Spectrum International Investment Company Group, yesterday signed a strategic partnership agreement with Gamtel / Gamcel Telecommunication Company Ltd, presided over by President Yahya Jammeh, at State House, Banjul. 
Speaking at the signing ceremony, President Jammeh described the strategic partnership and management agreement as a turning point for his government since 1994. He then noted that his wish “is to see Gambians manage their economic activities and manage it towards better standards”.

He said he has given the management of Gamtel / Gamcel chances to prove themselves for 13 years, but unfortunately certain sectors have failed, noting that he is more interested in the well-being of Gambians.

President Jammeh said if Gambians fail to render services that will usher in a modern Gambia, then he has the right to call on others who will render such services. “What we have in Gamtel / Gamcel is very appalling.
It is very sad that at times you have to take very drastic action to salvage a company that is an envy of Africa.  We put in so many things in the management and each one of them failed, alongside the other, but why should I allow people to fail with the management?  I will not allow this. 
What we are looking for as far as my government is concerned, is if you are up, we will always go up with you until the sky is the limit.  We will never allow a situation where we are going up, while you go down. So, this is a turning point for Gamtel / Gamcel.  We must have the best,” he said. 

The Gambian leader added that he wants Spectrum to deliver the best otherwise his government will look further to the one with the best.  He said there is no reason why Spectrum cannot give their best as they have very seasoned management cadre.

He assured them of his government’s full cooperation and the people of The Gambia, adding that telecommunication is the key to development, just like education is the key to development.

“We want The Gambia to be a commercial centre, not only for the sub-region of Africa, but an important financial sector for the rest of the world.  The Gambia will become a financial centre by the will of God.  We have not regretted the partnership as this world is about partnership.  This type of partnership will bring the regions and people closer, and of course will lead to world peace, as without peace there cannot be any meaningful development,” he added.

He pointed out that no matter what his rivals may say, he will not be deterred from what he wants to do, because whatever he does is in the best interest of Gambians and the country. He cited the Almighty Allah as his witness and then noted that whatever he does is in the best interest of humankind but not for personal gain or glory. 
“Those who think that we are wrong by the type of action we have taken, I will say to you that you are very much ignorant of the Qur’an and should seek guidance from Allah, and read the Qur’an. And we will know who’s right or wrong. Those who think it will not work, my warning to you is to stay away. 
If you want to ensure that it will not work, you will not work, but the agreement will work for the interest of Gambians and the patriotic citizens of this country. If you stay to ensure that it will not work, it will mean one of the two things, either a hotel accommodation or you will join “Mbye-wahu”, and that will be the best you can have.  The best you will have is to be kicked out of the place. 
The other best you can have is to keep you to Seven Star Hotel for a number of years. So, if you don’t want to work, leave honorably.  If you don’t want to work and you stay, we will deal with you because you know us.  I would have taken drastic action, because I will know what each and every one of you have done. I believe in giving people two chances,” he warned.

President Jammeh further said though “we have signed the management contract, it means that those that can be kept, be kept and those that cannot be kept would have to go”. After all, he said, he has given the management of Gamtel / Gamcel thirteen good years to prove themselves, but they have failed.

According to him, since the former government up till now, they have spent a lot of money on training of Gamtel staff in various parts of the world. Despite this, he said something shocking has happened in recent times. “With all the trainings that you have gone through, we need an Alcatel guy and we have to pay 35 thousand Euros for the person to come and lay whatever we have to put in Kanilai and one in Bwiam, which came as a shock. More than twenty-five years of existence and training, yet you cannot do that, and we have to get somebody for 35 thousand Euros to do it within a couple of minutes”, he said, adding that “let the sleeping dogs lye”.

President Jammeh further revealed that those who cannot deliver should give chance to those that can deliver, before any legal action is taken against them or are sent to jail.  “Sending you to jail is also a burden to the government as you will still be fed. If you think you cannot work, please leave. “This is a warning to Spectrum Group.
You have no friends and I don’t want any excuse. What we want is the result and how to get the result is up to you. It will work with Yahya Jammeh, whether you like it or not.  If anyone thinks that this partnership will not work and government will regret it, you are fooling yourself and if you are not careful, you will be the one who will regret it, because I am not going to compromise on this. It will not be an excuse if Spectrum fails to deliver and start giving excuses.
Government has no friend and my friends are those who can deliver. We know all the problems, as these problems are man-made. There is no problem that cannot be solved.  We have signed a partnership
and all what we want is the result,” he pointed out.

President Jammeh added that people must work hard to eradicate poverty which, he said, “could have been done by the British who have colonised The Gambia for four hundred years and took all our wealth”. 

“For him,” he said, “democracy means those who can deliver and are ready to work for the interest of his or her people,” noting that he does not care how others may define democracy, good governance and human rights.

He further stressed that “government is in the implementation period and if anyone fails to deliver, you either go to jail or be dismissed”. 

He said The Gambia was sanctioned for four or five years, but with the help of Allah the people survived.  He told Spectrum Group to dismiss anyone who they think is not delivering, noting that they cannot be more merciful than the Almighty Allah and that there are people who deserve to go to hell.  He called on Gambians to change their attitudes for the socio-economic development of the country.

For her part, Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, Secretary of State for Communications and Information Technology, said it’s both a golden opportunity, and an important milestone in the drive to inject the needed financial capital, technical and managerial competence in the national telecommunication company, in a bid to develop the infrastructure, expand the network and quality of services, provide universal access and ultimately the advancement of telecommunication services.

She said “our country deserves nothing less, if we are to transform into a middle income country as envisaged in Vision 2020. The productivity of investment and international competitiveness of any economy in this information age relies to a great extent on efficiency, reliability and productivity of telephone services”.

The partnership between the government and Spectrum Group, she added, will mean good for both Gamtel and Gamcel. “With the business models presented by Spectrum, government has no doubt the model will bring in the needed revival that has long eluded us. We are confident that the country will soon benefit from a world class telecommunication infrastructure that will provide good quality services, so that The Gambia will regain its adorned position of being second only to South Africa,” SoS Macdoual-Gaye said.

To Spectrum Group and the management team of Detecon, she added, The Gambia Government has provided you with an opportunity to prove yourself as a true strategic business partner to help achieve the goals the government always set for Gamtel. “You must do everything to ensure that Gambians and residents of The Gambia benefit from this partnership, through quality of services and expansion of infrastructure at pace with modernisation, population and economic growth trends.
Internal control systems, especially on procurement and billing failed completely. The company piled-up debt to over a billion Dalasi and got encumbered and could not free itself from the clutches of some unscrupulous vendors. This situation deteriorated to a level where Gamtel, a company that used to finance projects worth tens of millions of Dalasi from its own coffers could not even pay salaries without borrowing.
To arrest any further deterioration in services, company exposure and encumbrance, cash flow situation and the meeting of basic recurrent commitments, the government under the leadership of Dr Alhaji Yahya Jammeh, felt it necessary to take the bold step of a strategic partnership that will bring in financial capital and know-how,” she remarked.

Michel Tenn, Representative of Spectrum Group, said the chances to change Gamtel / Gamcel networking are very high and with this partnership agreement more things will be put in place. 

According to him, they have the technical know-how in the communication sector and will make telecommunication in The Gambia the best, by upgrading it to be second to none.

SoS Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, finally signed the partnership agreement, on behalf of the government of The Gambia, while Michel Tenn, signed on behalf of Spectrum group.