By Lamin Cham
Hon Seedy SK Njie, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly has assured members of the National Youth Parliament of the unwavering commitment and support of the National Assembly to their welfare.
He was speaking on the assumption of office of the new National Youth Parliament on Monday.
Mr Njie further told the young people that the Youth Parliament will avail them chance to discuss pertinent issues on the welfare of young people, adding that the government through the Ministry of Youth and Sport, will take them seriously in helping to shape government policies as they relate to youth of this country.
He teased the youth parliamentarians not to think of themselves as leaders of tomorrow but those of today.
“Until we think that way, we will not be able to commit ourselves to the challenges that lay ahead of us and as a government and as a people we must be committed to that cause of the young people,” Hon Njie said.
He said with a highly trained and skilful youthful population, the country is assured of responsible and responsive adults who will serve the purpose of humanity.
“It is against this background that the leadership of the National Assembly over the last two decades, committed to supporting and helping the National Youth Parliament. There are a lot of collaboration efforts that we did as partners to this august body. I remembered in 2007 – 2008 when I was a member of the National Assembly, we had at the time worked tirelessly in ensuring that the National Youth Parliament used the chambers of the National Assembly at the old building. And even now, the Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly has asked me to assure you that the National Assembly will continue to work with you and we even have University of The Gambia students on internship training on parliamentary procedures and processes. And as a young parliamentarian, your role is to learn how Parliament makes laws and of course debate on their processes and procedures that will help to mould and shape you, so that when we bequeath the leadership of the National Assembly and country to you, you would have been on the right foot and gathered enough experience and training as to how you will discharge the affairs of the National Assembly,” Njie told the youth parliamentarians. Commending the young people, he reassured the commitment of the National Assembly to building a Gambia for all.
“As we speak, the leadership and government of President Adama Barrow is committed to emboldening and broadening the democratic dispensation of this country so that all of us as citizens irrespective of our political affiliation, religion, ethnic and or regional background will be equal to the services of this country.
The President is committed to building this country for all of us to enjoy. And on that note, I enjoin all of you to be responsible, discipline, and to continue the search for knowledge so that you will be able to take up leadership today and not tomorrow. In this government, we have young people who are members of the National Assembly, very young people, probably as young as some of you, young people as members of Cabinet, members of the bench and bar, young people in senior and middle management in every sector of governance in this country,” Seedy Njie concluded.
The National Youth Parliament comprises 64 members including Speaker Omar Cham.
