As Gamsu Leadership Changes, Omar Joof Admonishes New Executive



The Independent (Banjul)

DOCUMENT
September 7, 2001 
Posted to the web September 7, 2001 

Banjul, the Gambia 

Omar Joof, the former of Gamsu who is in exile in Senegal has warned the new executive members of the student body to be prepared for the general body of students. Mr. Joof whose term as Gamsu president ended last month following the election of a new executive said it has never been easy for him and his colleagues to surmount the challenges of running the Union. We reproduce below the unabridged text of the message.

After having waiting for a while to hear from you directly or through some members of the out-gone executive to no avail and conscious of the fact that there are some important works to be done, I hereby take the initiative to contact you.

     


In the first place, allow me to extend to all of you, sincere congratulations for your elections to your various positions in the executive. It has never been easy with those before you, so done ever expect it to be easy with you. This is all the more so, because you have taken over the leadership of the Union at an epoch-making period in its history. If you adhere to the principles of Positive students activism, you will hardly make mistakes. This should be enough to always keep you on the side of the truth.

About tow years ago, when we took over the stewardship of GAMSU, we pledged to make this national student movement responsive to the movement responsive to the wishes and aspirations of the Gambian students; we also promised to up- date the Union's constitutions; and in the line with principles of self-reliance, non- partism and positive students activism. We had a project for the promotion of girl's education above the ninth grade.

With regards the task of making the Union responsive to the wishes and aspirations of Gambian students, we took a structural approach, At the central executive level, we institute two mobile phones to established a fast means of communications with the general students body. This was in addition to the telephones in the offices at the Brikama Campus of the Gambia College.

To further enhance contacts at the school and regional levels, we endeavors to institute Regional Coordinating committee, to make the Regional Cordinators more effective in the discharges of their duted. This was participated by our desire to effectively decentralized so as to infuse functional democracy in the movement. A lot of work was done in this regard by the vice president, as the chair of the general executive, responsible for monitoring and supervising the formation of the regional coordination committee. Indeed by Christmas 1999, when we had our first General Executive meeting, appreciable work had been done in these regards.

With regards up- dating or reviewing the Union's constutition, e could only manage a tentative list of names for the proposed constitutional review committee. Our target for a real review of the constutition was a meeting of the General Executive in Aril 2000. By then, there should have been made available a draft of the constitution for up- date or review by the general Executive. After possible amendments and addendums, the draft should have been presented to the congress of 2000 for ratification and adoption. This project was swept aside by the tragic events of April 10th/11th 2000, the build-up to which started on the 8th of March earlier.

The same can be said of most of our projects. We had a Gamsu Trust Fund Project (which everyone seem to be emulating), envisaged to fund a sponsorship programmed, including the sponsorship projects for girls above the ninth grade. The August 1999 Congress, mandate the executive to collect one Dalasi from every students in the Gambia, from grade seven to all tertiary institutions, we have prepared a document on the project. You should endeavors to study the Implement it, as it is a laudable venture.

These were some of the programmes we had in the pipeline for the implementation of which we received Congress's approval in August 1999. They are good programmes all tailored to benefit Gambian students.

With regards other matters, such as the finances, I hope the other members of the out-gone Executive have briefed you sufficiently. Another issue on paramount important to Gambia students, are therefore all of us, is April 10th/11th and its immediate aftermath. I am more than willing to shed lights on any aspects of these tragic events if you so request of me. You will also please to informed that I have send to the United State (U.S), the medical papers of three of the Assan Suwareh and Sainey Senghore. I shall keep you posted of Developments as they occur.

This should enable you take necessary actions on your side.

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