Culled from The observer


President Jammeh’s exclusive interview the burning issues

In this exclusive interview with The Daily Observer’s editor-in-chief, Kebba
Dibba, president Yahya Jammeh spoke at length on a number of burning issues,
including his government’s record over the last seven years, the amnesty to
Sir Dawda, the presidential and National Assembly elections, the UDP
boycott, his relationship with the media, foreign policy as well as women
and youth matters amongst others.

Excerpts: May I begin by congratulating you on your victory at the October
18 presidential polls and for your party's good showing at the recently
concluded National Assembly elections. Mr President all these things are
coming against the background of certain developments. You seized power
seven years ago, what is your personal assessment of your own record, in
terms of your socio-economic development agenda?

Thank you very much for congratulating and me and... well, my assessment is
based on the reaction of the people, that we lived up to their expectation
and that is why they voted me into office for the second time. We have done
a lot over the last seven years but still The Gambia has a long way to go
based on what I want to do for this country. And I hope that Gambians would
see better times in the next five years. We still have hurdles, the rest of
the country still needs electricity, portable water, good roads, more
schools, mechanisation of agriculture and better medical and health care for
every Gambian. We have a long way to go but I hope and I believe that by the
grace of the Almighty Allah, Gambians will see in the next five years what
they have not seen before.

Mr President breaking down these issues, you've pin pointed key areas that
would deserve your government's attention and one has to specifically
mention agriculture, health, education ... how far?

I think I mentioned schools, I mentioned agriculture and mechanisation and a
lot of other things too. I would rather prefer to do things and let people
talk about them because I don't want to tell people what is going to
happen...they will see for themselves. But in any area you can think of, the
sky is the limit.

There are people of the view that you have placed more emphasis on
infrastructural development in The Gambia. If you go by statistics, more
than sixty per cent of the population is rural and their activities are
mainly agricultural, yet this significant proportion of the population
cannot fill the national food basket. Food self-sufficiency must certainly
be high on your agenda; isn't it?

If you look at The Gambia's agricultural produce in retrospect, from
independence to ‘94 and from ‘94 to now, Gambians would realise a big
difference. We have a higher out put - bumper harvest almost every year. So
really, the food basket will not fall from the sky. What you need is enough
rainfall and fertile soil and every year the Department of State for
Agriculture supplying fertilise, there is enough rain and we have supplied
tractors free of charge to farmers. But the rest is left to the individual
farmer to go back to the land. So we are doing everything possible to make
sure that we are self sufficient. Those who talk about insufficiency in food
supply do no also take certain factors into consideration. If you go to
Lumos, you will see Gambians selling cereals at very low prices to
Senegalese and what normally happens is, the Senegalese or whoever buys
these food stuff keep them until June when the farmers must have sold
everything and are almost hungry, bring back the same food stuff and sell it
to the same farmers at cut throat prices. So if you go around the Lumo, you
see people selling Suno, coos, corn, millet...and some of them tend to
forget that they need the same food stuff for the upkeep of the family. ...
I didn't say they should not sell their supplies but I believe that if we
sell them within the Gambia, there will be nothing like hunger in this
country. Basically, farmers have no excuse to be hungry. But the role of men
in food production is crucial yet women tend to take the lead in subsistence
farming while men, to some extent, concentrate on cash corps -

what incentives are there to induce men to venture more into food crops?

A sense of responsibility is all they need. They should know that as men and
heads of families, they are entirely responsible for the upkeep and
maintenance of the family. So if they grow only cash crops knowing that what
they get may be all spent on food stuff, then they should concentrate on
both food and cash crops because that is what used to obtain in the past.
Look at our Gambian women, they work twelve out of twelve months - that is a
whole year. There is no law that says men cannot do that. You look at school
children, you have about ninety eight per cent of them having their school
fees paid by their mothers, they are clothed by their mothers. In most
cases, in some homes, it is the mother that has to toil to bring something
to the table. What are we husbands doing? Who is giving the women the
incentive? The Social Development Fund is there and other funds but who
access these funds to utilise them? They are women, so the only incentive is
a sense of responsibility to know that it is my responsibility as the father
or husband of the compound to provide both-cash and food crops to make sure
that the burden of producing food crops does not lie squarely on women.

