Hello and a warm welcome to this week's Bantaba, a column that is supposed to feature every Friday on this paper. In today's edition, we bring you excerpts of the interview we had with Jatto Sillah, the minister of  Forestry and the Environment.

Minister Sillah was appointed to the position of the minister of Forestry and the Environment on the 27th October, 2009 after winning the confidence and trust of the leadership. Jatto Sillah, whose given name is Saikou Sillah is widely regarded as an exemplary civil servant with vast experience whose love, dedication and commitment to the principles of national development earned him much recognition within and outside the country.

A faithful civil servant, one of the qualities of our guest is his unique nature of being humble and down to earth, thus giving respect to every human being.  This has made him one of the most respectable civil servants amongst the entire Gambian populace.Enjoy the rest of the interview.

Bt: You are a household name in this country. Who really is Jatto Sillah?

Jatto: I was born in Nyakoi Kerewan, Wuli West in 1962. My parents are Babanding Sillah whose real name is Muhammed Sillah and my mother is Mariama Jersey, who lived with me in Brikama. My father passed away in 1978.

Bt: How did you earn the name Jatto? Is it your given name?

Jatto: Well, Jatto is not my baptised name but Saikou. Jatto came up through my grand father. Our belief is that when you lost a lot of children and have to go through different means so that God can help you to get at least a child.  So when I was born, they took me out of the compound and someone picked me up. Because they said I had very red eyes at that time, since my childhood, they gave me the name Jatto. But my baptism name is Saikou and this is why my name always carries Jatto S (Saikou) Sillah. Jatto has overshadowed Saikou completely and it is only my parents, relatives and close friends who know Saikou.

Bt: Could you share with us your educational background?

Jatto: In 1969, we were the first to go to school in our area (Nyakoi). That year was a little bit tough because the Jahankas believe that, you should go for Ouranic education and people like me, it was a real push and pull at the Nyakoi Primary School that was built in the same year. It was  the late Garba Jahumpa the then minister of Education who opened it. Our first headmaster, Ebrima Cham who lives in Tallinding, Morrikebba Juwara and my step father Kawsu Sillah who is the current alkalo of Kerewan were very instrumental in establishing that school because the Jahankas never wanted to see it there.

Some of us only attended certain sessions of the school. For my case, I go to school early morning and by 11am, I would have to go and look after the cattle. After doing that for one year, during the second year, they said I must go to Kunting for my Ouranic education but I escaped. At primary three in school, it was almost definite that I have to leave school for Quranic education. But Mr Cham [the headmaster] contributed a lot to my education. In my third year, I came with him to Tallinding and stayed with him [Mr Cham] there and attended primary four in Serrekunda. Just during my fifth year, he was transferred back to Nyakoi School. We went back together but then, it was a different picture. I attended   primary five in Nyakoi but when the talking was too much, Mr Cham sent me back to Tallinding to complete primary six in Sukuta in 1974.

From  Sukuta,  I passed my Common Entrance Examination and gained admission to St. Augustine's High School but the Jahankas came back again to stress that I must finish the Holy Quran before going to high school. That was marathon Quranic learning and luckily I succeeded and went to St. Augustine's High School in September 1975. I left that school in 1980. Saints was very nice at that time. While I was there, my father passed away when I was in Form 3 [1978] and I experienced part of my bitter life experience because I moved out from Tallinding. It was a bit sorrowful at that moment while in Banjul. I could not get a guardian in Banjul so I was staying in Box Bar Football Stadium in the city. I was staying alone spending the night in the Stadium and during the day, I have my baggage with our then member of Parliament Musa Darboe. I was there for about two and half months.

