the face of the challenge from China).
China survived US Imperial Hegemony only because Russia gave China the ATOM BOMB – I think in 1950. And in 1953, China surprised the US Military by kicking them out of North Korea and leaving the USA with only South Korea. China FAILED in its attempts to develop on its own – Chairman Mao’s “The Great Leap Forward”, which became “The Great FALL Forward”, being the main example.
Then came President Richard Nixon. Faced with defeat in Vietnam, Nixon visited China and offered them a seat at the table of “Great Nations” at the World Trade Organisation – and China began to trade with the world. No doubt the USA thought that they could conquer China through trade – just as German was conquering Europe through trade … at that point China was also hostile to the Soviet Union. The door to Super-Power Trading Nation status truly opened up for China when the USA engaged in THE WAR ON TERROR that has now consumed USA wealth and time for 17 years. China took the opportunity to grab world markets – and has become an Economic Imperial Power … with Military Imperial Power not far behind.
The moral? Britain was only able to conquer Africa once they invented the Machine Gun (the Zulus amongst others were able to beat the British rifles with Zulu Assegais). What we need to do, Bro. Madi, is to develop a unimaginable weapon that can destroy anyone who threatens to invade our countries or overthrow our governments. The Chinese are working on an unimaginable space weapon openly – because they have nuclear weapons and cannot be invaded. But we must work on that unimaginable weapon secretly – or like Saddam Hussein and Gadaffy our leaders will be hunted and hanged! Sorry to depress my readers, but while we are militarily weak neither PLO Lumumba’s lectures, Madi’s writings nor my humble selves writings will make a difference to Africa’s depressing condition.Great souls such as Kwameh Nkrumah, Frantz Fanon and Steve Biko have blown their brains and hearts out on the subject long before us. We must, therefore, accept our condition and in Macron’s words remain “vassals” to the powers that be – be it USA, Britain, France or China.
PS: Madi, I did see, rather surprisingly, the Red Star flying over Gunjur! Don’t take that as an affront to Gambian Sovereignity – it is more likely to be a-not-too-subtle warning to the USA’s National Endowment for Democracy which might be funding the USA’s former professor and US citizen, Dr Amadou Scattred-Janneh, in an attempt at a local “colour revolution” in Gunjur!
Adding my voice and brain to that of Dida and Madi, I would say lets build that nasty nitrogen bomb, for Africa and black people. I have written an article called the “N-Bomb”. I espoused that failure to do so will see the black race one day completely annihilated from the surface of the earth.
Africa has become so prostituted that I cant recognize it any more. The whites, the Chinese, the mongols, the Qatarist, the Indians and everyone else is having a feast except to those whom it belongs to.
I cant go on to repeat what Dida and Madi so intellectually dissected have. Only one thing remains to be said. Africa has a crisis of leadership.
New leaders are needed to salvage our lot.
Dida Halake,
That machine gun was named the
“Gatling Gun”
That was the “game” changer, excellent reply, im sure that information you just wrote most of us Africans, were not aware of!
Knowledge is power.
Africa needs to consolidate, one army, one president, one bank, one university, one country and one nation.
We, but only we, can tear the walls down brick by brick.
Dida, now we can see why Africans will always be slaves.
Not only do we have leaders with rotten tomato brains, the citizens are not far behind. We keep electing the same people, then we say. Let’s do better, but the next time we repeat the exact same and choose the same people. Ok who owns the problem. Them or Us.
1. Stop spending energy on “them”. Take ownership of your future. Take care of your business. Grow your own food and feed your people.
2. Elect good leaders, but how can you do that when you are starving. Again grow your own food.
3. You need cash. Fine grow your own food, and sell what you don’t need, perhaps you will have cash left over for other things.
4. Educate your own children, you can teach them how to be self sufficient.
5. Stop wasting your time talking about building nasty bombs. Think about building factories that can produce tools and process food. Make books, bicycles, fishing boats and nets. Build factories that can make drugs. So your belly will be full and your body healthy.
6. Finally fight corruption from the inside. If we the people are not corrupt, we can boldly throw out corrupt leaders.
God Bless The Gambia.
