Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, vice president and secretary of state for Women’s Affairs, yesterday had a series of engagement, receiving in audience a number of officials in her office at the State House in Banjul.

Mr Alinafe Kasiya, project manager at the NEPAD secretariat in South Africa, was the first to meet with Vice President Njie Saidy, and shortly after his audience with her,

Alinafe Kasiya said that NEPAD being a programme of the African Union had set up a NEPAD - Spanish fund for African women empowerment.  He described the fund as a project which aims at providing resources for various projects in Africa, geered towards empowering women in Africa, as well as promoting gender equality.

He revealed that The Gambia was one of the countries privileged to have received grant from the NEPAD project and that the Women’s Bureau in The Gambia was implementing that project.

According to him, his discussion with the vice president centered on the project and uptodate progress. "We also look at possibilities and opportunities for future support in terms of where the project is moving, among others."

For her part, Her Excellency Maria Munira Jauad Riberiro, Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea Bissau to The Gambia, told reporters that her visit to State House was meant to thank the government of The Gambia, under the leadership of Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, for their efforts in strengthening the already existing bilateral relationships between The Gambia and Guinea Bissau.

The Guinea Bissau Ambassador commended President Jammeh and Vice-President Njie-Saidy for their manifest leadership qualities and efforts in peace building across the sub-region.

The next group to call on the Gambian vice president was the "Bulunda" Council of Elders from Brikama Town, led by Lamin Sanneh, Governor of Western Region, and Alhagie Demba Sanyang, Chief of Kombo, who is also the Paramount Chief of The Gambia. 

Governor Lamin Sanneh told journalists that their discussion with the vice president revolved around the development of Brikama as a major town, reconstruction of the trunk roads, especially the road from the market side leading to Darsilami Village, and also measures to be taken in order to upgrade Brikama Health Centre, among other issues.

Commenting on the land dispute in the Western Region, Governor Sanneh said the State’s Land Act is now governing the Kombo South and Kombo Central lands to put an end or to minimise land grabbing altogether in the Western Region.
Dr Musa Touray, the Managing Director of Bijilo Medical Health Centre, was the last on Vice President Njie Saidy’s engagement list. He told reporters that he was at the State House to thank the vice president for the support she rendered him for the past 10 years, while he was studying abroad.