Former
Presidential Affairs Minister, International Speaker and author, Momodou
Sabally has advised young Gambians to focus on self-improvement and build
themselves up for the betterment of their communities and the nation at large.
He
made these remarks in a keynote speech delivered at the official launch of two
books authored by Wuyeh Drammeh and Ismaila Saidybah that were launched at Jarra
Soma, January 25, 2020.
He
touted the authors for their creative spirit and the decision to hold their
event in their home region of Jarra.
“Jarra
Sutukung, Barrow Kunda and, the land of my favourite Gambian poet, Landing
Kintiba, Jarra Bureng; these are all cities of inspiring Scholarship. The
literary history of Sutukung for instance can rival most of the major learning
centres of Europe and America ...
“The
children and grandchildren of Kang Khalifa and Kumbusora should never be
strangers to scholarship. Therefore I congratulate, heartily, Wuyeh Drammeh and
Ismaila Saidybah, authors of “This Way
from America” and “Sins of a Father”
respectively!”
Sabally
also reiterated his condemnation of government’s decision to transform the
country’s leading T-Vet institution GTTI into a university in the face of lack
of basic facilities at the country’s main public university, the UTG. He
therefore called on the people of the rural areas to start confronting
politicians with questions about their plans and policies in the area of
education. He made this lament while speaking (in Mandinka) as a panelist at a
forum held on the sidelines of the book launch alongside GMC party leader Mai
Ahmad Fatty and other dignitaries.
He
then concluded his remarks with a clarion call to the youths:
“In
the words of my wife, my better brain:Take control of your lives! Government is
too slow, and you cannot keep complaining. Find your strengths and harness it
to empower each other, to create jobs...You cannot keep waiting!”
