Kombo North Federation awards 22 ex-board members

The Kombo North Federation (KNF) affiliated to ChildFund The Gambia over the weekend awarded 22 ex-board members, for the 2011-2013 and 2013-2016 batch, who had successfully completed a three-year tenure of serving in the board of the federation.

The awardees were presented with certificates of appreciation at a ceremony held at the KNF office in Banjulinding, Kombo North. 

The awardees: for the 2011 to 2013 ex-board members were Malang Jammeh, Mustapha Kuyateh, Mamadi Kejera, Momodou Badjie, Ramatoulie Bah, Isatou Bojang, Nyima Badjie, Adama Touray, Aja Tida Saidy and Manjai Nyang.

The 2013-2016 batch included Ebou Faal out-going board chairman, Ndegen Jobe, Ismalia Kurubally, Kebba Bojang, Makaddy Badjie, Pa Jagne Darboe, Jainaba Jarju, Fatou Badjie, Mariama Jallow, Isatou Konateh and Rose Faye

Speaking at the award ceremony, the KNF Manager, Alieu Mendy, described the event as yet another milestone in the history of the Kombo North Federation.

He said this was the first of its kind for the federation to award certificates to ex-board members as a token of appreciation for their voluntary services for the past three years. 

Mr Mendy further said the ex-board members were worthy to be commended, and the only way to do that was by awarding them certificates.

He described the certificates as a very important and remarkable asset that they could reflect on year-in-year-out, and their grandchild would actually know the selfless services that they rendered to the federation for three years.

The KNF Manager also called on the new board members to emulate the ex-board members for their determination, commitment, sacrifice and devotion to the federation for three years without pay.

He urged the board members to redouble their voluntary services, and challenged them to come up with a new discovery that would make the federation advance and progress.

He added that ex-board members suggested that they needed to establish ex-board alumnae, and he supports the idea.

According to him, one of their major challenges over the years was that the beneficiaries, who are the deprived vulnerable children, are not corresponding on their sponsorship effectively, and they are getting their support exclusive from sponsorship.

Mr Mendy urged the beneficiaries to be corresponding on their sponsorship by writing appreciation letters and acknowledgement of their support, as that would help for The Gambia to have more support from the sponsors.

He said parents need to know that the sustainability of this sponsorship is based on regular or constant communication with the sponsors.

About the incoming federation board members, Mr Mendy said his first plan is to conduct a board members training for a period of one week, and the training would focus on the modality of being a board member, role and responsibilities of a board member, what is the scope of a board member, what should they do to become effective board members, to ensure that the staff are able to do their work effectively, as well as what are the limitations of being a board member.

Mr Mendy also challenged the staff to redouble their efforts, because there are board members who are not paid and are serving voluntarily.

Also speaking at the award ceremony, Ebou Faal, the out-going KNF chairman, expressed delight to serve the federation to the best of his ability, at no cost.

He thanked the management and staff of the federation for their support and cooperation with the board members.

Mamadi Kijera, ex-board chairman for 2011-2013, also commended the federation for awarding them certificates of appreciation, which they feel was a big achievement and recognition of their selfless services to the communities.

Yaya Manneh, the new incoming board chairman, expressed delight to have witnessed the awarding of certificates to ex-board members, which was a source of motivation, encouragement and support.

He assured all to work hand in glove with the staff of the federation in a bid to register some achievements.

University of Abuja authorities seek collaboration with ECOWAS

Authorities of the University of Abuja are seeking to collaborate with ECOWAS in a number of areas of human development.

Specifically, the university is also seeking to partner with ECOWAS and get needed support in areas covering the enhancement of higher education and training; youth and employment; and research and development.

Other critical areas where cooperation is being sought in the mutual interest of both parties are conflict prevention, peace and security; disease control; agriculture; language immersion; as well as sharing of experiences with other member states of ECOWAS.

These disclosures were made in Abuja on the 4 August 2016 when the Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja Prof Michael U. Adikwu led a delegation of senior officials of the institution on a visit to the ECOWAS Commissioner for Education Science and Culture Prof. Hamidou BOLY.

The university delegation noted that it was leveraging on the mandate as an institution of learning and research to seek collaboration, partnership and support of relevant institutions such as ECOWAS.

Commissioner Boly and the ECOWAS team unfolded the likely areas of collaboration with the University vis-a-vis the Vision and Mandate of ECOWAS. The areas were which span a number of Departments of ECOWAS were identified as Research and Development, popularization of research findings, Training and Human Capital Development; data collection, analysis and publication.

Other areas were listed as Regional Integration and interface with other organizations and institutions, involvement of the university in subsequent editions of scholarships and exchange of lecturers under the ECOWAS Nnamdi AZIKIWE Academic Mobility Scheme (ENAAMS) as well as implementation of the ECOWAS reference Manual on Education for the Culture of Peace and possibility of alliance in the areas of human and financial resources.

Both parties also agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the end of the deliberations to reinforce their relationship.

The delegation from the University of Abuja comprised the deans of the faculties of Agriculture, Education, Health Science, and Social Sciences.

Also on the delegation of were some Heads of departments and a representative from the National Universities Commission (NUC).