Senegalese troops at Bwiam deployed a spike on a Gambia Prisons Service truck damaging one of its tyres.
A GPS truck was returning from collecting firewood on Tuesday when Senegalese troops threw a spike at it.
A GPS source confirmed the incident telling The Fatu the soldiers claimed they didn’t recognise the vehicle – as they were newly deployed to the country.
The commander himself apologised and gave money for the tyre to be fixed, the source said.
National Assembly for Kiang Central Bakary Camara has become the first lawmaker to share his thoughts on the draft constitution following its second reading this morning.
MPs have started interrogating the draft constitution after it was read for the second time by Attorney General and Minister of Justice Dawda Jallow.
“It has really captured the wishes and aspirations of the Gambian people, they (CRC) have done an extensive consultation,” Bakary Camara argued as he opened the debate.
The debate continues…
By Lamin Njie
The United States has announced the designation of Zineb Souma Yahya Jammeh over support she accorded former President Jammeh, the nation’s ex-tyrant who was in 2018 designated by US after his involvement in grand graft.
Zineb who has been married to the former leader for over 20 years is designated for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of Jammeh, the US government said on Tuesday.
Her designation was announced by the US Department of the Treasury and it came alongsige the designation of Nabah LTD (Nabah), a company in UK.
According the US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Zineb has reportedly been “instrumental in aiding and abetting Jammeh’s economic crimes against the country, and despite numerous calls for Zineb to intervene, has turned a blind eye to Jammeh’s human rights abuses”.
“Zineb is also believed to be in charge of most of Jammeh’s assets around the world, and utilized a charitable foundation as cover to facilitate the illicit transfer of funds to her husband. The Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint on July 15, 2020, seeking the forfeiture of a Maryland property acquired with approximately $3,500,000 in corruption proceeds by Jammeh, through a trust set up by his wife, Zineb,” a press release found on US Department of Treasury website said.
OFAC designated Zineb Jammeh and Nabah LTD pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption, according to the press release.
“Bad actors rely on their networks and front companies to evade sanctions and conceal their illicit activities,” said Deputy Secretary Justin G. Muzinich, according to the press release.
He added: “We will continue to use our authorities to prevent such illicit funds from moving freely through the international financial system.”
By AP
Mali’s military rulers face a regional deadline for naming a civilian interim leader Tuesday, as the junta meet with West Africa leaders who maintain that new elections must be held within a year.
The 15-nation regional bloc known as ECOWAS had issued the ultimatum to Mali’s military leaders after they initially proposed remaining in power for three more years. In recent days, the junta that seized power in an Aug. 18 coup has cut that timeline in half, but it is still longer than the year set by ECOWAS.
Another possible disagreement is over who will lead Mali’s transition. The coup leaders say the interim president chosen to oversee the transitional government could come from the military, but the regional leaders have said the leader must be a civilian.
These issues are expected to be at the top of the agenda on Tuesday at the summit including presidents from six countries in the regional bloc. The gathering is taking place in Ghana, whose president is the newly chosen ECOWAS chairman.
“We need to bring finality to our deliberations on Mali,” Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo said in his opening remarks. That country can no longer afford any delay in putting a responsible government in place.”
There has been widespread concern that the ongoing political upheaval in Mali will set back efforts to contain the country’s growing Islamic insurgency. After a similar coup in 2012, Islamic extremists took advantage of a power vacuum and grabbed control of major towns in northern Mali.
Only a 2013 military intervention led by former colonizer France pushed extremists from those cities, and the international community has invested more than seven years into the fight against extremism there.
“The terrorists are taking advantage of the situation in Mali to flex their muscles even more,” Ghana’s president warned Tuesday.
ECOWAS had attempted to mediate Mali’s political crisis back in July after growing street demonstrations called for the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. However, the political opposition made clear it would accept nothing short of his ouster, and mutinous soldiers capitalized on Keita’s unpopularity when they launched the Aug. 18 coup.
Deep divisions have emerged in the weeks since between the opposition coalition and the junta leaders. Over the weekend, the opposition publicly criticized the junta for saying that the country’s interim leader didn’t have to be a civilian.
By Alex Darboe
Gambians are the most interesting human beings in the world.Our young people fill up the stadium for music concerts and religious gatherings and yet can’t take to the streets to save their own lives.
Young people are dying daily due to poorly equipped hospitals and all we do is pray to a God above that will never come down to save us.
We happily beg donations for our sick and poor but can’t force the government to take care of the poorest and most vulnerable in our society.
No body should ever go through the humiliation and indignity of begging the public for money to pay their health care bills to stay alive.
