The Majmou’atu Rawdatil Majaalis, on 22 December, 2019, formed a new executive to lead the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council (GSIC).
This development came barely months after they urged the country’s supreme Islamic council to call a congress for election of a new executive. According to them, the current executive’s term has long since ended.
The new executive members of the Supreme Islamic Council have announced their positions with Alhaji Sheriff Muhammad Sanusi Nano Hydara as the new president. Abubacarr Jabbi is named vice president, Basiru Jallow, second vice president, Abubacarr Darboe, secretary general, Malick Ceesay, assistant secretary general, Husainou Touray, spokesperson, Foday Mahamudu Touray, educational secretary, Muhammed Lamin Fadera, deputy educational secretary, Abubacarr Jallow, treasurer, Ebrahima Saidykhan, deputy treasurer.
The executive also includes Imam Tamsir Gaye, chairman, Ahmadou Kebba Sillah, deputy chairman, Abdoulie Haly Kanteh, responsible for projects, Karamba Jabbi, special adviser, Yankuba Sillah, deputy adviser, Alhaji Abdoulie Ceesay, third adviser, Dr. Baba Aboubacarr Drammeh, Advising Committee chairman, Bamini Jaiteh, Shering Alieu Saho, auditor general and Kabiro Samura, responsible for the preachers.
In his acceptance statement, Alhaji Sheriff Muhammad Sanusi Nano Hydara, the newly declared president for GSIC said; “as far as The Gambia Islamic leaders appointed me, as the new Gambia Supreme Islamic Council, I hereby assure you that from today, I accept to become the new Gambia Supreme Islamic Council president.”
“I want to assure all Gambians that the task given to us will be executed according to the people’s wish. And as from today, we are ready to join our hands with people who are ready to solve the country’s problems,” President Hydara assured the Islamic Ummah.
He therefore called on all Muslims in the country to come together and join hands to work for the peace and stability of the nation, saying “there cannot be any peace in the country in the absence of religion.”
Baba Aboubacarr Drammeh elaborated on the formation of the GSIC in 1992 and noted that appointing new members to take up the positions of the new SIC after the expiration of term of office of the old executive members is “legal, welcome and accepted by all the Muslims in the country. We should not continue sitting waiting for them after their refusal to leave office when their term has ended many months ago.”
In his explanation, he said since the inception of Supreme Islamic Council in 1992 under the leadership of Alhaji Ebrima Soriba Gassama and blessed by the late Gambia ex President Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, there has never been an election of executive until the Second Republic, under former President Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh: “And that election was held in Mansakonko, Lower River Region,” he disclosed.
Unanimously, he said Imam Mamadou Lamin Touray and his executive were appointed based on consensus but not through election. Now “Alhaji Sheriff Muhammad Sanusi Nano Hydara, was appointed by head of the Islamic religious leaders across the country as it used to be before since Imam Touray and his executive members refused to leave office as ex executive members.”
At the press briefing, all the newly appointed executive members for the Supreme Islamic Council gave remarks and commented on the newly formed Supreme Islamic Council executive members.
