Gambian President Yayah  Jammeh  has called for attention to be paid to education for Africa's advancement  adding that the continent's  biggest enemy is ignorance. “It is because of ignorance that a small problem led to rockets flying and destroying our country, and that we Africans should have known that when the continent was at its glorious heydays before our friends came, it was the richest continent in the whole world,” he said.

President Jammeh was speaking on the occasion of the July 22nd celebration marking the anniversary of the military coup that brought him to power. It is a date that is celebrated every year as a moment of reflection on the achievements as well as the shortcomings of his government, noting that this reflection reminds them of the growing desire of the Gambian people to keep alive the revolutionary spirit as well as guide them in their strive to sustainable growth and development in The Gambia.

In the statement delivered at the Arch 22, President Jammeh added that the day is also an occasion to thank all Gambians and friends of The Gambia for their support and contribution to the programme of his government. He noted that since the advent of the revolution his government has been paying particular attention to the collective wishes of the Gambian people which, he said, is being gradually determined by the taste of the people. He said the revolution was deeply rooted in the firm belief that development is all about the people, their welfare, self-reliance and self-realization must be brought to the doorstep of the Gambian people.

Discussing developments in the past 12 months, he remarked that this period had witnessed unprecedented development in the history of the country. “In one year, we have registered more development than the two years before, thanks to you the people of The Gambia, true friends of The Gambia and of course, the Almighty Allah,” he said. “The signs are there for all to see and feel in all sectors of the Gambian economy. You can be rest assured that there is no sector of the Gambian economy that has not witnessed great transformation.”

President Jammeh also expressed the belief that The Gambia shall develop even faster than a missile and added that such “development will not fall from the sky.”

“We have to work together as Gambians, as citizens of this country irrespective of your race, religion or tribe or where you come from,” he said. There has not been any single country which comprises of one race, one religion or tribe. Why can't we Africans be together peacefully and develop rapidly as our great ancestors have done before the coming of the white man?” he questioned aloud.

“For 400 years, Africans have been taken into slavery, our countries have been invaded, colonized and a big country like The Gambia, which was like an elephant, was reduced by the British to a state over a period of 400 years. And what did they leave us with? Two Senior Secondary Schools and two hospitals i.e. Royal Victoria Hospital and Bansang Hospitals respectively. President Jammeh also said that slavery has more devastating consequence than even colonialism because they took away the best and strongest Africans thereby occasioning the under-development, hunger and starvation of Africans.

“Compare 400 years of British rule of Gambian development and 30 years of development before we came and 13 years of development today. 400 years they cannot give us a university. If you talk about democracy, which is more democratic than the other?” he asked. “And today instead of giving us something, they are still bombarding us with one criticism after the other. Are we going to accept that? No!”

The president lamented that those who preach development and what should be done towards it would never help Africa's development efforts, as he views it, they are not interested in the welfare of the African people. President Jammeh however reiterated his belief that it would be impossible to achieve any meaningful development without change of attitude. He said that among other things Africans have to change their attitude, respect themselves, value their culture, and look inward, noting that only then would Africa develop.

 “Africans must work together. We must make sure that we are respected. We will not be respected if we continue to kill each other and if we continue to beg,” he posited.

He however made it categorically clear that he is not averse to anybody but argued that what he termed the genocide against Africans had never been recognized by the white man. He stated that Europeans took millions of African from the continent, made them slaves and some of them were killed, but when it came to the slave trade, even Tony Blair would not apologise. “Are we not human beings?” he raged.

President Jammeh swore by the Holy Quran and said “by the Grace of the Almighty Allah this country will be number one in the whole world”.