“Yes, form your association to promote your language, form your association to make sure that your language is spoken, it is written, but avoid using tribal sentiments that divide our country. I am going to make a pronouncement on it [if] these practices do not cease, and I will use provisions of the law to maintain sanity about this,” he said.
“I can assure you that no group of people will be spared, no matter how powerful they think they are. The law is here for everybody.”
The culture minister deliberated that coming up with an association to promote a particular language and to keep it together is no harm, but using a language to generate tribal sentiments is unacceptable and will not be accepted.
“Get me right on this and I am not mincing my words,” he warned in a rather serious tone. “You can promote your associations, promote your languages, develop them, celebrate them, have festivals, but do not bring tribalism by using your language to disunite the country.”
Our national languages are promoted, maintained and embraced, he said, but not to incite divisions.
Moreover, Bah underscored that all crises in Africa were caused through the radio and TV, adding: “I think we owe it to our people to maintain peace. You just cannot use the microphone and the pen just to be abusing people. You cannot allow people to just pick up a phone and call the radio to say whatever they want to say to people. It does not happen anywhere.