But during my stay there, I was very frequent in praying at the Independence Drive Mosque and some of the elders recognized that I do all my prayers at the said mosque except two o'clock prayer that meets me in school. So one day just by coincidence, I didn't go for early morning prayers. The late Ibrima Njie who was working with Medical and Health, from the mosque, walked along the Box Bar and saw me. When he first saw me, he thought it was a crazy person and then asked me what I was doing there. I told him that it was my house at night, and then he asked me to go to his home after school. I didn't know where he lived so I decided to meet him at the mosque. When we met at the mosque, he again asked what I was doing there and I explained a part of my story to him. He told me that, he had nothing to offer, but had a small room in his compound where I can spend the night there with a charge of D7.50 bututs. He asked me how I would get that fee and I explained to him that even to pay for my school fees, I had to do odd jobs such as washing basins and laundering. So he said that he would also give me free lunch. That was how I actually started living.

Then Khalilu  Signhateh who knew my step dad was giving me dinner. In 1979, I got some money to pay my school fees but fortunately I met one lady in the person of Mrs. Cham who was also an angel. She was then working at the education office. I went to the education office so that I   could get a covering letter for Social Welfare to take over my school fees. In fact, the school fees was not much as it was just D25. She couldn't facilitate for the Social Welfare to pay for me but eventually she personally paid it. I really appreciate what she did for me. She was and is still like a mother to me. While at Saints, I was one of the prefects and was also doing some athletics. At Saints, I had my Quranic teacher Mr. Niang and was the first person to start the Islamic session in the school.. Every Friday morning, the Christians would go to the church and we [Muslims] usually stay in class. I then spoke  to my Quranic teacher for us also to have the Islamic session in the hall. So I was the first to start preaching. Some boys stoned me but I was not discouraged. I eventually sat  the GCE in 1980 at St. Augustine's and graduated.

Bt; Many people know you as an experienced public servant especially in the area of forest management and the environment. Where did you actually start your career?

Jatto: I started with the hospital after graduation at the Royal Victoria Hospital, but I left there because I slapped one nurse. I like people who respect elders. One elderly woman came to the hospital and she was so old that she could not even remember the dates. That nurse did not realize that the old woman was sick and did not even know the date, but the nurse [lady] was shouting persistently on the old woman blaming her for not coming for her medications on the date stipulated for her. The old woman asked the nurse which day was that date [the day she came to hospital for her medications]. Can you imagine such an elderly woman who did not even know what is what! I then asked the nurse to give the medications to her and let her go because she is old. But the lady kept on shouting on the old lady and I couldn't take it, and I eventually slapped her. Then I went to the doctor and declared to him that I was resigning.

From there I started as a police cadet officer but left and went to the Telecommunications (now Gamtel). But everything was too artificial and I also left there for forestry. I was so happy that I could work with nature.I got my appointment later in September 1980 but I started effective work in 1981 as a Forest Guard. With this position, we were paid D137 but it was a very nice time. When we started training at forestry, we were sent to different sections. I was lucky to be in the Western Region in the plantations. Since that time, I have been very instrumental and while at the plantations, a new project kicked-off - The Gambia German Forestry Project. Although I was not posted to the project but my interaction with the project administration, they decided to pull me to the project. When they pulled  me there, I did photo interpretation. I interpreted the 1983 forestry map that you see and drew them by hand.

I was then sent to the Cyprus in 1982 to 1985 at the Cyprus Forestry College where I did diploma and advance diploma in forestry and forest management respectively. When I came back, I was sent back to the same project and I was posted at Kafuta as the first Gambian to head the Sawmill where timber is processed. We trained the workers there. I was at the Sawmill until 1987 when the Germans decided to send me to Germany for further studies. Here is another bitter story as the past government said no to my going to Germany.

Bt: Why?

