Dear Mr.Editor,
I felt supremely sorry for President Jammeh at the vacant seats left for those African leaders,who did not attend Yesterday's Independence Day celebrations. The life of any political leader..these days is both lonely and incredibly stressful.His speech was eloquent, but somewhat dull. It appeared to me, to be the words of a very tired man.
Could it possibly be that African leaders..based on the experience of Governments from the time of Independence..can see little to celebrate.?
I am reminded of the recent words of Halifa Sallah....That by the time of the next General Election, President Jammeh would have been in power 17 years...That it would be probable that what he hadn't achieved in those 17 years, was unlikely to be achieved in the next 17 years.It was always given to me that Halifa Sallah ..was probably the best President the Gambia has never had. Indeed, I have often considered a complete retirement of my interest in The Gambia,only to be reinvigorated by matching my thoughts with that of Mr.Sallah, who time and time again echo's my sentiments towards Pan Africanism....as the aim of Africa's deliverance from 100;s of years of colonisation.
Truly the African has had a raw deal for centuries.
The end of British imperial power in Africa,was no better epitomised than on 1st October 1960. On this day, President Nnamdi Azikiwe, of Nigeria presented the British Union Jack to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth .The British then left quietly and with some little dignity.
As a child of 7 years in primary school,the first ever prize I ever attained was two magic lantern slides from the 19th century,dipicting an African King and his wife and family, dressed in full African regalia. A magnificent site of both King and Queen and Princes and Princesses.How strange that this poor boy from England is now married to a noble African Princess from the largest tribe in Africa.This further candle of my passage to Africa....was later presented with a battle shield of the Zulu warrior. As a child I fought many imaginary battles with this black and white cowhide symbol of a truly great culture.All given to me by my teacher Mrs.Cambridge ..who spent many years as a school teacher in the land of the Zulu.
I cannot comment on the good and bad of British Imperialism, with any conviction.I did not set foot in Africa until the age of 50 in 2000.My journal records that what I saw was not what I expected.There was little sign of the temples to our occupation.This was not something that made me proud.In fact, I felt ashamed.
Their are two burning questions that continue to plague me.The first is ..what has Independence brought to the African.?Wars..many wars.
Angola,Mozambique,Uganda,Rwanda,Darfur,Zimbabwe.....so many conflicts.Some involving colour of skin,some involving difference of culture.But many involving ethnic differences and the fight for land and power furthering tribalism.
The Gambia has been very fortunate.Though their are those who would attempt to steal the nations power,it has remained relatively stable.
On this issue I would commend President Jammeh.Though their have been undoubted casualties.Without stability their can be no definable or decernable progress.The equation of casualty versus overall stability is a difficult question to justify or reconcile.But needs must.
The second question is the role of Britain post colonialism.Certainly, when I raised my interest with The British Government in 2000....their was a definite and identifiable goodwill..towards my trials towards better bilateral relations.
This could be quantified by the many initiatives I sponsered..that were destroyed by incredible pieces of local history.The expulsion of Mr.Joshi the British Deputy High Commissioner was one such intervention that lowered my standard to despair.Despite repeated attempts by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office by letter,to get me to support the British position...
I refused.Their cancellation of my well prepared efforts to get Trade Minister Sillah into the U.K. Was an incredible casualty by the British cancellation only 3 days before departure.The corresponding high profile meetings and events that I had prepared all over England for his promotion..were laid bare and tossed out of the window.The personal financial loss to myself was over £10,000.Not withstanding the months of preparation and personal time wasted.
It was disheartening how quickly, the British Government isolated my future efforts.In fact, my future from 2002 onwards was purely at the behest of The Gambian Government....who I believe recognised the betrayal I personally suffered to my reputation in Britain.They also appreciated that when the chips were down....I stood for the Gambian People. Probably the first and only whiteman ever to do so.
I believe that my continued support to Gambian Government officials has been very evident in my commentaries on board Freedom Newspaper.I am by nature a very loyal person.No matter what the personal expense.
Their remains two verdicts to which I continue to give to experience.
The path of the African must learn to discard any notion of tribal favour in place of the mantle of being a citizen of Africa.Unity of all factions and divergence of opinion ...must be inclusive in re-inventing the African for Africas sake.
Unity..is therefore the standard bearer of progress.
The British must learn to lick its wounds inflicted by the education of independent thought of The African. Britain will never dominate in Africa again.
Unless they adapt and move forward with partnerships with Africans based on equality.Britains future in Africa is doomed.
This would require well considered franchise's and structural designs that will assist the development of Africa as a continent and as a brotherhood of nations.If Britain cannot come to terms with this..their are other nations which will fill the void. The British recovery in Africa will be dependent on well considered strategies that will further these aims.
It is no longer a matter of the partnership based on profit.It is a matter of a partnership based on equals.The American lead notion of buy and sell..to the furtherance of capitalism,is a very harsh dogma that favours the successful to the exclusion of the unsuccessful.The moderation of capitalism must spread the benefit amongst all.This factor actually stimulates capitalism and creates further wealth if evenly distributed.If money is gathered and stored by the wealthy.It is inevitable that many down the line are starved of this commodity.The benefit of free flow of capital is yet to be fully realised by the nations and economists of the world.
So much capital is tied down by investment in commodities such as oil,or property.A system which favours very few ..mainly corporations or developers.
It does not give any incentive to good deeds or communities.With which to further humanity and social behaviour.{ out of the top ten richest men in the world...9 are the heads of muslim states}
A system based on credits allied to capitalism would create utopias all over the world.It would not be reliant on cash attached to labour ..but labour attached to cash, allied to incentive and personal inititive.This is a brand new philosophy which embraces both Karl Marx and Adam Smith.Which conspires to release the freedom of the individual and not to further advance the all powerful state.Clearly, the present order to the world based on the interests of the state does not share mutual benefits that further the human cause.The vast populations that inhabit this world, live and die in poverty and exploitation by the wealthy.The many and endless wars that are inspired by the many to the benefit of the few....is becoming a liability that may yet destroy the human species.Especially with the inevitable proliferation of nuclear devices.
Conflict resolution attached to incentive with the priority of the rights of the individual....is a matter to which greater minds than mine must ponder.Those holding power by the mandate of the people. Must delegate this power to recognised authorities, rather than amassing and intensifying this power to propagate absoulutism.Power corrupts..absolute power corrupts absolutely.
May I respectfully offer,Congratulations on the occasion of the anniversary of Gambia's Independence.
I remain Michael.