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 » Gambia

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

 

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