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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Apr 2012 : 04:52:53
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RELATED BANTABA TOPIC;
FREEDOM NEWS;
DAILY OBSERVER NEWS;
THE POINT NEWS;
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Edited by - kobo on 17 Apr 2012 15:31:53 |
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Momodou
Denmark
11711 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2012 : 17:36:07
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Daily News Editorial: The Instability in our Cabinet
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
 Often times one is forced to wonder whether The Gambia’s head of state, Yahya Jammeh realises that he puts a square peg in a round hole only after forcing the peg in the hole.
But, surely, in this age and time of curriculum vitae and resumes as well as use of various forms of practical assessments on whether the applicant’s claimed skills march with his or her practical knowledge, that is too embarrasing a mistake the employer should not afford committing, especially in filling a position as critical as a cabinet minister.
It was only on Sunday when President Jammeh was quoted as saying that the catastrophic three-decade long unrest in Senegal’s Casamance region would have been history by now had Senegal’s former president, Abdou Diouf won the elections in 2000.
At that time, he said the two governments have reached a UN endorsed comprehensive agreement to transform the independence-seeking MFDC rebel movement into a political party. Unfortunately, he pointed out, Wade won, snubbing those efforts and plans.
Indeed every government has its style of government. Various governments can employ different approaches to the same issue as they deem fit to their principle and policy and programme.
However, the beauty about such is that there is time for a transition. Beyond the view of television cameras, handing over power is not just about the predecessor seeing the successor to the high office office and introducing him to the throne-liked chair. Rather, a democratically defeated leader plans his way-out and introduces his successor to a range of issues.
Handing over involves a complex process, including a briefing on the path taken to development or otherwise and the journey how far. This does not only involve an outgoing president and his successor, but often involves other officials and critical institutions that require a change of leadership.
Clearly, this is very much unlike President Jammeh’s own cabinet where one is a civil servant today, tomorrow a minister and sometimes serving both – a clear breach of the spirit of the constitution of The Gambia.
Moreover, ministers are being moved from one ministry to another, as if the ministers are unfit in their positions and that the head of state is still looking for a place where they could fit.
This was the state of affairs that characterised the previous three cabinets and it is rearing its head again with President Jammeh effecting a cabinet reshuffle on Monday. This instability in our cabinet undoubtedly breeds inefficiency.
The Gambia is at cross roads: The deadline for millennium developments goals is just two years away and we are unlikely to meet even goal one, which is to reduce poverty and hunger by half by 2015;
As the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper phased out, miserably failing to reduce poverty in the country, the Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment has taken over. But this mid-term national development blueprint is dealt with a blow in its first year by last year’s failed cropping season as agriculture employs 60-70 percent of the country’s population.
The Vision 2020 deadline is no longer far away, and yet there is very little, if any sign that increasingly poor and highly indebted Gambia could earn a middle income status by 2020.
Therefore, government’s actions cannot afford to be as unreliable and erratic as the country’s rain fall pattern. We hope the head of state allows stability in his cabinet for our greater good.
If the head of state is having problems finding the right persons for the right jobs, he should resort to other means of filling positions in his cabinet. The trend, if not infact the accepted standard practice by responsive governments the world-over is that a head of state or government only picks, or better still nominates for the oversight institutions such as the parliament to approve. This is doable in The Gambia and it should be embraced.
Otherwise, the country will fail in its many endeavors and all the blames will be heaped on the leadership of the executive government. The apportioning of blame has infact started as it has become a culture that even the most junior official in a ministry attributes his non performance to the instability in his ministry.
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 19 Apr 2012 : 00:23:38
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| Momodou, I agree with and would say Jammeh needs to surround himself with some Specialist Advisers. |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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toubab1020
12308 Posts |
Posted - 19 Apr 2012 : 10:27:42
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I really do not think that H.E. would take kindly at being "advised" by anyone,The "specialist adviser" would have to be very careful as to exactly what he said and the advice he gave ,as he could be investigated for giving false information to the office of the president if that advice had consequences that were not good.
I wouldn't like that job.Sister O would you be applying if such a job was on offer ?
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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kaanibaa
United Kingdom
1169 Posts |
Posted - 19 Apr 2012 : 20:05:16
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| I recommend Sister Omega for that position or one such position as she is certainly a caring person in terms of what is good for The Gambia and defends H E on every occasion where he is seen to be criticised wrongfully by others on this forum.Certainly she cannot give him wrong advice and any mistakes she may make along the line would not be construed as malicious as she does not have a single malicious bone in her stucture or hidden in a closet. So I second any motion to get her on that board of emminent persons who would offer such a service to H E Shieck Professor. |
Edited by - kaanibaa on 19 Apr 2012 20:08:34 |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 19 Apr 2012 : 23:44:45
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Thanks for your comments Toubab1020 and Kaanibaa.
Yes Toubab to answer your question, if I were offered the job of Specialist Adviser to the President I would definitely consider it.8D][ Obviously this is premature as he hasn't asked me yet. 
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Peace
Sister Omega |
Edited by - Sister Omega on 19 Apr 2012 23:56:28 |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2012 : 23:20:31
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| Chief not grateful for your grand patronage, then he better wake up. You are already doing big enough Sister Omega of deep sea waters. |
Karamba |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2012 : 01:49:40
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 Karamba if my interest in Gambia was only to do with Jammeh's patronage alone I would not of began studying about Gambia 20 years neither would I of continued to write on Gambian issues for the past 13 years or sold ethical Gambian products been involved in the Roots Festival for 7 years or written poetry about the country. Traveled up and down both sides of the River researched into its arts and culture. Taught its Arts and Crafts to British school children and young Adults and taken a genuine interest in the people as my Son's and Grandson are part Fula. So it was vital initially for me as a mother to understand about Fula culture and the other Cultures that made up both Gambia and Senegal. In addition to this my interest in Gambia enabled me to get a Geography Degree that I tweaked at the time for Senegal and Gambia Sustainable Development with the prime focus was for education and training for communities in both countries Therefore your analogy if put in it's right context is correct my motives surrounding Gambia are certainly deep. They are not as shallow as you'd like the audience here to believe. So why not debate the subject of the High Cost of Living? So that we can come upwith some solutions with the challenges at hand instead of the usual blame game immature banta. |
Peace
Sister Omega |
Edited by - Sister Omega on 22 Apr 2012 02:13:30 |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 26 Apr 2012 : 00:15:33
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FOROYAA NATIONAL NEWS;
THE POINT NATIONAL NEWS;
DAILY OBSERVER NATIONAL NEWS;
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 08 May 2012 : 02:34:44
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JOLLOF NEWS;
THE POINT NEWS;
DAILY OBSERVER NEWS;
FREEDOM NEWS;
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Edited by - kobo on 08 May 2012 20:53:44 |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 08 May 2012 : 22:06:31
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| Enough of this Jammeh absurdity. |
Karamba |
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kaanibaa
United Kingdom
1169 Posts |
Posted - 09 May 2012 : 00:06:56
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| what kanaaba nonsense be this now ah ah bah enough now mek e sitopu the hiring and fire fire now eh! |
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