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Momodou
Denmark
11832 Posts |
 Posted - 29 Jul 2007 : 01:46:47
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PRESIDENT JAMMEH SPEAKS ON JULY 22 CELEBRATIONS
By Bubacarr K. Sowe & Suwaibou Touray
President Yahya Jammeh has said, among other things, in his July 22 anniversary speech, on Sunday, that the day is celebrated each year to reflect on the achievements and shortcomings of his government so that they would get guidance in their drive to achieve sustainable growth and development.
The President said he is proud that they have made great strides at transforming The Gambia in a short period of time but that we should not be complacent. He said the past twelve months have witnessed unprecedented development in the history of the government. He promised to make this country the best country in the world. He, however, said the development will not come from the sky; that we have to work for it together as Gambians. The President, however, said he would have wished by now The Gambia becomes the economic super power of Africa but that man proposes and Allah disposes. The President emphasised however that attitudes must change, especially, for the young children of this country, and more so for the boys and girls going to school. He said if they want to succeed they have to discipline themselves. They have to respect their teachers etc.
He also singled out Mauritania who he cited as strategic allies and true friends. The President went back to discipline and said people shake their heads and say Oh, My God! today’s world. He asserted that since Allah created the world, the day has always been 24 hours, Monday to Sunday and seven days a week; that it has always been the same. He opined that it is people who have changed.
He said to ensure that children are disciplined; teachers have to certainly play their part because children stay with teachers more than 15 hours a day. The President said if parents sigh away from their responsibility of inculcating discipline in their children, the teachers cannot inculcate that in the children. He said parents must take that responsibility as good parents. He said we should not blame teachers. He reiterated that we have to change our attitudes for this country to go forward.
“When I said parents, I know you will not like it but I am glad that you don’t like it,” he said. He thanked the women and mothers of this country for being role models for taking care of their children and buying school uniform for them. He said the African culture says it is a shared responsibility that men take care of the boys and the ladies take care of the girls.
The President asked whether we are afraid of the boys and expect the mothers to discipline them. He said mothers would also concentrate on the girls and as he opined this is why the girls are more sympathetic than the boys and they are better at school. He then asked what men are doing and further asked how many times we have seen young Gambians risk their lives to go to Babylon. The President asked how many women do that, he said something must be wrong he said, because both girls and boys are Gambians. He concluded that the fathers have failed and this is why only the boys do risk their lives for Babylon.
The President further asserted that sometimes, the men don’t have ‘copari ndawal’ (fish money) and that is why they do dodge. He however maintained that you can dodge your wife and children but you cannot dodge Allah. So as he put it, let us live by that so that this country will be a great country.
Coming back to the topic the President asserted that Gambia can develop faster than a space rocket but attitudes must change, but as he said he is banking on Allah who is supporting his government and also that he has good intentions for The Gambians.
The President went to education and acknowledge the importance of education because as he said the biggest enemy of Africa is ignorance. He said it is because of ignorance that a small problem will lead to rockets flying and destroying our continent.
He said Africa was a glorious continent before their friends came; that Africa was the richest continent, the most advanced continent. He then challenge them and said if they dispute it, let them tell him why they stayed in Africa for 400 years. He added that Africa was united and the same tribes were here but why do we have tribal wars than the rest of the world combined, he asked. He said the fact however is that all the major conflicts that lasts longer than necessary occur in Africa.
The President decried the exploitation of Africa and asked if the industrial activities of less than 200 years can deplete the ozone layer, what about the exploitation of Africa’s resources. The President also spoke on slavery and how they took the strongest across the Atlantic and turned them into slaves. He spoke about colonialism and how they celebrate the holocaust and promised that it will never happen again, but as he said when the centenary of slavery ends and abolition of slavery came, even Tony Blair would not apologize. He asked, are we not human beings? President Jammeh opined that the genocide against Africans have never been recognised by the Whiteman and opined that it is African blood, tears and sweat that make the Whiteman to become wealthy. According to him 400 years of British rule and 30 years before they came cannot be compared to their 13 years. He said for all these period they cannot give us a university but they are bombarding them with one criticism after another instead of leaving them alone. He asked whether they are going to accept that. He said the British left us with only two high schools and two hospitals.
