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Spotlight on Ousman Gibba, Commissioner of Police, Banjul Division

Dec 31, 2008, 5:35 AM | Article By: Abba Gibba & Babucarr Senghore

Hello and a warm welcome to yet another scintillating edition of Personality of the Week, your weekly column aimed at bringing prominent Gambian top notches and achievers into the limelight.

In our today's edition, we bring you the profile of a highly accomplished police officer by all standards.

An easy-going accomplished police officer, who is approachable and good-humoured but yet a no non-sense man when it comes to matters of principles and national security issues. This underlined his praise and honour as a man of dignity and a loyal and serious minded citizen, worthy of example. With over 26 years accumulated experience, today he's deservedly won the reputation of being one of the guys well respectable within the Gambia Police Force. He is Commissioner of Police Ousman Gibba.

Among competent police officers worthy of mention is Commissioner of Police Ousman Gibba, Commissioner of Police for Banjul Division, whose trump card is national interest first, is described as very loyal and competent police officer.

Mr. Gibba is man who has verily achieved greatness. His journey to greatness, characterised by the rare virtues of honesty, loyalty, hardwork and discipline is indeed exceptional. As a role model for many police officers, Mr. Gibba's style gives surge and confidence and spurs growth and greatness in the lives of the willing.

Proficient and insightful, Commissioner of Police Gibba has the uncanny ability to deliver in all fronts and yield brilliant and unexpected results. This is just the par for the course for someone like Mr. Gibba who has today earned the respect of all his superiors thanks to his honesty, loyalty hardwork and commitment to duty.

His track record of academic excellence coupled with his diverse job experience had prepared him to face the challenges of his current position. Commissioner of Police Gibba emphasises police duty as a primary service to the nation and he is no doubt a symbol of success in professionally serving his country both at home and abroad.

Commissioner of Police Gibba has come a long way. Immediately completing a pre-service teachers' training at the GambiaCollege, Mr. Gibba enlisted into the then Gendarmerie in 1982. In 1983 he attended a training course in Station Management with the Gendarmerie in Dakar, Senegal.

From 1983 to 1985 he attached to the General Duty Corp of the Gendarmerie (Military Police). From there he was attached to the State House as an outrider escort up to 1987 after which he returned to the Military Police where he served until 1989.

From 1989 to 1993, the faultless and trustworthy Ousman Gibba was designated as bodyguard to then Head of State, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara. Commissioner of Police Gibba had also received professional training in Nigeria, by the State Security Service.

His training included training in unarmed combat, booby trap detection techniques, VIP evacuation and evasive driving techniques.

From 1993 to 1999 Commissioner Gibba was the Officer Commanding Brikama Division.

In 1999 he received a UN induction course in Darwin, Australia after which he was deployed to war-turned East Timor, Region of Ermare, where he served as Station Commander up till 2000.

From 2000 to 2003 he was Officer Commanding Basse Division. From 2003 to 2005 he was Commissioner of Police for Central River Division. From 2005 to 2006 he was Commissioner of Police for North Bank Division. From November 2006 to late this year he was Commissioner of Police for Kanifing Division, the most populous division in the country. He is currently the Commissioner of Police, Banjul Division.

He was born on the 26thAugust 1961 in Shom village, Kombo East, Western Region.

Mr. Gibba holds a diploma in Management Studies and a certificate in Crises Management. Of recent he underwent Training for Trainers program on Public Sector Management, organised the Management Development Institute (MDI) in collaboration with Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

He is currently residing in Latirkunda Sabiji in the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC). His hobbies are listening to world news, reading and hunting.