We need to decolonize our minds from religious beliefs that don’t serve us.We need a cultural revolution.Why spend millions on religious houses while our hospitals and schools become cesspits of criminal incompetence with catastrophic consequences?
It’s not our lot in life to die of simple diseases and crushing poverty without relief to our existential misery.
Gambia is tossed.No jobs.No light.No water for the people.There is no light at the end of the tunnel.I can’t believe I celebrated Jammeh’s removal for a worse government.
The writer, Alhassan Alex Darboe, is based in the United States.
The Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) has successfully completed a nation-wide distribution of audio-visual format of the Draft Constitution to regional authorities and community radios, the commission said on Tuesday.
“The four-day exercise began from Monday 31st August to Thursday 3rd September, 2020,” the CRC said in a statement.
It added: “The purpose of the translation of the Draft Constitution is a fulfillment of the promise the CRC made to Gambians during the public consultations to have the Draft Constitution translated into the local languages to enhance citizens’ understanding and awareness of the content of the Draft Constitution.
“Delivering on this promise, the Commission has, of recent, translated the content of 20 Chapters of the Draft Constitution into the following languages: Mandinka, Fula, Wollof, Jola, Manjago, Serere, Sarahule, Aku and Gambian Sign Language for the hard-of-hearing. There is also a Braille and a Gambian Sign Language versions of the Draft Constitution for the visually impaired and the hard-of-hearing.
“The content of the translated chapters of the Draft Constitution in audio-visual format contained in flash drives was distributed to the general populace through their regional authorities and information dissemination outlets such as Governors’ Offices, Chiefs, Area Councils and Community Radios.
“The CRC therefore encourages the public to access and listen to these translated versions of the Draft Constitution to deepen their understanding of its contents. The Draft Constitution, in all manner and shape, is people-centered and this is made possible by the overwhelming participation and involvement of Gambians from all walks of life during the consultation process.
“Furthermore, the Commission has also distributed copies of the Draft Constitution to Senior Secondary Schools across the country. As integral stakeholders in developing the Draft Constitution, the Senior Secondary Schools have been provided with copies of the Draft Constitution to enable them to learn and strengthen their understanding on the constitutional matters contained in, and to enhance their ownership of, the document.
“Gambians hailed the CRC for not only fulfilling its promise, but also providing the Draft Constitution in their mother-tongue. Recipients of the documents commended the CRC for a job well done, saying it will have a far-reaching impact on the people in terms of dispelling misinformation and misrepresentation of facts about the contents of the Draft Constitution.
“The CRC enjoins the Gambian public to access these translated audio recordings of the Draft Constitution in eight languages to reinforce their understanding of its provisions. It is only through this way that we can collectively protect and inform on the Draft Constitution in its pristine form.
“Equally, people can access these translated recordings of of the Draft Constitution in local languages at the CRC Website: www.crc220.org.”
The National Assembly has pooh-poohed claims it was engaging in discriminating members of the media – as it explains that coronavirus informed its decision to limit the participation of journalists at the House.
The House came under fire on Monday after the larger section of the media were stopped from covering sessions.
The Office of the Clerk in a statement today said: ” The Office of the Clerk wishes to inform journalists and media organizations that the Third Ordinary Session of the National Assembly is being convened from the 14th-24th September 2020. The Session is convened at a time that The Gambia is at its peak in the Covid 19 pandemic.
“Aware of the severity of the Covid 19 situation in the country and considering the need to convene this Session in a safe and conducive manner, protecting the health and wellbeing of both Hon. Members staff and journalist who cover National Assembly proceedings is paramount.
“The Office of the Clerk after due consultations and mindful of the need to convene a safe Session and the citizens right to information, adopted a media strategy that limits the participation of journalists in the Chamber but provides real time information on diverse platforms to enable journalists and other information media to follow the proceedings of this Session and disseminate to their respective audiences.
“In this regard, Journalists and media outlets who wish to cover the proceedings of the Assembly are kindly advised to take feeds from the National Assembly’s social media platforms (Facebook page and YouTube channel). Permission is also granted to all journalists and media organizations to use and brand the raw footage streamed on the National Assembly’s media platforms to suit their respective media standards.
“Furthermore, the Office of the Clerk has also designated the Auditorium as a Press Center from where journalists who wish to be within the precincts of the Assembly can monitor the proceedings of the Session and file their news reports. Journalists will also be able to conduct safe interviews with Hon. Members at the Press Center.
“The strategy is not implemented with a discriminatory intent; it is designed to protect Hon. Members, staff and the journalists themselves from possible exposure to contact.
