As weeding takes centre stage in the farming arena, thousands of volunteers continue to descend on President Jammeh's farms to support in weeding the farms.

The move by these volunteers in purposely meant to show appreciation to the Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, for his commitment to national development, to respond his back to the land call, as well as work towards achieving food self-sufficiency in The Gambia.
All over the country, men and women from different backgrounds, came together over the weekend to respond to the president's noble call. Here, we give you the details of the work done by some of these groups, and what some of their members had to say.

Security services, foreign diplomats, others

Another of the latest batch of volunteers to storm Kanilai over the weekend were members of the armed and security services, members of staff of the ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs, the Libyan embassy, Taiwanese embassy, government departments and parastatals.

Speaking to journalists at President's coos farm at the Bunubore Forest Park, Ousman Sonko, minister of Interior, expressed delight at the work done by the members of the Armed and Security services at the Kanilai farms. "There cannot be any meaningful development without peace and stability but of course there cannot be peace and stability when people are hungry. Thus, His Excellency's call for people to go back to the land is indeed timely," said Minister Sonko.

He added that the members of armed and security services have benefited a lot from President Jammeh's humanitarian gifts, part of which come from the proceeds raised from his farms. According to him, the only way through which they can repay the president - to say 'thank you', is to help him on his farms.  Doing so, he said, will encourage him to do more and more for them.  He encouraged the youths to respond to President Jammeh's clarion call by going back to the land.

For his part, Lieutenant General Langtombong Tamba, chief of Defence Staff of The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) said such farming activities remind him  of the days when he was a young boy in the village, when they would form a club and work on their farms. Commenting on the tremendous job done by the recruits of The Gambia Armed Forces over the past week, Lt. Gen. Tamba said: "This is a way of telling His Excellency the president and commander-in-chief of The Gambia Armed Forces, 'thank you for all what you have done for us'.  Those of us who were in the army before President Jammeh came to power have seen a big difference today; you cannot even compare the two (the army in those days and now). "Today, a member of The Gambia Armed Forces can raise his/her hands anywhere in the world and be proud of being a member of The Gambia's Armed Forces and to be a Gambian. Today, we have in the army, university graduates in any field you can talk of, eg. medical, legal, business sector, etc and all these is possible due to President Jammeh's support," CDS Tamba noted.

He revealed that the Gambian leader has given them the directive for an agricultural battalion to further contribute their quota towards the agricultural development of this nation.  CDS Tamba recalled that the GAF Engineering corps contributed their quota to socio-economic development of this country by constructing the Siffoe and Mayork senior secondary schools.  He said the latest contract given to them is the construction of the university village in Faraba Banta. He thanked his fellow service chiefs for the support given to The Gambia Armed Forces. Tamba called on Gambians to create their own farms to complement President Jammeh's drive towards achieving food self-sufficiency.  

Ibrahim Bun Sanneh, executive director of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA) said an independent country must be self-sufficient in all areas, citing the president's food self-sufficiency dream as important. "Our independence cannot be meaningful unless and until we are self-reliant in all parameters," he remarked. He advised Gambians to follow President Jammeh's advice for people to grow what they eat and eat what they grow.

Ensa Badjie, inspector general of the Gambia Police Force, appealed to the Gambian people to come out in their numbers to help President Jammeh, adding that the proceeds of President Jammeh's farms go back to the people. He assured President Jammeh of the loyalty of the security services under the Ministry of Interior at all times.  IGP Badjie revealed that over 2000 police officers converged at the Kanilai farms to support President Jammeh.

Sako Drammeh, director general of The Gambia Immigration Department, thanked God for The Gambia not being affected by the global food crises due to President Jammeh's foresight and vision. He said President Jammeh has not only called on Gambians to go back to the land, but has also led by example.  He spoke at length on the difference and the improvements registered in the security services during President Jammeh's 15 years of leadership compared to what it was under the former government.

Dr Omar Touray, minister of Foreign Affairs and Gambians Abroad, said foreign diplomats in the country, from the Taiwanese, Cuban and Libyan embassies, were all represented and had decided to join Gambians to work on President Jammeh's farms in Kanilai. He described President Jammeh's back to the land initiative as timely, citing the food crisis as a major crisis affecting many countries in the world.  

Muhammed El-Gumaati, deputy ambassador at the Libyan embassy in The Gambia, also expressed delight at joining the volunteers to support President Jammeh.

GRTS sorghum farm at Bonto village
At this farm, members of the Western Region Green Youths, led by Hon. Alhagie Saihouna Sanneh, nominated National Assembly member, were found weeding the farm. Speaking to journalists, Hon. Sanneh said the Green Youths had their own farm near the GRTS farm and upon finishing the weeding of their farm, decided to help GRTS weed their farm.  He described the move as a show of solidarity towards national development.  

Commenting on the issue of food self-sufficiency in The Gambia, Hon. Sanneh said the Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya Jammeh has since 1994, been advocating for people to go back to the land.  He called on Gambians to quickly respond to this noble call, so as to attain food self-sufficiency in the near future. Ndey Njie, a member of the Western Region Green Youths described the move as important and called on Gambians youths to emulate them.

Sulayman Gassama, coordinator of the GRTS farm in Bonto, thanked the Western Region Green Youths for their support.  He described them as youths with vision and called on others to emulate them. Alhagie Momodou Sanyang, director general of GRTS, equally thanked the youths for assisting them and described their move as part of nation building.  DG Sanyang also thanked the Gassama Kunda family for giving them the land for farming purposes.


