Culled from the Observer


Jammeh calls for economic independence as Gambia clocks 37

His Excellency the president, Yahya Jammeh, yesterday harped on the need for
both political and economic independence as the country marked 37 years of
what he called “political independence”.

Giving his usual presidential address at the end of the day’s ceremonious
activities, characterised by the traditional march past of security forces,
school children as well as cultural groups, the president said, “It is 37
years since the Gambia attained independence yet we have been importing
matches, candles.... We import every thing.” We are still a backward
country... The important thing is that 37 years ago, we asked to be
independent. Political independence is nothing,it is meaningless as long as
we do not have economic independence,” the president decried, noting that
some would wonder why we’re celebrating political independence devoid of
economic independence. Jammeh gave a similitude of water and tea in
illustrating his view of how economic independence was indispensable to
political independence.

The 21st century is a century of survival of the fittest. We have to work.
We have to acquire skills,” the president emphasised. He said despite 37
years of independence, the country’s judiciary was dominated by foreigners.
“Are we independent?,” Jammeh questioned, advising school children to become
judges, engineers, doctors, amongst others for a better Gambia. “You must
concentrate on your education. For you to be educated, you must be
disciplined. For you to be disciplined, you must respect your teachers,”
Jammeh told students. He also cautioned parents not to abandon their
responsibility by living the welfare of their children to only their
mothers. The president further question how we could be independent when
local enterprises and key sectors of the national economy were dominated by
foreigners. “How are we going to be independent? We need to change our
attitude. If we look around, carpenters, tailors, drivers, are all
foreigners. What are we Gambians waiting for?,” the president asked again.
Jammeh further questioned school children whether they wanted The Gambia to
continue importing everything from outside, the answer was a resounding
‘no.’

Senegal-Gambia bilateral relations With his Senegalese counterpart Maitre
Abdoulie Wade and spouse listening, Jammeh said, “the Gambia can’t be
economically independent in the absence of Senegal. So the two countries,
are all one, adding that “those who divided us will not want us to be
united. Unless we are united and stop killing each other, we will never
benefit from our resources.

” “The world is threatened with intolerance. I don’t think we can perpetrate
violence in the name of politics and religion. September 11th is a clear
call to wake up. We will never accept terrorism and intolerance because
intolerance breeds violence” Jammeh said, counselling school children to be
tolerant. “Students, you have to be tolerant. If you can’t tolerate each
other, you will grow up to be intolerant people... It is easier to destroy
than to build,” Jammeh said, giving the example of the Twin Towers in the US
which he said crumbled into ruins in a short time when it took years to
build them.



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