The appointment of Ms. Halimatou Dibba as a Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has been confirmed by the National Assembly in Banjul.
The nation’s lawmaking body accepted the appointment on Tuesday, 15 February 2022, following the presentation of the report of the Public Appointments Committee of the National Assembly.
Dibba was shortlisted for the job by the selection panel, in line with section 5(1) of the NHRC Act 2017 in June 2021, to fill the position that was vacant at the NHRC.
Tabling the report before the plenary, Hon.Kebba K. Barrow, the Majority Leader and Member for Kombo South, expressed the committee’s satisfaction with the appointment of Ms. Dibba, vouching that she has attained both the experience and academic qualifications required for the appointment as a Commissioner of the NHRC.
Among other credentials, she obtained BA (Bachelor of Arts degree) in Political Science from the University of Ghana, and an LLM (Master of Law) in International Law, from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. She had also served as Senior Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 2010 and 2013.
Furthermore, Dibba served as a medical administrator at Sennelager Medical Center in Germany, for the period 2018-2019.
At the time of her appointment (as Commissioner for NHRC), she’s serving as a full-time lecturer in International Law, and Human Rights System at the University of The Gambia (UTG).
Reacting to the Assembly’s confirmation, the Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Dawda Jallow, thanked the NAMs for confirming the appointment of Dibba as NHRC Commissioner. He reaffirmed government’s commitment to strengthening fundamental democratic principles, especially as it relates to promotion of state institutions such as NHRC.
Readers would recall that the assembly enacted the NHRC Act with the mandate to promote and protect human rights. One of the core functions of the NHRC is to investigate a violation of any human rights, at its own initiative or on a complaint made by any person or a group of persons.
