Wcr — The President, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh has pledged to install a new water reticulation system in the West Coast Region (WCR) from Kartong to Kalagi by 2018. He said the state-of-the-art water supply system is meant to reward the people of the region who have been patient for so long before benefitting from his 20 years rule. President Jammeh was speaking on Saturday before thousands of APRC militants, supporters and well-wishers in the community of Kangfenda in the Foni Kansala District as part of his three weeks' agricultural tour of all the regions in the country assessing first-hand the progress of dry season agricultural activities and the state of preparedness for the rainy season cultivation in the context of Gambia's food self-sufficiency drive. Apart from site visits, the President presided over meetings that as well served as platform to listen to the constraints of locals and farmers. President Jammeh thus used the meeting in his native district of Foni Kansala to thank the people of the West Coast Region and assured them that they will benefit from one of the best water reticulation systems by 2018, which will be as good as that of the Greater Banjul Area starting from Kartong to Kalagi. "You have stood for me since the dawn of the revolution and it is now my turn to reciprocate that support. I have said this before and you have seen it because it is only in the West Coast Region that you can see street lights from Brikama to Kalagi. I have said it and I will do it because I told you I am not a betrayer," he told the people of Foni. The President, however, used the gathering to renew his call on the people of Foni to utilise the vast lands the Almighty Allah has endowed them with to grow food and feed themselves. He said Foni used to be known for its agricultural activities but, according to him, this is fading away because young people of these communities are no longer engaged in farming. He thus challenged them to rise up to embrace farming to be food self-sufficient. "The whole of Foni has now turned to a forest because the people, especially the youth are not willing to work. I have made pledges to wipe your tears because you have been patient for so long. I can provide you social amenities but the means to sustain and utilise them I cannot do that for you and I cannot provide each and every one of you food; so we have to work," he told them, while attributing the excellent performance of girls to their hard work. President Jammeh used the opportunity to also warn against Cannabis sativa business. He pointed out that they have the land to do farming, while assuring them that he will work with those people that are development-oriented. To those who do not have the blessings of their mother, he prayed for Allah to have mercy on them and their soul, noting that he works for his father even when he was going to high school and that he never depended on anybody for his school fees. He further revealed that he struggled to pay for his school fees by traveling to the village to do farming especially on holidays. He said his mother often suggested for her to sell her goats especially at hard times . "I would always tell her only if I am really pushed to the wall then I can come and take a goat and sell it and she always told me 'you are my only child and all that I have belongs to you'. I said to her yes is true but let me try for myself first and if I cannot have it, I will take it," the President shared with the gathering his personal struggles to succeed in life. The Gambian leader thus thanked the people of West Coast Region for their warm welcome, one that he qualified as the best welcoming ceremony ever accorded him in the region. He hailed the mobilisers under the leadership of the governor of the region, Aminata Siffai Hydara for their efforts. Speaking earlier, the minister of Transport, Works and Infrastructure, Bala Garba Jahumpa, said the Vision 2016 food self-sufficiency agenda is not a new call by President Jammeh, saying because agriculture has been his first call on Gambians since 1994. He said since 1994 the President has launched several agricultural initiatives; ranging from the 'Back to-the-land' call, 'Operation feed yourself' to 'Operation feed the nation' and the newest one 'Grow what you eat, and eat what you grow', an initiative that targets to revolutionise agriculture in the country. He said President Jammeh decided to reduce the cost of a bag of fertiliser due to women's contribution to agriculture. He went on to state that politics is not about being a Jola, Wolof, Mandinka or Fula but it is about national development. Minister Jahumpa called on people to always desist from tribal and ethnic division, citing the Liberia, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and many other wars in Africa that had been caused by ethnic and tribal divisions and that women and children are always the victims. Speaking earlier at the meeting, the governor of the region, Aminata Siffai Hydara welcomed the President Jammeh and delegation to the West Coast Region and assured them that the people of her region are ready to work with the President to develop the region and the country at large. She also assured the President of her region's full support to the Vision 2016 initiative, which aims among other things to make The Gambia a food self-sufficient nation by 2016. The outspoken first female governor of The Gambia also informed the President of the level of unity and oneness that now exist in her region, citing the new slogan of the region: 'No retreat, no surrender, forward ever, backward never'. With this slogan, Governor Hydara said whosoever is not willing to cooperate with them to move the region forward should give way for others to move on. She used the opportunity to thank all those who in one way or the other contributed to the mobilisation to welcome the President and entourage in the region. "I want to thank you all for your efforts and support to make the day successful," she remarked. Yankuba Touray, former minister and erstwhile APRC national mobiliser, also spoke at the meeting, and challenged the youths of Foni to rise up to the challenge to venture into agricultural activities. He denounced the concept of illegal migration to Europe in search of greener pasture and further called on them to utilise the natural and marine resources the country is endowed with, a sector he said is largely dominated by foreigners. He as well called on the youths to venture into animal husbandry and do away with importation of livestock, which can be reared in the country. The national women mobiliser, Isatou Jifanga Jarju also thanked the people of the region especially the women for their support to the President. She cited the many empowerment programmes provided by the Jammeh administration, which she said justifies why the President should be given the much support he deserves from Gambian women. The alkalo of Kangfenda Lamin Bojang, Alhaji Momodou Lamin Jarju chief of Foni Kansala District, Aja Tombong Sanyang, Meita Korta, lady councilor and Hon. Alagie Jammeh National Assembly member for Foni Jarrol amongst others all spoke at the meeting, using the platform to renew their support to President Jammeh and the APRC party. They as well thanked the President for the development he brought to the people of the WCR.