Mr President, let's talk about some of the natural resources God has endowed
us with. You talk about the River Gambia, a greater length of it is fresh
water. There is the concept that this natural resource is being grossly
under-utilised both for fisheries, agriculture...?

Well, you don't expect the government to go into fishing but the government
has provided facilities and the enabling environment to make sure that these
resources are utilised. You look at the government's role, we brought in an
expert Taiwanese agronomist team and they are using the fresh water you are
talking about. But when you go to the fields they are cultivating, you
hardly find a man there and if you are talking about water resources
including fish, you go Tanji, ninety eight per cent of them are all
foreigners. You go to any fishing points despite the fact that you put in a
modern facility to process fish, the beneficiaries are foreigners. And is
not encouraging as a country, as a government, you are providing facilities
to increase the income and enhance the welfare of your citizens only to find
out that these facilities are being utilised by foreigners. That is cause
for concern for your government - is't it? Any responsible government that
is interested in the welfare of the people would be concerned.

But what do you intend to do about it?

Well, you cannot force a Gambian to go and fish but we will continue to
provide the facilities. Isn't it sad that the only people you find at the
fishing sector are Gambian women? They go to the beach, buy fish from
foreigners and take it to our markets. It’s really a cause for concern. What
we can do is educate the people and seven years today I think Gambians
should answer to the ... call. Mr President let's talk about politics a bit.
You emerged victorious at the October 18 Presidential polls with under fifty
three per cent of the votes, are you contended? I am grateful because that
is the will of God. The most important thing is to win and I have won which
means that the Gambian people have confidence in me. But you could have done
better? Well, that is what God said but in terms of performance and
delivery, everybody knows.

In the Presidential election, the element of surprise, especially in the
Upper River Division (URD) was all the more inherent. Many people thought
you would have had an easy ride over the opposition but going by statistics,
you had only forty one per cent of the votes.

Man can propose but God disposes; that's my answer. The parliamentary
elections have just been held - there were 33 seats you had ready-made,
unopposed - you won in twelve of the fifteen contested seats - a near
absolute majority - isn't it cause for concern? What cause for concern in
terms of what? People may say there was a boycott, that in itself, how do
you see it? Any one who boycotts is exercising a constitutional and
democratic right to either boycott or contest. But the fact is, even if all
the parties boycotted, that is not my problem - that is their problem. What
is important is the will of the Gambian people. If one party out of five
parties, decide not to contest, that is no cause for concern. In fact, it is
a blessing in disguise because that is a violent party - a party that was
bent on nothing but breeding violence and hatred among Gambians. This is why
we had a Parliamentary election without a single incident compared to the
last Parliamentary and Presidential elections.

If it were to make a choice, you would have chosen the status quo - in other
words, you would have preferred the UDP to stay out of it?

It is not for me to decide - it is for the Gambian people to decide what is
in their best interest. It doesn't really matter whether they participated
or not because what is important is what the Almighty Allah say I will get -
and I will get that, whether all the parties contested or boycotted. They
advanced reasons - certainly Gambian people are out there to judge. But from
a personal point of view, what do you make of their reasons? (Laugh) - From
my personal point of view, well all I can tell you is it is God's blessing,
answering to the wishes of good Gambian people, that there shouldn't be
violence, there shouldn't be hatred. Even if the APRC, God forbid, one day
for some reason turn into a party that divides the people and create
tribalism and hatred, one day God would dissolve it in His own way.

Mr President, during your inaugural speech recently, you offered former
president, Sir Dawda Jawara, an unconditional amnesty to return home but
your government had always maintained that you never blocked the way for the
former president's return. What is new in this new offer? The assurance that
he is coming home and will not face the commissions. But how about earlier
decisions taken by the commissions with regards to Sir Dawda and his
personal assets?

