While There is a Will, There is a Way [Archives:2000/17/Focus]

Moh’d Al-Qadhi 
Managin Editor – Yemen Times 
The British say “while there is a will, there is a way”. This is true. Change is the law of life, either to the better or the worse. There is nothing constant. But the change that leads to the prosperity can never be carried out or implemented with a decision only, particularly in Yemen where decisions seldom see the light of day. That is, it is easy for our officials to issue decisions but it is not easy to get them implemented. Change needs a strong will , especially on the part of the people in authority. There must be an inner incentive to substantiate the drive of change and make it meet the needs of the people.
Residents and visitors of the capital Sana’a can not miss to observe the municipality sweepers galloping through to make the city of Sana’a look beautiful and clean. They are working day and night and are short of nothing. They are not suffering from any financial straits as they always allege. They have all the machines and other equipment. Everything is going fine and the situation of some main parts of the capital has really improved. The Mayor of the capital stated that YR 61,260 million had been singled out for this campaign to clean the city for the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Yemeni unification.
People are very surprised to see this serious and hard work in such a relatively short span of time which, if it will continue, will make the city able to handle the garbage and sewer it generates. This makes us conclude that if our rulers want change, they can do it and nothing stops in their way.
Well folks, the question of celebrations in general is a waste of the nation’s wealth. The unification is a great event that we all glorify and feel proud of. Unfortunately, the event is associated with a great decline in various aspects of the life of the Yemeni people. This is not the fault of the unity. It is rather the fault of the people in charge who have been misusing the power which led to this deadlock. We suffer from nepotism, favoritism, corruption, political instability, economic deterioration..etc. All this, of course, makes the people perceive the event as the reason of all these problems we are going through. Besides, many think the money spent extravagantly and through the nose on such celebrations would increase the suffering of the people. This money, estimated at $11 billion or more, can better be made use of if channeled to areas of great priority. A lot of our cities like Taiz live now in the dark and suffer from lack of water supply and other essential facilities. A lot of people feed on the garbage boxes. A lot of schools are without teachers, furniture and other facilities. The list can go on.
Therefore, isn’t it better if such money be channeled to such areas than on glorifying a deadly corrupt regime which has no will to lead the drive of change in the society? I heard that the people in Brazil went on demonstrations asking the government not to spend the public wealth on similar celebrations. Will the Yemeni people do the same?
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