The Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Professor Pierre Gomez has described the late former Vice President of The Gambia as an organic intellectual who always spoke truth to power.

He mentioned that the late Badara Joof was a seasoned administrator and an academic who left a road map for Gambians, the government and his Ministry in particular.

In an interview with The Point on how far and what steps his Ministry has taken for the effective implementation of the recommendation set by the late Vice President during last year's cabinet retreat to all ministries, he said that the statements of the former Vice President are ringing, with emphasis that they have a mission for 2026, which he, as the Minister of Higher Education, Research Science and Technology is working round the clock.

"What I am working on is toward 2026 so that later on we will compare from where we started to where we ended. This mission must be fulfilled. If the mission is not accomplished, that means we have failed the Gambian people. The youth of the country deserve the best," he said. He noted that after the fulfillment of those set goals, they will sit and set other future targets for the interest of the nation.

It could be recalled that the late Vice President set a three to five month down the line period for all Ministries for the implementation of the recommendation of the retreat and report to the executive as a whole. He prayed for the late Vice President with assurances that his set goals would be achieved for the common interest of the nation's education priority.

He stated that moving forward from this year will bea game changer. "From next week, we are going to roll out the loans scheme, the tertiary and higher education trust fund, the innovation fund among others," he said.