UTG, MDI staff and students
The students and administrators of the University of The Gambia and the Management Development Institute, last Saturday, took part in the president's back-to-the-land initiative in Kanilai.

The representatives from the two institutions, who were led by Professor Muhammed Kah - vice chancellor of the University of The Gambia and Jainaba ML Kah, director of MDI, worked together on the 4.2 hectare sorghum farm, which was given to the UTG's students  union by The Gambian leader.  

Speaking to the Daily Observer at the farm in Kanilai, the vice chancellor of the UTG, Professor Muhammed Kah, described the clarion call by President Jammeh for people to go back to the land as the only way to attain food self-sufficiency and security.  He challenged the Gambian people to respond to the call by the visionary leader.

Vice Chancellor Kah further went on to thank the Gambian leader, who is also the university's chancellor, for paving the way for people to go back to the land and grow what they eat.  He expressed his delight with the way the two institutions have come out to answer to the president's call.

For his part, Yusupha Dibba - the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, applauded the president for the laudable initiative he has taken in ensuring that no Gambian goes hungry.  He advised Gambians to follow President Jammeh's example and till the soil. For her part, Jainaba ML Kah, the director of the Management Development Institute (MDI), spoke on the importance of farming, noting that the wonderful initiative spearheaded by Professor Jammeh will make a huge difference to the drive to attain food self-sufficiency.  She urged people to change their attitudes towards farming, noting that farming is not only meant for non-educated people and should be respected. "There cannot be development without food self sufficiency," said the MDI boss.  

Ansumana Darboe, the university's student union president, described the initiative as a move in the right direction.  He described the crucial role the initiative is playing in the education and health sector.  He said the initiative will provide an avenue for students to venture into the practical aspects of farming and not only the theoretical part.  He expressed hope that this year, there will be a bumper harvest.  

PEGEP, others
The ex-sponsored students from the President's Empowerment of Girls' Education Project (PEGEP), alongside the members of the Youth Ambassadors for Peace (YAP) and the 22nd July Beauty Pageant contestants, last Thursday also visited Kanilai to support President Jammeh in weeding and cultivating some of his farms.  The move was meant to show appreciation for the benefits they derived from PEGEP, a brainchild of the Gambian leader.

Speaking to journalists at the president's sorghum farm in Kampant, Hon. Sheriff Abba Sanyang of the Foni Kansala constituency, who also doubles as the manager of PEGEP, said that over 300 ex-sponsored students had come to show solidarity and appreciation to President Jammeh for his support and generosity to them. According to Hon. Sanyang, the move is also a demonstration of their commitment towards President Jammeh's back to the land initiative, as well as his advocacy for food self-sufficiency. He observed that despite the global food crisis, The Gambia is not affected, adding that Gambians have responded massively to the president's call.

Hon. Sanyang finally commended the Gambian leader for his tremendous achievements since 1994 and for sponsoring students to acquire knowledge in and outside the country. Oumie Camara, a HTC student at The Gambia College, also applauded President Jammeh for his untiring support to Gambian students, especially girls. She expressed delight at being sponsored to study up to such a high level in her own country and thanked President Jammeh for empowering girls.

Victoria Bojang, another beneficiary of PEGEP, also reiterated their commitment towards responding to the president's call.  She called on Gambians to join them in weeding the President's farm, adding that the proceeds of the farm are ploughed back to the health and education sectors.

Fatou Touray, a GTTI student who was also part of the 22nd July Beauty Pageant contestants, expressed similar sentiments.

Kombo North

Over one thousand people from 33 villages in Kombo North District converged on President Jammeh's farm in Madiana in the Western Region, to weed over a Nerica rice farm of over 400 square metres.

Last Saturday's weeding exercise on the President's farm also involved a lot of singing and dancing by various youth groups and "Yaay compins" who took part in the exercise. They were led by the paramount chief, Seyfo Alhagie Demba Sanyang. Speaking to Daily Observer at the farm, Chief Demba Sanyang thanked President Jammeh for his "back to the land initiative", which he described as a move in the right direction.  He also used the opportunity to thank the people of Kombo North for their large turnout. According to him, this showed his district's commitment to nation building.

According to him, the proceeds of the farm from the previous season were donated to Jammeh Foundation for Peace.  He noted that the Jammeh Foundation is here for everybody irrespective of political affiliation. The paramount chief used the opportunity to extol the Daily Observer and GRTS for the good work they are doing.  According to him, these are media institutions that go out everywhere in the country to fetch good news and forward them to the masses.  This, according to him, will enhance the existing peace in the country.

Honorable Adama Cham, NAM for Kombo North, said they were motivated by The Gambian leader's back to the land call. According to him the proceeds of the farms, are given back to the people in the form of scholarships and other humanitarian gestures. According to Fabakary Manneh, councilor of Lameng ward, the Gambian leader has set the standards for everyone to follow.

Councillor Manneh used the opportunity to thank the Humble Youths Association of Lamin, who were also at hand on Saturday to work on the president's farm. For his part, Alhagie Fa Ceesay, Alkalo of Mandinaring, commended the youths for always responding to their calls.  He believed that engaging the youths to partake in national event in close collaboration with elders in this kinds of activities would not give them any room to engage in drug use.

Yaya Manneh - Alkalo, Mariama Kunda, Mamadou Njie - youth representative and Muktarr Fofana all spoke to Daily Observer at the farm and reaffirmed their desire to continue to support President Jammeh's government.