Jatto: Just one day we were working on the machines which had a problem, and there was a political meeting in Kafuta. Some people came to me and said the meeting was on me today. I said what and they told me that I was an opposition and I only employ oppositions. By then my minister Omar Jallow was there. That is where the fight started. So the member of Parliament of Kombo East Lamin Kiti Jabang, who was at the meeting, was also at the time the minister of Foreign Affairs and my scholarship was supposed to come through his ministry since it was bilateral. Just few days after they wanted to use my truck for political meetings I declined and told them that it was FRG [Federal Republic of Germany] and therefore it cannot go on political errands. But I never knew that I was putting more fire and I was so innocent of all the allegations. Then Omar Jallow and Lamin Jabang themselves came to my house and met me taking shower. They said I must come and I told them I could not come out because I was taking my shower. So I asked them to sit and wait for me but they decided to go. They went and came back again with police that I must hand over the truck key. I refused and the whole village came to plead for me to hand over the key as the police would arrest me. I told the villagers that let them arrest me but I would not hand over the key. This was in the beginning of 1987.

So when my study process went to the Foreign Affairs, it was decided that someone else would have to go instead of me. The argument started and the Germans said they have seen what I have done and they believe I can do the course, which have to be done in German. The then government said no and the German government said only Jatto for the course. The project management said well they have the mandate to close the project for three months for both governments to negotiate. Then the German team leader was on my side. When he said that, the Progressive Peoples' Party government could not afford to close the Sawmill at that time for three months as the election was close. So they eventually decided to let me go. When I got everything I went to Jabang and told him that I am going for studies and anytime I come back, I would tell you that I am still alive. And this is exactly what I did.

Then I left The Gambia in July 1987 for Germany and did six months course in German language, six months practical before starting the university. I got my Bsc in general forestry, my masters in forest management and economics. I also proceeded with another six months masters program basically concentrating on tropical forestry. When I came back for my thesis in The Gambia, I was given a motorbike and I went to Lamin Jabang and told him so and so. He was very frank with me and told me that during political times, what one said or did something, does not mean that he mean it. He told me sometimes you do something just to satisfy some sects of the electorates. I didn't accept what he said to me and at the end he appealed to me to forgive him.

When I completely finish my studies in 1993 at the Gottigen University, I came with double masters. I stayed for almost one and half years without promotion. My rank was then Senior Forest Ranger and was paid grade 8 of the past scale which is about three hundred and eighty something dalasis. So I was also posted at station level at Kiang Dumbuto. I tried everything thing to get my promotion. At the time I even wanted to see the Former President Jawara but resulted to bitter argument at State House as I was refused. I wrote a letter to him but it never got to him. When the July 1994 Revolution came, I was promoted to forestry officer with integrated pay scale 8. From day one I have been part of the present government. In 1995, I was posted to Junoi as regional forestry officer. I was in LRR until 1998 when I was moved to WR as regional forestry officer.
 
Bt: When where you appointed director of Forestry?

Jatto: I was appointed the director of Forestry in 2000. I served in that capacity from 2000 to 2009 when I was appointed the minister of Forestry and the Environment. During my time as the director of Forestry, it was a very demanding era as that was the time the present government was talking about real implementation. So it was very demanding and I was very happy that my colleagues who were working with me we were all working with one goal - that is the development of the forestry and the country.
 
Bt: While you were the director of forestry, what can you remember as your biggest challenges then?

Jatto: The biggest challenge I got as a director of forestry was mobility. I tried a lot to get motorbikes for the field staff. But for the vehicles I was working with those that were bought in 1996 and they are still the ones we are using at the forestry. In technical work, the biggest challenge was actually bush fires and chainsaws. Chainsaw is a pest and bush fire is the worst enemy of our natural resources. I hope the whole Gambians can join hands with the forestry, the government to get rid of the bush fire menace. These were my biggest challenges.

Bt: Hon. Minister you have also earned the trust and confidence of the leadership and you are currently handling the day-to-day affairs of the Ministry of Forestry and the Environment. How do you feel about this national call? 

Jatto: I felt honoured and it is a challenge. His Excellency the president has been challenging me not by giving me positions but by working together. I appreciate working with the president. What I love most about the president is that he has nothing at heart apart from The Gambia and her citizens. When he appointed me with this position, I see it as a big challenge and I will do all what I can to leave to his expectations. I don't want to boast but I know the Forestry and the Environment sector is very much important to our socio-economic development. With my team definitely we can do something and we will do something.

