Ansumana
B. Bojang, president of the student’s union of the University of The Gambia,
has been elected into the executive committee of All-Africa Students’ Union,
which is headquartered in Accra, Ghana.
Mr
Bojang was elected Press and Communications Secretary of the union at its 12th
elective congress, held on 22-24 December 2016, at the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.
The
congress was held under the theme: “Creating the Africa we want to see through
constructive students and youth engagement”, and it was attended by delegates
from almost all the universities in Africa.
“Special
thanks to Ghana, Liberia, Botswana, Malawi, Sudan, Chad, Namibia, Uganda, and
Rwanda for supporting The Gambia in the race,” said Mr Bojang who is also the
president of the National Union of the Gambian Students, NUGS.
“I
thank Allah for the milestone and pray that this achievement will open the
doors of success to all actors in student unionism.”
The
UTGSU president is part of the executive that will steer the affairs of the
continental students’ union for the next four years, 2016-2020.
Other
members of the executive committee are:
Eng Mussab Mohamed Ousman Ibrahim Ousman (General Sudanese Students
Union) as president; Mr Peter Kwasi Kodjie (Grauate Students Association of
Ghana) as secretary general and head of mission; Miss Kemirembe Rona (Uganda
National Students Association) as deputy secretary general; Mr Blessing Lechane
(Botswana National Union of Students) as secretary for finance and
administration; Mr Sadam Annour (National Union of Chadian Students) as
secretary for education and students’ rights; and Angel Mbuthia (Kenya University
Students Association) as secretary for gender and international relations.
The
sub-regional posts were filled as follows:
Southern Africa, Vice President, Mr Davies Jiva (University of Malawi
Students’ Union; and Nauyouma Dimbulukeni Shipandeni Hafani (Namibia National
Student’s Organization) was elected as an executive committee member.
East
Africa: Vice President, Gatanazi Longin (Federation Des Association Generades
Des Etudiant du Rwanda), and Tilahum Dires Azmeraw (Ethiopia Higher Education
Institution Student’s Union) was elected executive committee member.
West
Africa: Vice President, Varney A Jarsey (Liberia National Student’s Union), and
Osman Bikal Kamara (National Union of Sierra Leone Students) was elected
executive committee member.
Central
Africa: Folabit Lena Novel (Association Des Etudiant De L’ Universite de
Yaounde) was elected vice president, while Habib Gah (National Union of
Mauritanian Students) was elected vice president for North Africa.
Mr
Bojang said the new executive will continue to support education, democracy,
human rights, gender equality and culture on the African continent.
Meanwhile,
in a press release from AASU secretariat in Ghana, Awaah Fred, former secretary
general and Head of Mission, called on all governments, the African Union, NGOs
and the UN system to work with the newly-elected executive to consolidate the
gains made by their predecessors, in the quest to make Africa a better place
for all.