Back and Next - Back and NextAssembly approves May 25th as holiday
Monday, April 6, 2009
National Assembly members, last Wednesday unanimously approved the motion to confer powers on His Excellency the President of the Republic, Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh, to declare 25th May each year public holiday throughout The Gambia, with effect from 2009.
The National Assembly conferred the powers on the president based on the constitutional provisions under section 102 sub-section (e) of the constitution which reads: "in addition of the other powers conferred on the National Assembly by this constitution or any other law, the National Assembly may advice the president on any matter which lies on his or her authority"; and section 76 sub section (2) of the constitution which reads: "In addition to the powers conferred on him or her by this Constitution, the president shall have such powers and responsibilities as may be conferred on him or her by or under an Act of the National Assembly, and the laws of The Gambia Vol. IV chapter 31:01".
Moving the motion for approval, Hon. Fatoumatta Jahumpa-Ceesay, the speaker and chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly, gave a detailed background information to members regarding the matter before them, describing it as in line with a proclamation by the founding fathers of the Organisation of African Unity, now African Union, for May 25th each year to be observed as public holiday throughout Africa.
Objective and reasons
According to Speaker FJC, African Liberation Day (ALD) was founded in 1958 by the late Kwame Nkrumah on the occasion of the First Conference of Independent Sates, held in Accra, Ghana, and attended by eight independent African states; namely, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, The United Arab Republic (then the Federation of Egypt and Syria) and representatives of the National Liberation Front of Algeria and the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon. Giving the genesis of ALD, 15th April was designated as African Freedom Day. The eight heads of state at the First Conference of Independent States held in Accra, Ghana, intended Africa Freedom Day to be a day marking their renewed commitment to the liberation/decolonization of the whole African continent and its entire people.
Between 1958 and 1963, the nation/class struggle intensified in Africa and the world. When the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was created in May of 1963, the founding delegates proclaimed May 25, 1963 African Liberation Day (ALD), as the successor commemoration day of Africa Freedom Day. “It was at that summit that Africa Freedom Day was renamed ‘African Liberation Day’ and its date changed from April 15th to May 25th,” she told members.
She added that since then African Liberation Day has been observed on May 25th each year in every corner of the world – a day marking onward progress of the liberation movement, symbolising the determination of the people of Africa to free themselves from foreign domination and exploitation. ALD, FJC went on, has one direction:
Forward to a Unified Africa. "It is growing as the level of awareness about Pan-Africanism and the primacy of Africa grows, as progressive and revolutionary organisations grow; it is growing as the masses make increasing victories against capitalism, neo-colonialism and racism." Commemoration of ALD and observance of this day, she added, is a must for those who seek the total integration and unification of Africa. She urged the NAMs to consider approving the motion. Seconding the move, Hon. Sulayman Joof, National Assembly member for Serrekunda West, commended the speaker for the presentation of such a "timely motion." He described the day as a great one for Africa and urged for its regular observation.
Sedia Jatta, NAM for Wuli West, equally thanked the mover of the motion, but quickly urged that The Gambia should not only make it a public holiday but observes the day in various activities of national importance. Other speakers included Baboucarr S Nyang, National Assembly member for Banjul South and Fabakary Tombong Jatta, Majority leader and NAM for Serrekunda East.
The National Assembly conferred the powers on the president based on the constitutional provisions under section 102 sub-section (e) of the constitution which reads: "in addition of the other powers conferred on the National Assembly by this constitution or any other law, the National Assembly may advice the president on any matter which lies on his or her authority"; and section 76 sub section (2) of the constitution which reads: "In addition to the powers conferred on him or her by this Constitution, the president shall have such powers and responsibilities as may be conferred on him or her by or under an Act of the National Assembly, and the laws of The Gambia Vol. IV chapter 31:01".
Moving the motion for approval, Hon. Fatoumatta Jahumpa-Ceesay, the speaker and chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly, gave a detailed background information to members regarding the matter before them, describing it as in line with a proclamation by the founding fathers of the Organisation of African Unity, now African Union, for May 25th each year to be observed as public holiday throughout Africa.
Objective and reasons
According to Speaker FJC, African Liberation Day (ALD) was founded in 1958 by the late Kwame Nkrumah on the occasion of the First Conference of Independent Sates, held in Accra, Ghana, and attended by eight independent African states; namely, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, The United Arab Republic (then the Federation of Egypt and Syria) and representatives of the National Liberation Front of Algeria and the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon. Giving the genesis of ALD, 15th April was designated as African Freedom Day. The eight heads of state at the First Conference of Independent States held in Accra, Ghana, intended Africa Freedom Day to be a day marking their renewed commitment to the liberation/decolonization of the whole African continent and its entire people.
Between 1958 and 1963, the nation/class struggle intensified in Africa and the world. When the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was created in May of 1963, the founding delegates proclaimed May 25, 1963 African Liberation Day (ALD), as the successor commemoration day of Africa Freedom Day. “It was at that summit that Africa Freedom Day was renamed ‘African Liberation Day’ and its date changed from April 15th to May 25th,” she told members.
She added that since then African Liberation Day has been observed on May 25th each year in every corner of the world – a day marking onward progress of the liberation movement, symbolising the determination of the people of Africa to free themselves from foreign domination and exploitation. ALD, FJC went on, has one direction:
Forward to a Unified Africa. "It is growing as the level of awareness about Pan-Africanism and the primacy of Africa grows, as progressive and revolutionary organisations grow; it is growing as the masses make increasing victories against capitalism, neo-colonialism and racism." Commemoration of ALD and observance of this day, she added, is a must for those who seek the total integration and unification of Africa. She urged the NAMs to consider approving the motion. Seconding the move, Hon. Sulayman Joof, National Assembly member for Serrekunda West, commended the speaker for the presentation of such a "timely motion." He described the day as a great one for Africa and urged for its regular observation.
Sedia Jatta, NAM for Wuli West, equally thanked the mover of the motion, but quickly urged that The Gambia should not only make it a public holiday but observes the day in various activities of national importance. Other speakers included Baboucarr S Nyang, National Assembly member for Banjul South and Fabakary Tombong Jatta, Majority leader and NAM for Serrekunda East.
Author: DO
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