Gambian President, Yahya AJJ Jammeh |
Gambia’s President, Yahya Jammeh has reiterated that his government maintains its “zero tolerance” against drugs in the country, vowing not to “not give chance” to anyone at any cost.
His renewed frowns on drug trafficking into the
country and its usage came Friday when he presided over the State Opening of
the 2012 Legislative Session of the National Assembly in the capital,
Banjul.
Jammeh who spoke on a variety of issues also warn
parliamentarians that they risk depriving their constituents of development if
they keep making mouth unnecessarily.
You should not argue just for the sake of arguing,
opposing everything brought before you, he said, before urging the members of
the National Assembly to pass laws that of interest and relevant to Gambians
and not the contrary.
Cocaine bust, estimated to worth $1 billion, June 2010, Banjul. |
As usual, he maintains his stance against sex
minorities, homosexuals, whom he warn will be jailed if found wanting. He
described homosexuality as ungodly and that not even aid deprivations by donor
countries can make him tolerate the act.
“Take your aid away, we will survive. We will
rather eat grass than accept this ungodly evil attitude that is anti-God,
anti-human and anti-creation,” President Jammeh said, while lamenting the ban
of Muslim veils in some western countries, and they want us to “accept gays and
lesbians in Africa”.
“It will not happen in this country,” he said.
He noted that his government will put up with
international conventions it is committed to, but will pass legislations that
will “preserve our cultures and humanity, our dignity, and our identity as one
Africans, West Africans and Gambians.”
His latest comments came at a time when 20 people,
majority of them Gambian are put on trial on allegations of acts of
homosexuality. The Senegambia Human Rights Defence League recently told the BBC
it is worried about the accused given the president’s stance on
homosexuals.
However, Jammeh noted he can be called names, but
will not compromise “our dignity, we will not insult our religion, and we will
not insult God by doing something in the name of human rights.”
Meanwhile, defence, a portfolio he heads, remains a
top priority to the Jammeh administration and as he stated on April 20, his
government will continue support to the defence sector of the country and to
the armed and security sectors.
Written by Modou S. Joof
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