President-elect Yahya Jammeh has tasked Gambians and Africans, in general, to take charge of their own destiny and not to rest on their laurels, stressing that
In his annual New Year message read on his behalf by the Vice President and minister of Women’s Affairs, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, President Jammeh said as Gambians, we should not rest on our laurels and expect that some angelic Samaritans will come down to our aid to achieve development.
The Gambian leader noted that it is imperative that, as a nation, Gambians and Africans must take charge of our destiny by inculcating in ourselves a culture of work ethics, and a strong sense of discipline in our daily lives, so that we can transform our dear nation into the peaceful and economic superpower that we set out in the national Vision 2020.
This, he added, requires selfless sacrifice, hard work, patriotism and honesty on the part of each and every Gambian.
Below we reproduce the full text of President-elect Yahya Jammeh’s New Year message:
Fellow Gambians, Friends of The
I want to thank Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala for making it possible for us to grace yet another year in peace, progress and prosperity. Today provides a moment of reflection on positive strives, as well as challenges we face in our quest to achieve the noble goals of our Vision 2020.
It is also a moment for prayers as we look forward to Allah’s continued guidance and protection in all that is good for ourselves, our families, friends and neighbours and, most importantly, for our nation, The Gambia, our Motherland.
Fellow Gambians, Friends of The
As we enter the year 2012, please allow me to convey my heartiest congratulations, fervent prayers and best wishes on the auspicious occasion of the New Year. In the same vein, I want to thank Gambians for renewing my mandate.
I am deeply touched and indeed humbled by the overwhelming vote of trust and confidence by the Gambian people for another five year term in office. I must confess that this is indeed very challenging for me in view of the high expectations of the Gambian people, but I always pray that Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala will guide and bless me in my ardent desire to continue improving the life of all Gambians. I want to assure you all that I have never failed the Gambian people, and will never fail you.
Fellow Gambians, Friends of the
A cursory look at the international scene would show that 2011 has been a very difficult year not only for the developing world, but most especially the developed world. By the beginning of 2011, food crisis affected some developing economies and caused joblessness/unemployment, social and political unrest in some countries.
On the other hand, many developed economies have been challenged by worsening financial and economic crises, leading to upheavals and chaotic riots manifested in the streets of some so-called developed economies, and the Arab Spring, fuelled by the inherent social and economic injustices embedded in their systems.
Fellow Gambians, Friends of the
It is important to note that while the
It goes without saying that such economic stability was supported by our local initiatives.Thanks to my government’s rigorous policy of “growing what we eat and eating what we grow,” which is purposely designed to achieve food security in The Gambia in the face of daunting international challenges, so as to overcome the spectre of global food insecurity that has seriously affected developing countries.
In view of the current socio-economic challenges that our nation faces as a developing country, my government has successfully launched a new national MDG and Vision 2020-based development strategy i.e. the Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment, PAGE.
This new development plan, in addition to consolidating the gains so far achieved under PRSP II, will aim at, among others, accelerating growth and reducing unemployment, which are cardinal priority areas of the Government’s development agenda.
The PAGE will also focus on key strategic areas with a view to scaling up investment to ensure that its core objectives are realized.
Fellow Gambians, Friends of The
I would like to take this opportunity to convey my profound gratitude and sincere appreciation to all those who have responded to my “Back to the Land” call. It is undoubtedly clear that the popular response to this call is yielding dividends for the Gambian society, even though the harvest this year, despite the efforts put in, has been much below our expectations.
Nevertheless, we as a nation should not in any way relent in our noble efforts to attain food self-sufficiency, thereby eradicating hunger from our society.
Let us take lessons and courage from our glorious history. Let us always remind ourselves that our great forefathers have lived in dignity and honour on their sweat. They were never hungry, and did not have to rely on handouts from some magnanimous outsiders for their daily bread.
Today, we are more equipped than ever before, and we have more resources available to us than they had in their time.
Hence, this begs the question: “Why in our age are we always threatened with the spectre of food shortage and hunger?”
My answer is: “Let us change our attitudes for the better. Let us plan and prepare for the next farming season”, and pray that Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala grants us better agricultural seasons in the coming years.
Fellow Gambians, Friends of The
As we welcome 2012 with open arms, let us pray for peace to reign over the earth, in particular those countries in conflict situations, and may the minds of those with lust for wars and other human-inflicted calamities embrace peace, love and unity for the good of all mankind.
In conclusion, let us always remember that
As Gambians, we should not rest on our laurels and expect that some angelic Samaritans will come down to our aid to achieve development.
Therefore, it becomes imperative that as a nation, we Gambians and other Africans must take charge of our destiny by inculcating in ourselves a culture of work ethics, and a strong sense of discipline in our daily lives, so that we can transform our dear nation into the peaceful and economic superpower that we set out in our Vision 2020.
It requires selfless sacrifice, hard work, patriotism and honesty on the part of each and every Gambian.
I wish you all a joyous and prosperous New Year.
Wassalam Alaikum Wa Rahma Toullie Ta’ala Wa Barakatuhu
