By Yunus S Saliu
As the countdown to the celebration of the occupation of McCarthy Island scheduled for 4th to 7th January 2024 continued, the Karpowership, on Thursday, 21st December 2023 supported the celebration of the McCarthy Island Bicentenary event with a cash amount of D500,000.00.
The cash amount was handed over to the McCarthy Island Bicentenary National Organizing Committee (NOC) by Omar AB Njie, Country Manager of Karpowership Limited The Gambia through the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Honourable Hamat NK Bah who immediately handed over the cash amount to the members of the NOC.
Speaking briefly after the received of the cash amount, Honourable Hamat NK Bah commended Karpowership for their support to The Gambia community not just on this upcoming bicentenary celebration but since the inception of the country in the country, and also specifically thanked the Country Manager for being a responsible person trusted and entrusted with affairs of such magnitude company in the country.
“We are grateful to your company for supporting this very important project that Gambians will remember for many years to come,” Minister Bah expressed appreciation noting that it is only two countries, Kenya and Ghana who have ever done this in Africa, and now it is The Gambia coming up to celebrate the return of slaves back to Africa after the abolition of slave trade.
He said the celebration of the Banjul Bicentenary escaped because of the 2016 impasse saying it is never too late as the government is coming up with some big things for the City of Banjul thus the city needs a total facelift “and Karpowership we still counting on you too for that.”
Meanwhile, Hon Bah highlighted on the past support of Karpower of The Gambia to the government and people of The Gambia.
Through the Country Manager, he once again thanked the management of the Karpower both in the Gambia and at large in Turkey for their continuing support of the country.
Speaking earlier before the handing over of the cash amount of D500,000.00 to NOC, Omar AB Njie, Country Manager of Karpowership Limited The Gambia expressed his company’s delight for being part of this could be once in a lifetime celebration.
From the Karpowership of The Gambia “I hereby presented this cash amount of half a million dalasi to support the number of the event happening next year,” he handed over the cash.
The Country Manager, in brief, said Karpower is a Turkish company operating in The Gambia since 2018 by providing reliable and uninterrupted electricity to the country and “for the past four to five years we have been supporting different sectors in The Gambia through our Corporate Social Responsibility in which we have spent not less than D25 million so far.”
He reflected on their past support to the country in the different sectors which he promised continuation as well as pledged that his company would make sure that the energy system of the country is stabilized so that the erratic power supply in the country becomes history.