In a flurry of engagements in her office at State House, the vice-president, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, yesterday, received in audience the new UN resident coordinator, the UNDP resident representative to The Gambia, Chinwe MiDike, the WHO representative, Dr Thomas Sukwa, and Jo Mcphail, the acting British High Commissioner.

The vice-president also received Demba Sowe, an arts teacher who presented a painting depicting the giant strides registered by President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh in the education sector.

Speaking to journalists shortly after audience with Vice-President Njie Saidy, the UN representative said her visit was meant to renew the commitment of the UN systems to continue the good work in The Gambia. She revealed that the main rationale of bringing the different UN agencies in the country under one umbrella is to ensure effective service delivery and to cut down transaction costs on the part of the government in its dealings with her institution.

“We want [UN agencies] to deliver as one as enshrined in the Paris Declaration of Aid Effectiveness and I think there is no argument in that,” Ms MiDike said.

According to the Nigerian-born UN country chief, her immediate task includes ensuring food security, on which the World Food Programme local office and the government task force are working on, as well as helping government to build up the capacities of public servants through civil service reform.

WHO rep
For his part, the WHO representative, Dr Thomas Sukwa said his discussion with the vice-president centred on areas of interest between his organisation and The Gambia. He pointed to  maternal mortality and morbidity as areas that will receive urgent address by his office, the integration of the traditional health system with the conventional system, as well as malaria mortality and morbidity.


British high commissioner
The acting British high commissioner to The Gambia, Jo Mcphail, said her discussion with the vice-president touched on ways and means of strengthening the bilateral relationship between Banjul and London.

She added that they talked about areas of cooperation between the two countries, singling out millitary assistance as one of the areas. She disclosed that the vice-president wants Britain to widen its assistance to The Gambia.

Art work
In a seperate development, Demba Sowe, an arts teacher, presented a painting symbolising major strides registered by President Jammeh in the education sector to the vice-president.  

According to Sowe, President Jammeh wants Gambians to achieve the best form of education, which is manifested in the issuance of scholarships and the creation of the University of The Gambia, amongst others.

In receiving the painting on behalf of the president, Dr Njie-Saidy thanked Mr Sowe for recognising the efforts the president in the education sector, adding that the president wants Gambians to excel in their various fields of development.

Other speakers at the ceremony included SoS Ousman Sonko; Adama Jimba Jobe, the director of Science and Technology at the Department of State for Basic and Secondary Education; Mam Tamsir Njie, a musician; and the deputy permanent secretary at Department of State for Tourism and Culture. Cornellius Gomez of the National Council for Arts and Culture, chaired the ceremony.