Culled from Africa News Agency. Courtey of the Point Newspaper.
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Is Jammeh President For The Money? (Part Four)
Point News (Banjul)
August 9, 2000
Banjul - President Jammeh has said he is not in the presidency for the sake of acquiring wealth. He said he is not sitting at State House for the money. "Don't I want to be out and about. Some there are in the companies, what they receive we do not get. Yet they go places, do and say as a they please; don't I want to do the same?" he asked his audience.
"But this country is worth anything to me; its worth my life, bilai walai talai, and I have laid down my life/put my life on the line. So whoever wants to destroy this country must put his life on the line. You must know you have put your life at risk, and you will lose it, that is, if you want to destroy this country," he declared.
Speaking to members of the APRC youth wing recently, Jammeh advised they must look for quality, not numbers in their membership. The disbanded July 22 Movement allowed things to deteriorate to the extent that wolves, not wolves in sheep's clothing, but real wolves, to join the movement and cause havoc in all directions, in the name of the movement. "You must not allow that to happen again…" Nationwide electrification Continuing, Jammeh said, "I can swear, because I do not rely on anything but Allah. Allah is what I have. Next July 22nd celebration, Allah-willing, before we celebrate electricity will reach many areas; I'm not saying Banjul. Something is on the way. By next July 22 celebration if 98% of the country does not have electricity supply, then there won't be any celebration anywhere…it's something that is bound to be, otherwise I won't be saying so."
'It's my money' He said People say Yahya stays put at Kanilai where there is 24 hours electricity supply. "Yes, it is true; there is no blackout there. It is my money. If you have money you can as well go to your village and put electricity there. Yes, fo na bama ma futu (Mandinka for - is my mother not properly married - Saye Ndey in Wollof!) that, I give people light, and stay in darkness in my village?"
"Ask the civil servants. With the many wolves in sheep's clothing, if I had stolen public money, won't they say so? But they know what I put in the government/state. Touray (Yankuba) is here. People give it (money) to me. Wherever I go, I'm told because of your efforts, we assist you with this. This is not for the country; we will help the country. But this is for you. When I return, I give it to the state. Some of my companions (on the trip?) get angry with me because of that, bilai walai talai.
About the vehicles he gave to the police and APRC youth wing, Jammeh said, "that is my money."
"When you hear so and so is stealing, it's because he wants to have wealth. I f I wanted to be wealthy, it won't be worth my while to give away what I have; what I possess. It won't be necessary to steal, because what I have I won't simply give away to people.
Jammeh then declared: "And I will go on until I die, my children, grand children and great grand children would not know poverty/live in poverty."
He added that he was born in an environment where what you possess belongs to all/you share it. "Allah said so in the Holy Quran," Jammeh reminded his audience.
President Jammeh who likes to brag, and is self-righteous, earlier told his audience that he will prosper in this world, as well as in the hereafter.
Kanilai lights Thus, Jammeh said Kanilai has continuous electricity supply through his "own efforts." It was not necessary, he said, to broadcast on the BBC that there is electricity supply for 24 hours at Kanilai. One could have simply sat at the sidewalk in the street and, in full public view, announce that the lights do not go out in Kanilai…" Afterall, Jammeh continued, "the world is already aware that Kanilai has constant power supply; nothing is hidden; ambassadors and ministers from overseas come there."
Jammeh said a person who visited Kanilai asked why he was not denying all that is being said, in the Internet and elsewhere, about an airport, a five-star hotel and a road leading to Kanilai which is second to none; since these were nowhere to be seen there. Jammeh said the person was shown the three FTI buildings (rest houses?) and it was explained that was all; and he was advised to go round the village and see for himself.
But, according to Jammeh, what his detractors are saying about structures in Kanilai, are prayers for good things, not a curse; and that what they say will come to be. After all, Jammeh said, he is a target of such talk because he is blessed and a worthy somebody, and that nonentities will not receive the kind of attention his detractors give him.
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Copyright (c) 2000 The Point. Distributed via Africa News Online (www.africanews.org).