“The Fifth Legislature has never at any given time limited access of anybody more so journalists from attending Sessions and Committee proceedings. However, we are in extra ordinary times and care and caution is what should dictate our actions.
“We hope the media and all those concern understand our collective situation as these are temporary measures initiated due to the Covid 19 situation of the Country.
“The Office of the Clerk solicits the usual cooperation and understanding of the media fraternity.”
The ministry of health has revealed compliance over face mask is dwindling amid the country’s fight against the coronavirus.
The ministry in its latest report on the situation of the virus in the country said there is “dwindling compliance with mask-wearing requirements”.
According to the health ministry, there is need for “enforcement of the mandatory mask-wearing regulation”.
The ministry of health said today the country’s coronavirus fatalities have risen to 105 following the death of two people.
Two new COVID-19 related deaths have been registered bringing the total deaths to 105, the ministry said adding, while one of the deceased cases (male, aged 86) was a known COVID-19 patient admitted at the Sanatorium, the other (female, aged 70) was a patient in MRC’s suspected bay but died prior to the release of her COVID-19 test result.
Barring their advanced ages, both had no known comorbid condition, the ministry said.
The National Assembly’s decision to bar a great section of the media from covering the most awaited first reading of the “Constitution of The Republic of The Gambia 2020 Bill” is unwarranted, ill-advised and unreasonably justified, according to Dr Ismaila Ceesay.
Members of the media were on Monday stopped from covering proceedings at the national assembly.
Dr Ceesay said in a statement: “This move violates a core value of our democracy: press freedom. The media must be allowed to operate freely without fear or favor. Any decision to restrict its freedom is a threat to our new found democracy.
“The ability of journalists to report freely on matters of public interest is sacrosanct and a crucial indicator of our democracy. Any attempt to curtail media freedom in The Gambia will be met with the toughest resistance.
“We, in no uncertain terms, condemn this decision and strongly urge the Speaker of the House to reverse her stance and allow members of the press to cover the next sitting.”
I only hope the propagated and disturbing rumor in town that the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) has been compelled by our hopeless Security-Sector Reformers to forge a list of 1200 “undesirable soldiers”, predominantly from the Jola tribe-80% precisely-for dismissal is fake news.
It is evident that the strict condition laid by the 15-member ECOWAS regional block to the Gambia government for another extension of the mandate of ECOMIG in the country during their 57th extraordinary session at Niger on September 7 to 9, 2020, was the urgent need to speed-up the long-overdue Security Security Reform (SSR) dragging for almost four years now. Of course we all know that the SSR is an unachievable objective because of the falsehood on which it was conceived.
But that said, instead of explaining to the block that the process was stalled by the unexpected effect of the global COVID-19 pandemic that prematurely forced the hired “Toubab experts” solely relied upon for solution to go back home, they turned to the brain-dead Gambian specialists for rapid answers, no matter how dumb.
Yes, ECOWAS urgently needs something tangible as soon as possible irrespective of the absence of the “superior Toubabs” believed to only have the answers whereas our low IQ national security pundits have nothing to offer but to resort to shameless casteism on Jolas in uniform.
A similar unfair expulsion of Generals Modou Sowe ( GAF operation commander), M.A. Bah (interior minister), Musa Savage ( GAF state guard commander) and Sillah Kujabi (GAF navy commander) by the Barrow government in early 2017 based on no palpable criteria still remains a mystery especially when Generals Masaneh Kinteh (ambassador to Cuba and former GAF CDS), Yankuba Drammeh ( GAF Deputy CDS) and Mamat Cham (dismissed captain for 22 years, reinstated and promoted to general) were retained in the system.
Anyway for providing no reason at for those baffling firing and hiring, leaves me the only option of calling it partisanship.
But let’s say that that was then, when one would have assumed that irrational emotions dictated numerous stupid decisions from the new unschooled government; however, given the subsequent, discriminatory tendency of the TRRC against members of the Jola tribe, demonized for three consecutive years because former President Jammeh was a member, I could see the absurdity of weeding the Jola soldiers inherently influenced by such stigmatization. Because in my view what the Essa Faals have achieved in “prosecuting” the defenseless Jolas in particular at the TRRC implies a tribe that was during the APRC regime bent on no good intentions or activities towards the nation other than to support the systematic persecution, rape and execution of innocent Gambians on the orders and participation of the “Chief Jola”, former President Yahya Jammeh.
Essa could shed hypocritical tears in sympathy with a confessed serial murderer like Sana Sabally, immunized Alagie Kanyi and apologized to a confirmed torturer and murderer like Edward Singhateh who were left to go free with their gross-human rights violations and crimes only because of their Non-Jola heritage but any other Jola that could help in justifying the TRRC’s ill-conceived scheme of demonizing the Foni and Cassa-Based tribe had to be subjected to humiliation, harassment and possible punishment.