In a world where “Might” is increasingly becoming “Right”, possession of WMD’s and their delivery systems must be a part of the African nation’s sustainable development goals. Otherwise, as both Iraq and Libya has shown, these can be wiped out overnight on the flimsiest excuses.
To Dr Sarr’s final point, let’s stary with fighting corruption and selfishness to be able to grow our own food, feed our families well and put extra money aside!
As long as we’re unable to grow enough to feed our families, there’ll be nothing to process in factories or do anything!!
I said this once at a symposium that if weren’t able to feed ourselves, how can we talk about using whole grains for animal feed?
Very well stated points, my in-law.
Knowledge attained in university classrooms should find its way into the homes and the streets of a society for positive transformation. The level of consciousness exhibited by these young fellows should be inspirational to many who are yet to realize that the destiny of African nations can only be guaranteed by a united force without regard to imperial borders. This is what will secure the black race a HOME.
I believe these two should be mentored and further supported to amplify their voices.
Dr Isatou Sarr,
Aren’t you writing what President Yahya AJJ Jammeh preached and practised?
“Stop spending energy on “them”. Take ownership of your future. Take care of your business. Grow your own food and feed your people”.
You’ve come to the usual African dilema. When we contribute to killing our patriotic and anointed daughters/sons we lament at their graveyards. It’s only when we see the excellent legacies that they’ve left that we start to praise them.
President Jammeh left excellent legacies:
1) he was patriotic, an excellent minded patriotic pan-Africanist and Gambian. He had the Gambia and Africa first. The white world hates such leaders. It culminated in the elimination of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba, Thomas Sankareh, Samora Machel, and finally President Yahya AJJ Jammeh. Those who preach for the total and non-conformist independence of the African continent!
2) he preached: “eat what you grow and grow what you eat” He gave the practical side of his preaches by going to the farms himself and engaging our LAKADAISICAL citizenry in farming.
3) unlike your fat-bellied “president” who went on his USELESS 15-day “holiday” to MankamangKunda only to boost his political standing but never bothered to visit the farms. Then who will farm for him?
4) President Jammeh started the education crusade by building hundreds of primary schools across the country, hundreds of secondary and tertiary institutions, free education for all girls till secondary education, and the most noble THE UNIVERSITY of THE GAMBIA. Who will in his sane mind deny these achievements as non-repercusionary on our welfare?
5) he was anti-West, and should be. He always questioned the efforts of the West in improving the livelihood of Africans; before colonial rule, during colonial rule and after colonial rule. He NEVER received an answer.
6) he turned his back to them(the West), yet did 100% (in 22 years) more than what his predecessor couldn’t do in 31 years with all the Western assistance, comradeship and invitations the PPP enjoyed.
7) while farmers are clearing fields in preparation for the rains, some still waiting to receive their money from the last groundnut trade season; the USELESS minister of Agriculture Omar Jallow,OJ) was seen dancing again (in videos projected on all social media) with other people’s wives. A manifestation of his notorious womanizing attitude/behaviour! WHO SHOULD LOVE THESE USELESS AND CORRUPT PEOPLE? President Jammeh would have prepared the farming season with the farmers.
8) the determination for building a strong and progressive nation depends on the INCORRUPTIBLE, PATRIOTIC WILL of the leadership. Where that WILL fails, all other things(the institutions for positive and sustainable development) will FLATLY FAIL.
Simple: Babu cannot/shouldn’t depend on Dr Sarr, Bax, A.Pjalo, Lamin, Grim reaper…… to build a strong and progressive family; inspite of coming the same Gambia! Let’s take it from this simple theory.
