Momudu Cham

Background

Momudu Cham was born on August 19, 1936, at Basse, Santasu, in the Upper River Division.

Education

Educated at St Augustine’s Secondary School, 1952-1957, before joining the civil service.

Career

In 1962 franchise was extended to the Tumana constituency for the first time. Alhaji Cham, a young man of 26, stood as a United Party candidate and was returned to the Opposition benches.

It was a frustrating task, with opportunity for self-expression only presented a few weeks each year when parliament met. Many of his UP colleagues crossed the carpet to join the government, but he stayed on, becoming deputy leader of the party in 1969, until he also finally resigned, after the death of the party leader E. D. N’Jie in a car crash, and joined the ruling People’s Progressive Party in October 1970.

In the 1972 elections, he stood for Tumana again and this time won the seat for the PPP and was made a Minister for State responsible for Information, Broadcasting and Tourism on March 30, 1972. Seven months later he was switched to the Education portfolio in a general reshuffle following Mustapha Dibba’s resignation.

Personality

Tall, bearded, full of youthful enthus¬iasm and impulsiveness. He is a Muslim who has made the trip to Mecca and the youngest minister in the Gambia.

Interests

• A keen sportsman (president of the Football Association since 1966) he has brought some new blood into a virtually unchanged Gambian cabinet.