Three little words turn an ordinary state occasion into a historical moment.

Following the protocol of a state opening of parliament, President Jammeh breezed through the National Assembly in the footsteps of the Speaker and sat in the Speaker’s Chair for the one occasion of the year to deliver his address.

Then the President saw his predecessor, His Excellency the ex-President Sir Dauda Jawara, sitting in the Honourable house next to the Vice-President, and all formality flew out of the window.

"Father of the Nation, ex-President Sir Dauda Jawara, welcome my uncle", said the President to thunderous applause from the gathered dignitaries. It was an extraordinary moment as the dignified and serene elderly former President nodded his appreciation.

One was forced to recognize the unique nature of the moment. When at his inauguration in 2001 President Jammeh announced that "Old Pa" would come home, he was greeted with an equally thunderous applause.

Sure enough that year I was on the last Red Air flight from London, and curtained off in the first-class compartment was Sir Dauda Jawara on his way back home from England. Seven years later here was Sir Dauda Jawara, being addressed as "His Excellency Father of the Nation", by no-less than the Head of State himself, the man who ousted him from power in a blood-less revolution 14 years earlier.

It is extraordinary, it is unique, and it could happen only in this unique little great country that we call The Gambia.

That warm applause set the tone for one of President Jammeh’s best speeches ever. The President’s address was, as parliamentary addresses are, written well in advance but that was not going to prevent President Jammeh from firing-up his august audience with asides peppered with witty-isms and political insights – sometimes the wit and humour being used to lighten a very serious message.

On men marry many wives and leaving their wives in poverty, the President asked "Was that now old woman not a pretty girl when you married her? Was it not the bearing of children for you that made her pre-maturely old? Now you want to get a 19 year old wife because the Koran allows you four.

Well, the Koran also sets conditions for marrying a new wife so I will introduce an Extra-Wife Tax". Much laughter and clapping here again, even from male dignitaries who have more than one wife, but most loudly from the APRC benches where some formidable looking lady-NAMS in colourful flowing robs were lapping-up the President’s speech.

The President extolled Gambians to consume locally produced goods saying "Eat locally produced food, wear locally made clothes", adding to much humorous effect:

"We will introduce a tie-tax for those of you wearing suits and ties". Turning back to men, the President encouraged them to work as hard as women to build the nation:  

"Why is it that the child has to ask mum for school fees and school uniform money?" asked the President as thunder seemed to fall from the sky in the area where the formidable APRC lady-NAMs were seated.

"What are the men doing when the mother is in the garden, in the market, in the kitchen and washing clothes?" The thunder from that corner has got louder and made it difficult for the President to be heard, but one could also see the reserved US Ambassador clapping too! Like a conductor getting the best from his choir, the President looked at his audience with a certain trade-mark mischievous look and threw the TKO punch: "Do women have Bantabas?" he asked to much applause, going on to thank the women of The Gambia for being the bed-rock support of his government and his development efforts: "That is why I have rewarded many women with top jobs in my government", said the President.
 
The President also dwelt on school discipline as well, demanding that school principals take full responsibility for any indiscipline in their schools. “We will have zero tolerance towards school indiscipline” said the President. Similarly, the President pointed out that in our culture men marry women and women marry men! Same sex marriage will not be tolerated, said the President to much applause.

We reproduce in the centre-pages the full text of the President’s speech, though as said above, the President did stray from the written speech at times, to great effect.