Editor,
    
Please allow me space in your highly read newspaper to express my view on the most recent cabinet reshuffle by H.E. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh in which Miss Fatim D. Badjie was appointed. Sir, talking from my personal knowledge of her, Miss Badgie is a very respectful, intelligent, disciplined and hardworking young lady who happened to be my junior at the prestigious Gambia High/Senior Secondary School.

Together with her brother, she has always shown characteristics of a target-oriented young lady at a very tender age. Sir, I'm not just talking for the sake of it, but would you let me point out to you that her brother Malick happened to be my senior mate at school and graduated in 1999 just a year before me and then Fatim graduated in the year 2001 from GSSS with outstanding results in her WASSCE 2001.

Before her enrollment at GSSS, news spread that Malick's (Fatim's brother) outspoken little sister was coming to GSSS in the beginning of the academic year September 1998 and to justify this, Fatim came to GSSS with a strong liking for public speaking and active involvement in almost every school activity.

She took part in debates, drama competitions, Koranic recitations and even sports activities which left great impressions on people who always wondered how this girl became an "elite" in all these areas.

I can still remember the first time I had to listen to her debate speech and I confidently told some of my colleagues that Fatim is a State Secretary in the making. The lady will no doubt proof her critics wrong by making sure she performs outstandingly in the duties bestowed upon her.

She will definitely learn to perform extremely well given time, encouragement and support. I personally belief she will be able to stand up and face the challenges of the task at hand without the need for shaking. In the first place, she must be very brave to have finished her studies and then headed straight back home to contribute her own quota in the socio-economic development of our beloved nation. How many of us abroad have done that? I called that brave to the description of the word. Therefore, I wish her all the best.

Pa-Amang Sanneh

England, United Kingdom (paamang@yahoo.co.uk).

Editor's Note:

Well, thanks so much for this inside information. Those who were asking "Fatim who?" will now know that, as in many other matters, the President is far better informed than them.

As with the idiotic empty-barrels making so much noise, and hurling abuse at the young lady SoS, what "outstanding WASSCE results" did they get? They were Royal Victoria Hospital watchmen, yes watchmen, who can barely read and write and yet somehow, miraculously, became "journalists"! Thank you again and stay with your dependable Daily Observer, you were reader number 70,453 this month.