Speaking to The Standard at his residence Thursday on the Vision 2016 pronouncement by President Yahya Jammeh which is geared towards attaining food security, thereby limiting or ending rice importation in the country, the politician said: “The pronouncement is very good. It is a very good idea but the saddest thing is that Gambians are not willing to work. The president is doing whatever he can do for Gambians but we are not willing to work. This is our only problem, but I believe if we happen to take the idea as he does we will really be successful in the 2016 programme. We will get sufficient food whereby we will not import rice into The Gambia anymore except having enough to export it. But it depends on whether Gambians are ready to sacrifice and are ready for farming. When they say ‘let’s go for party’, they come out in millions, but when they say ‘let’s go for work’ you will not see anybody. Gambians are not willing to work but they are willing to eat and enjoy and you cannot eat and enjoy unless and until you work. As the English people say, business before pleasure. The president is doing all he can to help us but we are not ready to help him”.
Taking a swipe at those who sing the praises of the president and will only work in his presence for “eye-service”, Mr Touray who defeated an APRC candidate in the 2013 local government elections as an independent candidate added: “All those howling in his presence and not working are just after their own pockets. They do not have the interest of the president or the interest of the nation. The monthly set-settal is a good example. When we are doing our set-settal here in Tallinding, nobody will come out. It is only myself and a few of my boys and the servicemen. We are not the only people in Tallinding or KMC. When the president calls, they will all go so that he can see them, but in his absence they will not do what he wants them to do. I prefer to work in his absence than in his presence. Gambians must change their attitude or else we will not be successful in this Vision 2016.”
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