- A visitor’s firsthand account information!!!

By Batch Samba Baldeh

After a trip to my birth country in 2007, I wrote an article entitle “What is wrong Mama Africa”. I just came back again from there but this time I spent almost halve of the time in Dakar, Senegal. As usual most of my friends here and back home knew I was gone and once I returned to the USA the debate and discussions started about “How is the Gambia… How about Yahya Jammeh… What do you think about developments in Gambia… What has changed…etc etc?” Those who knew I was in Senegal too ask a lot of questions about that country’s politics and their president – Abdoulie Wade; particularly in comparison with the Gambia. It also happened that it’s my turn to write an article for the African Association in Madison newsletter. While I am still not sure if I should title this article as the previous, I though putting some thing in writing will be a good start in sharing my experience. 

I had not flew in two years and with what happen in the Hudson river and other unfortunate events with air traffic and flying, I was scared flying with DELTA connections flight from Mad City to Atlanta. By the time I had to board to Senegal in Atlanta, I had convinced myself that I should just relax and enjoy the flight for there is not much I can do anyways. Fortunately the flight to Dakar was very smooth.  

While on a layover at the Hartsfield international airport, I met and chatted with a few people who were also heading to Dakar/Africa. Two of the guys I met were interesting… The first guy, whose name I can’t remember is a white-African (if there is such a term) – a Senegalese who was in FL for spring break. He used my cell phone to call his mom in Senegal. I was surprise he spoke much better WOLLOF than I did. I was also surprise to a certain degree that an African kid will fly to USA just for a week of fun… but at the same time he may not be like an average African kid…  

Mo, short for Mohammed – like he cutely refers to himself some times, the other guy, on the other hand was like the typical African kid. He was born in war turn Sierra Leone; his parents migrated to the USA when he was very young and at the pick of the war. He has more than fifteen siblings and he was kind enough to share some of their photos including those of his parents. His family is very diverse; mom a Muslim and dad a Christian. He has roots in Mali, Guinea and Sierra Leone.  He is a very cool dude who is very appreciative of the opportunity he gets in the USA and has a foundation to help needy kids in Sierra Leone. Actually one of his missions to Africa was to distribute some clothing and other items he had shipped with the help of donations from friends in the USA. He also made annual school fees payments for kids that his foundation is sponsoring and collected more applications for more sponsorship. 

Just before we were told to get ready for landing in Senegal, the flight crew handed out custom forms. I fill out mine with just Dakar, Senegal as my address. When I get to the custom officer, he asked for an exact address. I did not know the exact address but did not think it really matters because the last time I checked there were no street addresses in say rural Senegal and Gambia. Then I was like… it may be because I put Dakar as the city… but again how will they verify if I were to give any address in Dakar that does not even exist? A Senegalese lady who had already gone pass and was waiting for a friend over heard and told me to use her address.  She did not have a pen so I saw a guy by the exit gate standing with a pen, I did not greet him in the traditional way we do in most part of Africa; I was just like “HEY can I borrow your pen please” (in WOLLOF) He was quick to respond with a big NO and a frown face. The Senegalese lady that offered her address was watching and she was quick to know that the man was not happy that I did not greet him formally; like say “Assalamu Alaikum” peace be unto you, before I ask for his pen. Even though I apologized and greeted him the accepted way, the guy was already mad and will not let me use his pen. I went back to the custom officer and borrowed a pen to put in an address that I don’t even know exist. Since then I was mindful that I am in Africa and that I have to pay attention to customs and traditions not to fall into trouble with disgruntle elements or just intolerance traditionalist. 

I am not sure it is possible to put my whole trip narrative in one article but will try and discuss some of the things I consider worth sharing for now.  

Those of you who read my 2007 story, am sure are now asking is the same old problems again or things has changed. The answer in short is YES; same old story basically. The city of Dakar for example is much cleaner this time and has better roads but the road between Dakar and Kaolack for example use to be very good the last time I went but today one hour out of Dakar its all pot holes all the way. Actually my last trip to Dakar, my car tire busted just a few minutes pass Kaolack. 

