Who is President Yahya Jammeh?

The Independent (Banjul)
OPINION
November 11, 2002
Posted to the web November 11, 2002

By Modou Sanyang
Banjul

Gambians, it must be said, are a laid back lot. A huge percentage of
visitors from the sub region are doing all kinds of menial jobs to survive.
We prefer well-laden jobs overnight, complain that things are getting drier
daily while our brothers and sisters from the sub region make it right in
our front of our very eyes. Even President Jammeh is distraught with the
attitude Gambians spew across. For a man who hits the target when it comes
to straight talk, he did a similar thing here when he uttered that to work
for a living trepidate Gambians. Jammeh, who stormed State House and seized
power, putting President Jawara to flight eight years ago, in this
translated interview with GRTS talks on his childhood days, family and
other issues.

Your Excellency where did you spend your childhood days?

Jammeh: I spend my childhood days here in Kanilai. During does those days
we hunt and tend cattle.

What was your parent's main occupation in those days?

Jammeh: Farming was basically their main occupation although they have
goats, cattle and sheep.

Would you say farming is genetic for you?Jammeh: Yes, during the days of my
parents, one has to go to the farm even if you are a child. If you cannot
work then you fetch water for them. Any time we go to school in the
morning, we normally eat our lunch at the farm and you won't eat if you
don't go there. Our elders normally say that the food eaten at home is from
the farm and one has to therefore have to go to the farm to eat and work or
stay at home with hunger.

People normally believed that farming is only tilling the soil. Is that
what you too advocate?

Jammeh: There are different methods of farming although it is true that
tilling the soil is part of it. However, I believe that farming can be done
in many ways like planting fruits, rearing cattle and poultry among other
things. These are all methods of farming because these animals feed on farm
produce like grains, groundnut hay, coos etc. There are many things you can
cultivate on the farm which yield more money than groundnut and has less
labour e.g. melon, maize etc or any other work in which you can gain
something to take care of your family.

Back to your childhood days. Do you go hunting in the bush?

Jammeh: During those days, everything has a time. For example, in the rainy
season, we do not go to the bush for hunting or harvesting palm fruits
because there is a lot of grass and snakes on the palm trees.

There used to be many palm trees here in Kanilai.

Were you bold enough to climb palm trees?

Jammeh: (smiles) It was there I learnt to harvest palm fruits. We normally
go up to other neighbouring villages to harvest palm fruits but at this
time we normally embark on farming, herding cattle, digging wild cassava
and scaring off birds at the maize farms.

During your childhood days, were you bullied?

Jammeh: No! That is not Yahya Jammeh. In fact, one may be afraid to go to a
certain group because Jammeh is there but I, Jammeh was never afraid to go
to my friends be it my seniors or age mates. I am not afraid of any one.

Were you taught by your parents to be disciplined or you learnt that from
school?

Jammeh: The way my people used to bring up their people is different from
now. In those days, if I see a goat or hen being slaughtered at a
neighbouring compound I will be punished for it. This is because my people
believe that such narration's turns a child into a liar. Also, if I swore
in the street, even a stranger who is passing by would flog me. If I
mention it at home, another beating rewards that!

Let's face it. You cannot fit in any society if you don't respect elders.
The discipline in me all started in Kanilai. You run for all you are worth
if sent on an errand. When eating, elders would sit down first before
children and you dare not stare at an elder. You only look at the spot
where you are eating. Nowadays, children laugh, scratch their bodies whilst
eating! We believed that you would not suffer if you are discipline but you
have many enemies if you lack it.

You are something of a linguist in Gambian languages?

Jammeh: I can learn any language once I heard people speaking it. I used to
live in Kiang before the death of my uncle. Then I was more fluent in
mandinka than Jola and I found it very difficult when I returned to Kanilai
because the people here cannot speak Mandinka. Any time I speak Mandinka,
they would rebuff me for they are of the belief that Mandinkas do not hear
any other language and so why speak theirs? They try to speak other
languages like Fula and Sarahuli. Thus, I had a difficult time and I was
often isolated when we go the bush because they see me as a Mandinka as I
was not fluent in Jola! I try to learn the language of any one I stay with
because to know them better and his culture. My loves for people have also
enabled me to know many languages.

With a good grasp of Biology, one would have thought that you would have
become a doctor. How did you end up in an entirely different field?

Jammeh: To be a doctor was my ambition even before I started school! The
Bwiam Dispensary used to be the only referral center in Foni. When I learnt
that the main responsibility of doctors is to save lives and help people,
which further fired up my determination to be a doctor. My father used to
cure people with roots and herbs. When going to school as a Science
student, I was good in Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics.

The doctor ambition faded in form two and three and I had opted to be an
engineer. However, what God destines is what one would be. Honestly, I have
never thought of putting on a military uniform. When I graduated I even
have the chance to study engineering in a Chicago university but I just
changed my mind and joined the Gendarmerie.

I understand you were very generous during your military days?

Jammeh: I learnt all these benevolence from my father. In those days,
during this time of the rainy season when all crops are not ripe and people
are to depend on what they reserve in their stores. Many people, even from
cassamance including some who refuse to farm will count on my father for
survival. What I found amazing was that he could even give out the last
grain of coos we have. We normally complain but his response was that 'if
you give food to people God will also feed you.' That is how I learn from
my father that if you believe in God that what you possess is from Him, you
will help people who are more poorer than you which I grew up with. Let me
tell you a story. There was a time when my father gave me a ten Dalasis
note to buy cloth for Tobaski. On my way out from our compound, I met one
elderly man who asked me to give him the money for his Tobaski. I refused,
as it was also the only money I had for the Tobaski.

( Cont'd on page 13)


--
There is a time in the life of every problem when it is big enough to see,
yet small enough to solve (Mike Leavitt)

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