"Dr. Kalilou Bayo, hailed the overwhelming turnout of Gambians in the weeding of the president's farms, describing it as impressive." What in the world has gotten Kalilou Bayo? Has he lost his mind or what? It is mind bugling for a guy like Kalilou to even associate himself with this despicable act of criminality called government much more advocate for it. True betrayal of himself, his family and country. Truly shameful. Malanding Jaiteh Courtesy http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/thousands-more-throng-jammehs-farms Thousands more throng Jammeh's farms <http://observer.gm/africa/news> Africa > <http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/news> Gambia http://observer.gm/_library/2014/9/farms-s.jpg <http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/thousands-more-throng-jammehs-farm s> < prev 1 of 5 <http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/thousands-more-throng-jammehs-farm s> next > Monday, September 08, 2014 Thousands of Gambians continue to respond positively to the broad appeal launched by the head of state, H.E. Sheikh Prof. Alh. Dr. Yahya Jammeh Nasirul Deen Babili Mansa for more hands on his farms in a bid to salvage them from the weeds. The weekend's activities drew about 4, 000 volunteers; including civil servants, members of the security services; staff of the Office of the President, Office of the Vice President, government ministries; youths, as well as women organisations, among a host of others. Saturday's activities on the president's groundnut and millet farms started as early as 8:00am in the morning in a show of support and solidarity to the Gambian leader. Speaking to reporters at the farms in Kanilai, the secretary general, head of Civil Service and Presidential Affairs minister, Dr. Kalilou Bayo, hailed the overwhelming turnout of Gambians in the weeding of the president's farms, describing it as impressive. "We are here to show solidarity to the number one farmer in the country, His Excellency the president. Farming is a tradition in this country and it's still a tradition for the majority of Gambians. We should see it as such and to demonstrate to the young people that they should value it. This is why I am so pleased to be here," the Civil Service boss said. The secretary to Cabinet, Noah Touray, who led a large number of volunteers from the Office of the President,said they also found it fitting to respond to the president's call in view of his generosity to Gambians."Whatever we do here is not for the president; instead we are doing it for ourselves because proceeds from here are ploughed back to us in many forms," he noted. The minister of Youth and Sports, Alieu K. Jammeh,also led a strong team of youth volunteers to the president's farm. He used his interview with the Daily Observer to express the young people's willingness and readiness to support the president's food self-sufficiency agenda. He also spoke of his Ministry's commitment to support young people who are working towards the realisation of Vision 2016 targets. "We are very much ready to answer to the president's call to go back to the land. We started this a couple of years ago in collaboration with the political youths. Today we have here with us all the political youths from the three regions of Banjul, KM and West Coast," he said. Politicians were also at hand to show solidarity to the president, and among themwere the national mobiliser of the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), andmayor of Kanifing Municipality,Yankuba Colley; and a nominated National Assembly member and APRC national youth mobiliser, Hon. Babou Gaye Sonko. For Hon. Babou Gaye Sonko, they were doing the work for themselves and not for the president. He affirmed that all the proceeds from the president's farms are ploughed back to the society, pointing out that works on the president's farms are apolitical."Looking at the pronouncement of the president "Go back to the land and grow what you eat and eat what you grow", he is not saying go back to Jammeh Kunda. He said grow it wherever you are so that you can be self-sufficient in food," he said. The deputy speaker of the National Assembly, and chairperson of the National Women Council (NWC), Hon. Fatou Mbaye, also led a large number of volunteers from the Women's Bureau, under the Office of the Vice President. She described their participation as a way of contributing their quota to national development. "To whom much is given much is expected," she said, referring to the empowerment given to Gambian women by the president. "We take cue from His Excellency the president and the vice president. If the president goes to the farm, we should be there to support him. He has done a lot for Gambian women," she said. The chief of Defence Staff of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF), Lieutenant General Ousman Bargie, who led officers and other ranks, numbering 2, 632 personnel from all the sister forces in the country, said they also have a very big stake in the president's drive to making The Gambia food self-sufficient. "We will not be left outif our commander-in-chief calls for people to go back to the land. We are behind him and we will make sure that we stand by him through thick and thin to ensure that his vision is realised. We are not doing it for him; we are doing it for ourselves; it isfor our own good," he said. The Inspector General of Police Yankuba Sonko also stressed the need for Gambians to embrace Vision 2016 initiative. "We are here today to support His Excellency's call to go back to land. We are here together as sister forces," he affirmed.The police chief also described their convergence at farms as another platform to reinforce the spirit of unity among the security services of the country. "His Excellency has a vision which has to be supported and the security should be the first to support it because we consider ourselves as the first born children of His Excellency. He emerged from us and he is still with us," the police chief added. Otherswho spoke to the Daily Observer at the farms included: David Colley, director general of the Gambia Prisons Services; Bakary Gassama, director general of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency of The Gambia (DLEAG); Pa Baboucarr Mboob, director general of the Gambia Immigration Department; Amina Conteh on behalf of artistes; Dr. Amar Jafari, chief medical director of the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH); Omar Sey, minister of Health and Social Welfare; and Ebrima Jawara, permanent secretary and Vision 2016 focal person, Office of the President. Meanwhile, hundreds of volunteers from the North Bank Region also participated in the weekend's activities on the president's farms. The president's rice fields in Tintibar and Giramba in Foni Kansala District of the West Coast region were all weeded. Author: Musa Ndow in Kanilai ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ 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] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