The CDS was nominated among several distinguished personalities on the African continent by the board of the African Leadership Organisation, publishers of the African Leadership Magazine for its 11th African Leadership Persons of the year 2022 award.
The award is Africa’s premier vote-based endorsement, reserved annually for leading African personalities who contribute positively towards promoting the continent’s progress and positively altering Africa’s perceived negative image.
The African Leadership Magazine organised the award, held in a grand style and attended by the crème de la crème of Africans in both the defence and civil sectors. The award is an annual event for honouring people-centric leadership and Africans pursuing a Pan-African agenda in their chosen fields of endeavour.
Lieutenant General Yakuba A Drammeh was in December 2022 nominated for the award alongside two other distinguished African personalities in Honourable Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, the Prime Minister of Mauritius and Head of Defense and General Jean Bosco Kazura, Chief of Defence Staff of the Rwanda Defence Force.
The award ceremony according to the African Leadership Magazine is Africa’s premier vote-based endorsement, reserved annually for leading African personalities who contribute positively towards promoting the continent’s progress and positively altering Africa’s perceived negative image. Nominees for this particular award subscribe to high standards of personal accountability in pursuing their vision.
The ‘Africa Peace & Security Leader’ award category is presented to defence and security heads across the continent, with visible strides in protecting lives and properties in their countries. Accordingly, General Drammeh, who was nominated for this award in November 2022, won against two other distinguished personalities namely Honourable Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, the Prime Minister of Mauritius and Head of Defense as well as General Jean Bosco Kazura, Chief of Defence Staff of the Rwanda Defence Force.
The award ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of Mauritius, His Excellency Pravind Kumar Jugnauth who was the Guest of Honour while the Special Guest of Honour was His Excellency Dr Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone, amongst other dignitaries.
It could be recalled that in late 2022 precisely the month of December, online voting was conducted for the category of ‘Africa Peace & Security Leader of the Year 2022’. This category was a battle between the Prime Minister of Mauritius and the CDS of Rwanda Defence Force. At the close of the polls, on Friday 2 December 2022, Lieutenant General Drammeh emerged as the winner with 77.09 per cent of the votes cast in this category while General Kazura had 16.56 per cent as the Runner Up.
It is worth mentioning that since the CDS’s assumption of the mantle of leadership of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) in March 2020, Lieutenant General Yakuba A. Drammeh has instituted a robust communication and public relations strategy, amongst other things, geared towards further rebranding and recasting the image and credibility of the Gambia Armed Forces.
The CDS continues to inculcate discipline and professionalism in the military while at the same time cautions members of the Armed Forces to desist from participating in partisan politics. General Drammeh had reached out to his colleague Services Chiefs, the National Assembly, the media fraternity, civil society organisations, the diplomatic corps and international development partners, amongst others to extend a hand of fellowship with a view to strengthening cordial relations. Lieutenant General Drammeh has also instituted several outreach and confidence building measures aimed at winning the hearts and minds of Gambians and non-Gambians alike.
