State of Gambian agriculture from OJ's vantage point

Patcharr Rice fields

Hon. Omar Jallow, affectionately referred to by his initials O.J. is Gambia's agriculture minister who had previously served in the same position for over a decade during the Jawara administration.  He is, therefore, as qualified as any to assess a sector of the country's economy that is the single largest contributor to GDP and provides employment to 70% of the country's 2 million inhabitants.

Despite its absolute importance to Gambia's economic well being, and the former dictator professed  commitment to promoting it, the agriculture sector has suffered discernibly in the last two decades.

Faced with steady decline in agricultural production, particularly as it relates to the main cash crop, due to inappropriate policies.  Agricultural land has been expropriated from communities by the former dictator in an agrarian with devastating effect that denied access to communal lands across the country, causing disruptions to an otherwise traditional tenure system, negatively impacting production.

Although exogenous factors have contributed to the general decline in agricultural production, the constant human disruptions by the former regime in the name of food self-sufficiency have contributed to the decline.  According to the agriculture minister, government is in the process of returning communal land to its rightful owners.

In the last two decades, the role of government has increased in agricultural production while its role in extension services in support of the farmer has declined. with the obliteration of the Extension and Crop Protection Services, leaving the Gambian farmer to his or her own devises.  It is encouraging that the agriculture minister recognizes the problem and he's in the process of restoring these very vital support services to the farming communities.

The Cooperative Societies of farmers that formed the Cooperative Union empowered farmers and gave them ownership, stake and control of a very vital aspect of their lives have been disbanded.  Through their societies - owned and operated on behalf of farmers - local farmers were able to channel their agricultural input requirements and ultimate distribution in preparation for the next farming season.

The Cooperative Societies also served as buying points as well as agent for agricultural credit extended to farmers.  The reintroduction of cooperative societies will put the farmer back in the driver seat while focusing government's role more in providing extension/support services.  It will also expedite the process of the private investor partnership with local communities to replace government whose energy should refocus on providing extension services to the sector.

For a very long time, lip-service has been paid to agricultural diversification with a disproportionate time focused on a single cash crop.  The economic value of clinging on to groundnut at the expense of other economic crops like cotton, sunflower seeds and cashew, is increasingly questionable.

Adding value through processing of our agricultural products has also fallen short, more out of lack of a secure and friendly investment climate under Jammeh, despite several government pronouncements and false starts under Jammeh.  The current political environment lends itself to new private investment policy initiatives that will attract serious investors in agri-processing. 

The horticultural sub-sector fell victim of the 1994 Jammeh-led coup d'etat with the expulsion of owners of Radville Farms, the leading exporter of vegetable produce to the U.K. market, as well as to Jammeh's clandestine mining operations and land grabbing binge in the Kombos that saw horticultural land expropriated.  Operators of Radville Farms, at the time of being expelled, were employers to 100,000 Gambians.  It is gratifying to learn that efforts are underway for the company to resume business in The Gambia.
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Joint Press Statement by Cherno M. Njie and Alhagi Saidy Barrow

Cherno M. Njie

Alhagi Saidy Barrow

                                                     Joint Press Statement

Banjul – December 30, 2017   Three years have now passed since the early morning of December 30th 2014, when a group of Gambian patriots attempted with purpose and principle to overthrow the illegitimate, tyrannical regime of Yahya Jammeh. We paid a heavy price in the loss of three of our compatriots: Colonel Lamin Sanneh, Captain Njaga Jagne, and Alhagi Jaja Nyass. We are home today to our beloved homeland to pay tribute to these valiant men. We return to commiserate with their families, and their loved ones. We return to pay our respects to all those who, before and after that day, fought for an end to the 22 years of Jammeh’s rule. We return to offer condolences to the families of those Gambians who, since 1994, have lost their lives during the struggle for freedom. We return to sympathize with the many victims left in the wake of that odious regime.

We return home as but ordinary Gambians. There is nothing special about us. Our imprisonment, the momentary loss of our freedom, in the United States was but a small price to pay to add our efforts to the long quest to halt the misdeeds of tyrannical power in the Gambia. We recognized evil and, together, we made our own attempt to cast it from our homeland. Many before us tried to stop the despotic rule of Jammeh and his clique. A number paid the ultimate price—Basiru Barrow, Dot Faal, Ndure Cham, Saul Ndow, Deyda Hydara, Solo Sendeng, and countless others, many without name. May their souls rest in peace—they are not forgotten. The Jammeh regime imprisoned, tortured, maimed, and traumatized many; the list of victims, including Shyngle Nyassi, is tragically long. So, let it be known that these, the victims, are, in truth, the real heroes. It is they who struggled against evil, fought towards good. A brutal state machinery had trapped them, yet each had the unwavering courage to stand, saying no to dictatorship.