Babu Soli, many Gambians INITIALLY were fooled by Jammeh’s above PROPAGANDA until Jammeh’s KILLINGS, LOOTINGS, TORTURES & WITCHCRAFT became public knowledge. Even intellectuals such as Baba Galleh Jallow, Madi Jobarteh and my humble self were at one time or other fooled by Jammeh’s PUBLIC statements. But as it became generally clear that Jammeh was a MASS TORTURER (The Witchcraft), a MASS MURDERER (Mile 2) and a GRAND-LOOTER (Central Bank, SSHFC, Ports, etc) he lost support. We are yet to hear about more of these DASTARDLY DEEDS from Baba Galleh Jallow’s own TRUTH COMMISSION. But it is clear beyond any reasonable doubt that Jammeh said one thing in public and committed EVIL DEEDS in private. He is beyond redemption and his “good deeds” that you describe above cannot save him. RE-FOCUS your undoubted intellect and energy, Bro.
No achievement of Yahya Jammeh can wash away the blood of innocent Gambians and non Gambians alike. Any administration based on a corrupt, tribalist and isolated agenda is bound to fail. Gambians can’t expect to have a better homeland when they praise sing the achievement of a leader who raped, robed, tortured, forced disappeared its citizenry while personalizing the sovereign wealth of our nation. To mention Yahya Jammeh’s name beside the illustrious sons of Africa like Dr.Kwame Nkrumah. Thomas Sankara, Samora Machel etc is blasphemous and a ”fatwa” should be placed against the culprit for bringing the names of these great men into disrepute. Yahya Jammeh’s name should be placed beside those evil killers in history….Pol Pot, Ivan the terrible. Emperor Bokassa and Idi Amin.
Forward always our dear nation and backward never!
Mr Babu, I think everyone on this forum knows that I am, pro President Jammeh supporter for his achievements that you have Said on numerous occasions.
The younger folks will come and see things and will not have a clue how they got there.
The older folks they remember how things were before President Jammeh, took power.
Tell you the truth when I was in The Gambia back in March 2018, the people were crying for President Jammeh to come back in power, even the harden Barrow young supporters were not so harden, the talk on the street was “President Jammeh is a madman and president Barrow is a fool”
I’ve always said Yayah was the best president that The Gambia ever had, and history will prove that. At the moment there is a lot of money being pumped into “perception management” as Mr Scales once said, every now and then they will throw out Yayahs name, to keep the narrative going, and that’s a fact, basically President Jammeh is the “fall guy” for The Gambians woes.
As above Grim Reaper. Infra-structure development can never outweight killings and torture: I would rather live with my children in a SAFE village mud-hut and drink water from the well; rather than live in a 5-Star mansion from which we can be grabbed by the NIA at anytime and be imprisoned, tortured, made to drink “anti-witchcraft” medicine and be killed or disappeared.
Luntango Suun Gann Gi,
I agree with you, but I’m judging Yayah on infrastructure and development achievements, which most people are crying for on this forum, killings etc, is not so rosy, and I’m sure pro Yayah supporters do not support or condone him on that.
That would be the white (negative) mark against him.
Me personally if I were to meet Yayah, that would be the only question I would want to ask him, what were the motives/reasons.
Luntango Suun Gann Gi,
You believe it or not Jammeh’s exonerated from any wrongdoing until those who vilify him prove their allegations beyond reasonable doubt. Isn’t that the democracy you preach?
You might have been a small child in the Jawara days (sorry if I’m wrong) but that government did far worse than anything you can taint Jammeh for. I lived the horrendous days of those EVIL people in the PPP government: The LOOTINGS, KILLINGS, TORTURES & WITCHCRAFT were more common in the PPP days than under Jammeh. I will give you accounts/evidences!
Don’t facelift that horrendous administration!
Babu Soli
What stopped you from proving your allegations of 800 Gambians slaughtered by Senegalese soldiers under the order of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara? A layman on the street of Serre Kunda or anywhere else in the Gambia thinks better than you Babu. You are either a liar or someone whose judgement is clouded by old age or by ignorance or hate. In this holy month of Ramadan, you are still willing to lie. God help you!
Babu Solo,
Those who deny Jammeh’s achievements shouldn’t observe this Holy month of Ramadan if they are Muslims. They are only HYPOCRIRES and LIARS who have no place other than hell fire!
