Three win President-sponsored Quranic Memorization competition

Three students from Oubey Ben Kaab Arabic School in Banjul and Dara Sunnah Arabic School in Wellingara Friday emerged winners of the male category of the first-ever national Quranic memorization competition sponsored by President Yahya Jammeh.

Soriba Dibbasey and Abdoulie Alieu Jallow of Oubey Ben Kaab Arabic School emerged as first and second place winners respectively, while Saidou Jallow emerged as the third winner.

The first place winner will receive a price of One Million Dalasis, the second winner will receive Five Hundred Thousand Dalasis while the third person will also receive Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dalasis.

The two weeks competition, supervised by the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council, GSIC, brought together 145 students from different Arabic schools across the country.

Speaking on behalf of President Jammeh, at a ceremony held at the GSIC’s DOHA International Conference Centre in Kanifing, Dr Njogu Bah, Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service, commended the GSIC for successfully supervising the whole competition.

He called on members of the council and all parents to inculcate good moral values in their children, for the betterment of their own future, noting that President Jammeh had fully appreciated their efforts.

GSIC President Imam Momodou Lamin Touray described President Jammeh as a “true believer of the Almighty Allah,” and called on the Muslim Ummah in the country to pray for the Gambian leader for “the love he has for Islam”.

According to him, the official handing over of the prizes will be done by President Jammeh at a date to be communicated.

GSIC Vice President Sheikh Malick Badjan commended President Jammeh for organizing what he called the first-ever historic competition in the country.

Alhagie Sidia Ceesay, the Principal of Tallinding Islamic School, who spoke on behalf of the principals of participating schools, thanked the President of the GSIC for the success of the competition.

He said that the gathering was a happy occasion, and commended President Yahya Jammeh for his foresight in organising such a competition.

“A person who is closer to the Almighty Allah is someone who reads and memorizes the Holy Quran,” Trawally said, while appealing to the government to recognize the Arabic memorization schools in the country.

Sheikh Cherno Darboe chaired the ceremony.

Certificates were presented to all the 145 students who participated in the competition.