The testimonies before the Janneh Commission have revealed that the depth of the damage inflicted upon the nation extends far beyond the brutality of state violence and the horrible misconduct of the security forces. We are speaking of the theft of public funds in staggering amounts, so much so as to undermine the economic viability of the nation, imperiling the future of its young people. We are all, as a whole, the victims of Yahya Jammeh. But Jammeh did not emerge out of a vacuum —he was in some ways both a product, and a symptom, of our present society. He was enabled time and time again. We cannot pretend to indict him and, at the same time, absolve ourselves of our ruinous mistakes. We meant to suggest that citizenship naturally makes certain demands of us, chief among them are personal responsibility and the duty to hold each other accountable. So as we reunite with our families and fellow citizens after Jammeh, we must reexamine the makeup of the Gambian character in order to better see our mistakes. Tyranny, after acquiring the tools of violence, capitalized upon our fear and apathy; we, in other words, permitted evil to solidify its power, allowed evil to get a better grip upon our bodies. This must not happen again—or, to put it better, we must not let it happen.

In this spirit, we return also to contribute to the difficult process of rebuilding our lives after Jammeh. We will meet with a broad section of the Gambian community, to listen and learn, and to discuss the new direction of the Gambia, of its democracy, and of the challenges and opportunities we face. We are hopeful of working with the government and civil society groups to ensure that no one will ever have to make the decisions we made to free our country. We are hopeful for recuperating after the damage done by 22 years of misrule. We are hopeful for rebuilding a nation rid of such violent tragedy. We are hopeful for a country that is safe for our children, who do not have to fight such battles down the road. We feel that we have, in any case, no other choice.

Cherno M. Njie
Alhagi Saidy Barrow

President Barrow's China interview: Another view

President Barrow in China 

A singular response to a simple question posed by a Chinese journalist to Gambia's president, threatened to obscure an otherwise reasonable and sincere effort to respond truthfully and accurately. 

President Barrow assumed office without pretense and with genuine openness about his lack of preparedness for the job which he admitted publicly that led him to solicit help and advise from those around him.  Frequent missteps from the Office of The President seem to suggest that the president is not being served well by his staff and a crowd of advisers. 

Barrow's response to the One China Policy question posed by the journalist drew the ire of his opponents and the sympathy of his supporters.  The question to Barrow was, to paraphrase,  you have been holding on to the One China Policy since you assumed office last year - the journalist meant early this year - "and you have been very dear to that principle, what's so strategically important about this?"  The phrase One China Policy was obviously not drummed into his ears since he assumed office, especially in the preparatory phase of his China trip. 

His response that referred to Gambians belief in "unity and oneness" seemed to suggest that it was in reference to the resumption of diplomatic relations between Gambia and China - broken by "the decision of one man and not the Gambian people" and not about Taiwan being an integral and inseparable part of China.  Barrow's response was perplexing enough to instinctively led the journalist to exclaimed  "great point there, Mr. President.  Anything shy of a complimentary comment would have been considered impolite, especially from a journalist from the host country.

Obscured amidst all of the hullabaloo was Barrow's less than thought provoking response but sincere performance in response to the other questions.  What his responses, in general, lack in insight, they make up in sincerity and candor - two infrequently utilized but valuable commodities in diplomacy.  At least, the journalist appreciated Barrow's comportment and responses by unabashedly expressing her delight at his use of the adjective "genuine" in describing the type of investors he's interested in inviting to The Gambia.   " I like that adjective you've used  - "genuine", she said gleefully.  Who is considered a genuine investor, she asked, probably insinuating that China is more worthy an investment partner than Taiwan.  We may be reading to much into this particular exchange because it was revealing from our vantage point.

China is very conscious of its position in the world, with the second largest economy and her increasingly visible role in Africa.  It was, therefore, not surprising that the 2015 Forum on China - Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Johannesburg came up during the interview.  It was at the 2015 FOCAC when China pledged $ 60 billion in economic investment in the form of grants, zero interest loans, concessional loans, buyer's credit as well as commercial financing. 

Conscious of the criticisms leveled against the West's economic relations with Africa as being one of exploitation, particularly of the continent's mineral resources,  China downplays its interest in Africa's natural resource endowment and instead lay emphasis on industrial capacity cooperation and what it refers to as "strategic complementarity."  This strategy is viewed with a high degree of skepticism among Western countries, citing Angola where oil-backed loans have been routine between the two countries.

