The President of the Student Union in Turkey Thanks Gambia’s New Defense Minister

There is the kind of person who gives without expecting anything in return; the kind of person who walks into your life and all of a sudden becomes a family you never had; people who feel like sunshine in human form after days of endless rain; the kind of person who supports you and believes in you so much and loves you for everything that you are. People may wonder if this kind of person exists or not, but I can gladly say yes, they exist in the person of HE Sering Modou Njie. The world is a better place because people like him exist.

When the news of his appointment hit us on Wednesday, May 4, like a truck loaded with bricks, I was in the centre of the capital of Turkey, Ankara, in one of my favourite cafes, sipping a coffee with milk while my friends were busy with their hot chocolate drinks. We were in a didactic discussion when a message buzzed my phone, and as I was trying to open the message, another call popped in through my friend’s line with the news that Dad had been appointed as the new defense minister of the Republic of the Gambia. Instantaneously, I had to flip the dial pad of my phone to call His Excellency to reconfirm the news and congratulate him on his new appointment. This appointment brought mixed feelings for not only me but the entire student body as well as the Gambian community in Turkey. This appointment means one of the best diplomats The Gambia has ever had and one of the top-notch experts in Turkey-Gambia relations will leave to serve our dear country in a different capacity. If President Barrow has ever done anything right, it is appointing HE Sering Modou Njie as the defense minister of our country. He has snatched a man of wisdom, principles, honesty, commitment to service, a golden heart, and faith from us. HE Njie was not only our ambassador but a mentor, fatherly figure, uncle, and guide. I have travelled far and wide and met different people and worked with different souls, but there is no one like him. 

He is the best and finest thing that has ever happened to the student body and Gambian community in Turkey. Despite his status and accomplishments, this man is very humble and easy-going. He had an open-door policy, and his house was full of Gambian students and nonstudents. He provided us with housing, food, protection, motivation, and encouragement, and I never heard him complain about anything, despite how hard it may be to host people from different backgrounds. But keep in mind that behind every successful man lies a beautiful woman. Anty Sally, his wife, is a woman with a beautiful heart. These great people who turned into mom and dad to me have done so much for us that we can only say thank you. We shall certainly miss the bustling Njie Kunda in Ankara, as well as the lovely ‘benachins’ and ‘afra’. It is because of these beautiful souls that we felt like one people and one nation in Ankara.

This man has a big heart, and trust me, when you talk to him, you won’t even realize he is an ambassador. He is an excellent listener and delegator; it was as if he lived by the adage, “The greatest way to preserve power is to share it, and the best way to influence is to listen.” He goes above and above his duties as an ambassador to spread kindness and love. He is generous, caring, and unselfish. When you need his help, his door is always open. I’m not stunned by his new position as Defense Minister since he always sees the good in people. He has been helping people, and he has unquestionably demonstrated concern, responsibility, and humanity above everything. He would travel long distances to meet patients at various hospitals and hotels, and even ask them to come to his house for lunch. Showing kindness makes him happy. What a great man! He has a strong appreciation for humanity and respects everyone. He communicates with humility and respect while being interesting and captivating.

We thank him for being here to guide us throughout the years. I also recall his calming words of encouragement and tenderness towards me during many of our engagements. His trust in me inspired me to puff out my chest and hushed me into further academics with fresh zeal. He looked after us in every way and disciplined us in ways that shaped us into the people we are today. He nursed us with every fiber of his being. He provided us with a warm shoulder to cry on at difficult moments in our lives, bringing us back to normalcy. He has taken joy in our little achievements. These simple gestures of encouragement are what gave us our current passions and skills. He taught us so many useful things while remaining completely silent. He has helped us emotionally, physically, psychologically, and financially, giving himself entirely in assisting us in moving forward in life. He is always there to catch us if we fall and to help us back into position if we wander too far. His love is limitless and forgiving. He did all these things without asking for anything in return, sacrificing for the sake of our futures. He is a continual safety net for us. He is a teacher in many ways, showing us how to get by without saying anything. All the things he has done for us have made us stronger and more secure. He has taught us all we needed to know to get here, and we are eternally thankful. We are grateful to His Excellency Ambassador Sering Modou Njie. We will miss him, and Ankara will never be the same again!

Pa Modou Drammeh

AGAST President