Bt; Minister Sillah, you are also widely regarded as one of the most humble and low-profile top government officials. What is the motive behind?

Jatto: Well I think I inherit this from my parents. If people say I am low profile or good I can't be like mother. And for my father he is too special and unique. In Brikama some people say I am a Jahanka but I don't know whether it has something to do with that. Others say I am a talibeh but I don't think I have learned Quran more than any other person. This is just my nature and what I can add to that is I love human beings. I don't know enmity in me.

Bt: Many people are also of the view that your love for the country, dedication and commitment and to national development earned you this prestigious position. What is your reaction?

Jatto: I sincerely belief that if I don't work for my country, my family, then who should I work for? And when you are young things that you can do, if you get older you cannot do them. Another thing is that when we talk of development, we have to talk of sweating; working hard to make sure we achieve something. I thought I owed my country and that I have to work. I came with three contracts when I was coming from Germany to work for private sector in that country. I accepted it and I told them that I would be coming back. They even got a house for me and everything but I can't leave the Gambia because I love it.

Bt: Hon. Minister I will shift you to some problems confronting our forest. A lot of illegal forestry and environment activities seem to be going on - for instance illegal logging. Has this come to the notice of your ministry, and if so what measures are you putting in place to discourage this negative trend?

Jatto: Actually illegal logging is really minimised. There are different types of illegal activities in the field. One is logging for the production of timber and people who think of their pocket. Those are really very bad people. Illegal logging has been minimised since we suspended the use of chainsaws. Before the end of the rainy season, we would come out with measures of how we are going to do logging. We banned the use of chainsaws and we temporally banned even felling in The Gambia. When there are emergencies of course such as when a tree fell on the road, then we have to use chainsaws to make sure that it is off the road to avoid accidents. Also for road construction we allow them to fell trees, but felling with permit is temporally suspended. This has minimised illegal logging very much. The other illegal activity is encroachment for farming in particular last farming season. This year we haven't heard much but it is far better than the previous years. But that has also minimised.
 
One of the toughest problems of our ministry is bushfires and this cannot be controlled by us only. My ministry alone cannot do that because bushfires cut across; it kills our animals; kill our trees; kill the micro-organisms; affects our climate and so on. It is something that we all would have to join hands and ensure that bushfire are stops. Most of our wild animals disappears not only because of hunting, but because we destroyed their habitats. The ozone haul that we are talking about that causes cancer and so on, is through the carbon monoxide that is sent to the atmosphere and bushfire is one of the sources. There is lot of things that bushfires cause and it destroy our livelihoods. This is the biggest that my ministry would have to confront.

Bt: We are also made to understand that charcoal burning has been banned in the country for a long time now. But on a daily basis charcoal selling points are easily visible almost in every corner of the country, especially in the Western Region and the Greater Banjul Area. What is your ministry's position on this?

Jatto: Yes charcoal burning was and is still banned in the country but charcoal vending is allowed. I am not saying that there is no charcoal burning taking place in the country, but most of the charcoals are being imported from the neighboring countries because charcoal burning is not banned there. What we want to do presently is to try and get briquettes from grasses, straws, and so on to compress them into charcoal briquettes and people can use them instead of forest resources. This is what we are thinking. Government is doing a lot and we are trying to invite the private sector. We hope to have this set up very soon and it is a few million euro plant and it is actually private owned but of course government facilitating the process. And when we have this it will go a long way in reducing our consumption of firewood and charcoal. We are in this process and we have gone very far but when the time comes the press would be invited.

Bt: The Green Campaign initiated by President Jammeh has been going for a while if I understand. How significant is this initiative to your ministry and The Gambia in general?