When President Barrow was asked about where is The Gambia in China's blueprint for Africa,  the journalist had in mind what type of economic cooperation Gambia prefers and expect.  Several African countries have started to rethink Chinese economic policy and overall strategy and the debate is timely. 

China is still a developing economy with similar problems as ours - a youthful population and high unemployment rate.  While keen on exporting its labor intensive industries to Africa, it will be doing so along the exportation of excess Chinese labor which has serious implications, both economic and social.  Striking the right balance is what many African countries are grappling with because the sight of a Chinese laborer pushing a wheelbarrow at a construction site in any African city is difficult for an African politician to explain, much less justify, to an unemployed African youth.

President Barrow promised to exercise due diligence in screening prospective investors before inviting them to The Gambia.  We expect the same criteria to be applied henceforth to ensure proper an efficient utilization of public funds.  The public procurement record of the new administration has been nothing to write home about.  With Barrow's promise to his Chinese hosts, we expect him to see it through.  Who said the interview was a dud? 

Editorial: We prefer civility and goodwill to acrimony and vengeance

This editorial was first published exactly a year ago - Dec. 26th 2016

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Sidi Sanneh 

At this critical point in our politics, persons wishing to join the progressive forces of positive political change must be encouraged.  In particular, former APRC officials, supporters and ordinary citizens ready and willing to add their voices to those of us asking Jammeh to step down must be embraced.  We must bring as many of them into the fold as we possibly can prior to the 18th January deadline.  Jammeh's refusal will inevitably lead to the loss of life, as well as destruction of property which we must try to avoid.

Our immediate goal as a country, therefore, should be to do everything humanly possible to avert military intervention that can only set us back even further than necessary.

The 22-year record the Jammeh regime will be bequeathing the next generation of Gambians is a challenge of herculean proportion that will require a conducive business and political environment to successfully address these difficult challenges.  Peaceful and orderly transfer of power must, therefore, be the main preoccupation of not only the incoming administration but of every Gambian.  And Jammeh is the main obstacle to achieving this goal.

We can only measure up to the challenges confronting us in these consequential moments if our parochial and/or partisan instincts are in check to prevent them from clouding our judgment. Jammeh's 22-year presidency has so negatively and profoundly transformed Gambian society that nearly every aspect of the social fabric holding our communities together is fractured and can disentangle, threatening the social cohesion Jammeh inherited when he seized power in 1994.

If we fail, it will be catastrophic for a country that once prides itself of having pulled itself by the bootstrap from the status of an "improbable nation" to one that held great hope and promise among the community of nations.  We must restore our lost national pride by first coming to terms with the magnitude of the problem we will be inheriting from the 22-year dictatorship of Yaya Jammeh.

In moving forward, we must do so in civility and goodwill and not in acrimony and vengeance.  We fought Yaya Jammeh to return the rule of law and the reestablishment of our civil liberties guaranteed under law.  These guaranteed rights etched in our Constitution apply to every Gambian and non-Gambian alike, without exemption,

While appealing to our compassionate senses of fair play, we want to make clear that we are not advocating immunity from the law for anyone because no one is above the law and that applies to Amadou Samba and any other Gambian businessman or businesswoman who've had business dealings with Yaya Jammeh.  In an environment where the rule of law prevails, every Gambian is entitled to his or her day in a regular court of law and Mr. Samba is no exception.

Conversations with Amadou Samba:"I was never a business partner of Jammeh, I managed him."

This blog post was first published December 23, 2016. 

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Amadou Samba, Gambian businessman 

To many, Amadou Samba is Yaya Jammeh's right hand man and business partner, period.  A few have even referred to him as "Jammeh's bag-man" and viewed by many as the sole individual who can lead the transition government to Jammeh's hidden wealth, inside and outside The Gambia.

Since we at sidisanneh.blogspot.com have written extensively on matters relating to Jammeh alleged illicit wealth and/or business dealings, Amadou Samba's name has always featured, either as a central player or on the periphery, but always present.

So, it was, therefore, surprising when, in reacting to me referring to him as "Jammeh's business partner", he corrected me tersely and swiftly by denying that he was never a business partner of Jammeh.  His response was, and I quote "I managed him [referring to Yaya Jammeh], I was never a business partner of Jammeh."

He also said something that will take many by surprise and that is, as far as he is aware, all of Jammeh's wealth is in the Gambia and not abroad.  Of course, public records in the United States show that the $ 3.5 million Brentcross Road Potomac mansion although sold to the Trustees of the MYJ Family Trust is owned by Yaya Jammeh.

Mr. Samba said he fully understands the perception held by many because of his close association with Jammeh which weighed heavily on him.  Now, that load has been lifted off of his shoulders, he's ready to make amends so that he can move on with his life.

