President’s Ashura surprise to the Nation

In a surprise announcement on GRTS on the eve of Ashura, the Muslim New Year, the President  Alhaji Dr. Yahya Jammeh, informed the nation that, Alhamdullillai, The Gambia now has various minerals that can be exploited for the benefit of the country. The President’s speech on GRTS, broadcast Friday the 18th of January 2008, is hereby reproduced in full.

“First of all, I want to congratulate you on the occasion of Yomul Ashura, which is the Islamic New Year. I also want to thank you for the massive show of support and solidarity yesterday for the first anniversary celebration of our major breakthrough. If you can remember a  few years ago, when I was announcing the discovery of oil in The Gambia, at that time  I remember telling you Gambians and non-Gambians alike in this country that The Gambia has strategic mineral resources, which then I said was not going to announce, but later on, at the right moment, we would tell you what some of the minerals are.

Today, I am very happy to announce to you that we have discovered proven reserves of Titanium in The Gambia. We also have Iron in the country, we also have Zirconium as well as Silicon. But the biggest discovery is the discovery of Uranium in The Gambia. The presence of Uranium in The Gambia.  That time we couldn’t make such announcements, not because I was not certain about it, but because before we make such important announcement, we have to put in place an effective mechanism that can defend this country effectively. Not that at that time we could not defend our country as required. Since some of the minerals are of strategic importance, we have to put in place a mechanism that can defend this country’s sovereignty effectively. In this very joyous moment of Yomul Ashura we have discovery of these strategic minerals (I repeat; Titanium , Iron, Zirconium, Silicon and Uranium). I have more surprises for you later in the year.

100% certain
But I want to make sure whatever I announced is a reality.  As far as we are concerned, these minerals I have mentioned, we are 100% certain are in this country and can be exploited. These minerals can be useful. They can also be useless, God forbid.  They can only be useful if we Gambians close ranks and work as Gambians, change our attitude, love each other and defend our country. Of course we will have divergence of political views but that must not  translate into enmity and hostility between us.

Super-Power of Peace
Gambia will be a great super-power as I told you if we work together.  Not a military superpower, because  that is not a super-power but a super-bully. I am talking of a super-power of hope for humanity, a super-power of love, a country, where all peoples  irrespective of their race, their religion or  origin can live together in peace as the creator Almighty Allah wants His creation to live together in peace. We can achieve that. We are achieving that. We can go to the sky if we want to, if we all change our attitude for the interest of our country; for our own interest. When these minerals are exploited, you cannot imagine the number of youths that can be employed. But you, the youths of this country, who will be the primary beneficiaries of all these discoveries, must change your attitude. You must look inward to improve yourself, and not outward to others.

There is no country where you can earn money easily without working. Even stealing is working because you end up going to jail where you work harder for nothing.  Let us love one another, let us respect our country, live and die for our country. I wish you all the best.”