Gambia
Technical Training Institute (GTTI) student union recently inaugurated new
executive members to steer the affairs of students at a ceremony held at the
campus.
Speaking
on the occasion, Momodou Drammeh welcomed the new elective on their assumption
to office, saying their number one priority should be education and the welfare
of the students.
He
advised the new executive members to be involving the management in their
activities and also work hard to live a legacy.
The
guest speaker, Elizabeth Johnson, General Manager of Gamcel, said GTTI has come
a long way since its inception in 1983 been a skill centre that offer lower
certificate and now offer a high diploma en-route to degree level.
She
said this noble institution has graduated dozens of men and women who are great
leaders in society, adding that students union in the Marian Webster’s
dictionary is an association of students in college or university that ran the
daily affairs of students.
This
would make the relationship of the institution and students go a long way even
after their graduation, she stated.
Madam
Johnson added that this noble gesture would encourage open education,
participation in management decision and development of all aspects of learning
and teaching.
“Student
union is not a celebrity body but an entity created more skills and add valued
in nation development and academic welfare of its students.”
She
called on the newly-elected members to fellow on the achievements of the
outgoing executive and work towards the betterment of its union.
The
outgoing President, Cherno Gaye, did the handing over and advised the
new-elected members to work towards the betterment of the union.
The
newly-elected president, Miss Elizabeth Kinta Gomez, the first female president
of GTTI student union, said it was a dream come true as she was challenged by a
man that a woman can’t be a president.
She
said capacity is not built on gender but rather with potentials and did thank
the entire students’ fraternity for voting her into office.
She
said her plan is to work with stakeholders to improve the environment and image
of their institution, strengthen the unions’ participation in development, and
develop leadership skills by conducting trainings, improving working relations
with management and students and creating forum for youth participation.
She
added that the society has wrong perception about technical education but its
plays a vital role in human resource development and enhancing industrial
productivity and improve the quality of life.
The
technical education is the fore-runner of a country’s development that deals
with all machines beneficial to human life.
She advised students to overcome challenges
regardless of how they are seen and treated in society.
The
Gambia’s prosperity depends on the country’s being innovative and taking
advantage of technical literacy.
