The Lower River Region Youth Parliament, under the National
Youth parliament of The Gambia, on Saturday, 24thJanuary elected its 1stfemale Speaker at a congress held in Jarra
Soma Mini-Stadium.
According to a media dispatch from National Youth Parliament, Awa Ceesay is now the new speaker of the regional body and its representative to the National Youth Parliament's Executive Council. Others elected alongside her include; Hon Lamin Saidykhan as deputy speaker, Hon Saikou Darboe as the clerk, assisted by Hon Nanding Sanneh as deputy clerk whilst Honorable Yaya Sanneh was elected as the finance officer for the region.
Speaking on the occasion, Bakary Dampha, an official of the regional education directorate for Region Four challenged the young parliamentarians to work together as a team for the realization of the aspirations of the National Youth Parliament in the Region and the Country at large.
"Unless you jointly work, you can't make any progress" he said. Dampha also called on the team to forge alliances with other stakeholders in the region.
For his part, Saikou Drammeh, the youth chairperson, Lower River Region said that the congresses form part of the development process of any organization. Therefore, the National Youth Parliament and its grassroots bodies are no exception. He described it as a democratic process based on decision of the young people.
At the end of congress, the speaker elect, Hon Awa Ceesay, thanked the colleagues for the trust bestowed upon her. She called for their cooperation in working for the better of life for all the young people of the Lower River Region.
The National Youth Parliament, she said, stands for good morals and the inculcation of responsible behavior in the mind of young people. This she said should guide all of them during their term in office. But Hon Ceesay was quick to state that if any one is not willing to perform as expected, "let you please give off today".
Ceesay stressed that youth leadership is all about sacrifice and commitment the release concludes.
