Trust Bank
The event was the 10th edition of the bank’s Excellence in the Millennium Award institutionalised ten years ago to recognise and encourage students who do well in school. This time around each of the students went home with a brand new laptop, a student savings account with an opening balance of D3, 000 and a Trust Bank certificate of excellence.
Speaking on the occasion on behalf of Trust Bank’s managing director Pa Macoumba Njie, Oreme Joiner, general manager of Trust Bank, said the bank is not only obsessed with delivering targeted banking solutions but also remain passionately committed to the promotion of quality education as a prerequisite to national development.
“The excellent awards programme comes to recognise and motivate students for their record performance,” he said.
Mr Joiner also recognized the invaluable role played by the principals and teachers as well as guardians for providing the much needed support to the students to make them excel in school.
He also seized the opportunity to reaffirm Trust Bank’s commitment to their social responsibilities, saying in partnership with government and other stakeholders they “will continue to fulfil their role” in key sectors as health, education and sport.
The Minister of Basic and Secondary Education was deputised at the award ceremony by Ebrima Sissaho, deputy permanent secretary of the ministry.
The significance of the event cannot be overemphasised, he said, adding that his ministry is grateful to Trust Bank for its demonstration of corporate social responsibility to complement the effort of the government in providing quality and relevant education for all students in The Gambia.
‘This social responsibility demonstrated annually by Trust Bank is seen as the best way of helping deserving students, among other support,” Mr. Sissaho said, adding: “This will also inculcate a culture of saving among the students during their transition period.”
He described the event as a special one as it marked the beginning of the Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE) as well as the beginning of the new mandate of the President of The Gambia.
DPS Sissaho further congratulated the awardees for their performance, urging them to continue the trend.
Pateh Bah, Acting Head of West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), in his remarks on the occasion, said his office has been celebrating excellence in performance of students since 1984 when the WAEC endowment fund was inaugurated.
“Since Trust Bank’s inception of the millennium award, WAEC has been looking forward to receiving philanthropists to undertake such an initiative to celebrate excellence in our youths,” he said.
He commended the awardees and challenged them to continue the hard work as “WAEC will kindly monitor their progress”.
Muhamed F. Jabbi, chairman of the principals, also expressed delight about the Trust Bank initiative.