Babu Soli
Men like you are the reason why Africa can’t, wouldn’t fulfill its potentials because of your convenient amnesia and blind loyalty to a leader or system that could have done better. If acquiring 88 landed properties, countless bank accounts and companies at the expense of our poor brethren is an achievement for you, then you shouldn’t be observing the Holy month of Ramadan, cos you are more than a Monafique. Whether one goes to hell or heaven is not a factor to be decided by an untruthful man like babu Soli.
Really? Many just want simple answers. How much revenue went into our National Coffers for us to gauge Jammeh’s achievements?
Surely, a man who rescued you from the street and built you a mud house valued at D30,000 deserves no praises, if he had received D5million on your behalf.
That mud house will not represent value for money and the man, rather than praises, would deserve imprisonment. How much money did Jammeh’s Administration receive on our behalf before we can even talk about achievements? That’s the simple question.
We know $35million (US) that came from Taiwan was NEVER paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund. We know monies from mining activities were NEVER paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund. We know about the crude oil from Abacha (Nigeria). What else don’t we know about? I bet there’s a lot more there.
Babu Solo,
Elements like you are grossly responsible for retarding the progress of our individual African countries consequently the continent. Because you are the White man’s bootleggers, neocolonialist puppets who believe we can’t do it ourselves. The contrast to President Jammeh and Babu Soli.
Jammeh shared every Ramadan with his brethren without observing tribe, party affiliation or regional belonging unlike the SELFISH administrators of the day.
Where has he gone with the land you claim? What did he do with the land you so hypocritically refer to? Where are the companies and the bank accounts? Just a bunch of LIES to smear someone who has dragged the country from total decadence.
Where does your FATWA suggestion on naming Jammeh a heroe come from? You are so dishonest, so untruthful that you can’t say a word about the GOOD that President Jammeh did.
Why can’t you tell your fat-bellied “president” that he is fooling you in not fulfilling his numerous campaign promises? Why can’t you tell him that he has LIED to the Gambian people? Are you blind to the mismanagement of our resources at the detriment of our people? What single benefit have we accrued from this USELESS administration since 2017? But untruthful, dishonest and hypocrites like Babu SOLO would just cling onto their blind loyalty for a man who is CORRUPT, INCOMPETENT, TRIBALIST and HOPELESS.
Don’t worry Babu! Barrow’s day at the “gallows” will come, just like Jammeh’s has arrived today.
Are you serious about branding Barrow’s Government as “Neocolonial” and not Jammeh’s?
Perhaps, we need to remind ourselves what Neocolonialism is, and who better to quote than Dr Nkrumah himself:
“The essence of neo-colonialism is that the State which is subject to it is, in theory, independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignty.
In reality its ECONOMIC SYSTEM and thus its POLITICAL POLICY is directed from outside.” (emphasis are mine)
Neocolonialism is not about how much anti-West rhetorics one can spout, but rather, it’s about SYSTEMS and POLICIES, and thus, our country has been a neocolonial state from “independence” to date.
Babu Soli
This is where your dumbness is manifest. I am not a supporter of any political party nor was i ever a member of any political party or grouping. I am just a Gambian citizen who is troubled by the lies, the hate, the divisiveness and the double standard nature of Babu Soli. You are nothing but an embarrassment to the educated elites of our nation. You have no ideas but just a bully who randomly uses words in wrong connotations to masquerade his hypocrisy and hatred for fellow men. My loyalty lies only with my nation but not politicians. Who is the white man’s bootlegger here? or a neocolonialist puppet? I live in our homeland and eat what i grow unlike you who laugh when its not funny just to satisfy your paymasters whose only interest is to divide us and make us vassals to their interest.
Babu Soli, you wrote earlier that you will be home in July to do hands on development work. That is ADMIRABLE and revolutionary. But exchange of ideas on the internet is not worth involving yourself is so much abuse, aggravation and negativity – no matter how brilliant you think your ideas are and how stupid you think others are.
It was the great revolutionary Karl Marx who wrote, contemptuously, that “philosophers (intellectuals) have only DESCRIBED the world; the point is to CHANGE it”. The arguably greatest philosopher of our time is Noam Chomsky – but all Chomsky’s intellectual output has not saved the world from America’s numerous wars … and Trump. Frantz Fanon’s undoubted BRILLIANCE (“Wretched of the Earth”) did not save Africa from Colonialism. Biko and Mandela did not save South Africa its current tragic condition. All PLO Lumumba’s BRILLIANCE is not going to rescue Africa.