The political environment in Senegal is much healthier in my opinion where even the taxi drivers will tell you their honest opinion about politics. This is not true in the case of the Gambia. While the likes of Mathew Jallow, Yerro Jallow, Pa Nderr Mbaye and others are plentiful in the USA, I could not find one in the Gambia. This is not because I was not looking; but because I believe Yahya Jammeh actually has gotten what he wanted. I think most Gambians in the Gambia are afraid of him or his agents today. And to a certain degree even those outside of the Gambia has resigned to a philosophy of “he will go when his time is over” which basically was the same that gave ex president Jawara the opportunity to stay in power for three decades. I could not even find one person that I could have a genuine discussion about state of affairs in the Gambia with an open mind and candor.  

Even though, Yahya Jammeh has tones and tones of questions to answer, in my opinion Jawara is still to be blame for most of what the situation is like in the Gambia; if he had instituted a term limit or built institutions of higher learning and quit after two or three terms, the situation in the Gambia today could have been different. I am sure some of you are like let look ahead and put the past behind us. I would say reflecting in the past helps a lot in shaping what the future and why the present is the way it is. 

When you pick a newspaper to read, you wonder where the likes of Baba Galleh, Cherno Baba, Lamin Ceesay, Sheriff Bodjang and a whole host of other excellent journalist are… Then you ask yourself may be I will listen to a good radio program then the nostalgic of the likes of Babucarr Gaye, Peter Gomez hits at you. Because you just came from the USA, you want to check on the TV and see what is going on so that you can share some of the good news when you return. Guess what happens? The likes of Bora Mboge and Lamin Manga are no where to be found on TV. But worst of all is the fact that even if they were, one probably will not recognize them on Gambia TV. The pictures are so blurry and distorted that you wonder if Yahya Jammeh ever watches the Gambia television and if Mod Sanyang really does any thing every day he goes to work. To say the signal is poor is to congratulate Mod Sanyang; whom I understand spend most of his time in the Fonis instead of doing his work as a director. 

A day before I left for Gambia I went to bed very early so that I can catch the only Gambia government run bus service early morning the following day.  By 5am I was up and looking for a taxi. When I get at the bus terminal, guess what? There was no Gambia bus going to Banjul that day. What happened? One would ask. The driver of the Senegalese bus that was bound to the border with Gambia told us that he got a call from the Gambia bus driver that the bus was broke and that there is no bus service. I was disappointed but not very surprise. I really was looking forward to the ride home and the site seeing but not all the discomfort than end up coming with it. We left Senegal at 7am and by the time we get to the border it was already 4pm and our only difference with the African red monkey was our speaking ability and how we walk to say the least. The road is so bad and dusty that you wonder what happen to the water and food that people who lives by the road eat. It really is crazy. At every stop there were women and children selling food and water. I can’t understand how many African leaders go to bed every day knowing how many of their people are suffering, catch diseases and eventually die because of their carelessness and lack of commitment to the people that put them to office.  

In my state back in the USA, you can go on line and report a pot hole and the following day it is fixed. You can call a taxi when your car breakdown and the charge go to your insurance company. You can report child and women abuse and either the police or the agency responsible for taking care of that issue will respond right away. You would think these are basic services that should be available to all and sundry? 

The village I was born is about nine kilometers away from a dispensary; this dude, my age mate who dropped out of school told me “if you are sick in this village, and want to go to the dispensary, one of two things happen; you either die or get well before you get there”. He concluded with sadness in his smile and I looked at him with disappointment and helplessness. I was disappointed that after forty years of self rule and independence a country with almost less than the population of the city I live in the USA, the government cannot still provide ambulance services to basically any of the villages that have no immediate access to health care facilities. I was also disappointed that even after ten years in the USA I could not help in this regard. I was sad because the people I love and care about dearly will continue to live like this at least for the foreseeable future. I am sure him and those that were around including me were thinking… but how can Samba help or may be why am I not helping? At this point I was also thinking if Gambians abroad were to spend little bit more time and resources in trying to help their communities would things have been different. I have always asked if the money that I send to my family and friends would have been more useful if it was put into a fund that was geared towards a sustainable project for the whole village. At the same time I am involved in a lot of community initiatives for my community here in the USA and Africa. I hope some day these help. While some these facilities and services are suppose to be provided by the government, I believe private citizens once come together as organized groups can accomplish a lot in this regard and be able to help the “least among us”. 

