The Gambia P.L.C.
Dear Mr.Editor,
As a lifetime salesman of some standing, I have been blessed ,with knowledge and experiance , to which i have served my country well.As an individual , i have sold in excess of £ 27 Million pounds worth of goods and services.I have created successful buisnesses from nothing ,and trained hundreds of people to enable them to spread the gospel of commerce,throughout Great Britain.Either i or my companies or my people have won many awards....for excellance.When i came to The Gambia , with the backing and the goodwill of Her Majesties Government.I intended to promote friendship and cooperation using all of my matured skills . It is i believe ,a testament to my tenacity ..that i am still promoting this bridge to economic success ..to the Gambia.
Much of what sustains me in knowledge and knowhow, is American lead and inspired.The Americans have taken commerce to its dizzy hights through inspection and rationalisation of the many principals ,written in sales litriture and proven dogma, which when absorbed and studied....Make the art of selling, achievable and most of all ..consistant.It is worth noteing , that The Gambia suffers from the lack of inspection and eveidence of understanding these principals.
From my own perspective, my aim in 2000, {The Beginning} was to assess the needs of the Gambian economy and to inspect its commercial assets with a view to increasing these and modernising there delivery.Then to search the U.K. for partners who through a commercial platform ,could engage in proper assessment or there needs...form partnerships that were to the mutual benefit of both nations.
During the course of 2000 to 2003 ,i brought many such prospective partners to the Gambia.Some took one look and never returned, others through inspection ,did not present to me ,the best interests of both nations,and had hidden agendas which i blocked and turned back. But there were some sucesses and others who spent vast sums of money ,properly researching there objectives and went on to deliver remarkable oppertunities ,which could have delivered unto the Gambian nation...unparralelled growth, wealth and production { long term} to the Gambias economy.
The reasons behind these failures...are worth inspection and well considered conclusion.
I think one particular trade inititive ...represents the spirit of my presentation.
It also explains the failures of the Gambian Government to understand the basic principals of commerce, structure, command ,and expedition of worthy ,capital based ,economic projects and there success.
In 2001..after understanding the importance of the Gambias Groundnut Industry...Its employment ...its relief and dependence to the rural farming community..Its contribution to the nations balance of payments....Its provision of sustainance to the greater population.....Its abundant oppertunity to modernisation to the furtherence of so many dependant and emerging considerations.I set to work to find a willing partner to engage in the inspection and consideration of its commercial oppertunity. I was very fortunate to be recommended to one such British Company by Trade Partners U.K.The Manageing Director of this company...a World renowned engineer ....came with me to the Gambia. You may recall in an earlier article...i said that we were met at the airport by a man who was introduced to me as my security guards Father....{Later to be proven a lie} That man was Dr.Saja Taal.During the course of the week...Dr Taal worked his way between the engineer and myself.A member of The Gambian Government...strongly critisised me for my involvment with Dr Taal....This was my savage induction into the gambian world of division and segregation.The importance of this engineers visit was overshadowed by this appauling cloud of derision.The engineer returned to the U.K. but continued to further his interest with Dr.Taal .The engineer retuned to the Gambia several times .to produce a remarkable report with costings and figures which projected his in depth proposals for the total modernistaion of The Gambias groundnut industry. I am aware that a financial proposal was placed with certain Gambians for consideration by the Gambian Government.It required the Government to commit to the financial payments scheduled the the expedition of the building programme....of a groundnut crushing and reprocessing plant allied to the engineers view that the world market was moving in the direction a way from crushing Kernals into refining crude ground nut oil into a product ready for refineing.Armed with this knowledge, the engineer proposed a refining plant allied to a bottleing plant...giving higher value to the process.Also attached to this proposal were buyers for the finished product...{ High Quality and Value added } in the UK. {Large Hypermarkets and chain store retailers }The whole proposal was accounted of the Gambias quota of Groundnuts in 2001...it also gave a remarkable oppertunity to take the produce from neighbouring countries and refine and sell on for higher value.
My understanding is that the gambian Government refused to make the commitment purely on the financial acceptance required.It was a substantial commitment....
Some months later ..after this rejection....i came across a highly respected financier...who was given the task of raising the finance.He suceeded.
The 3 of us met to to discuss how to get the new proposal into the right hands of inspection in the Gambia.The consortium..offered me £100.000 to do the presentation and to take to the highest authority in the Gambia.I refused at first...but later suggested that i declare this financial interest to the Gambian Government as an offer to pay this fee over to my friend the minister of Youth and Sport for his department to the furtherence of the nations sporting aspirations.I did this by fax.I believe the minister accepted this proposal and i took his advice on how best to further this proposal through the right channels.The Minister acted in the best interest of the nation ..and made an approach to the chief executive of GIPZFA. I communicated with the CEO quite amicably.The consortium were very concerned to get an undertaking of confidentiality for the figures ,report and the projections and financial arrangements contained within the proposals.{ quite understandably ...the report had cost the engineer over £20,000 of his companies money }
The CEO of Gipzfa ...could not give this undertaking ?Try as i may...They refused. It was then decided to circulate the report to ministers under a banner of confidentiality....A report was also given to my Honerable friend The Gambian High Commissioner His Excellancy Mr JIbril Joof.{ In fact i travelled 300 miles by train to deliver it to his home in London and handed it to him in person }
The final result was Zero.!!! No one in Government ever responded.Apart from a brief acknowledgement by Gipzfa....
I spoke to the engineer yesterday....i asked how did he get on...He said he gave up a long time ago and moved on to China and other destinations across the world.His buisness is booming...he cant take any further work for several years. He further stated that his projections that the groundnut world would move away from crushing kernals into refined and almost finished bi products has been proved correct.The Gambias credibility in the groundnut industry has gone ..they no longer have any.The processors of the world will no longer interupt production to crush small tonnages of groundnuts.In 2001 ..the gambia had a good infrastructure to pay farmers for there produce and it was all reasonably profitable and worthy of modernistaion....The oppertunity was there....but it has now gone .....proberbly for good.It is noted that the Argentinians have invested heaviliy in reprocessing and now have a major share of the U.K. market inspite of heavy import tarrifs . His further comments are confidential.
The process of understanding how to accept such proposals and to work with good intentioned International partners...Is absent from the gambia in my opinion.I have my own views on this..but i dont think its my place to speculate.People are intelligent and observant....Its upto all concerned to work together to overcome theses deficiancies.I am...as always and i am sure the British people and its Government....Always ready to assist the development of The gambia and its people....
Hope this is useful.....Michael.