Asantehene at Libya's 37th anniversary

Bayda (Libya) Sept. 5, GNA - The leader of the great Al Fateh revolution on Friday said the revolution had transformed the lives of Libyans and that it remained unabated.

"At the beginning when the revolution broke out it took all the wealth and gave it to the Libyan people. It transferred those living in thin huts to enjoy better life by living in block housing complexes, the poor has become rich today due to the revolution", he said.

The leader of the revolution, President Muammar Al Gaddafi was addressing Libya's 37th anniversary parade, which the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II spiced with his presence as the Special Guest.

He said the People's Congress of Libya had, however, decided to cautiously establish ties with the Western world consistent with the view that society must be dynamic and not static.

President Gaddafi urged Libyans to work harder as against the over reliance on oil, foreigners and imports.

He said the new phase of the country's development, which started on Friday required that nothing should be built by foreigners and whatever was built in Libya would be by Libyans" He stressed the need for Libyans to start manufacturing goods for its consumers rather than importing such goods.

"We do not produce anything, we sell only oil and consume everything" he intimated.

He emphasised that the kind of trade, which you produce nothing and import goods in exchange for oil was a catastrophe and wanted Libya to reform its economy off oil.

"To explore for oil, to export it and earn money, which you use to pay for imports and then sell those imports locally: This is not prosperity. It does not lead to the nation's progress", he stressed. Colonel Gaddafi noted that Libya could become an economic giant like Japan if it were not socially backward and reliant on foreign workers to do skilled jobs.

"We take no significant credit for what has been achieved because foreigners were the ones who did everything from the simplest to the biggest thing=94, he Said. 5 Sept. 06