By Fatou Saho & Oumie Bojang
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation Gambia Secretariat has levelled up their preparations ahead of the 15th OIC summit to be hosted in The Gambia this year.
Recently, the Secretariat made a donation of half a million dalasi worth of items to the Gambia police and Immigration to enhance the smooth operation of security as part of their preparations for the submit.
This time, it was a three-day staff training on first aid, which they had with the Gambia Red Cross Society.
Delivering his opening remarks on Friday, the Chief Executive Officer of OIC Gambia, Yankuba Dibba, said OIC is the largest organization worldwide after the UN. He stated that the country will be welcoming 57 heads of state, with at less 3,000 delegates for the conference.
“This training is extremely important because it’s going to put Gambia’s preparedness on record, as far as safety and security are concerned.
We want everybody to see the OIC as a national project, it is not a sectorial project. We have done so much in our preparation. Most of the things that the OIC is associated are infrastructural projects, but what is more important at this stage is the event planning. Most of the countries that will be coming here, probably have better roads, better hotels and better infrastructural than us. But I can assure you that they will only be coming here mainly if two of their concerns are satisfied which is if they perceive Gambia is stable and safe, they will come. Again, if they perceive Gambia to be a country where their health concerns can be addressed, they will come and health concerns cannot be addressed without having capacity to be able to handle health and safety”, CEO Dibba explained.
The Secretary General of Gambia Red Cross Society, Alasan Senghore, told the trainees that the first aid is not just for the OIC but also for their families, communities and themselves. He mentioned that “most of the deaths and disabilities are mostly not the impact of an accident, but the way victims are handled before they have access to care”.
Mr. Senghore thanked the OIC Gambia on their move and reassured them of their continuous support.
