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Chad |
SOCIAL CONDITIONS
Duplicity creeping into Chad’s morals
For some time now, it looks as if everyone’s living dishonestly: Just take a look at the following — counterfeit currency, bogus doctors, fake medicines, phoney customs officers and policemen, forged diplomas and documents...All this poisons the atmosphere and makes citizens anxious.
Counterfeiters
Concerning currency, it all came to a head in 1988 when a major counterfeit currency racket involved Chad’s presidency. In June 1988, Lazare Pedro (Togolese), who said he was a personal friend of President Déby, was arrested in Paris carrying forged Bahraini dinars. The amount in real money amounted to the equivalent of 2 billion FF. According to François Xavier Verschave, in his book «Black Silence» (published by Arenes in March 2000), the gentleman in question was about to deposit this sum into the account of Hassan Fadoul Kidir, President Déby’s special adviser. And so, because a big shot has lent his name to fishy business, anything seems to go in Chad.
A group of forgers operating in the clear light of day in such major centres as Abéché, Sarh and Moundou, have suddenly put in an appearance. They excel in producing counterfeit bank notes. They go around in expensive clothes, shiny shoes, ostentatious bracelets, bowler hats and big golden neckchains. They are «protected» by «certain» people, so they are never disturbed. They ignore Mr and Mrs Average Citizen and make themselves obnoxious towards wives and girls as these try to earn their daily crust.
Helped by dealers from Cameroon, Niger and Liberia, the Chadian forgers are now making their fortunes under everyone’s noses. Businessmen, banks and firms are obliged to check and test every banknote they receive. Most forged notes are in the 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000 franc denominations. Well-known businessmen, conned by the forgers, end up in the hands of the police. And what a police force! They’re pitiful. They’re ill-equipped to carry out their duties. And worst of all, some officers are in cahoots with the forgers so as to increase their monthly pay.
General situation
Matters are even worse when medical personnel are involved. Last August, a young man of about 28 passed himself off as a doctor and become to «treat» patients in the N’Djamena General Hospital. He went to «work» every morning and took part in medical staff meetings like any doctor or nurse. For three months he gave injections, examined patients, took consultation fees and sold medicines, before being found out by hospital officials. Taken to the police, the false doctor declared he did all this in order to survive because he was so poor.
At Customs, similar stories occur. Last September, three young men called Ali Haggar, Ali Issa Ali and Djidda Abdallah, managed to get hold of forms, receipts and stamps from N’Djamena’s Customs services. With the help of this equipment, Djidda succeeded in getting his hands on the Valued Added Tax (VAT) charged for services rendered. Ali Issa even had the nerve to go to the Treasury to withdraw 100,000 CFA francs!
The prices of foodstuffs on sale in the market, such as granulated sugar, salt, milk, maize flour, are unscrupulously marked up. For example, granulated sugar comes from neighbouring countries such as Nigeria and Cameroon via traffickers. These are usually handicapped people (one-eyed, blind, lepers, cripples) who travel on foot or on their tricycles to Koussri, a border town, to get sugar or other household articles which they then sell in the city market. They have no trouble in passing through Customs as the officials are very understanding. As one young customs officer puts it: «You can’t possibly confiscate a handicapped person’s bag of sugar. After all, you’ve got to be a bit human on this job». But what do these so-called traders do? Once they reach home, they mix the sugar and salt with yeast. Selling the mixture in the market to unsuspecting customers, they reap a handsome profit. Other products such as alcohol, cosmetics, tea and medicines are also sold in the same way.
The State and society are negligent
What’s the reason for this state of affairs? Poverty, the country’s economic and social crisis, lack of state control, idleness, neighbouring countries who are also «on the make». The fact that traffickers know they can get away with it, encourages people to involve themselves in these fraudulent practices. Recently, Chad’s population has become all but paralysed. Some Chadians are quite prepared to declare that «public morality is not for them». All this leads to a lowering in moral standards. The average Chadian is easily hoodwinked by these dealers.
Countryfolk are far more easily taken in than city dwellers. Stockbreeders and farmers have no means of detecting forged currency, so they are easy targets for fake business people. Unscrupulous dealers buy cattle and grain using counterfeit money, and the unfortunate farmers have no means of knowing they are being taken for a ride.
Many bewail the State administration which seems to have its priorities all wrong. The authorities completely ignore social issues without realising all this has a serious effect on the country. All-round repression seems to be the order of the day so as to guarantee the State’s security, and «don’t mind the citizens». The authorities forget that social evils, if ignored, can cause a government’s downfall. Just take a look at what’s happened in other countries.
What’s preventing the various services in our towns and cities from adequately carrying out their work? Some people drily say: «Because they’re corrupt». Yet, citizens can fill in whenever necessary through various citizens’ associations. e.g. The police service can be supplemented by a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme. Complaints on dishonesty in the markets or against the public administration can be taken to a Citizens’ Advice Bureau or Consumers’ Association. But, unfortunately, Chad’s citizens are not prepared to participate in such associations. The Trade Unions which are supposed to be keeping an eye on workers’ interests don’t seem to be interested with the workers’ living conditions. Certain Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO)s which should have at heart the population’s well-being, fawn obsequiously to donor countries so they can fill their own coffers. The country in which they are working may have real problems, but these are ignored by the NGOs.
The one ray of hope is the Consumer’s Defence Association (ADC) which from time to time lifts its little finger to denounce certain downward spiralling in the social field. However, the ADC itself has serious defects within its own organisation, and has considerable difficulty in making its voice heard. For example, when the ADC warned that far too much electricity and water was being consumed and that the public would suffer in the long-term, nobody seemed to listen. And when the ADC conducted an all-out campaign to gather in forged or incorrect bills in circulation, only about a hundred could be found, whereas thousands of consumers were victims of this trickery.
In a not too far past, Chad’s citizens were the very epitome of honesty, humility and goodness. This is only a memory nowadays. Why, within a decade, has such a valuable credit rating falling apart?
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