Jatto: When we talk about the Green Campaign we should first to fold let people know what it is all about. We have green economy, green production and green industries. What we are saying is that try to employ nature as much as possible. Most of these artificial materials we are consuming have their effects on us. The paracetamol and others that we take have their effects on us. The president is a model because if you go to UN they are talking about the green economy but they found our president on that. The green production saves environment.Having green production and less input of artificial or chemicals goes a long way in keeping our health. Consuming too much of these manipulated products is nothing but making us happy for a time, and at the end turn bad. So the green campaign has to be embraced and The Gambia can actually achieve complete green production because we are at a stage whereby we are developing.

Bt: The Gambia is a Sahellian country. What is the current status of our forest cover compared to other countries in the sub-region?

Jatto: Definitely the country's forest cover at the moment is much degraded. The tropical forests that we are talking about have all gone. What is important is that we have some trees. The best thing about our forest is that it can renew itself, regenerate itself if we keep away bushfires. So we can come back to be a tropical forest if we keep away bushfires. Presently the data input is going on at the Department of Forestry and we hope in about two to three months time we could tell the government the real status of our forest; what is our carbon production; what is our carbon input; which kind of wild animals and where do they live; how is their status and everything. We will do a thorough inventory of our natural resources.

Bt; You also inherited the Abuko Nature Reserve as one of the parks in the country that have lost its glory over the years. What is your ministry's position towards reviving it for enhanced eco-tourism and revenue generation purposes?

Jatto: What I can tell you is that presently we are going to work with the private sector not only in Abuko but other parks in the country. It could be most likely that come next tourism season, you would see a lot of wild animals that were completely lost in The Gambia as they would be reintroduced. We want to actually look for 24 months tourism in The Gambia. The Tourism would be both on beach, eco-tourism and community tourism. The natural resources sector would do its best and with the involvement of the private sector, very soon you would see a different Abuko Nature Reserve.

Bt: The Gambia lies along the Atlantic Coast, making it vulnerable to effects of climate change. How much is the country under the threat of climate change?

Jatto: The Gambia is under threat. Let's look at the country; it is very small, it is flat, but we are blessed with river directly at the Atlantic Coast. We would start with our water system - the water system is that climate change presently as it is we might have very heavy rains and with those heavy rains, the country would experience a lot of flooding; a lot of stagnant water. Presently that is the condition in the country. In the provinces you have flooding and in Basse there are already damages and we also lost some lives there. In Niani a lot of damages have been done and when you come to the Kombos, the Kotu Stream, it is a time bomb. Parts of Tallinding, Jeshwang and Ebo Town are going to suffer. This is simply the water system. And our river likely it would always be flooding because come to our production system where in some places we are producing up to the river bank. Luckily just this year, the government (cabinet) has come up with directives. 100 meters along the river are protected now and this one of the biggest achievements for us to keep our river system intact. We really have to thank our president.

Talking about the impact of climate change, with all those stagnant water and so on we may have lot of diseases that would come to stay with us. Our crop production is also likely going to be affected but I am not saying that we might not have good harvest. But I am saying that if the prediction of the heavy rains continues, the crop products might not yield as they should. I am just talking of probability and what we are saying that the present rainfall system or climate we are experiencing is due to climate change. The Gambia being a developing country, low line with low economy, and with a lot of water surface, definitely we are very vulnerable. We lie also directly along the sub-tropics and here the climatic interaction is to our disadvantage in one sense, to our advantage in downpours. We will have rains but it will be very heavy ones. And the rainy season could be shorter.

Bt: Many experts have repeatedly warned that Banjul is very prone to the effects of climate change. What is your opinion on this?

Jatto: Banjul is one of the cities that are considered likely to disappear on the map worldwide. You Know  inTuvalu some people are living permanently on water; their rooms have flooded permanently and those cities are going to disappear on the map. But Banjul could take a longer period according to the world map. Presently what the current government is doing is very likely that we can actually push the time longer or we can even avert it. Banjul is definitely almost at sea level and in some areas you have point five meters above sea level. That's why with certain level of water, you have water coming out in rooms especially in places that are not well built.

