Examination — A call for academic fairness and quality
Dear Editor,
I write with deep concern as a young student and a hopeful citizen of this great nation. Our education system, though progressing, has lost a critical structure — the Common Entrance Examination — which once ensured fairness, discipline, and academic integrity for primary school graduates.
Since its removal, the transition into upper basic school has become uneven. Without a national assessment, students advance without being uniformly tested. This weakens academic standards and limits opportunities for talented students in underserved schools.
Reinstating the Common Entrance Examination would:
· Restore academic competition and fairness
· Motivate students to take their early education seriously
· Ensure equal opportunity for all, regardless of background
· Help identify and support struggling students early
As a proud student of Gambia Muslim Senior Secondary School, I believe in an education system that rewards effort and prepares us well for national development. Bringing back the Common Entrance Examination is not just about exams — it’s about giving every child a fair and structured path to success.
I respectfully urge the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, educators, and fellow citizens to consider this call. Let’s shape a better future for Gambian students.
Maimuna Demba
Bakau Cape Point
Student, Gambia Muslim Senior Secondary School
My insights into The Gambia’s oil prospects
Was it an oil in the CD?
Dear Editor,
In 2013, following my return from studies, I partnered with Nigerian oil magnate Professor Wilson Essien, then Chairman and CEO of Unitech Drilling Company Nigeria. Together, we established a Gambian subsidiary, with me serving as the Gambian director. Mr Cherno Marena Esq handled the company’s registration.
During our operational period in The Gambia, Unitech Nigeria, our parent company, dispatched several experts to the country. We held numerous meetings with staff from the Gambia National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), then led by Managing Director Momodou Badjie.
We conducted an extensive capacity-building needs assessment with GNPC staff, interviewing each individual about their roles. Based on these interviews, Unitech’s Nigerian experts identified specific capacity gaps for each staff member. This led to the development of a comprehensive capacity-building training manual, with the training scheduled to take place in Nigeria. However, this plan did not materialise as GNPC had a similar, no-cost training opportunity in Venezuela.
I vividly recall the evening when former President Yahya Jammeh announced a “surprise”. He appeared on national television with a CD, declaring that oil had finally been discovered in the Gambian territory. The following day, Professor Wilson called me, amused. “Yahya, what’s happening in The Gambia?” he asked, laughing. “I listened to your president, but what he said isn’t actually what the CD contained. The CD merely presented findings from an airborne survey and 3D seismic survey, not oil, as the president claimed.”
I then asked him, “Professor, do we truly have oil in The Gambia?” He replied, “Not yet, but the prospects are high. No oil for now.”
After several years of limited business opportunities in The Gambia, we eventually wound up our operations. Perhaps in the future, these prospects will transform into reality, and oil will indeed be discovered.
Honourable Yahya Sanyang Esq
Engineer, lawyer
National Assembly Member for Latrikunda