The President also touched on the G8 summit and said they took a photo but did not include Africans but that after the Summit they only asked them to make a statement. He said they pledged one billion dollars five years ago on condition that they put in the Peer Review mechanism but said up to today not even a million has been disbursed.
The President harped on the history of suffering Africa and concluded that the West will never help Africa to develop; that they can give or pledge 50 million dollars to Afghanistan over the next two years for hunting Osama Bin Laden and can even force other countries to cancel the debt of Iraq amounting to billions of dollars. He said he does not think any Western country can say they have given this lamp to The Gambia because they regard him (Jammeh) as radical and dangerous. He clarified that he is not dangerous and he is telling the truth. He however emphasized that if the truth is what makes him dangerous, then he will always be dangerous. He said he has to tell the truth so that they wake up from our slumber.
The President informed the gathering that we will not be respected if we should jump into globalization and privatize industries that create thousands of jobs. He said Gambia had a refinery and was producing groundnut cooking oil and was said Gambians were healthy at the time and did not know Asthma that much but as he opined the former government privatized it and today we are eating cooking oil. He said Gambians were healthy at the time and did not know asthma that much but as he opined the former government privatized it and today we are eating cooking oil which we don’t even know what it is made of.
Coming to discipline, the President said there has never been in history when the state is responsible of the children. He said if they want them to be disciplined, then the police will have to intervene and the international press will say Yahya Jammeh is now suppressing the school children because as he said they call him a dictator, but he said he loves that title, because he is a dictator that doesn’t take nonsense, a dictator of development and not of corruption, he posited.
Coming to human rights, he said, if young Africans end up in jail for being nothing but illegal immigrants and then they blame The Gambia government for trying and sending people to jail for plotting a coup; he asked what type of human rights are we talking about.
He said the D30, 000 they pay to human traffickers can be used to have a decent farm, a garden and decent business. “Look at all the foreigners in this country,” he said. He added that he can dare say none of them have started with a thousand dalasis. He said those hustlers pay D30, 000 to human traffickers the boat would sink and after landing in any of the European countries, a Gambian who has never got a criminal record would automatically go to prison.
The President finally thanked the Mauritanians who sent a special delegation, assuring them that they will always be their strategic partners in socio-economic development.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 85/2007, 24-25 July, 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jul 2007 : 14:52:50
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When president Jammeh addresses the issue of discipline, it is important for him to reflect on the amount of insults he casts on Gambian elders over national radio and television. Some times during public meetings, Jammeh takes liberty to insult elders and the whole nation. Is that discipline on his part? |
Karamba |
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anna
Netherlands
730 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jul 2007 : 16:28:37
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Karamba, no - there should never be a need to insult. But what Mr Jammeh wants to achieve, i think, is an awakening. It seems that now he is making a big issue of making his people aware that a complete change of mentality is necessary. Don't you agree to the fact that 30,000 dalasis could do something at home instead of spending it on a very risky adventure like trying to reach the Canary Islands by rickety boat? I am not a Gambian and i even hesitate to react to Mr Jammeh's speech. I never thought i would speak up for him, but i like the way he makes it clear that he understands that the Gambian women are the hard workers and that the men give up too easily. Also, his remarks about teachers being important influences on the mentality of children but that in the end it is first of all the parents' responsibility to set a good example, appeal to me. These are all day-to-day practicalities that could make people change their view of the future. If you always say 'we are poor, and we have nothing', you will indeed always stay poor and you will never have anything.
Mind you, the fact that he wants his people to convince of these facts doesn't make him an ideal leader - first of all he should be a good role model himself, set the best possible example. |
When an old African dies, it is as if a whole library has burnt down.
Amadou Hampate Ba (Mali) |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jul 2007 : 17:11:37
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Anna
Where you ended is where I find it ideal to begin; being a role model. Unfortunately, Jammeh is the wrong model for Gambians in generations. He started it by using guns to destroy democratic instruments of governance. Next, he threatens and kills those perceived as resisting him. He verbally cast insults at elders (something sensitive in Gambian culture.) On the economic front, he grows from rags to riches while the rest of Gambia crawls under his merciliess treatment. That to many, is unacceptable. Whatever change of hearts the situation requires, Jammeh has to give Gambians a break by getting off that seat so that a more sustainable and peaceful society gets on the wheel. Thank you for your interest in Gambia. |
Karamba |
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