The Senegalese police force and custom officers were professional as far as my experience; it was a little different with the Gambia police force but almost the same with the military and custom and border protection. I thought by now the “Atayaa” brewing in the offices and speaking vernacular and accepting bribes/tips in the offices was of the past! This is not the case and I was sincerely surprise because I though the fact that every Gambian at home at least is afraid of yahya Jammeh, you will think they will do the right thing. I went to a few offices where I found people either brewing “atayaa” or grouped chatting. This may not have been a problem if they would attend to business when there is a customer, but they will still continue their idleness unless if you look like and NIA or some one that know Yahya Jammeh. If I knew him that way or some one close to him, I would have made sure those officers were punished. What I experienced in the offices was just a tip of the caper/crime… It was vividly clear at almost all the police check points that the officers were not there to enforce traffic rules but collect money from poor drivers while the rich and influential will just slow down and get a salute. At the military check points; it was more business like but you will still see the lack of clear understanding of their job descriptions. At all the military check points I was asked only three questions: Where are you from; where are you going and what is in the boot/trunk of the car??? All of these with a frowned face. Guess what happen when you answer “nothing” to the latter? Or say “you can take this and buy atayaa”?  

I did not like doing business in Dakar for a different reason. I hardly could communicate with any one because even though I speak very good Wollof, Fulani and Mandinka, Senegalese are almost loosing these languages. They almost cannot speak a complete sentence without French. If you ask them to either tell you the same in Wollof or English or other local languages they repeat the same with French in the mix. I was really frustrated and concern that in the next decade or so there will be nothing like pure Wollof vernacular or any of the other local languages. I wonder if politicians and traditionalist (if there is anything like that) are paying attention to this. They are losing their culture. To a certain degree this is what happened to black Americans/African Americans. The fastest and easiest way to lose your identity is to not have a language in my opinion. This is one reason I believe the Spanish culture and values is still well reserved in the USA. 

When I visited the Gambia the last time, I did not get a visa at the Yundum airport but this time they make me get it at the border village. I did not have a problem paying for it but asked why I did not the other time. The same unofficial and unreasonable answers were given. Because it is almost impossible to have a dialogue with some of these people, I just take the answer for it. Some time I would love to have a dialogue so that I can learn from them and understand their thinking process but once you start asking questions and giving suggestions, they become argumentative and assume that because you are from the west or some thing, you think you know every thing and are looking low upon them. I have big respect for those that would have a dialogue or follow the law; and in most cases I will give them some thing to buy “atayaa”. But I let them know this is because they are doing the right thing so that the next person is treated right and according to law. I have no tolerance for those that are clearly after money and don’t care about the job. In most cases I make them doubtful as to weather I am NIA or close associate of Jammeh and never give them a dime. They end up letting me go with a salute and big shameless smile and doubt as to weather they be fired the following day. 

You can see that individuals are doing very well. Expensive cars, houses and jewelry are all over the place. You wonder where they get all this wealth from. When you ask who these are, you will be very surprise about the answers. They are city councils revenue collectors, strong supporters of president Jammeh, members of the military and police force and a few “Sarahules” business men and some brain drained Gambian living abroad. So in short most of the wealth is ours but because there is no system in place to make sure state resources are not stolen for personal use, the “luck” few rob it from the rest of us. This is the money that should have gone to road construction and other infrastructural development including providing ambulance services to those poor people in the rural areas. May be yet it should have been used to prosecute those responsible for accusing poor elderly people of witch hunting and forcing them to use drugs. Is president Jammeh honestly aware of all these nonsense? 