MY POINT SOLI, IS THAT THE LITTLE FARMING WORK YOU GONNA DO AT HOME IN JULY IS “THE REVOLUTIONARY ACT” AND SO YOU SHOULD BE GETTING EXCITED ABOUT THAT … NOT ABOUT DISCUSSIONS ON THE INTERNET WHICH SEEM TO CONSUME YOUR EMOTIONS UNNECESSARILY. Just CHILL BRO and discuss with your compatriots here in a calm and respectful manner. PEACE!
bax,
Just in a spate of months your present CORRUPT administration received a gift of over 50 million dollars from the Chinese, 225 million dollars from the EU………..Where is the money? At least a mud house, No? But where is/are our mud house(s)?
In MankamangKunda for Barrow, in Bansang for Amadou Sanneh and in Kotu for Disgraced/Pompous Mai Fatty!
I can tell you that in less than the same period of your present administration’s stay in office, Jammeh already embarked on working for the Gambian people. Pragmatic and patriotic. He didn’t wait for a grace period to start work. And he continued!
You need to hear the testimonies of those who were at the decision making table with Jammeh. Don’t believe in the Allah’s Central Bank lies. Yes Babu, that was a big fat lie. Jammeh received “gifts” too. Only difference is, he was secretive about it, whilst Barrow chose to be open. Jammeh’s former Majority Leader, Tamsir Jallow, got fired for thanking donors for donated tractors in an adjournment debate in parliament, because the people were lied to about the tractors. At least, we can assess the truthfulness of whatever developmental claims Barrow apologists may put out there in future because the information is available. That’s a plus for Barrow over Jammeh, won’t you agree?
Bax,
Sorry for the small B
Though late here, I inclined to respond. But I have been asking myself the worth in answering thoughtless FOOLS like Jack and Babu SOLO. It’s not an insult but a reflection on your shallow mindedness in thinking that everyone should think your way. What FOOLS. We see again in the morning. In Shaa Allah
Babu Soli
I am not asking nor will i ever ask you to think my way. Thinking my way is a task far above your capability. We may share the same first names but i live to tell the truth and live to love while you live to lie and live to hate. Your loyalty lies with a heartless dictator who spilled the blood of his fellow countrymen, while my loyalty lies with my nation and its people to live in peace, justice and brotherhood.
Luntango Suun Gann Gi,
I know you do read some of my postings but you don’t get the indepth information from some.
I never take anyone to be stupid, NEVER, until I am taken stupid by unscrupulous fellow Gambians whose idea of “think as I do or else you are an enemy”, get on my way. Then I equally go wayward and behave exactly the same as they do.
The Gambia today lacks that customary disciplinary respect for other’s views. Those I came heavily on, mark you, started the fray first. I bet you to go back to my mid-2000 postings. You’ll read that Babu is never a provacateur. But a real REVOLUTIONARY who swiftly responds to crude/unruly mannerisms. That’s me, myself; Luntango Suun Gann Gi, which is innate in me and would not change in me.
I’m not politically ambitious to bear the nonsense of every Lamin, Samba and Pa. A common Gambian who knows his limits, rights, weaknesses and strengths.
I am beyond living to the expectations of a human soul: HASBUNA ALLAH WA NI MAL WAKEEL. That’s my daily dictum!
OH LA LA! Andy, I hear my Revolutionary Brother Madi Jobarteh was bought by the BRITISH POUND some weeks ago and he has been keeping it quiet! He will now be working with the “Westminster Foundation” in The Gambia to, among other matters, promote GAY RIGHTS! Let us wish my brother well!
I hear you Dida.
Keeping too busy in The Gambia it is. All in the name of the mighty Pound and The Almighty Dollar!
Hey Jack, any word on our pal Bourne?
So it goes Andy! Now quasi-diplomat as an agent of the British, will Madi Jobarteh still deliver those stimulating essays for us?