This is because the water table gets so close even up to above ground level in some areas. Some areas are very low in Banjul. That's why we are saying that if the temperature continues to rise, you have ice melting; the sea level is definitely going to rise. We have already experienced sea level rise almost throughout the world. And this sea level rise, areas that are very low, low line cities are going to disappear and Banjul is one of that. Not only Banjul, 92 square kilometers is estimated in the Gambia to suffer; some places are going to disappear; no crop production when you stagnant water; and settlements are going to suffer.
 
Bt: So what measures do you think should be adopted?

Jatto: With good drainage system in Banjul, the pumping station being properly put in place to allow the inflow and outflow of water; bond road well build; and good sewage system, then we have a chance. The president has promised he would make Banjul one of the best cities and he will. But the Banjulians would have to stop dumping rubbish or waste in the gutters and also in the small stream that is behind the city. If they don't stop that then they would be causing harm to the city. The waste in the city would have to move; there is no place where they would store the waste or treat it. It has to move out.

The system the government wants to build there can avert a lot of problems in Banjul. So the Banjulians would have to support the government in changing their attitude. Unless we do that we can't get the city as we want. The president would do his part but the Banjulians would also have to their part. What can emphasize is that the climate change problem is a reality, it is not a guess and it has come to stay with us for a period. The only thing we can do is for us to ensure that we change our attitude and we don't increase the elements that are harmful to our atmosphere.

Bt: Hon. Minister, your ministry is also implementing the monthly 'Operation clean the nation,' commonly called 'set setal'. How significant is this initiative and what impact does it have on our environment?

Jatto: Gambians have not yet understood why the president declared one Saturday in a month to clean our environment. This initiative has a very deep meaning. Individuals should clean their environment everyday. Conscious human beings, if you want to have a healthy family, clean your environment everyday. If you clean it dispose it in a way that your family can be healthy. What the president is telling us is that let's focus on the development of the country; lets try to get a healthy environment; lets try to get healthy Gambians to be able to do meaningful work for the development of this country. And set setal goes beyond that. The wastes we are producing have to be disposed properly somewhere before they become a mess.

Getting these wastes and disposing them, means reducing the risk of diseases; reducing not only mosquitoes but other harmful insects that breed on the wastes. He [the president] is telling us that we are talking about the climate change, parking our vehicles for few ours means reducing a lot in emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. A lot of people do not realize that. If we could maintain what the president is advocating for we are talking of a new Gambia. Government is thinking of recycling the waste we produce into fertilizer or feed and this is also in the pipeline. My ministry has a long-term plan and is in discussion with the private sector to look into some of those issues.

Bt; You also hail from a part of the country seen as an opposition stronghold [Wuli West]. Do you foresee any political change?
Jatto: . We are convinced that the whole of the Upper River Region would go unopposed. But come back to Wulli West, you would see a complete change. The people have realized what they have missed. I can declare that no Jahanka is an opposition, In short what I can tell you is that there is a big change in Wulli West.

Bt: What is your marital status?

Jatto: I am married with three wives and they are all at home. My own children I have 13. I have 16 adopted children that are also with me at home.

Bt; What are your hobbies?

Jatto: My topmost hobbies are to play with children, chatting with people, joking, smoking as well. Adventure is also my hobby.

Finally Minister Sillah we have come to the end of this marathon but interesting and educative interview. What is your final word to the masses with regards to the sustainable management of the forest and the environment?

Jatto: The sustainable management of the forest and the environment are issues that all Gambians have a stake in . No single Gambian alone can do it; we all have to do it together. Be it forestry, wildlife, the environment is a collective issue. We all most endeavour to do our best. Let every Gambian be a forester, a wildlife warden and an environmentalist. Unless we have these in us, the government alone cannot do it. Let people change their attitude and think of national development.

Bt: Thank you very much Minister Sillah for granting us this meaningful interview, and thank you for being an open-minded minister and for being very receptive.

Jatto: Thank you very much and I would also thank your boss Mr Faye. You are doing a very good job for the country. Thank you and we are here for you.