I have seen a tremendous improvement in Yahya's speech and demeanor. It
could be the birth of Baby Muhamed but it is refreshing to hear Yahya now. I mean
the quality of the speech, the hopefulness there-in, and the statesmanlike
delivery are to behold. I encourage all of us to assist him as he demonstrates
a new vision in governance. Thank you Allah.
HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT'S NEW YEAR MESSAGE
TO THE NATION – 1ST JANUARY 2008
Fellow Gambians,
As a new year dawns on us and we begin the year 2008, it is cutomary for us,
as individuals and as a nation, to reflect on our achievements and
shortcomings during the year just ended and commit ourselve to confronting the
challenges before us with renewed vigor and greater collective efforts. The stakes
may be indeed high but our success, to a very large measure, will be
determined by our courage and resilience to overcome these challenges.
In the year 2007, as indeed in the preceding years since July 22nd 1994, The
Gambia has continued to register enviable progress in our development
efforts. Thanks to the Almighty Allah, my Government has been able to successfully
initiate, launch, and implement numerous development projects particularly in
the social and infrastructural sectors such as the construction of roads,
health and educational infrastructure. I mus recognise also the immense
contributions of the private sector in complimenting Government's efforts in
creating needed services and jobs through their investment activities. We have
witnessed unprecedented investments in banking and financial services, tourism and
telecommunications, fisheries, housing sectors as well as in agriculture and
manufacturing industries.
On the general economic front, 2007 has been an exceptionally good year for
The Gambian Economy. We have registered a GDP growth rate of about 7 percent,
built around strong and well-managed public finances, and a sound monetary
policy that has resulted in low inflation, and enhanced the international
reserve situation of the country. An important economic development is the recent
approval granted to The Gambia after having reached HIPC Completion Point
that simply means that the country will now start to benefit from both HIPC and
G8 Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) debt relief. The resources
that will be released from this commendable achievement will now be invested in
the social sectors and other priority areas of the economy in 2008 and
beyond.
This will include plans that are well advanced to address the sustainable
development and retention of capacity in public administration through reforms
in pay policy, pensions, human resource development, and related capacity
retention programs. While these would be addressed from the perspective of
long-term planning and civil service reform, my government will be coming up with
interim measures that are expected to contribute to the effective functioning
of the civil service and the efficient dispensation of public
administration. One of these measures include a 20 percent increase in all salaries across
the board, with effect from 1st January, 2008. Future salary increase from
2009 will be worked out on the basis of the Comprehensive Civil Service Reform
Program Study that is expected to be completed soon.
For 2008, Government will continue to build on the macro economic gains
achieved in 2007. Public financial management and fiscal discipline will continue
to be strengthened, and monetary policy will be further tightened to contain
inflation and create employment. Considerable budgetary resources have
already been earmarked for development of the social sectors to reduce poverty,
and attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as the goals of
Vision 2020.
Government has also taken the exceptional decision to commence financing
huge investments in Government assets. The building of new Government offices,
government residences in the Greater Banjul Area and in the Regions, the
building of the Science and Mathematics Academy, and major refurbishment and
renovations of existing Government assets will all commence in 2008 and continue
into 2009.
In the social sectors, notably education, health and agriculture, Year 2008
would be one of consolidating the gains registered in each of these sectors.
In 2008, the Basic and Secondary Education sector will continue to pursue
policy objectives aimed at improving the quality of education and expanding
opportunities for educational access for Gambian children. More specialized
Academic institutions would be built to cater for our Development requirements in
human resources and capabilities. The Year 2008 therefore calls for
collective involvement to make our education system the most robust, and most
responsive in the whole of the African Continent and even beyond. While my Government
would continue to demonstrate commitment to the education sector in a
variety of ways, there are worrying signs emerging that these commitments are not
being duly reciprocated by the willingness of parents to ensure that they
complement our efforts at giving children the best home training required to
inculcate in them good behavioural attitudes in readiness for their future
leadership roles in this country. It is becoming an unacceptable norm for some
young school leavers to choose to do nothing rather than integrate themselves
meaningfully into society, and contribute their quota to economic development.
The New Year should not be a year of idling and complacency. It should be a
year of hardwork, patriotism and meaningful positive contribution to National
Development. I therefore take this opportunity to call on all parents,
community leaders, religious leaders and the society at large to work together, in
inculcating the values of honesty, hard work, enterprise and the dignity of
self-reliance especially in our youths as we march towards a Gambia that we
will all be proud of; a model not only in Africa but indeed for the whole world.
Fellow Gambians,
May I take this opportunity to commend the security services for their
laudable efforts in the maintenance of peace and security within our borders as
well as in the peace keeping missions abroad. One cannot over-emphasize the
importance of peace and stability as a prerequisite for any meaningful
development. For without security, peace and stability, businesses cannot be
conducted, workers cannot create wealth, liberty cannot flourish and even life itself
can become precarious. The security forces need the support of all honest,
patriotic and law abiding citizens and residents in The Gambia and beyond.
In these times of great and positive change, we must also reinforce our
vigilance against the evils of narrow-minded nationalism, ethnicity,
factionalism, corruption and self-aggrandizement. We have worked hard to maintain a
reputable, secure, peaceful and stable country that is fundamentally opposed to
such malpractices. We should therefore work harder to build upon, maintain as
well as to sustain this gain. We must never let our guard down as we all know
that there are a very few tiny devils in human form who do not wish this
country well and are bent on trying to sabotage our every effort at nation
building. They will always fail, Allah willing, as my Government will never spare
any effort at neutralizing them at all times. Allah is always on the side of
Good. We shall continue to prevail over evil forces of Luciferians and of Bani
IBLIS.
My Government will continue to nurture a peaceful, enabling environment, one
that respects the rule of law, gives hope and power to the poor, the
vulnerable and the marginalized; one that also provides for a stable, secure and
legal environment that caters for a confident and thriving private sector. This
would in turn translate into a powerful ‘cordon sanitare' against political
instability and social malaise – weaknesses which can easily be exploited by
trouble-shotters both at home and abroad.
Fellow Gambians,
It is my fervent hope that as we commence a new year fraught with challenges
and exciting opportunities, you and I will be able to stand firm and remain
committed to the vibrant hope and vision which were conceived over thirteen
(13) years ago. We must also pray for Allah's blessing and guidance; and pray
for those in distress, the weak, the sick and the disabled. May Allah give us
all strength, health, long life and happiness and prosperity. I need not
remind you that 'Operation No Compromise' is here to stay as long as we yearn
for a better society and country.
Fellow Gambians,
I now wish to take this opportunity to wish everyone of you a happy and
prosperous 2008.
I also wish to thank you all for the overwhelming support and goodwill shown
at the birth of Baby Muhamed.
May God bless The Gambia
**************************************See AOL's top rated recipes
(http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004)
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
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]
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
|