In yet another surprise package for Gambians, President Yahya Jammeh has pledged D1M to any Gambian who composed the best anthem for the July 22nd Revolution which will also double as the APRC anthem.

The President made this revelation as he received 9 beauty pageants from the recently concluded Miss July 22nd Beauty Pageants Competition at cabinet room at State House accompanied by the  organising committee. According to the President, the runner up for the anthem will also received half a million dalasi while the best fashion designer for the July 22nd will also receive D150,000 the runner up D1000,000 and the 2nd runner up D50,000.

The winners of the competition will receive the amount on the July 22nd 2008 marking the 14th year anniversary of the revolution. In  another show of magnanimity , the President extended sponsorship package from 9 winners   to 100 contestants  up to university level, an announcement that received a wide applause from the gathering. "But this does not include lunch to school as this should be shouldered by the parents" says the President.

Reasons for the competition

The Gambian leader explained that the main reason for organising the beauty pageant was to ensure fairness in selecting individual girls for sponsorship, in a more fair manner. "If I get up and select a girl for (full package) scholarship there will be eyebrowse"

The President disagreed with  so called scholars who are opposed to  beauty pageant  describing it as unislamic saying "I will not do anything that diminishes Islamic values. Whatever I tell people to do (I know) it does not contravene rules and regulations of Islam."

To The President, the contest will also equipped the contestants to be able to have the courage to express themselves in public an important quality in leadership. He said that the competition also acts as a ground for revival of our culture as all the contestant were dressed in their typical traditional attires.

"So to say it is haram in Islam is not true.  It can only be haram if the contestant are dress in naked" he posited.

The President also revealed that  a competition for males is in the offing and will be reffered to as "Mr intelligent".

He then thanked  parents who allow their children to take part in the competition which is geared towards enhancing their educational careers.

Speaking earlier, the secretaries of state for Higher Education and Basic and Secondary Education, Crispin Grey-Johnson and Fatou Lamin Faye respectively thanked the President for his foresight and courage given to the education sector in the country.

The Attorney General and SoS for Justice, Marie Saine-Firdaus advised the pageant to properly utilise the opportunities this competition created for them to The fullest.

She added "such opportunities never happened in our time.I (personally) had to struggle despite my good grades up till I became what I am today. So take it seriously."

Abdoulie Sallah, Secretary to Cabinet also gave a word of advise to the winners urging them to jealously guard the opportunity the President  created  for them.

Speaking on behalf of her colleagues, Fatoumata Semega-Janneh UTG politcal science student who was crowned the winner in Tertiary and Higher Education category competition, promised the President that he will not be let down as they will utilise the package to the fullest.