The Libyan leader was among guests who assembled at Arch 22 in Banjul to witness an impressive ceremony to mark the “July 22nd revolution” which included a march past of the forces on parade, voluntary organisations, school children, cultural troupes, women’s groups, culminating in a speech by Jammeh and the decoration of various personalities for their contributions to national development.
However, the centre-piece of Wednesday’s ceremony was Jammeh’s anniversary speech in which he expressed thanks to governments he termed as true friends and which he said from the onset had stood by in support of his government and its programmes to develop The Gambia, and without any strings attached.
He stressed the need for a change of attitude among Gambians especially the youths whom he blamed for not making full use of the enabling environment provided by his government to engage in development leaving the place open for foreigners to make use of such facilities to the benefit of their own countries.
He called on the youths to work hard, adding that development will not fall from the sky. He said the people in the ’greener pasture’ countries had worked hard before they got to where they are. He lamented the fact that "Africa is the richest continent in the world and even though we fought for freedom and independence from colonialists, we have remained under poverty", which he termed the "worst form of slavery."
He recalled that when his government took power in 1994, it had promised to make the Gambia the best country in the continent, even though all they had to go by was groundnuts. Now with petroleum and other minerals which he preferred not to name at this stage, he promised even more progress in the next five years.
Jammeh blamed African leaders for the continent’s people remaining the poorest of the poor in the face of abundant riches through their bad leadership and tribalism.
Jammeh was very vocal about illegal migration and said those going abroad normally come back to start from scratch. While away, as illegal migrants, they had to live from hand to mouth, and had no freedom and no rights while all the time running away from the police.
“Why buy your way into such mental and moral slavery?,” he asked.
He advised all present to plant a fruit tree each on every 22 July so that in five years, one would have five fruit trees. He called on the schools to also engage in the competition by planting a tree for each new student, as at the end of the year he would send inspectors round to decide on the winning school to which he promised prizes of a brand new school bus and 20 computers.