By: Momodou Justice Darboe
The Campaign Manager of the National People’s Party (NPP), Lamin Cham, has called on Gambians to turn out in their multitudes on Sunday to celebrate the peace award that was bestowed on the Gambian leader sometime last year.
In 2023, President Adama Barrow was singled out from more than 50 African presidents as the most ideal leader on the continent to be conferred with the African Prize for Peace Promotion. The President flew to Mauritania, where that country’s president Cheikh Ghazouani proudly handed him the award in a glitzy ceremony held in Nouakchott.
Meanwhile, all roads lead to the Buffer Zone on Sunday, where the NPP will celebrate the President’s award in pomp, pageantry, and ceremony.
Speaking in an interview with The Voice, the NPP’s chief strategist Lamin Cham said the celebration is being organized by the NPP to pay homage to the President for his praise-worthy award. He was, however, quick to add that the celebration will take a national character as the award should serve as a source of pride and inspiration for all Gambians.
“The celebration is organized by the NPP but all peace-loving Gambians are invited to partake in it because this prestigious award is for all Gambians irrespective of political affiliation. It’s not political and it’s not for only NPP. Every Gambian should be proud that their President has been recognized as the Most Peaceful President in Africa. I would, therefore, capitalize on this opportunity to do a mass mobilization of all peace-loving Gambians to be part of the history about to be recorded on Sunday. The celebration is not an NPP event. It’s for every Gambia, who loves peace and wishes peace for this great land of ours,” said CM Cham.
He explained that entertainment would be provided in a bigger, better package as the celebrations would feature performances from different cultural groups. Speeches will be also delivered as part of the event.
“So, I am calling on the general public to attend this historic event,” he stated.
According to the NPP’s chief mobilizer, there are many reasons why Gambians should unite forces to celebrate the President’s achievement in the peace domain.
“Peace is very important and there is every cause for celebration and rejoicing if you have a President, who has been recognized as an embodiment of peace and the most peaceful President on the continent. The award will also project the best image of the country and its citizens. Every Gambian should be very proud of our leader,” he added.
NPP officials and other dignitaries would be part of a scintillating array of people that would grace the Sunday’s mass celebrations with their presence.