The Gambian leader, Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, has reaffirmed his government’s unreserved commitment to revive the country’s telecommunication giant, GAMTEL, to help it regain its old glory not only in Africa but in the rest of the world. He said that GAMTEL occupies a high point in his government’s priority list.

President Jammeh was speaking at State House, yesterday, when members of the GAMTEL/GAMCEL Staff Association called on him to donate six bags of sesame, being the harvest from their farm in Kanilai. "I want to assure you that I have made a pledge to make it one of the best in the world. I will not allow us to be placed at number one, only to fall back. I have taken it upon myself to ensure that GAMTEL becomes one of the best telecommunication companies in the whole world," he assured the GAMTEL staff.

Commenting on some frustrating circumstances at GAMTEL, such as the two  recent fire outbreaks at its headquarters in Banjul and Brikama, President Jammeh noted that these unfortunate developments call for investigation. He said that when the first incident had happened, the government did not carry out any investigation, but the fact that it reoccurred in Brikama warranted the government’s intervention.

To this end, he emphasised that failure to investigate the matter may serve as a cause for its repetition. He however warned against misuse of government properties, saying "government properties must be protected for the interest of its citizens”.

"You may know that telecommunication is an indispensable and integral part of national security and defence. Any effort to tamper with it means tampering with the security and defence of the country. So you must know that the consequences for such will be very severe," he warned, while approving of the company’s managing director’s earlier appeal for the company to be allowed to mount its own internal investigation.

President Jammeh used the opportunity to caution GAMTEL staff and other citizens working for government to desist from the practice of sabotage, stressing that any person engaged in such will be seeking serious trouble. He tasked the managing director of GAMTEL, Katim Touray, to work with government to ensure that the company becomes one of the best in the global telecommunication industry.

"GAMTEL doesn’t belong to any party, but it belongs to every Gambian. The success of the institution is the success of all," President Jammeh remarked. Reacting to the goodwill gesture of the GAMTEL/GAMCEL Staff Association, President Jammeh commended the members for their donation, describing it as an impressive and meaningful contribution to the socio-economic development of The Gambia.

The Gambian leader further commended them for their noble objectives, noting that their farming initiative has emboldened a lot of people in various work places. While describing food self-sufficiency as paramount, President Jammeh pledged to allocate a large plot of land to the association ahead of the next farming season. President Jammeh reciprocated the gesture with a donation of the sum of D200,000 to the association, after accepting to grace their forthcoming fundraising event with Youssour Ndour.

Speaking at the occasion, the vice president and secretary of state for Women’s Affairs,  Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, commended the association for their numerous achievements, describing them as one of the best staff associations in the country. She expressed delight with their response to the president’s back-to-the-land call, which she maintained, is geared towards addressing the issue of food security in the country.

The vice president also urged the management and staff of GAMTEL to redouble their efforts and commitment to ensure that the company regains its glory in the telecommunication industry. For her part, Fatim Badjie Janneh, secretary of state for Communication, Information and Information Technology, joined the rest in commending the association for complementing government’s efforts in the various development sectors.

SoS Badjie-Janneh also hammered home the need for patriotism, calling on members of the association to inject that spirit in themselves. She urged them to desist from any unpatriotic acts. Katim Touray, the managing director of GAMTEL, commended the staff association for its continued support of the social objectives of government. He expressed delight with their venturing into farming, reiterating the fact that the agricultural sector cannot be sidelined in the national development agenda.

The GAMTEL managing director went on to explain the circumstances surrounding the recent fire outbreaks at the company, pointing out that one of them was associated with electrical problems. He told President Jammeh that there is already a team in place that will be looking into the matter, noting that they have also decided to conduct an electrical network audit. On behalf of his company, he appealed to the Gambian leader for them to be allowed to try to see how to handle the issues internally.

While informing the Gambian leader about the commitment and dedication of the current administration, Touray expressed hope that the company will regain its past glory. Abdoulie Bass, the spokesperson of the staff association, commended the Gambian leader for allocating them a piece of land in Kanilai, last year. He noted that the six bags of sesame donated to President Jammeh were part of their contribution to his food self-sufficiency initiative. Bass also expressed their unwavering commitment to revamp the country’s main telecommunication company.