The University of the Gambia Students’ Union has recalled its representative at the National Union of Gambian Students (NUGS). This decision was taken after a heated debate during an emergency congress conveyed at the Faculty grounds of the university, between 10am and 12pm, Tuesday.

Speaking at the occasion, Ousman Badjie, president of the students’ union of UTG, expressed disappointment at what he called "failure of the system." He said that in the beginning he tried to put up with the problems surrounding the issue of two presidents "we thought it was going to work, but it could not".

This sudden development came after last weekend’s NUGS congress that ended in disarray, with the unexpected march out of UTGSU congress delegates. Following a protracted internal leadership battle within the union of the country’s highest educational institution, a constructional review committee had been set at NUGS level, which, among other issues, decided to relocate the vice-presidency of NUGS to the students of the Business Training Center, a position traditionally occupied by UGTSU. Angered by that constitutional amendment, and feeling let down by their beleaguered representative, Ibrima Sanneh, the UTGSU congress delegation marched out of the congress, declaring a temporary withdrawal from the national union.

"Since you are the most powerful decision making body of our union," Mr Badjie told his fellow students, "my Executive council deemed it prudent to retreat to you about the way forward. The system has failed, and there is no way that myself and my council members can work under these circumstances. It is either we vote for a system of one president or we are voted out."

After a marathon debate, the students of the University of the Gambia students’ union finally voted in favor of the motion put forward by the leaders that UTGSU president serves as both president of his Union and the national union.

This latest development takes the embattled student body back to its former status, before the UTGSU constitution was modified, creating all the endless problems along with it. And, in effect, it marks the end of a long tussle within UTGSU.