The cryptic nature of the response led me to ask for clarification in a subsequent telephone conversation because as he, himself, has admitted that the public perception is that he is intricately linked with the Jammeh business empire.  Was he managing Jammeh, the person or his businesses to which he replied that he was managing Jammeh, the person, because he was unpredictable and erratic as he was impulsive.

On the Panama Papers, which was the subject of a couple of blog posts, Mr. Samba admitted that all the companies listed were registered in his holding company's name and stressed the fact that they were companies and not bank accounts.  In our coverage of the issue also we cautioned readers that "operating off-shore accounts and/or companies in and of themselves may not be illegal" unless the origin or origins of the funds are derived from illegal activities such as arms trafficking, drugs or other forms of international criminal activities.

He cited tax shelter as the reason of operating these companies offshore.  According to him, operating these companies from Panama made business sense but became "less interesting" once Britain started to clamp down on offshore evasion "is using a non-UK. jurisdiction with the objective of evading UK tax,.  He decided to close them and they have not been operational since the new laws came into effect and enforcement intensified.*

We have been working on the Panama Papers for several months now with little progress.  Offshore financial transactions are difficult to trace and the legal huddles insurmountable even for forensic accountants and international lawyers activities much less a lone blogger with a couple of volunteers who help in research.

What investigative reporters working for internationally reputable news agencies and companies have said is that the $ 900,000,000 listed under the three registered companies may represent the total proceeds that passed through those companies, and do not necessarily mean money stashed in some bank fault somewhere.

During our third telephone interview, the $ 900,000,000 figure was disputed by Amadou Samba which, according to him, is substantially different from the total turnover of all his companies.  He said he doesn't know where the figure came from.  Needless to say that the services of competent forensic accountants and lawyers are needed to thoroughly investigate these accounts with a view to confirming or otherwise Mr. Amadou Samba's claims.

On the re-establishment of the rule of law:  Mr. Amadou Samba has made clear in his letter to Jammeh where his heart is - in The Gambia with his wife, children and grandchildren.  "Gambia is my home and I will never live anywhere else", he said to me.  He said he will return home once the rule of law is established under the new political order.  He believes strongly that under President-elect Adama Barrow, the rule of law will be re-established at which time he will subject himself to any and all legal scrutiny.

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*We are also in possession of some additional background information about AMASA Holding Company through which Mr. Samba's property development business in the UK was handled until it ceased operation around 2013 when the new offshore tax laws were amended lifting capital gains tax exemption for non-UK residents.

In our next installment, we will delve into the Airport, Arch-22 and Farafenni APRC Hospital and the Amadou Samba building (on Pipeline Rd) that collapsed that resulted in loss of lives.

Amadou Samba speaks: advises Jammeh to cooperate with President-elect Barrow for smooth and orderly transfer of power

This is the first in a series of blog posts that were first published a year ago.
As the Commission of Inquiry into the illicit wealth of Yaya Jammeh is nearly
six months old and the United States has commenced issuing sanctions against
Yaya Jammeh and some of his close associates. Gambians, including the Commission, must take stock as part of national justice and reconciliation process.

This post was first published December 22, 2016.

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Amadou Samba 

As Yaya Jammeh political fortunes dwindle, his future uncertain and untenable with every passing hour, Gambians of all shades and hue are also coming to terms with the inevitable - the fall from power and grace of one of Africa's most colorful dictators.

One such Gambian is Amadou Samba, a Gambian businessman who has been among the first to declare support to the then 29-year old obscure army lieutenant who successfully mounted a coup d'etat on the 22nd July 1994 that deposed the government of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara.

Mr. Samba has been at Jammeh's side throughout the 22-years that Jammeh had ruled The Gambia with an iron fist that has brought pain and suffering to many citizens inside and outside the country.   However, what appeared to have been unquestioning loyalty, fueled, in part, by business interests, began to give way to practical realities when Jammeh failed to secure a 5th term as Gambia's president.

What followed after the results were declared by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in favor of Adama Barrow was an avalanche of denunciations of Jammeh's 22-year dictatorship and euphoric celebrations of joy by both supporters of the political alliance including some supporters of the ruling Yaya Jammeh's APRC party.

