(JollofNews) – I refuse to believe that no Gambian engineers could have done the trans-Gambia (Yelli-Tenda-Bamba Tenda) bridge.
How were only European and Chinese engineers constructing this mega project, who don’t speak our languages, supposed to be familiar with the soils, or the weather patterns, or the activities of the people, all which should influence how a bridge is constructed?
There’s a very bad habit among government decision makers of imposing infrastructure on people, rather than designing infrastructure based on how people see them or will use them.
Civil servants just tick the boxes in their performance contracts, corporates and politicians are happy to get tenders, and politicians commission the infrastructure to get votes. But none of these guys bothers to ask how the people will use the infrastructure.
That’s why our highways get pedestrian walks and crossings as an afterthought, and so many pedestrians lose lives and limbs on our highways. Yet Frank Fanon warned us that it matters less whether infrastructure is built by foreigners or not. What matters more is if the infrastructure is built with the people in mind. But those are arts questions which the government and corporates consider irrelevant.
So, let’s STEM away!
There are no known Gambian Civil Engineering Firms that could have undertaken the TransGambia Bridge. I have personally worked on similar complex schemes as a Professional in the UK and I believe a number of Gambians in the profession may have too. So are there qualified Gambians Engineers with the knowledge and ability to do the work? Yes there are. However, to undertake such a scheme you need a robust firm with the financial and technical capacity to do so. This does not exist in the Gambia. In addition the this, the tender specs required track record of similar complexity, impossible for a local firm since this is the first scheme.
The tender specs ( of which I believe needs to be revised to help indigenous talent start up and grow) are set in such a way it makes it near impossible for a local engineering company to lead such a scheme. The turnover requirements are mostly more than the whole works Ministry’s budget. The multinationals are therefore always at an advantage. The Chinese firms are all backed by their Governments and many of the European ones will benefit from sovereign guarantees which are none existent to local Gambian firms.
In fairness, the document encourages local partnership and indeed in this case there are a number of Gambian owned firms that are participating as minor partners but I believe the Government needs to do more to ensure and assist the development of local talent so the next bridge can be built by local firms. This can be done in a number of ways and I suggest the following will go a long way:
1. Set requirements for multinational firms to employ to senior positions particularly in the technical and project management roles Gambian and Gambian expats first. In Angola and I believe in Guinea the second most senior staff on the project is a national (local or diaspora) and nationals are given priority in applications.
2. Ensure training and development packages helps develop trades ( carpenters, concretors, welders, foremen, fabricators etc) as well as engineering capacity not just sending students to universities/colleges but giving them experience in real projects. These must be written as conditions of the contract not as optionals.
3. Look into the feasibility of equipment used for the projects to be left in country and leased to local senior managers who have worked on the project to undertake schemes in the sector, starting with small – medium schemes first and undertaking similar larger projects as leading partners with multinationals in due course. NB. This can be a form a management buyout agreed with foreign firms. This is similar to what CSE of Senegal benefited from. It is not free for all, the equipment will be paid for by the new startup in due course perhaps guaranteed by Government. I think the Government can make a good case to donors/lenders to include the initial cost in the total funding package.
4. Government can also retain professional experienced nationals to act as overseers of these projects to protect the interest of the state.
5. A national engineering advocacy group needs to do more to lobby for the interest of citizens to play bigger roles in such schemes.
No, no. For payment of the equipment for any new start-up there cannot be any guarantee by government. No guarantee by government. That is a no go area. Remember the 1970’s and 1980’s when government guaranteed loans for private Gambians and Gambian companies, they all defaulted and some deliberately leaving the government saddled with loans that led to the serious imbalances in government finances, balance of payment and non serviceable loans that contributed to putting us in the painful economy recovery programme (ERP) and structural adjustment of the 1980’s and 1990’s. So bro, look for finances on your own. Propose another way of government support. I do support indigenous participation in big contracts along some of the lines your proposed above.
You have answered your own query with the Fanon quote. What matters is the infrastructure built with the people in mind. Yes, the Yellitenda bridge is built with the people in mind. A detail study of the soil, weather and all those things you mentioned was done. In fact several studies were done. You should research this before you wrote. There are no known engineers in Gambia or Senegal or any where in our immediate sub-region that can undertake this type of infrastructure project. Also remember the tender for the construction of this bridge was an international tender. Gambian engineering companies where all free to bid; so were the engineering companies of Senegal and all of West Africa and Africa. But they did not bid. And now you want the job to be given to them. I wonder how some people think. Because we have fora, people are just jumping and talking no-sense. BMM
Thank you, Mr. Drammeh. Very well put and hopefully sobering enough to get through to most people. It is great to be ambitious, and hopefully Gambia will have several of these firms in the future – but overzealous nationalism and fantastical thinking won’t take us anywhere.
The confused Yerro Jallow is at it again. Do you want to tell me that if i had wanted someone to write me a letter in English i should rather contract it to a Key Stage 3 dropout in England than giving it to you, Yerro Jallow, Hon DA Jawo, or even Baba Galleh Jallow?
Even if there is a competent Gambian company that can do it, if there is a foreign company that is more competent, it should go to them. Nationality should never come on the way of Value-for-money.
Yes Indeed; Mr Drammeh and Gambian, both come at this with knowledge and explanation.
Alagi; The Daily Observer has to wait on an engineer from Senegal to fix its aging offset litho printer. The engineers at ground level are self taught. The more talented ones like Mr Drammeh go abroad for higher education. training and employment. Even contractual building in Gambia is devoid of health and safety guidelines and safe building practises. Until the Gambian government offers incentives for the return home of its people assets, Gambia will lag behind and remain a third world country. As Gambian says…such complex building work in Gambia should be under supervision of competent foreign overseers, to avoid a Gambian made building disaster. I doubt those in government have any reasonable qualification in this area. They tend to be only knowledgeable in employing methods and dirty tricks in gaining and holding power. Until and when Gambia decides to vote for suitable qualified and experienced politicians who have life skills, and certificates of intelligence in economic ,social, and leadership, then you will always trade at basic primary school level. I don’t think Gambian emphasis, should be economy focussed anymore. I think it should be educating government before it can begin to address such complex issues. For to be giving government 5 star hotel accommodation and free business class travel, for begging all around the world, is hardly an innovative policy for the better distribution of the peoples taxes. Why buy” useless” when you can afford excellence ?
You coward why can’t you use your real name? You read out of content and context instead out of malice.
Sorry bro, no one can be a coward more than you. Where you not kicked out of your own country all this while? Growup and be professional.
Alagi; you seem to be too sensitive sometimes….lol.
Sir Mike,not necessarily criticism should be constructive,educative like you and other folks to learn,share our experiences and knowledge but not foolishness.I do appreciate all comments from all the readers my friend.
Sometimes my friends {and enemies} say or suggest something, totally stunning, which rocks me back on my heels. Best to be open minded and listen to someone else#s heartbeat until both beat at the same time. In your pieces, you sometimes play a nice melody. I am sure your written works, would not be understood by your government. More’s the pity. If you asked them to tell you the time, they would say the little hand is on the 3 and the large hand is on the 12. By what o’clock ?>> 3 pm.
Keep educating my good friend.
Thank you Sir Mike for your advice,those who wish to contribute should use their real names not pseudo names,we are now in a democracy,Yahya is gone.