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| Jammeh laments Gambia's British colonial rule
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Banjul, Gambia (PANA) -
Gambian President Yayah Jammeh has lamented that in the
400 years of British colonial rule, the country had only two high schools and tw
o
hospitals, PANA reported from here Sunday.
"The bad image of Africa is always being portrayed on television, yet it is the
African blood and tears that built the West and Africa did not receive anything
f
rom them other than castigation," Jammeh stated while addressing two groups of y
o
ung Britons from Sheikh Eternity and AS IT IS TV, as guests of the Jammeh Founda
t
ion for Peace (JFP) and the President's Empowerment of Girls Education Project (
P
EGEP).
The reports, monitored on Gambia Radio and Television Services here Saturday, st
ated that the youngsters were at the State House to familiarise themselves with
t
he Gambian leader and assured him of their continuous willingness to be goodwill
ambassadors of The Gambia.
The President advised the guests to continue to serve as good ambassadors and wo
rk hard to succeed in life.
The Gambia, he noted, is a country of tolerance and peace that welcomes all good
things, religions, race and colour, except the bad ones, "because we believe in
interdependence and mutual respect for all; that is what humanity is all about."
The Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Fatou Lamin Faye thanked the gues
ts for portraying the good image of the country and urged them to do their best
t
o effect changes as it is in their hands as young people.
Youth and Sports Minister Sheriff Gomez said the visit was important because the
world is a global village.
Gomez urged the young people to work together as they are the assets of any nati
on, urging them to share and build partnership with others in order to build a b
e
tter world.
Mr. Ansumana Jammeh, Chief Executive Officer of JFP thanked the group for the im
pressive documentary shown on their TV that depicted the good image of the count
r
y.
This group, Ansumana said, organises a fund raising programme and gives the proc
eeds to the JFP and PEGEP and thanked Jammeh for receiving them.
Sheriff Abba Sanyang, National Assembly Member for the area also thanked the Pre
sident and said the audience will go a long way in boosting the morale of the yo
u
ngsters who are working hard to eradicate poverty and empower the education of t
h
e girl-child.
According to Sanyang, PEGEP, The Gambia and Gambians have changed in a very shor
t period of time because of various projects introduced by the President, disclo
s
ing that 35,000 girls have benefited from PEGEP.
Clive Smith, Co-Director of AS IT IS TV in UK expressed happiness for connecting
with their roots, saying they were not allowed to know where Africa is and that
the bad image of Africa is what is always communicated to them.
Smith said his TV station is the only one portraying the good image of The Gambi
a and promised to keep up the momentum.
He called on his colleagues to visit The Gambia and see what the country can off
er them and what they can offer the country.
Madu Ellis and Loony Clieve expressed similar sentiments, saying the visit will
avail them the opportunity to exchange ideas and requested for easy access on ho
w
young people from Britain can find their roots.
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| Banjul - 06/12/2009 |
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