Action,
not words
The phrase "emphasized the need to.." is among the most widely
read phrases on Yemeni TV and radio. It usually comes as follows a name
of an official such as "During the (meeting, conference, seminar, etc.)
the (minister, president, official, etc.) emphasized the need to .."
Yemenis have become so accustomed to this phrase that they no longer
believe the seriousness of those excerpts. The "need to progress, develop,
improve, build , etc." usually resembles the fact that officials are
on many occasions are mere talkers who know what is needed but do not fulfill
their duty to have this needed thing become a reality.
How many times have we heard that this or that official has expressed
the need to do something, but that something is never done?
It is so unfortunate that the official media has presented an image
that could potentially deceive the viewers because saying that we need
something could temporarily have the public relieved that the official
saying this knows what is needed. But are those needs met in reality?
Our country's decision makers have talked for far too long about the
need to have security, the need to reduce poverty, the need to facilitate
investment, the need to eradicate illiteracy, the need to provide better
education and health services, yet none of those needs are met.
In a time we are preparing for elections, those officials currently
in key positions should evaluate what they have done for the public besides
talk. They should see if what they have done was indeed satisfactory to
have the public trust in them for another term.
Today the public is so frustrated that not much of what is said is
implemented on the ground, especially those concerning the economy. They
hear about numbers in millions of US dollars and projects worth billions
of Yemeni rials, yet fail to see how they have improved their lives.
Those coming months should be a time for self-assessment by the government
and ruling party to correct its wrong-doings and start all over again.
People want tangible results that improve their lives. They are fed
up with optimistic sentences and phrases describing our needs.
They want their needs to be met.

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