In an authenticated letter in our possession from Amadou Samba to the outgoing president Jammeh, dated Friday 16th day of December 2016 and entitled "Peace and Stability in The Gambia", the businessman and confidante of Jammeh praised Jammeh for his December 2nd declaration on national television that was beamed across the world in which he conceded defeat to Adama Barrow and promised cooperation that will guarantee a smooth and orderly transfer of power to the President-elect Barrow.  He said in the letter " This noble gesture of yours was applauded around the world.  It generated many positive references from newspapers and statesmen around the world including President Barack Obama and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

However, "since your statement of December 9th, [reneging on his December 2nd concession] many organizations including the UN Security Council, the USA, the EU, the African Union, The Muslim and Christian Religious Leaders and others have all asked that you respect the choice of the Gambian people made on the December 1st 2016 elections.  Given this strong global reaction, it is important  to reflect on the fact that the Gambian people have made their choice and the world community is strongly supporting this choice."

Amadou Samba reminded Jammeh that throughout his 35 years business experience, has achieved "many successes and endured many setbacks".  He has also been "a supporter of the APRC from its earliest days" who has "freely contributed to many projects undertaken by the APRC Administration my own pocket."

The Gambian businessman implored Jammeh "to cooperate with President-elect Adama Barrow  for a smooth transition" and affirm his conviction that "the wisest course of action today is to undertake a process of respecting the commitment Your Excellency made on national television on December 2nd 2016 of cooperating with President-elect Adama Barrow for a smooth transition."

Mr. Samba concluded his letter by further imploring Jammeh "to cooperate with your (his) fellow ECOWAS Presidents and Members to ensure that peace and stability shall forever reign in our motherland."

Our sources in Banjul are reporting that when Jammeh called Amadou Samba, whose precise location as we go to press is unknown, similar sentiments expressed in his letter were verbally communicated to Jammeh who proceeded to slam the phone of Amadou Samba's ears.  We are assuming that it as a result of this incident - probably, among many others -  that led the Gambian businessman to record his views in the letter that is being liberally quoted here. 

Toward a depoliticized civil service

The politicization of the Gambian Civil Service started with the purging of the senior cadre of a service that was considered by many in Africa as one of the best in the continent.  Small, but very efficient, in helping initial and, ultimately, implementing government policies, the civil service quickly developed a reputation as a leading recruitment ground for many international organizations. 

The success of the service was partly due to the ability of President Jawara to keep it as apolitical as possible with a rigid seniority system to guarantee stability.  The conscious decision to keep politics out of the civil service and Sir Dawda’s ability to spot and retain bureaucratic talents, the likes of Eric Christensen, Francis Mboge, Dr. J. Ayo-Langley and Abdou Sara Janha to lead the Civil Service as Secretary General.  These personalities were the custodians a Civil Service that prided itself of its independence from political interference, to ensure that it served the interest of the Gambian people and not any politician or political party. 

The 1994 coup ushered in a new era that was heavy on politics and light on everything else that contributed to an orderly and transparent bureaucracy.  The rules of the road governing the civil service were ignored, trampled upon and eventually discarded in favor of opaque and unwritten rules and regulations manufactured along the way by Jammeh designed to satisfy their thirst for money to buy their way to permanency and absolute power. 

Internationally-certified and standard procurement systems and procedures were deemed to be too transparent and cumbersome and thus do not lend themselves to rapid implementation of their programs financed with loan from Taiwan that Gambians will have to pay.  These procedures were thrown overboard by the AFPRC.   

Contracts were awarded willy-nilly without tender and that includes the first projects under the junta such as the airport terminal building and Arch-22 to memorialize their illegal and unconstitutional treasonable acts of July 22, 1994.  Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh replaced the Major Tender in awarding contracts, contrary to every rule in the procurement book.

Fast forward to 2017.  The Coalition Government headed by President Adama Barrow inherited all of the structural changes Jammeh effected during his 22-year dictatorship, and the hope has been that the new administration will start the deconstruction process to rid the system of prevalent crony capitalist   embedded in the Civil Service.

An overhaul of the civil service with a view to restructuring it to meet the challenges of the new era is imperative.  The rationalization of its staffing - both numerically and qualitatively – is a matter of must and a prerequisite for a successful generation and implementation of appropriate policy measures to address the myriad of problems that threatens the stability and, in turn, the economic progress of the country.  The initial staff audit that was recently concluded is a start but not sufficient to provide a true and accurate profile of the civil service inherited from Jammeh.  

Unfortunately, the trend since last January suggests that the heavily politicized administrative infrastructure that Jammeh constructed to maintain his dictatorship for twenty-two years is still intact and relatively undisturbed which is unsettling to many Gambians.  This is what, in our view, is fueling the regime change versus the systems change debate. 

The depoliticization process must start with updating of the Cabinet Manual, as well as the General Orders and the Financial Instructions which must undergo a rigorous public comment period and/or validation processes, as an integral part of the participatory approaches to our new and hard earned political dispensation.  A politicized civil service will rob it of its traditional independence necessary to provide unvarnished advice to the government of the day.