By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Vice President Badara Joof of The Gambia has passed on in an Indian hospital.
The country’s President, Adama Barrow, who announced Joof’s death, said he passed on in the hospital after a brief illness.
“Fellow #Gambians, it is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing away of my #VicePresident, His Excellency, Badara Alieu Joof. The sad event took place in India after a short illness. May Allah grant him Jannahtul Firdawsi,” the president tweeted.
The president neither mentioned the time of his death nor stated whether he was receiving treatment in India.
Joof’s Wikipedia profile indicates he was a student at Armitage High School and trained as a teacher himself at Yundum Teachers’ College.
He held a bachelor of education degree from the University of Bristol, a master’s degree in English literature from the University of London, and a master’s degree in development economics from the University of Bath.
Joof began his career as a qualified teacher, teaching English at The Gambia College.
He had on previous occasion served as Minister of Higher Education, Research and Technology from 2017 to 2022.
Badara Alieu Joof was known widely in the political life of the country. He was a former civil servant, who served as the country’s Vice President since 2022 until his death.
