By Fatou Sillah
The University of The Gambia (UTG) has been hailed as a national powerhouse and a cornerstone of national development by the Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology, Professor Pierre Gomez. Speaking at the MoHERST Scholarship Awards ceremony honoring UTG’s top ten graduates, Professor Gomez emphasized the university’s pivotal role in shaping the country’s future.
“Today we gather to honor the 10 best graduates of the University of The Gambia, the premier university; as I said earlier on, one week before the convocation that UTG is the powerhouse of this country, that is the truth,” Professor Gomez stated.
He highlighted the indispensable role of UTG alumni in national development, stressing that the country’s systems would be severely affected without their contributions.
“You take out UTG products from this country; the system goes down,” he said.
The Minister called on all Gambians to respect and defend the integrity of UTG, describing it as a symbol of national pride.
“When we talk about UTG, I call on every day; let them talk with respect to this institution; let them respect the sanctity and the integrity of this institution,” he said.
He noted that UTG has been instrumental in shaping many of the nation’s prominent public servants and leaders.
“This institution has given us the best; it has produced ministers, permanent secretaries, directors, those who are now in charge of this university, the development agenda of this country,” he said.
The Honorable Minister commended Foday M. Sillah, the 2024 valedictorian, as a testament to the high caliber of students produced by the University of The Gambia (UTG). He emphasized that many other UTG graduates are equally competent and capable of making significant contributions.
The Minister further cautioned against undermining the institution, noting that such actions ultimately harm the reputation and development of its students and graduates. He asserted that criticism often comes from individuals who were not admitted to UTG.
“Understand that UTG belongs to you;” he said. “When people bring down your institution, your certificate will not have any value. Those who could not get admission at UTG will be the ones to bring it down.”
He encouraged students to refrain from joining in such negative discourse, warning that doing so could jeopardize their own future. At the same time, the Minister acknowledged that, like any academic institution, UTG faces challenges that need to be addressed constructively.
“If you asked me whether everything is 100% okay at the UTG, I would say no; even here at MoHERST everything is not 100%; we have challenges. UTG has challenges, I will say, but it is not because it has challenges that we will do whatever; we will bring down the house,” he said.
The Minister concluded by urging all Gambians to stand by UTG as a vital institution of the republic.
“It is a national house; let us not bring down the house; it is one of the houses of the republic, the republic we must honor, the republic we must serve,” he said.
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