As part of activities marking their 20th annivasary, the Insurance Association of The Gambia, on Saturday, December 15, awarded three media houses namely the  Daily Observer Newspaper, The Point and The Gambia Radio and Television Services in recognition of their valuable support towards the growth and development of the association over the past years. The colourful award dinner was held at the Paradise Suites Hotel, Kololi.

The association also awarded key institutions such as the Central Bank of The Gambia, Gambia Police Force and the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Other awardees included veteran insurers such as Omar Dibba, Alhagie Baboucarr Ceesay and Momodou Momar Taal, founding fathers of the association.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ms Senor Thomas, President of the Insurance Association of the Gambia, said her association deemed it necessary to recognise the immense contribution of the awarders to the success of her association over the past years noting that without their support, it would have been difficult to achieve the success registered by the association. Among the major developments registered, she went on, include their establishment of a general secretariat which she said is now overseeing the activities of the association.

"We also have a membership of eight insurance companies in The Gambia compared to few years back when the association registered only three companies," she said. She noted that despite all these achievements, more concerted efforts are still needed in a bid to make the association more vibrant as well as to achieve their collective objectives.

Madam Thomas used the occassion to call on other insurance companies to register with the assocoation which serves as an umbrella body for all the insurance companies in the country.

For his part, Henry Jaw, executive secretary of the association, lauded the leadership qualities demostrated by the president, noting that the ceremony was entirely sponsored by the president through the International Insurance Company.

He also commended the three founding fathers for the formation of the association in 1987.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Omar Dibba, founding member of the association, commended the association for the initiative, adding that this will go a long way in further cementing the existing cordial relationships between the association and the awardees.

He acknowledged the remarkable improvement of the association in recent years. Dibba called on  stakeholders to continue helping the association