The earlier decisions taken - I, as the president, have the power to forgive
or not to forgive. Under the circumstances what are you going to do? I have
made it very clear - it is unconditional. He is free to come home, that
means he has no liability - he is not going to answer any charges.

Does that mean that you are going to give him back at least some of his
assets if he has assets that might have been confiscated to the state?

I have made it very clear that he can come home as an elderly statesman. I
am not going any further than that. So you make your own judgement.

In his interview (Sir Dawda) with GRTS, he did underscore the need for
widening the amnesty net to include others - the Saihou Saballys, the Sara
Janhas...and the others. Any comment Mr President?

Yea! that is his personal opinion, he is expressing his wish.

But what is your position, your government's position on that?

My positions is granting him unconditional amnesty.

During your inaugural speech, you did underscore the need for national
reconciliation - to forgive and forget in the interest of national
development. As a start, what do you think is the way forward to genuine
national reconciliation?

The way forward is granting an unconditional amnesty to the former head of
state. That is the way forward. This brings us back to the UDP boycott -
they are a major political party and if they decide to boycott elections and
advise their supporters not vote - do you think this could impact negatively
on any reconciliation process your government may put in place?

You see - don't misconstrue the reconciliation I am talking about. I am not
talking about reconciliation with regards to parties. What is important is,
Gambians know what is in their best interest, be they APRC NRP or NCP
members...or whatever you call it. So the reconciliation is not based an
parties but individual citizens - based on we Gambians seeing ourselves to
know that the country is larger than party politics. So if anybody boycotts
and tells his supporters, its left to his supporters to judge what is in
their best interest - to participate or not to participate. It is left to
them to decide what is in their best interest, in the interest of the
country and their children.

Let’s talk a little bit about your relationship with the media, how would
you describe it?

Well, you are a journalist and you are in the media, so you should tell me
what it is.

Some are of the opinion that perhaps the media is kind of divided, you have
the pro and the anti Jammeh. Is that the case? Do they have any reasons to
be anti Jammeh?

Well, I don't know actually. Well, you should know because you are a
journalist. Did anyone give reasons why he/she is anti Jammeh? This is based
on a kind of information from a kind of a 'vox pop' that we conducted - it's
the opinion of some people Well, the bottom line is, you said there are
those who are accused of being pro Jammeh and others anti Jammeh.

Do you think there is a portion of the media that you think is sympathetic
to government policy, government conduct?

I would rather ask you the same question. But do you think that you are at
some point, not fairly treated by the media or some section of it?

At all times - you see if you want a visa, you don't have to provoke the
government so that you are picked up... and you go and look for a visa. You
understand what I mean. We do not want to give them cheap popularity, by
either taking you to court or take certain actions. In some countries,
drastic measures would have been taken. I am not against the media but I
will not talk to a dead and rotten horse. You will be wasting your time - so
the most important thing is I keep to myself. You engage in your intrigue
but at the end of the day, it is the Gambian people who are going to judge
and finally God is going to pass judgment between me and you the media. And
I think... recently, you know what I mean - you are revealing yourselves,
your intentions. So it is left to the Gambian people to look at you, the
press and also the international community that you want to please by
castigating the government and spreading lies about Yahya Jammeh. How many
times did you the media say I was shot at Kanilai, that I had to run to
Gambia College? How many wives did you give me, you the media - going up to
the extent of giving fictitious names and quoting sources very close to
state house or reliable sources from State House? Why will you be engaged in
intrigues? You see, with all that you have written negatively about me and
the government, you have done a great service that you would otherwise never
have done under normal circumstances.

You mean a blessing in disguise?

Because of your negative reporting - it has prompted lot of people to come
to The Gambia to find out for themselves only to see that most of you are
big liars. So those people you're trying to impress are no longer impressed
by you because the credibility of the press is now at stake. Remember, when
you point a finger at somebody, four fingers are pointing at you. So in your
attempt to discredit Yahya Jammeh's Government and your own country, you
have discredited yourselves. I am not surprised to see the type of things
that you media people are now confessing. Could we look forward to a day
when President Jammeh would take time, walk around, pay a visit to media
houses?

