Malanding: Thanks for sharing this sad story. It is a good measure of just how deep in trouble we Gambians are. As for our giant landlord: he is as honest, important and big as his name: *Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh Nasiru Deen Babili Mansa[?]???? No questions asked[?]!!!* *Baba* On Mon, Aug 25, 2014 at 8:52 AM, Malanding Jaiteh <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Is this the face of Vision 2016? Jammeh appeals to small farmers to leave > their fields so they can save his from weeds! How many days does it cost a > small farmer from URR to work 1 day on Jammeh’s farm in Kanilai? > > Promising international refugees free food (which is already accorded to > them by the international community) in exchange for their labor? Aren’t > these refugees under UN care? Is this the way we treat refugees among us? > Should Mr Jammeh allow international refugees work on his farm for free, > even if they volunteer? Who is this man talking to? > > > > Something is seriously not right here. You cannot call yourself a > President of a country and go around asking ordinary citizens to work for > you free. The President’s housing, food, travels and security are all paid > for by the state. That is why he has fleet of cars, air planes, workers and > even advisers, should be ever need any at his disposal. Even the most > deprived country do that for their Presidents or leaders. So why would Mr. > Jammeh think it is cool to ask poor farmers, who do not have any help leave > their farms so they can work on his? > > > > What sort of man calls himself a President and then turn around and ask > poor subsistent farmers to leave their fields alone so they can work his? > > > > Is this the kind of place The Gambia has become? > > > > Malanding Jaiteh > > > > > > Jammeh appeals for support on Kanilai farms > > Africa <http://observer.gm/africa/news> » Gambia > <http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/news> > > [image: http://observer.gm/_library/2014/8/support-s.jpg] > > Monday, August 25, 2014 > > *The president Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh Nasiru Deen Babili > Mansa over the weekend launched a broad appeal for Gambians to render more > support on his farms in a bid to save them from weeds.* > > > > Speaking to reporters in an interview shortly after inspecting and working > on his farms, where thousands of volunteers had joined him, the president > said he has observed that weeds have almost overtaken some areas. “So we > need help in these areas. I am appealing to Gambians to come and help. My > special appeal would go to the people of the Central River and Upper River > Regions. I want them to come and assist me to weed because beyond this > week, it is going to be difficult for me; the grass has almost over taken > the cone,” the president observed. > > > > He emphasised that work is urgent on these farms and that he would prefer > interventions now towards next week. “I am not limiting the call to only > CRR and URR, but will also want West Coast Region, Lower and North Bank > Regions also,” he indicated. > > > > He however warned against the tendency of “eye-service” on the farms, > saying those who are not ready to work, can stay home. > > > > The president took the opportunity to commend the resident refugees and > the people of Foni Bondali for their response on his farm. He also thanked > the people of CRR for always responding in their large numbers to support > him on his farms in their own region. “I definitely owed these people a > debt of gratitude and one thing I can assure them also is that they are not > going to buy food from now to December,” he pledged. > > > > Speaking earlier, the head of the Kayong Kolorn Association, who led over > 200 members of his group, said they were on the farms not just for the > president but also for themselves. He noted that proceeds from these farms > are mostly ploughed back to the society in many forms, citing as example > the free education for girls under the President’s Empowerment of Girls’ > Education Project (PEGEP). > > > > “We are proud to be here and will continue to come here and support the > president because he has the country at heart. It is therefore fitting for > every Gambian to keep abreast with what he wants,” he said. > > > > One Almameh Sanyang, who led a group from Batabut Kantora, told Daily > Observer that people should not see farming as Yahya Jammeh thing; rather > they should take ownership of the back-to-the-land call. He pledged their > continuous support to the president’s farming activities, using the > opportunity to urge all to embrace the Vision 2016 food self-sufficiency > initiative. > > > > One of the female volunteers, Nyarra Camara, who mobilised her colleague > women to render a voluntary weeding exercise on the president’s farm, said > President Jammeh has done everything for the women of this country, “and > coming to help him weed his farms would be the least we could do for him.” > > > > Biran Camara of the Cassamance resident refugees in the Gambia; farm > manager, Ma-Bintou Sanneh; Aja Ndey Jarju; and Musa Camara, leader of the > Cassamance refugees in The Gambia, all shared their impression for > participation in the weeding of president’s farms. > > Author: *Musa Ndow* > > > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ 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] > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ 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] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