By Omar Bah
Jah Oil’s general manager, Momodou Hydara, has responded to criticisms that the company doesn’t produce cement. Cement importers and some analysts have argued that Gambian factories do not manufacture cement, so being the case, they should not be protected by the government.
Reacting to these criticisms, Mr. Hydara said: “I customarily refrain from indulging in ex-changes with individuals who scribble half-baked musings under the delusion that their grasp of the English language is superior. However, I shall make an exception in this instance to rectify your egregious misinterpretation of the term ‘production’, which you have erroneously confined to mean manufacturing’. Permit me to elucidate this matter for your benefit, as well as for the readers you have so brazenly sought to mislead.”
He added: “It appears that some of you remain blissfully unaware that production is an expansive term that encompasses the entirety of processes involved in the creation of goods or services, both tangible and intangible. This includes, but is not limited to, manufacturing, assembling, packaging, and even service-orientated outputs.”
By contrast, he added, manufacturing is merely one facet within the overarching domain of production, specifically concerned with the transformation of raw materials into finished commodities through the employment of machinery, labour, and tools.
“Thus, to assert that all production is manufacturing betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of the distinction between these terms. While all manufacturing falls under the umbrella of production, not all production can be categorised as manufacturing. To suggest otherwise is not only intellectually dishonest but also flagrantly misleading to the public you claim to in-form,” Hydara added.
He said Jah Oil, whether or not involved in the physical manufacturing of cement, remains undeniably integral to the nation’s production framework, as evidenced by its capability to meet the country’s cement demands within a mere three days.
“Furthermore, your insinuation that Jah Oil enjoys some form of ‘privileged treatment’ at the ports is not only unsubstantiated but borders on reckless conjecture. My assertions were unequivocal, and there exists no verifiable evidence to corroborate your baseless insinuations of favouritism,” he said.
Hydara charged that Jah Oil adheres strictly to the same regulatory and logistical frameworks governing all legitimate businesses operating within The Gambia.
“To impugn our integrity through speculative drivel is not only irresponsible but demonstrates a lack of basic comprehension of operational realities. I would advise you to abstain from such unfounded allegations in the future, as your credibility suffers for it. I implore you to familiarise yourself with these critical distinctions before endeavouring to warp facts under the pretence of analysis,” he said.
