By Nelson Manneh
James F. Mendy, a native of Kafuta Village in Kombo East District, West Coast Region, has over the weekend declared his intention to run for the 2022 parliamentary election under Kombo East Constituency.
James F. Mendy in an interview with Foroyaa Newspaper said he was approached by some natives of Kombo East to represent the said constituency at the parliament.
“After several consultations, I decided to accept to run for the 2022 national assembly election,” he said.
Mendy, who is an activist and teacher by profession, said he is not contesting for the election in order to get rich but to represent the interest of the nation and constituency to the best of his ability.
“Today I am coming out publicly to inform the general public that I will run for the parliamentary election with support from the people in my constituency that is Kombo East District,” he said.
Mendy is yet to declare whether he will contest under a party ticket or as an independent candidate.
“I will be contesting in order to wipe the tears of my people. It is enough now, we need effective representation at the assembly,” Mendy stated.
The function of the National Assembly of the Gambia among others, is to make laws and hold the government accountable to the public. The Assembly constitutes fifty-three elected members and five nominated members.
Some members of the constituency especially the youth who spoke to Foroyaa, felt that they were not effectively represented in the past years at the parliament.
“We nominated James based on trust and his history in the services of mankind he has been rendering in the past years. James commenced his services at the community level; he serve as source of solution to our problems,” a supporter intimated.
About James F. Mendy?
James F. Mendy was born in Kafuta Village, Kombo East District West Coast Region of The Gambia. He attended St John’s Primary School in Bulock, then proceeds to Fatima Junior and Senior Secondary School respectively.
As an average Gambian, Mendy advanced to The Gambia College where he studied his professional teacher training course and became a qualified teacher in September 2003.
He started his teaching carrier at St Charles Lwanga Basic Cycle School in Fajikunada while studying French Language at the Alliance Franco ‘Gambienne’.
Mendy’s service was later hired by the Seven Day’s Adventure Education Centre as a French teacher from 2006 to 2009 and later moved to Ndows Comprehensive Schools as a French Surgeon.
Mendy also studied Human Resource Management at Banutu Business College, and Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies at the Management Development Institute.
After completing his professional courses, Mendy delegated his life to the services of mankind throughout the country.
His studies on Peace and Conflict Resolution give him the potentials to serve as a solution to many problems ranging from social, financial, and humanitarian conflict.
James has a philosophy of taking people’s problems and challenges as his own. He never distinguishes or treats people based on their geographical location, ethnic group, or tribe as he always says “For the world to be at peace, man must live in the services of others.”
James F. Mendy is the Chairman of Kafuta youth development associations advisory board. He is a peace activist, a writer, and a member of HWPL/ IPYG, an internal peace organization.
Mendy is the founder and CEO of the Organization for Peace and Humanitarian Assistance (OPHA).
