Monday, January 26, 2009
Since the beginning of the New Year, numerous messages have been flowing into State House, felicitating the Gambian leader, Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh on the occasions of both the conventional New Year and the Muslim New Year.
The latest such messages came from Alhagie Banta Tunkara, consular of The Gambia in Lome, Togo, and Kebba EA Touray, former national Assembly member for Illiassa Constituency. In his letter of felicitation, the Gambia’s consular in Togo conveyed, on behalf of the consulate and the Gambian citizens residing in Togo, heartfelt wishes and prayers for Allah’s guidance for the Gambian leader.
According to his message, "We wish to use this opportunity to send our New Year greetings to you, Your Excellency, and the entire people of The Gambia. We pray that God the Almighty guide you in your continued success for good governance, care and love for the development of the people of The Gambia." Tunkara also assured the Gambian leader and the entire people of The Gambia of their "unflinching support to the APRC and the government of The Gambia."
Kebba EA Touray for his part said: "On the occasion of the New Year of 2009 and the Muslim New Year which was celebrated on the 8th January, I wish to extend to Your Excellency, your family, your government and the entire Gambian people, my sincere congratulation on both occasions."
Touray noted that the Gambian people, in particular the rural population, are especially thankful to the Almighty Allah for choosing President Jammeh as the 2nd president of this nation. He pointed to the numerous development gains the country has seen since Professor Jammeh’s assumption of the mantle of leadership of this country, citing "roads, hospitals schools, rural electrification, yearly Ramadan gifts, the large number of Gambians flown to the Holy Land yearly, the girls’ empowerment programme, the introduction and success of your herbal treatment and your sincere promotion of Islam" as being examples of what Gambians have enjoyed in the past decade and half.
All these, Touray said, "ultimately singled you out as the permanent saviour and father of this Nation and the promoter of the destiny of the Gambian people." "As those electrical bulbs continue to generate light in various dark rural areas," Touray continued, "for the first time in the history of The Gambia, and as Gambians continue to benefit from the sincere massive developmental projects you established since 1994 to date, may Almighty God grant you long life, good health, prosperity, abundant peace and security to facilitate your cordial, beneficial and dynamic rule as the president of this nation."
On a sad note, however, the Gambia’s High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ms Angela B Colley sent in a letter expressing her sadness at the death of the president’s aunt.
High Commisioner Colley’s condolence letter reads:
"I have learnt with great sorrow and a sense of sadness the untimely demise of your Excellency’s dear aunt, Aja Fatou Jammeh. This sad event has come as a big loss to Your Excellency and the entire family and the people of The Gambia.
As a man who has entrusted your whole self to God Almighty, I am therefore certain that painful as this priceless and irreparable loss may be, Your Excellency will have all the courage and fortitude to bear this temporary parting. This not withstanding, I wish to assure Your Excellency that the entire staff of The Gambia High Commission, Abuja, their families and the Gambian community in my areas of jurisdiction join my family and I in conveying to Your Excellency, your bereaved family, the government and the entire Gambian nation our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathy.
We fervently pray that the Almighty God will receive the soul of your dear departed auntie, Aja Fatou Jammeh, among His saints and faithful servants. May he the Lord of all continue to strengthen, bless and guide Your Excellency.
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration and esteem."
Author: DO