Michael Scales Reacts To Halake’s Move To Buy The Observer............................................

Dear Mr.Editor,

They say the shortest distance between friends is a laugh?  Reading the "fight" to buy The Daily Observer.....produced the biggest laugh this year. I adore African humor..."it cuts through stainless steel"

 Let me not speak unjustly about anyone without just cause, experience or evidence. I have always considered Amadou Samba a trustworthy individual who I would gladly call... friend. I think Amadou would consider me the same not only through his dealings with me...but he also has acknowledged that I only have the best interests of Gambian's at heart. I have never spoken about the political situation with Amadou or my closest friend Samba Faal or others who have given me their trust and favour.These are sensitive issues that I wisely avoid on a personal level.

My position has been to take their requests for British assistance and bring these to fruition. My record of achievement here is unequalled. If The Gambian government then squandered these gifts..then that is for them to explain. I delivered all that was asked of me..and continue to do so.

The only political conversation held with any member of Jammeh's government was with Tamsir Jallow. At the time he was the leader of The President's Party in The National Assembly. We started badly...he accused me of so many bad things....that had been whispered into his ear by my enemies. After two long days of argument....we became very good friends. Tamsir, like so many other Gambian's, was... and remains very faithful to the APRC agenda. Amidst the thorn..you will always find the Rose. I admire and respect these people. They too have only the best interests of The Gambian people in their hearts.

 The situation in the Gambia is not uncommon in the rest of Africa. If Obama was to become President of The Gambia..he would still face the same problems that Jammeh has faced. The analogy is very simple.....

 Obama is driving a 4x4 Cherokee Jeep that has been developed over centuries.  Jammeh is riding the same old donkey that has not changed in centuries of exploitation.

 Mr Darboe has acknowledge without predjudice..that Jammeh has done some good things in The Gambia....but comes back to the lack of trained personnel and equipment.

The foundation of any project for the development of a nation comes down to basic education and skill training allied to the very latest technologies.

 Where Jammeh fails..is in the attention to these basic needs for good foundations allied to the correct long term policies that can encourage human capacity building on a massive scale. If African's could be guided into these areas to build their nations..the trend of evacuation to the developed nations would be stemmed and reversed.

 Jammeh is building a divided country where those who can manage it are leaving Africa on mass.

How Jammeh and the rest of African leadership are to address these problems is the key to Africa building a society that can compete as equals amongst the world’s economies. This is not rocket science..but good housekeeping practices that any women of any household understands.

Jammeh is 3 steps ahead of the opposition in every area of political survival. A truly great leader would set about breaking down these barriers of disunity and encourage debate and diverse opinion. No one man has all the wisdom here....it takes great minds to come together and challenge those with the division agenda..to see that survival is inter dependant. All opinion has value.

Democracy works best when is effectively challenged by diverse opinion. A stronger Opposition in The Gambia would reap the combined effort required to form a consensus of unity needed to make steady progress.

 As I have said...I am not against Jammeh....he has some valuable qualities that are undoubted.

 Squabbling over who owns The Daily Observer is a silly diversion from the main issues.

 Right now if The Prophet Mohammed {peace and blessings be upon his name} walked into The Gambia...he would face being crucified.

 The messages contained in the Holy Koran and The Holy Bible...remain as true for today's situations as they did all those centuries ago. Let us promote the very best of human wisdom and banish for good the very worst.

We British who begin to understand the African....continue to support your own efforts.

Fugitive murderer found hanged in the Gambia

Row in Scottish parliament over prisons policy after John Hurt Brown absconded from open prison months before final release

Severin Carrell, Scotland correspondent

guardian.co.uk, Friday 11 December 2009 12.49 GMT

Article history

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/dec/11/fugitive-murder-found-dead-gambia   

A convicted murderer has been found hanged in a west African holiday resort after leaving the UK illegally while he was on home leave from prison.

John Burt Brown, 57, was found dead in the Gambia on 29 November in what are thought to be suspicious circumstances. He had fled the country while on home leave from Castle Huntly open prison near Dundee in May.

Convicted of murder in 1976, Brown was being prepared for release from prison and was on seven days home leave when he used his passport to fly abroad, breaching his licence and the conditions of his home leave.

His failure to return to Castle Huntly in May prompted a furore at the Scottish parliament after the Tories accused ministers of allowing lax security at open prisons, and of failing to admit he had absconded.

Alex Salmond, the first minister, claimed the incident raised questions about the UK government's policy of allowing prisoners to keep their passports, and said his Scottish government's cabinet would discuss whether it should ask for the power to seize them.

But he added: "This is not a regular occurrence. Officials today have been unable to find any other example of an absconding prisoner who was found dead, in a reasonable period, in another country. It does raise the question of whether the Scottish prison service should have the power to withhold the passport of someone who has been released under licence and under conditions."

Strathclyde police tried to trace Brown, but only discovered he had fled to the Gambia after the Foreign Office informed them some days ago that his body had been found.

Brown had first been freed in 1997 on a life licence but was taken back in 2003 after breaching conditions; it is believed he applied for his passport in 2002. He had been due for full release in July.

A Scottish prison service spokesman insisted there was no indication Brown was likely to flee. "He only had a few months left on his sentence, and had been on home leave already," he said. "Why would we think he would take off to west Africa?"

The Scottish Conservative spokesman on community safety, John Lamont, said: "Labour's handling of border control might be lax, but it is laughable that the Scottish National party just blame the UK government for the fiasco.

"Instead of trying to shift the blame, Alex Salmond and the SNP should admit their culpability. Their policy of convicts in the community rather than prisoners in prison is dangerous and alarming. Scotland is not safe in the SNP's hands."

Scottish prison service figures show the rate of absconding from open prisons is at a record low, with eight cases so far this year compared to 98 during 1996-97, the last full year of Conservative control from London.

There is only one inmate currently at large from a Scottish open prison, a Dutchman who fled to the Netherlands and cannot be arrested and returned as absconding from an open prison is not an offence in the country.