Fankung, Sometimes it takes a special vantage point to see the "big picture". Just to illustrate my point, last year I witnessed "a charity giving event" on the Banjul-Barra Ferry. About half-way to Barra, I saw a group of young men throwing banana from a truck to ferry passengers. Upon inquiry I was told that it was charity from the President's farm. While that was arguably a very generous act for it was at least more than a ton of banana, and no doubt a very welcomed gift for the many hungry travelers who scrambled to get a piece. A closer look revealed some downside. Its been over 40 years since I first traveled the Banjul-Barra ferry and many times since. Never have I crossed without seeing some young boy, girl or woman selling banana. And many of these people depend on what money they get from these to buy a few cups of rice, sugar, soap and even bread from their neighborhood corner stores. These corner store in turn rely on such customers to pay for school fees, taxes, and of course to buy the goods they sell. Failure to sell banana that day, thanks to the President's generosity, could mean a lot of families not eating, corner store owners and market ladies not selling. In short one generous act for the President, one depressing day for communities that depend on the ferry. You see the big picture? Malanding On 8/26/2011 9:14 AM, Fankung Fankung Jammeh wrote: > > Sir, it is politics. Not any different from the tea partiers. But > let's even look at the big picture. This is an investment, one could > question where it is coming from but it will surely benefit the economy > > On Aug 26, 2011 8:56 AM, "Malanding Jaiteh" <[log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote: > > You wonder what will happen to the Red, White and Blue youths? > > > > Malanding > > > > > > > > President Jammeh pledges to open retail shops for Green Youths > > > > Africa <http://observer.gm/africa/news> » Gambia > > <http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/news> > > > > > > Friday, August 26, 2011 > > The president of the Republic has pledged to open retail shops across > > the country for youth militants of the ruling Alliance for Patriotic > > Re-orientation and Construction (APRC) popularly known as 'Green > > Youths'. His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh made the > > pledge Thursday evening at State House, where he held a meeting with an > > APRC delegation from the Central River Region (CRR). > > > > He explained that the shops will be selling basic food commodities like > > high-quality cooking oil, flour and sugar, among other items, at > > affordable prices to the citizenry. > > The scheme, apparently meant to curb profiteering by traders and > > encourage Gambianisation of the basic commodities trading sector, is > > also a way of expressing gratitude by the party leader, President Jammeh > > to the youth militants for their sense of patriotism and loyalty to the > > party. > > > > At Thursday's meeting, the Gambian leader emphasised that he owes it to > > the Green Youths, who he said are always working voluntarily under > > sunshine or rain. President Jammeh then tasked the newly appointed > > national youth mobiliser with the responsibility of ensuring that there > > are Green Youth shops in all the areas. > > > > "So, I want every area to have a Green Youth Shop where I will supply > > commodities like cooking oil, sugar, flour, tomato paste, onion, cement, > > and so on. I have long been calling on wealthy Gambians to intervene and > > take up the markets which are dominated by foreigners, but to no avail," > > he stated. > > > > The president continued: "Some of the traders would say that, let's > > hoard our oil until after Ramadan. But I have warned traders that I will > > not back out if I intervene in any domain of the domestic business. What > > I want to eradicate in this country is the type of cooking oil that > > looks like soap or butter. This type of cooking oil must be flushed out > > of the country. I want the citizens to consume the high-quality cooking > > oil just as in other developed countries." > > > > Commenting on his distribution of Ramadan sugar gift to Muslims, the > > Gambian leader made it clear that he did not do it because of the > > forthcoming election, but rather, it was a strategy meant to check the > > exploitative tendencies of the traders. He added: "In the previous > > years, the sugar comes in the second week of Ramadan, but I observed > > that the traders used to capitalise on those two weeks to rip people to > > make whatever profit they want before the president's sugar comes in. > > > > "With all what I am working for, I am doing it to seek Almighty Allah's > > reward. I am not looking for money; amass fame or name, but hereafter > > where you will not be sick, hungry and tired. How can I be a president > > knowing that God has given me the means of helping my people and I fail > > to do that, but to keep saving my money? Yes, you can save as much money > > as you want, but you cannot go with it when you die." > > > > President Jammeh then stressed that whatever God gives to an individual > > must be shared among with others inline with the teachings of the Quran, > > thus justifying his interventions in helping people. > > > > Campaign materials pledge > > Responding to the request for campaign materials by the various > > delegations that came to State House this week, the Gambian leader > > assured that they will be working to provide such materials. He > > acknowledged that mobility, which is part of the materials requested, is > > important especially when it comes to work. > > > > Best emerging region > > The president also seized the opportunity to announce a big reward for > > any administrative region that records a 95 per cent vote for the ruling > > party in the forthcoming election. > > He said: "Any region that emerges as first and polls 95% of votes for > > the APRC in the upcoming election, the farmers of that region will never > > bend down again in farming. The women of that region also will never use > > their hand to pound as that will be done by machines; and before 2016 > > Presidential Election, most of the APRC militants in that region will go > > for pilgrimage to Mecca." > > > > Speaking earlier, the vice president and minister of Women's Affairs, > > Her Excellency Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy stated that the citizens are > > witnesses to the continuous peace, progress and development that have > > been the hallmark of the Jammeh Administration. She assured that what > > Gambians see in terms of development by the regime is just a tip of the > > iceberg, while urging the masses to heed every advice President Jammeh > > gives, as they go to benefit the citizens. > > > > VP Njie-Saidy urged the CRR party militants to remain steadfast and > > ensure that they fulfill their 100 per cent vote pledge at the November > > polls. The minister of Information and Communication Infrastructure, > > Alhagie Cham, who doubles as the CRR APRC liaison officer, also enjoined > > the militants of the region to work to ensure that they achieve the > > percentage of votes they pledged to President Jammeh in the upcoming > > election. > > > > Stalwarts' gratitude > > The APRC stalwarts in the CRR, who spoke on behalf of the delegation > > were unanimous in their expression of gratitude to the Gambian leader > > for the unprecedented developments in the country. The militants also > > lauded the president's humanitarian interventions, especially his recent > > provision of high-quality cooking oil, meat and sugar to the people. > > > > Like those from KMC and other regions who met President Jammeh during > > the course of the week, the CRR militants also underscored the need for > > mobility and the provision of campaign materials to boost mobilisation > > and political campaign. The APRC desk officer for the region, Honourable > > Sainey Mbaye declared that the region is ready to record a100 percent > > vote for the Gambian leader in the November polls. > > > > He also seized the opportunity to denounce politics based on tribal > > lines, while urging his fellow politicians to desist from such as it > > will not be in the interest of the country. The governor of the region, > > Alhaji Ganyi Touray, acknowledged the developments brought to his > > region, and expressed gratitude to the president. > > > > He described the construction of seven high schools, proliferation of > > health centres and roads in CRR as something laudable. The divisional > > chairman, Baboucarr Jobe; Aji Yateh Faye, women mobiliser in the region; > > the Upper Saloum chief, Malick Mbye; the youth representative, Omar > > Mambury; and Fatou Trawally, who is also the vice chairperson of the > > National Women Council, also acknowledged the gigantic strides of the > > Jammeh Administration, while unanimously pledging a 100 percent vote for > > the ruling party in the November 24th Presidential Election. The meeting > > was moderated by the mayor of KMC and APRC national mobiliser, Yankuba > > Colley. > > Author: *Hatab Fadera* > > > > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the > Gambia-L Web interface > > at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html > > > > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l > > To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: > > [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> > > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To > unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L > Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html > > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact > the List Management, please send an e-mail to: > [log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]> > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