In a televised address to the nation as part of celebrations for the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Adha on Friday, he stated: “I will reiterate my call to Gambians especially the youth to embrace agriculture, honest and hard work since these are the surest ways of attaining genuine independence, self-reliance and national dignity. I think we are on course to attaining our national development objectives under Vision 2016 and Vision 2020. In this connection, I reaffirm our commitment to eradicating poverty in the country but I count on all Gambians to desist from the easy tendency of embracing self-inflicted poverty whereby one sits idly-by hoping that good fortune will descend from the heavens without using one’s God-given talent and energy to work and improve one’s livelihood. What we need today is a change of attitude from complacent and dependent mindsets to more forward-living and achievement-oriented dispositions. We in The Gambia should be very grateful to the Almighty Allah for the peace and tranquility that prevails in our country. This we must at all times endeavour to jealously protect and defend as we strive for greater prosperity for all Gambians and non-Gambians in this country.
“This year we witnessed Muslims the world over being confronted with one crisis to another in all walks of life from the outbreak of the dreadful deadly Ebola crisis in West Africa to the senseless brutality of wars and violence unleashed on innocent people in various parts of the world. We should remember the victims of those crises in our prayers so that the Almighty Allah may bring relief and solace to all those in need and protect those who have been spared from the evil and brutality of others. The feast of Eid-ul-Adha is indeed also a moment of benevolence and beneficence to one another especially the less fortunate. Let us remember that caring for one another or being good to others is not only meant for these moments of religious festivities or celebrations but should also be part of the everyday life of every Muslim. In other words, being good to others should not only be occasional or seasonal but should be an integral part of the personality of the faithful.”
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