Why?

At least to see at first hand what they do, how they operate, build up a
relationship with them? Do you think you need to go into a toilet to know
that it stinks, do you? You said they are anti, so why will I go there. They
say some are pro and others are anti Jammeh - for example they say the state
media is Pro Jammeh while the private media is not? The state media is
supposed to report the truth. If anybody is expecting the state media to go
against the government, you are mistaken. Why are you not against your
sponsors even though they do the most horrible things on earth...you don't
talk about their hypocrisy around the world because they are your sponsors.
Do you think the state would entertain a press that is hostile to it?

About the economic situation - we've seen the Dalasi losing ground against
key international currencies,we've seen prices going up? Going up and down.
OK - going up and down Mr. President but what is the state of the economy?

The state of the economy is very good...,take for instance, how many
countries are in the EU. You have all the big guns in economics - the big
guns in EU. What was the value of the Euro against the US Dollar the first
day it was launched? Now compare it today to the Dollar. Can you compare our
economy to the Japanese economy? Look at the rate of the Yen compared to the
US Dollar and the rate of the Dalasi compared to the US Dollar. If the
economic indicators are anything to go by, the Gambia's economy is being
used as a model. How many countries are being praised by the world Bank and
the IMF? But you the media decide not to write that and you pick on the
rising Dalasi and the falling Dalasi but compare the prices of basic
commodities in The Gambia and those in our neighbourhood and you would know.
Of course, currencies do fluctuate. Even the Dollar is sometimes stronger
and sometimes weaker against some currencies. It goes up and down and if the
Dollar can go up and down, why not the Dalasi? Gambians should thank God.
You go to neighbouring countries, you find people sleeping in the streets
and they are citizens of those countries. You find a lot of homeless people
- people who go hungry without food. You go to a lot of countries around us,
if people get one meal a day, they thank God. Here at least people are
eating. Sometimes the quality may be poor but it is nothing compared to
going to bed without food. Let’s talk about the Casamance crisis.

You were involved in the search for lasting peace - what is your level of
involvement up to now? Well, our level of involvement remains the same but
there is a limit as to how you can manoeuvre in some body's compound and
there is a limit to how you can mediate in somebody's compound...we have
always been committed to a peaceful resolution of the crisis and our level
of commitment can only go higher. Before you can talk between two people as
a mediator, you have to get the blessing of both parties. Don't go and say
Jammeh said he did not have the blessing of both parties. What is important
is, we stop wherever we are told to stop. So that is the status quo. Let’s
talk about women - the largest segment of any population, yet women and
children are considered underdogs - we've seen the emergence of women in key
decision making positions and recently, three women have been elected to
Parliament.

How much attention do they receive from your government, vis-a-vis their
social and economic advancement?

The highest attention and in the next five years, they will continue to
receive the highest attention and the highest priority because they work
twelve months a year, they are the breadwinners today. And your government
is expected to come out with more affirmative policies and programmes - for
example the free educational scheme for the girl child - Is your government
envisaging more affirmative policies and programmes designed for the women
and the youths? You will see.

On foreign policy Mr President, or a bit of it - your relationships with the
outside world, your relationship with the West in particularly - can you
comment on that?

(Laugh!) Is there anything wrong with my relations with the West? Not my
personal opinion as such but perhaps, based on what I hear - some criticism
from some quarters. There was a recent local newspaper report that in the US
Trade and Growth Opportunities Act, the Gambian has been excluded. Did they
tell you how many other African countries in this part of the world were
excluded?

No, Mr President but they placed the emphasis on The Gambia?

