Press Statement from Ministry of Defence.
The President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces Mr. Adama Barrow, on Friday 24th June presided over the decoration ceremony of twelve (12) Senior Officers of the Gambia Armed Forces elevated from the rank of a Major to Lieutenant Colonel at the Statehouse in Banjul. The propitious event was graced dutifully by the Honourable Minister of Defence Sering Modou Njie and the Chief of Defence Staff of the Gambia Armed Forces Lieutenant General Yakuba A. Drammeh.
Other prominent dignitaries present at the ceremony include the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence Mrs. Rohie Bittaye Darboe, the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, the Commanders of the Gambia National Army and Republican National Guards, the representative of the Commander Gambia Navy, Service Chiefs and Senior Officers of the Gambia Armed Forces.
Speaking at the event the President and Commander-In-Chief extended heartfelt congratulations to the newly promoted Officers describing the elevation as a well-merited promotion. The President and Commander-In-Chief went on to highlight the significance of this promotion adding that it serves as a motivation and a catalyst for the Junior Officers to strive harder in achieving the aims and objectives of the Gambia Armed Forces.
His Excellency the President further extended his profound gratitude to the leadership and all the personnel of the Gambia Armed Forces for the patriotic service they continue to render to the people of the Gambia adding, their selfless efforts have been visibly manifested, recognized and well appreciated. He went on to emphasize that promotion in the Gambia Armed Forces is strictly base on merit which is geared towards promoting excellence in the Armed Forces.
He highlighted that his Office is aware of the numerous challenges that GAF is facing currently and assured that his Government is working relentlessly towards improving on the identified gaps in the Defence Sector. The President therefore challenged both the promotees and the entire personnel of GAF to keep up the hard work, dedication, commitment and most significantly to maintain the high level of discipline manifested by personnel of the Gambia Armed Forces.
The Honourable Minister of Defence Sering Modou Njie seized the opportunity to extend gratitude to His Excellency the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces for the approval of this promotion and the unflinching support his Government continues to render to the Defence Sector. Honourable Njie also seized the moment to extend sincere appreciation to both the leadership and personnel of GAF for their relentless effort in executing their Mandate as enshrined in the Constitution.
Minister Njie also highlighted an overview of the on-going Security Sector Reform, the achievements registered so far, challenges encountered and the way forward. He went on to urge the Officers to push harder, maintain high level of discipline, full commitment and absolute patriotism, he remarked.
In his remarks, the Chief of Defence Staff of the Gambia Armed Forces Lieutenant General Yakuba A Drammeh extended hearty congratulations to the newly promoted Officers of the Gambia Armed Forces. CDS Drammeh further extended message of appreciation to His Excellency the President and Commander-In-Chief for granting approval for the promotion and availing his physical presence to chair this auspicious occasion. Lieutenant General Drammeh revealed the major reforms ongoing that are prompting progressive changes and development in the Armed Forces.
Delivering the vote of thanks, the newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel Ousman Bah extended sincere appreciation to the President and Commander-In-Chief, the leadership at the Ministry of Defence and the Gambia Armed Forces for supporting them all the way through their journey. He said this while urging his fellow promotees to see the promotion as a privilege with an added responsibility. “The President and the leadership of Gambia Armed Forces have challenged us to further prove the worthiness of our new ranks, thus let’s double up our efforts to attain higher heights” he added.
In a similar engagement, the Honourable Minister of Defence Sering Modou Njie, the Chief of Defence Staff of the Gambia Armed Forces, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence, the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs and Senior Officers of the Gambia Armed Forces and Staff of the Ministry of Defence took part in the Decoration Ceremony of 22 Officers elevated from the rank of a Lieutenant to Captain and 29 Officers from the rank of a Captain to Major at the Joint Officers Mess in Kotu.
Source: Ministry of Defence.
