By Tabora Bojang
Mariama Khan, a former Secretary General and Head of Civil Service, one of the latest women to declare a presidential bid, has told The Standard, that her aim is to liberate the country from the “extensive social and political corruption that has caused high levels of governance, security, economic, social and cultural crisis in the past ten years.
The Brikama born scholar, author, poet and filmmaker, Khan, 49, believes her experiences, values and skills align with all the demands for a critical transformative leadership that can propel Gambia forward.
Dilating on her vision she called Marall Kendoe, (good governance in Mandinka), Khan revealed her ambition to transform The Gambia into a cohesive, advanced and strong country.
“Marrall Kendoe recognises that The Gambia has become a sick nation that needs healing and we must join forces to rebuild all that has been broken in our nation and restore the values and practices of ethical leadership and followership that defined political and social life in the history of our heritage. We must rebuild our families and restore dignity of all Gambians irrespective of background,” Khan said.
She continued: “We have an idea of a leadership that is enlightened, competent, meaningful and one that understands that political power is for service and not domination. Politics is [about] negotiating the different interests that constitute the state [to ensure] all those greater interests that are for the common good are executed, and protected in ways that are beneficial to the entire citizenry,” she added.
Khan pledges to serve the presidency with courage, competence, knowledge, justice, and peace.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Development Studies, a master’s degree in Sustainable International Development Studies, another master’s degree in Management of Development, and yet another master’s degree in Criminal Justice and she also holds a Graduate Certificate in Security Studies from the University of Massachusetts, US.
She served as Permanent Secretary at the Office of the President and worked for the Ministries of Finance, Office of the Vice President and Department of Information Services before travelling to the US where she worked in higher education administration and finance. She worked at Pomona College as a Visiting African Scholar in International Relations, Boston University School of Theology and now adjunct lecturer at the Africana Studies Department of Lehman College, City University of New York.
Read more on Mariama’s full interview in The Standard Bantaba on Friday.