Well, as far as I am concern, the US/Gambia relations are one of the best,
despite your opinion as media people. I have no problems with the West. I
make my observation in expressing and utilising my freedom of expression. I
feel that whatever is right, I should say it, what is wrong, I should say it
whether it concerns the East or the West or the South. But if you media
people pick it up and say Jammeh is against the West, that is not true. Most
of our best friends are the West, even during the transition. So if you in
the media, instead of finding out from government,sit in your offices, ask
for donations from embassies and then you write that The Gambia has a big
problem with the US or Britain. That is not the reality. In fact you wait
and see.

Can we talk about your relationship with Sheriff Dibba in particular, the
Alliance between the two parties. The APRC-NCP Alliance.Why?

(Laugh!) Well, I think the best thing is to ask Sheriff Dibba. He has been a
veteran opposition politician in this country. He knew the reasons why he
opposed and if he feels that the reasons are no longer there and wants to
come and join in national development, that is what is expected of any
patriotic citizen.

But what is your personal opinion of Sheriff Dibba?

That is what am telling you, he is a patriotic citizen who is interested in
the welfare of the people, who believes that if there is reason to oppose,
he opposes and if there is no reason to oppose, he should join the boat. In
fact, opposition does not mean enmity. Unfortunately, that is what some
people believe it to be and that is the sad thing about our politics. You
talk about democracy, you quote the West. The West after elections, they all
join hands as citizens for the development of their country. That is why
they are moving forward while we Africans are moving backward because we
think opposition is enmity.

Mr President before I part with you, let me ask this question; perhaps after
every Presidential elections what we look forward to is a cabinet reshuffle.
May be by now your line up is ready

? There is no law that says that after every presidential election, I am
obliged to have a new cabinet.

But is often the practice in many instances?

The fact that it is a practice doesn't make it an obligation.

Mr President but do you have a new line up ready for a reshuffle? There is
the existing cabinet, why do you need a new cabinet? So you are not
envisaging any cabinet reshuffle, not in the near future?

Well, I have been reshuffling the cabinet here and there when one or two
people will go home whenever it was necessary. That is reshuffle, what do
you want.?

You are expected to address the nation in your sessional address, what do we
expect - do we have to wait and see?

Of course you have to wait and see. Mr President, some say you work very
hard, tell us about your work schedule?

Well, (laugh!) I work from 8 to 4 like any other government worker in this
country but because of my responsibilities, in most cases I go home around
6, 7 because I don't want to leave things undone and so you expect one to
work a little bit longer than the rest because at the end of the day, all
their files come to me for final decision and I hate to see files lying down
around.

But normally when you are not working, you go to Kanilai. During your
leisure time in Kanilai, what often do you do?

Don't have the conception that each time the president is at Kanilai he
doesn't work. I work at Kanilai as well. Remember, during the renovation of
the State House, I was working from Kanilai. So you journalists, when I go
to Kanilai, do not think that I am going there on a holiday. I still work.
If I am through with my official work in Kanilai, well, I am a farmer, so I
like working on the farm.

Mr President, you are a young man, physically endowed but some people after
all, say you do lot of physical exercise and exertion. Is that the case and
if so, what specifically do you do?

(Laugh!) you have already said it, so what do you want me to say.

I mean do you run, do you jump, do you play football?

You see, jumping, running and playing football are not the only exercises
you can do. You can walk long distances. So most of the time, I walk when I
am at Kanilai. When I am here (down) I do a variety of exercises. I have not
played football for a long time but I certainly do some exercises.

And you do have time for baby Mariama?

What do you expect? I cannot tell Gambian people to be responsible for their
families and be irresponsible to my child. Then I would not be setting a
good example. So I do have time for her and my wife.

The independence anniversary, perhaps the next major national event is just
a couple of weeks away, what do you have to tell Gambian people?

I will tell them on Independence day.

And what do you wish them?

Of course, I always wish Gambian people the best. I wish them all the best
and Gambians should take part in national events. If Gambians do not show
pride in their national events, foreigners cannot be proud of our national
events. So we have to show to everybody that we cherish our national events
and take them seriously.

On that note Mr President, we thank you for giving us your time. We hope to
meet you another time. Thank you. Well, thank you very much, I hope so too.



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