Dear Mr.Editor,

   It saddens me, whenever I hear Africans recall colonialism with such dejection, as though it remains the only cause of the castration of The African's poor condition.

This remains entirely in the ownership of African's. You don't hear The Americans or the Canadians or The Australians or The Indians speaking in such distress. Theirs is a history of struggle and self reliance  fought out of bondage to an economic  and overwhelming social victory. Somehow, The African grasped Independence as a means to riches that was visited on only a fortunate few. Some would say that tribalism is the route cause of African intransigence to prosperity. Yet America was colonised by many nationalities that shared a common bond through struggle and in some part...its civil war. Is it right that African's propagate history as its "achilles heel" to progress, or is the African so despairing that he cannot or will not face up to her own truth.

It is fair to state, that those in power in England at the time of colonialsim..treated British people not much better than foriegners.We British lived in appalling deprivation and were seconded into the armed forces to fight and die in far off lands. Many died of illness or starvation or the angry sword or bullet from similar poor peoples, charged with fighting the rich mans wars. I am born out of post war poverty. I can easily remember, going to bed hungry or freezing cold or walking with holes in my trousers and shoes. So much that my feet were always cold or wet and so numb that the pain made me cry. The only thing that Hitler or Churchill gave to my family..was my dad's second world war, government issue army coat.

God knows without it at night. I would have frozen to death.

Britain, from the second world war has still proliferated the" well off " and the privileged to further a ruling class that aspires to accord us working folks some rights and privileges.

Mainly due to the struggle of our forefathers to form Trade Unions or form its own political party...formerly known as The British Labour Party. Of course, those days are gone. Margaret Thatcher all but destroyed the British working class's ability to defend itself by smashing the Trade Unions. Tony Blair,that accomplished Lawyer had 10 years to repeal the stranglehold on British Trade unions.....but when questioned eloquently posited...."all British people want to be middle class". The Unions remain as a dog without a tooth.

Of course, the British assets of coal and shipping and steel and transport were either destroyed or privateised. In their place was the new economy of finance and share holders underpinning the transfer of our manufacturing industries and jobs to the low labour costs and working conditions of the Far East and South America. The lack of investment by British companies in Britain was superceded by foreign marauding investors that have bought Britain lock ,stock and barrel.

Traditionally, these state owned Industries could have maintained employment and seen us through this depression. Sadly the two biggest state owned industries left are only The National Health Service and  the Government. Both are grossly under productive and  both are grossly over paid.

The British Trade Minister just two weeks ago reported to an all party select committee at the House of Commons to lament....half of the people at the Department of Trade and Industry ..in his opinion...should be fired. Their is an abundance of under performing people paid for virtually doing nothing. It was also noted that our hospitals are manned by foreign workers who work whilst their British counterparts, virtually do nothing

except complain. Their is a proven saying in business that states....80% of the companies profits are generated by only 20% of its workforce. This is true of national industry and the British economy as a whole. It is certainly true of the British National Health Service.

Mr. Editor, I reported to your audience 18 months ago that I predicted a world financial collapse. The reasoning behind this was  based on a simple "principal" of commerce known as " overtrading". The Western economies for around 15 Years had been chasing investment capital off shore that could not in my view..be sustained by the amount of capital that it was taking in receipts. The catalyst to expose this was the sudden rise in world oil and energy prices and the over trading of the National property portfolio.

In an effort to realise more capital, the banks moved its hereditary lending criteria from a deposit and asset attached security..in to unprecedented and dangerous practices which saw a property mortgage of 100 to 110% advanced. In America this exposed risk known as the" sub prime" mortgage which in itself epitomises this gross violation of a centuries old custom of never lend unless the borrower can service the debt or has assets to cover any default on payment. The result of all this recklessness, is the foundation of an economic disaster that will last for more that a decade. Right now the situation is exasperated by a fear of lending except to those whose ability to repay is "undoubted”. Consequently, those now in need of finance....those British citizens whose taxes have gone to underpin those who created this disaster, are being fed to the unwanted piles of human resource and the wastage of unemployment and benefit hand outs, that does not even cover a bus ride to the  nearest job center. The British Governments response to buy Banks and borrow to increase national debt is a policy that was expected,,,,, and will of course ...fail. Once again, it is the British working citizen who will bare this cross for almost a generation.

Since The African gained Independence, he has placed a false reliance on its former colonial masters and more lately The Americans and some other opportunist nations, that no matter what befalls Africa..the richer nations will somehow bail out the African economy. Certainly, The West has constructed some financial packages that have eased the African's burden to the point of administering food aid to the worst affected area's. But even in the 'good times" these relief systems only at best provide for the sustenance of life. They do not and will never create the means to self sufficiency and productivity.

My patience with President Jammeh is born out of an apparent joint view. that Africa needs to stop its reliance on The West and move forward under its own inititive.Of course we may differ on the best way to do this...but fundamentally our thoughts are the same.

The tragedy for me is that President Jammeh has at worst propagated division and at best has applied little effort into harnessing the all the strengths of Gambians. Or Indeed, all  the relevant views towards Unity and momentum to capture the common aims and ambitions of all Gambian's, nomatter of their ethnic orientation or their point of view.

For Africa to move out of its self imposed depression of hopelessness, it requires first and foremost a reconciliation to Unity. Africa cannot continue to foster segregation against its own peoples. No matter how many fine speeches are made or how many disenfranchised people condemn their own African leaders, their words will not move the wheel forward one inch.

I do not rely only on these words as to due consideration of my thoughts. but they certainly focus the mind  on the words from Africa's elder statesman who's wisdom God has sent to empower us.

" The Tragic Failure of African leadership"{ Mr.Nelson Mandella }

Its Time for Change...

                                                                                                I remain Michael..U.K.