I am sure some of you want to know the state of water and electricity supply and probably the road network in the Gambia? This time, to give credit where it is due, I only experience a few and short power outages and no water shortage. Again I lived where the big guys live – around the coast close to Senegambia hotel. When I went up country, as usual there is no electricity or clean water. Even Soma was like a ghost town. From the custom post to the GPTC is like when you visit Barajally - ex president Jawara birth place. Returning from the provinces, I decided to take the North bank rout instead of South which is worst than I have ever remembered.  From Soma to the ferry Yelli Tenda should not take ten minutes drive if the road is good and the same time basically to Farafenni. Guess how much time it takes to get to Farafenni from Soma? It takes at least an hour if you catch the ferry upon arrival. No sign to show where to get a ticket to the ferry and if you go to the ferry without one, you are asked to go all the way back to get a ticket; the same is true for the Barra/Banjul ferry. I did not see this place on my way to Banjul and when I get to the ferry was asked to go back. If you agree to these back and forth think add at least four hours to your already very long trip. Because I like to know the reasoning behind some these settings, I always will say “There is No way - I am not going back”. Because they could not explain the reasoning behind what they are asked to do and there is no sign to show you are suppose to get a ticket, they end up saying “well let go see my boss”. I am always glad when they say that because the bosses are most corrupt and they are always afraid that a clean cut guy like me is either rich or have the Jammeh connections. Guess what happens next…? The Barra/Banjul crossing really needs Jammehs attention though. The place is very corrupted and chaotic particularly when you have to catch the last ferry with a car.  

So when my friends ask “How is the Gambia?” I almost always say “the same old” I believe this is true in my opinion because all the roads that were good the last time I visited are all bad so it’s a cancel for the newly constructed ones, all the offices and officers that use to be well organized and hard working are reduced to dumping sites and atayaa brewing bantabas. It really was sad when I visited Radio Gambia and what use to be called Kombo station along Kairaba Avenue. More schools with unbelievable low quality products or would say graduates. The cost of living is almost that of the USA and salaries has basically remained the same, a bag of rice, a bag of cement, a pound of meat and many other goods and services are almost twice that of the same goods and services in Jammeh’s village. Can Yahya be blamed for this disparity? I would say NO and YES; No because I feel as though he will helping his village, in a sense giving back to the community that help bring him up; I mean just like any one of us is doing for our villages and family members. Yes because of the fact that he is not a private citizen and is not elected by only the people of his village. He is also sworn to the constitution of the Republic of the Gambia which clearly asks that he treats every Gambia equal without fear or favor. I believe this totally over weigh my NO reasoning. 

One other thing I observe in both countries is the dependency on foreign imported food items for their three daily meals. In the past, I still remember we use to have corn and locally cultivated rice and other consumables year round so that if Jawara “tusaaye manoo” is no where to be found in the middle of August there was still cuscus or “cheerey” to go with “kedaam” – milk or some other fresh vegetables. I am honestly not even sure there is up to twenty cows in my home village anymore. I don’t remember being offered the traditional “kedam hey laachree”. 

Even though I would still like to say more this has already been a very lengthy narrative. Therefore in conclusion, I would like to say there are a lot of areas that needs investment. This is true in the whole of Africa but the political climate and people’s attitudes is what may drive potential investors away from investing particularly in the Gambia where it seams president Jammeh is the sole proprietor of all the business sectors.  

President Jammeh got the best opportunity in the world to change and develop the Gambia to where every Gambian abroad and other foreign nationals would like to go and live; a model that the whole world would have envied particularly developing countries. I think he still has some of that opportunity if he would open up just a little to diverse opinions and tolerance to opposing ideas. I am not sure he will ever see this as a political and economic tool that will only help him and the Gambian people. If he can just take an example of the situation in Senegal where people are allowed to say whatever their political opinion is and where if you break the law the due process of law takes its course has only helped to perfect that society and encourage productive ideas and above all development and attract both local and foreign investors. Some times I wonder if he gets the right advice, because I think his advisers are afraid to tell him how they feel about things except that I am sure they will not shy from telling him mister or misses X is oppose to you or some thing like that. Some times I am confused because I would think he will know the difference between fiction and reality or honesty from lies from his advisors??? Would you not think??? 

The fact that I am not sure what to make of the state of affairs in the Gambia, I would rather title this write up – Gambia – I don’t know man…