The 1999 University Act set the stage for the establishment of the University of The Gambia with the aim of providing a reliable avenue to enhance the human resource base of the country and the rest of the world.
The government of The Gambia has realized that the human society has advanced to a stage where charisma has given way to organizational skills, and ideology has given way to expertise, for its development. It is in respect of this reality that the UTG was born.
The ultimate goal of that executive decision was to prepare Gambians for the ultimate role of spearheading the nation’s development agenda. This is all in line with the core objectives of the present leadership in terms of its development aspirations.
The University of The Gambia was by no means established for the benefit of an individual or group; rather, it was established with the sole aim of propelling the engine of our socio-economic growth.
The chancellor’s warning that partisan politics be provided no place in the university tells us that there are some elements who are bent on draining the expressed objectives of the creation of the institution, by utilizing the place to cook their own soup - partisan political propaganda.
Those who are managing the affairs of UTG must realize that the entire nation is watching them. They are handling the most crucial responsibility, managing the intellectual power house of the state. They will be condemned and thrown into the dustbin of history if they try to defeat the purpose of the university.
A university is meant to educate people to develop critical minds. This will enable them to experiment with people and provide solutions to their problems. It should not be a bedrock of partisan politics. We hope the UTG will heed this call of the chancellor to shape and direct the course of its history.
UTG has now clocked 10 and is expected to cement its roots with a view to attain sustenance. Therefore, it is time that the authorities there focus on helping prove its worth to the nation.