By Omar Bah
President Adama Barrow will on Thursday receive the Security Watch Africa prestigious Golden Star Award for “exemplary national service in Africa” for 2018.
The award ceremony will take place in Banjul at the Coral Beach Hotel (formerly Sheraton) from November 13 to 16, 2018 during the 15th Africa Security Watch Awards, Conference and Exhibition.
The international coordinator and CEO of Africa Security Watch Awards Conference and Exhibition, Patrick Agbambu, said the decision to decorate the president “was taken after an assessment of his official and personal commitment to security and good governance in Africa”.
“We believe that he came into the leadership in a troubling situation. But he has shown that he has the capacity to lead The Gambia. So the award is to appreciate what he has done so far and challenge him to do more by listening to the majority of Gambians to provide good leadership,” he said.
He said the Interior Minister, Police Anti-Crime unit and GTBank will also be receiving awards for their outstanding contribution in maintaining peace and economic stability in the region.
“The award night themed ‘Effective Leadership and Good Governance and Share for Extremist and Insecurity in Africa’, is meant to blow the African trumpet and as well showcase the stellar leadership qualities of the president and projecting him as a model for national service in Africa,” he noted.
He said the event is hosted in Banjul “because we believe the whole of Africa has a duty to learn from The Gambian story, especially when it comes to peace, stability and mutual co-existence.” Adding that The Gambia is the most peaceful country in Africa for the past few years.
The Banjul convergence, he added, will serve as a forum for Africa to tell its own story, as a strategy to highlight African culture, traditions and heritage and the successes and achievements of African governments, private institutions and peoples as seen by the African eye.
He said the event is expected to attract over 200 participants from Nigeria, South Africa, USA, Ghana, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
The 8th Security Watch Africa Awards was held in Banjul in October 2011, when former president Jammeh was conferred the Golden Star Award for Distinguished Leadership.
