VISION 2020 VS JAMMEHISM AND JAMMEHNOMICS

When the term Marxism, Leninism, and Maoism first appeared in Eastern Europe, many rose to their feet, labouring under the delusion that their Guards (Karl Marx, V I Lenin, and Mao Zedong) are angels of mercy that have come to safe the proletariats. Albeit the political and economic theories developed by them had seemingly done something of that nature, yet they were sternly opposed.
This is the twenty first century and new governance structures have emerged. However, their dogmas and principles went unquestioned.

In this country, where three third of the population continues to live from hand to mouth, we are seeing an emergence of new-fangled theories: Jammehism and Jammehnomics.

But what do these eponyms mean for the unemployed university graduate at Badidu and the man who continues to suffer in silence in Diabugu, because of failed policies of decentralisation? Perhaps the status quo will remain analogous as it was in pre-colonial Gambia: state of intellectual slavery, where 300 years of British imperialism and 30 years of hard-earned government are replaced by a government, in which the citizens are unable to keep their heads above water.

As a retired Lieutenant for 17yrs, Jammeh has enjoyed respect and admiration from his uniform men

Jammehism and Jammehnomics are dogmas of Yahya Jammeh’s political and economic philosophies, which are a product of disillusion as far as the Millennium Development Goal one (end poverty and hunger) is concerned. We are three years away from the MDGs, three years away from marking ‘Golden Jubilee’, and nine years away from making Jammehnomic – Vision 2020 – a reality. With the coming of the Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE), or with Jammeh’s seemingly rejection of political pluralism, is this country going to triumph on the former, when more than half of the population continues to wallow in abject poverty?

Jammeh’s economic approach has unquestionably handicapped a proportion in the private sector: the tax quotient is high, the principle of non-interventionism has failed, and abuse of market powers is on the rife. Unless the government pulls off in rationalising taxes and tightening the vacuum of unemployment, Vision 2020 and the ubiquitous euphoria with which many Gambians celebrated Jammeh’s election victory will turn to disillusion. ‘Professor’ Jammeh has risen from being a Lieutenant to a ‘Chairman’ of a revolution, and finally to a business guru who sells bread, meat, sugar, the list goes on to feed the reader. With Jammeh’s venture in numerous businesses, the road to socialism and Soviet-replica of economic development, such as Marxist-Leninists is obvious.

Since unemployment has become the fastest rising worry in the world (according to a research conducted in November 2011 by the BBC in 23 countries for 11, 000 people), any effort to help curtail this worry would undoubtedly safe uncle Jammeh’s government from the wind of change that continues to blow in the Middle East, across North Africa to Rome (where media-tycoon Berlusconi was seen relinquished power), and to the Wall Street in New York.

Vision 2020: ‘The Gambia Incorporated’ is amongst other things, aimed at transforming this country into an “Export-oriented agricultural and manufacturing nation, thriving on free market policies and a vibrant private sector”; but how far have we gone in this mission statement, when we continue to export our cash crop raw: mango raw, cashew raw, groundnut raw etc. Jammehnomics should address, with seriousness, the diversification from this century-old economic practice to a modern Asian-style practice, because it has become a conventional belief in modern industrialised economies that the more a country specializes only in production of raw materials and agricultural produce, the poorer it becomes.

The Asian countries, like the West, went from being agrarian societies that manufactured and exported food and raw materials, to industrialized societies of what they are today.

Now on his doctrine of Jammehism, Uncle Jammeh continues to play the devil’s advocate in Africa, criticising the West for what he described as “British misrule”, whilst retaining his prerogatives of Islamic fundamentalism: “[…] when I was coming to power no one voted for me as I only based my faith in God and as far as I do not betray God, no election or coup can remove me from power.” This remark, made in July 19, 2011 at Jarreng, seriously undermines our sovereignty as a multi-party state, and therefore stands out as a food for thought.

Over the past 17yrs, Jammeh has ruled the West African country with an iron fist

Still on his ‘Vote for me or remain underdeveloped’ tactic, the Kanilai born president-elect continues: “For the road network [newly constructed] that passes through Jarreng, we cannot construct without making the infrastructure to pass through the village in view of your geographical location. But this is not the case for electricity as we can mount the electric poles over your village and yet you will not get power. I know that you people want a good health facility but that hospital will not be constructed in Jarreng. There will be [a] senior secondary school in the area but it will not be constructed in Jarreng.” This is the evidence of what I mean about Jammehism: ‘Vote for APRC or you will not taste the fruit of development.’

In a liberal democratic state, remarks of such nature mark the end of a president’s term in office; because the statement in itself circuitously advocates the departure from accepted policies, and calls for a single party state, where presidential election becomes null and void.
Can this political doctrine achieve an “Enterprising population and guarantee a well-balanced eco- system and a decent standard of living for one and all under a system of government based on the consent of the citizenry”, as enshrined in Vision 2020? Thus, Jammehism in this sense is versus Vision 2020, because the former seemingly rejects political pluralism, whilst the latter advocates for a “government based on the consent of the citizenry”.

Vision 2020, have called on every Tom, Dick and Harry in this country and abroad to work in tandem, irrespective of tribe, religion and political identity; and I believe that starts from creating a platform where the “consent of the citizenry” can be addressed.

To conclude, I will add: the recently concluded conclave between the government and Gambians in the Diaspora is one of such platforms that we need in order to realise the achievement of Jammehnomics and other development blueprints.