When the proposed sale of The Gambia’s Gamtel and Gamcel to a Lebanese company was announced, there was a widespread public disapproval and condemnation from concerned citizens, journalists, Gambian opposition leaders and employees of the company itself. However, widespread protestations as demonstrated by the response from The Gambian public and other efforts made by patriotic citizens, fell on deaf ears. As the nation collectively tries to nurse its anger over the deal of selling our only telecommunications company to an outside business interest, the master-minds of the blundered deal blamed the World Bank for pressurizing the Gambia government to sell off 50 % of Gamtel/Gamcel to a little known foreign corporation. When the government authorities announced the reason that persuaded them to go ahead with the sale, it surprised me, and I have no doubt that it would also surprise any right minded individual. First the World Bank’s job is to help developing countries to rebuild their economies by providing the funds for the building and rebuilding of their infrastructures. So it would run counter to its mission statement and it principles for the World Bank to force any organization or governments to sell their highly successful income earning enterprises. If the World Bank can’t contribute in any countries economic development, it will certainly not destroy the economy of any nation. After few weeks research, an idea came to me in September that would break wide open the truth behind the so called pressure from the World Bank. The World Bank office in Washington DC in the United States was my research center.
On the 19th of September, after a lot of research, I found the telephone number to the Word Bank Office in Washington. When I called the number, a charming and caring woman answered the call. I then introduced my self as a freelance writer and that I am a Gambian national. The reason why I am calling was based on the information and reason given by The Gambia government, which led to the sale of Gamtel/Gamcel. This is how it all began. The man in charge was not there, but his assistant decided to answer my questions instead. This is the interview that resulted from that on-line encounter, which although short, is nonetheless very helpful.
Question; -Tijan...Mrs. X my name is Tijan Nimaga. I am a freelance writer and a concern Gambian citizen. I am writing an article on the recent sale made by the government of The Gambia of its only telephone and telecommunication company. Are you aware of this deal?
Answer:: -Mrs. X. No, I am not but, one thing is clear, The World Bank was not involved in any of these transactions you have just mention, and I have no doubt about that, because if it did, I would have known about it.
Question :- Tijan....According to The Gambia government, it iwas The World Bank which pressurized them to sell Gamtel and Gamcel, a story which many people in the Gambia have found doubtful. How credible is that story?
Answer:- Mrs. X....The World Bank will almost never pressurize any country or organization to sell its assets. The decision that has been taken in this matter was made by the government of The Gambia, and not by The World Bank, as far as I know. The selling of its assets and decision making in such matters, are the prerogative of The Gambia government; not The World Bank.
Question:-Tijan..... Mrs. X, is there another World Bank branch, which could be behind this deal other than the Washington Bureau? If yes, where and how could I get in touch with that branch?
Answer:- Mrs. X..... We have a Branch in Dakar and the man that could provide you with some information is GILBERTO DE SANTOS. But as I mentioned earlier, I have no doubt that he will tell you the same thing. Since all these branches are all connected to one another and all operate under the same common and established rules.
Question:- Tijan.....Can you kindly give me the telephone number to Mr. Gilberto’s office in Dakar ?
Answer:- Mrs. X....Yes, I will gladly do that. His telephone number is ( 011) 221-8495016. If you want the e-mail address too I have it. Speak to him and he will tell you perhaps something more specific about this issue, but again I will repeat. The World Bank is not involved in the sale of your telecommunication company. The Gambian government made the move.
Tijan: Thank you very much Mrs. X, for the information you have just given me.
Mrs. X. My pleasure and God bless you with your research and feel free to call me if you need any further assistance. Bye now.
With senior World Bank representative telephone number in hand, I immediately called his office in Dakar, but unfortunately he was at a meeting and was unable to take my call. The receptionist that picked up the phone told me if I call back in an hour I will be able to talk to him. But, I told her to tell Mr. Gilberto that I will call back the following day. The next day when I called, a voice of a charming lady echoed, od morning The World Bank, in French. I can speak French fluently, but at this time I decided to speak in English to bring her attention that the call is formal and that I was calling from New York. May I speak to Mr. Gilberto please?. Who is calling she asked? I then introduced myself to her and explained the reason of my call. Mr. Gilberto is not here. He went to lunch. Can you call back later?
Can you tell him that I called, and that it is very important that he expects my call? Yes, I will, replied the gentle lady in a charming voice. When I called back, he was not there again so I decided to try the next day. On September 26, the unsolved mystery behind the illegal sale of The Gambia's Gamtel and Gamcel began to unfold, when Mr. Gilberto himself picked up the telephone.
Question:- Tijan..... Mr. Gilberto, my name is Tijan Nimaga, and I am a freelance writer. I need some information from you with regards to a deal that many Gambians are opposed to. Are you aware of the selling of The Gambia's Gamtel and Gamcel Telecommunication Company?
Answer:- Mr. Gilberto...Well, I don’t know anything about it but another newspaper once called me and I told them the same thing. It was US based paper he said that once asked him the same question a while ago.
Question :- Tijan....Mr. Gilberto, you are one of the senior officials of The World Bank there in Dakar, and according to The Gambia government, it was The World Bank that pressurized the government to sell the only communication facility of the nation. How credible is that story?
Answer:- Mr. Gilberto.....At the beginning of this interview, you told me that you spoke to The World Bank officials in Washington D.C., and that you were told that The World Bank did not put any pressure on The Gambia government to carry out the deal it has made. My answers are the same as those given to you in Washington . The World Bank has not put any pressure or made any decision for The Gambia to sell its telecommunication facility.
Tijan: Now that I have some facts that I can write for the interest of my compatriot both in The Gambia and abroad, I would like to thank you on behalf of our paper The Gambia Echo Newspaper and the entire Gambian people who have been cheated by a government that was voted for to protect them.
Mr. Gilberto, Thank you and bye.
When I hung up the telephone, I called my senior editor Mr.Ebrima Sankareh and informed him about the interview. He immediately called Mr. Gilberto to confirm the reality of the interview.
Now that the truth has been found, it is up to the Gambian people to decide what they have to do next. We are journalist and our work is to just report the facts. We are not the military to depose a regime neither left or right wing opposition leaders to oppose a regime. We are just ordinary humans to just report the truth if we can deliver them, we don’t care who it may concern as long as what we report is the truth. The partial sale of The Gambia's Gamtel
and Gamcel is an ugly face of a business deal between the government and any illegal organization that was perhaps rejected elsewhere with similar deal or another hidden plan by the Haitian Mafia Family’ THE DUVALIERS’’ who once made an attempt to buy our nation’s only high income earning facility. We will continue to guard our national treasure like soldiers with all our strength to defend our nation.
For those of you the senior government officials who made this illegal deal, the interest that the Gamtel and Gamcel produces and is being given to the outside world, you will never be forgiven by the unfortunate Gambians who rely on the government for every thing. Finally you can hide for a while but not forever. You can fool some people sometimes, but you can’t fool all the people all the time. "COMPATRIOTS, LET THE STRUGGLE CONTINUE." All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this article or any other article or image, or portions thereof, in any form or context without the expressed permission of The Gambia Echo Newspaper.