This was announced by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Tuesday, noting that the voting will be held on Thursday 12th March 2015 in accordance with section 91 sub-section 3 of the 1997 constitution of the Republic of The Gambia.
“This by-election is necessitated by the demise of Honourable Foday Jabani Manka, the erstwhile National Assembly member of the said constituency. The IEC was formally informed of the said vacant seat by the clerk of the National Assembly,” the release read
Lawmakers last week Wednesday poured encomiums on the late National Assembly Member for Janjangbureh, who died at a local clinic in Kanifing, on Tuesday December 30, after a protracted illness. He was 72. Vice President Isatou Njie-Saidy who was among those who commiserated with the Manka family in her eulogy at the National Assembly stated: “Foday Jibani Manka was a good party leader who served the APRC well. He kept the good name of the APRC party with his behaviour, attitude and comportment. As previous speakers said, he loved his constituency [Janjangbureh], he loved his party and humanity even those who are not members of this party. He had served humanity through the different positions he held especially as a teacher. He has done a lot for his constituency and he gave the people of Janjangbureh hope. So indeed, it is a saying that if an elderly person dies, knowledge is lost, but for him not all is lost because he wrote [a book]. That’s the beauty of writing. He kept his memory and legacy alive through this book. His Excellency the President therefore extends his condolences to the bereaved family.”
Earlier, Abdoulie Bojang, the speaker of the National Assembly told the sombre gathering: “We are here to pay our last respects to the late Foday Jibani Manka former National Assembly Member for Janjangbureh from January 2007 to December 2014. Foday Jibani Manka served The Gambia and especially this very assembly immensely and diligently. He dedicated his service to this nation and during his tenure at the National Assembly, he served several committees including the Public Accounts and Public Enterprises Committee, Select Committee on Education, Select Committee on Regional Governments and Lands, the Ombudsman and the Independent Electoral Commission, Select Committee on Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youths and Sports. Those of us, who knew him and were fortunate to work with him, witnessed that he was a very dedicated and humble man. He was a very polite and honest gentleman.”
]]>
