Hon. Ebrima Njie commonly and fondly known as Pesseh passed away yesterday after a short illness and was buried yesterday in Banjul.

The passing of Pesseh Njie marks the end of an Icon in modern Gambian politics. Pesseh was the son of Alhaji AB Njie, one time High Commissioner to Senegal, Foreign Minister and Vice President under Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara. Unlike his brothers and sister most of whom became professionals in their own right, Pesseh followed his father introduced politics. He won his father’s parliamentary seat of Banjul Central and became the youngest Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Welfare under the legendary Aunty Louise Njie. He was a founder member of the UDP and was a signatory to the registration of the party at the then Provisional Independent Electoral Commission.

Passeh was a member of the UDP Central Committee, Coordinator of the Banjul Committee, Member of National Executive and served until the last Party Congress as Administrative Secretary for Economic and Financial Affairs replacing Amadou Taal. He was a great and astute politician who was liked by many people. He has left his mark as one of the most popular politicians in the Gambia in recent times.

We in the party will remember Pesseh as a peacemaker, within the party and outside, and as an eloquent public speaker endowed with wit ample anecdotes. May Allah the Merciful grant him Jannatul Firdawsi and may He also give us strength to sustain this great loss. Ameen.

(Written by Ebraima Ebou Manneh, UDP Senior Administrative Secretary (1997 -2016, and presently Gambia High Commissioner to Sierra Leone and Ambassador to Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire and Permanent Representative to the African Development Bank.)