President Barrow conferred doctorate degree for “excellent statesmanship”

State House, Banjul, 6th December 2018 – His Excellency, President Adama Barrow has been awarded an honorary doctorate degree for distinguishing himself as an excellent statesman who has demonstrated a strong ”commitment to democracy, rule of law, social justice and respect for human rights, among others”. Regional Maritime University, the leading regional maritime education, and training institute, made the pronouncement during a solemn degree conferment ceremony at the State House in Banjul. The Chancellor and Chairman of Board of Governors, Dr. James F. Kollie, said, on deciding on the award, the university noted President Barrow’s visionary leadership for a better Gambia as well as the significant contributions he has made to humanity, industry, and education. In his acceptance speech, President Barrow said he dedicated the award to The Gambian people and expressed delight in sharing the honor of the award with former president, His Excellency, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, who will be conferred next week. New Japanese Ambassador His Excellency, President Adama Barrow on Thursday received the Letters of Credence of the new Japanese Ambassador to The Gambia, His Excellency Tatsuo Arai at the State House in Banjul. President Barrow congratulated the ambassador on his appointment and wished him success, expressing hope that his activity would strengthen the expanding Gambia-Japanese cooperation for the welfare of the friendly peoples of the two countries. President Barrow highlighted the need for more capacity building and knowledge transfer between Japan and The Gambia, especially in the framework of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). “The Gambia needs more of Japanese investments as returns on investment here are greatly assured, whilst more jobs can be created for our youths. This is a win-win situation,” he told the envoy. The President used the opportunity to thank Japan for recently donating a huge volume of rice as food aid to The Gambia. After inspecting the military guard of honor, the Japanese Ambassador conveyed fraternal greetings and best wishes from the leadership in Japan to the President and the people of the Republic of The Gambia. Mr. Tatsuo spoke of “excellent cooperation” between Japan and the Republic of The Gambia, saying Japan admires the efforts of The Gambia in implementing democratic elections and maintaining stability. “Our government is ready to support the sustainable development of The Gambia in various ways,” he said, announcing that Japan is now ready to sign a food aid agreement to the tune of $2Million. Approval to begin works in Banjul His Excellency, President Barrow revealed that he has signed a provisional approval to commence construction works in Banjul. He said a contractor has been identified to construct roads, sewage and drainage systems of the capital city in earnest. The President made the revelation in a meeting with a group of Banjul residents named, “Benno Jappaleh Barrow” (united to support Barrow), that call on him at the State House on Thursday. The group said they appreciate the commitment that President Barrow has shown towards the development of Banjul and they are united to give him the support he needs. The president thanked them for the initiative and assured them that Banjul is high on his national development plans. “In the 2016 Presidential elections, I did not win in my constituency of birth but I did win in Banjul where I grew as a youth,” he told the gathering. He said there are plans to create alternative jobs for the youths of the city since there are no arable lands for farming and agricultural. He cited the imminent construction of a dry port on Bond Road, which would create between 900 and 1,000 jobs for young people. Maimuna Suwareh, a female delegate of the group, lamented that the youths in Banjul have been facing challenging times acquiring jobs in Banjul since the end of the First Republic. She opined that such facilities as skill centers would serve as vital projects for them. Mr. Badou Njie, who went to the same school with the President in Banjul, recalled the peaceful and kind nature of the young Adama Barrow. He expressed optimism in the ability of President Barrow to take the development of Banjul to unprecedented levels. However, he lamented that most social and economic facilities of the city are at a standstill.]]>