But the question is, where is this leading us as a nation in search of the truth for reconciliation when a 1000 soldiers, simple breadwinners are thrown in the streets in this global economic fallout from COVID-19 that has caused a recession last known in history during World-War Two? If this is not heartlessness on steroid, I don’t know what is.
It has also been rumored that Staff Sergeant Lamin Jarju the soldier who had asked at the TRRC the reason why the foreign-orchestrated-armed attacks on Farafenni and Kartong Barracks in 1996 and 1997 respectively where nine GAF soldiers were cold-bloodedly murdered was not part of the TRRC investigation is earmarked for dismissal. Again, I only wish it is a mere rumor and nothing factual about it. Yet still I believe he asked an honest question that was ridiculously answered; but if this fellow is fired for only asking that legitimate question then it will be fair to once again attribute such verdict to another quintessential victimization of another poor Jola young man.
If these rumored decisions of the government are true, I wish to appeal to both Presidents Adama Barrow and Mackey Sall to do whatever necessary to prevent their implementation. President Barrow may not have the capacity to see what I am driving at but I believe President Sall should, since the latter is zealously involved in the Gambia’s security organization and maintenance. Trust me, continuing to persecute members of the Jola tribe in the armed forces is a very bad idea with potentials of grave consequences.
Let’s for once get this straight folks, JOLA LIVES MATTER.
I rest my case.
Thanks for reading.
SAMSUDEEN SARR
BANJUL, THE GAMBIA
Nightclubs and places of worship are some of the places that have been linked to COVID-19 outbreaks around the world, according to the World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom.
Speaking on Monday at the Regional Committee of the WHO European Region, Tedros warned countries against embarking of reopening their economies before putting the necessary health measures in place to avoid a resurgence of infections.
He outlined some measures that countries ought to take before reopening their economies and borders safely.
“First, prevent amplifying events,” said Tedros. “All around the world, explosive outbreaks have been linked to gatherings at stadiums, nightclubs, places of worship and other crowds.”
Earlier this year, many countries around the world banned public gatherings following their COVID-19 outbreaks, including places of worship, nightclubs, weddings and funerals. Some countries later eased the restrictions as they sought to strike a balance between health safety and economic survival.
In his address on Monday, Tedros also called upon countries to protect the vulnerable, educate communities on the pandemic and also continue observing health guidelines laid out to curb the spread of the virus.
“Persist with the public health basics: find, isolate, test and care for cases, and trace and quarantine their contacts,” he said.
The WHO chief urged countries to take lessons from the current pandemic to ensure they are better prepared to tackle any future health crises.
“We have a shared responsibility to our children and our children’s children to leave the world better prepared for the next pandemic,” he said. (CGTN Africa)
The leadership of Gambia Press Union has travelled to the National Assembly to engage the authorities to give access to all the media houses interested in covering the proceedings.
“This is in reaction to the disturbing information from reporters on the ground that only certain media outlets are allowed entry into the Assembly,” GPU said in a statement.
The union added: “While that discussion is ongoing, we wish to make it clear that the GPU was not involved or aware of any plan or communication to limit the number of media outlets covering the such an important National Assembly proceeding today. We could not have been involved in any such discriminatory scheme.
“We are of course aware that because of the physical distancing arrangements in the gallery at the National Assembly, the number of people to be admitted would be limited.
“However, in such instances, what would have been the most ideal thing is to have prior discussion with all media houses, particularly those that constantly cover the Assembly sessions, to make sure all are accommodated somehow.
“Meanwhile, the outcome of the discussion with the Assembly authorities will be communicated in due course.”
Halifa Sallah on Monday warned the National Assembly’s integrity would be questioned over its decision refusing most of the nation’s media from covering its sessions.
Reporters complained outside the National Assembly on Monday after they were told only GRTS, QTV and EyeAfrica were allowed to cover the sessions. Halifa Sallah was with the reporters to find out what was going on.
“Honourable Speaker the reason why I entered just now is because outside we have journalists claiming that the National Assembly has discriminated them by giving a right to certain media houses to cover the sessions of the national assembly especially the state media and discriminated against the private media and Honourable Speaker the National Human Rights Commission is established precisely to eradicate violation of fundamental rights and freedoms,” Mr Sallah quickly told the speaker of the House as the sessions began.
He insisted further: “We should not allow this national assembly to be associated with any history that will show that we are discriminating anyone. So Honourable Speaker I want to make a motion that the decision that has been made to be annulled, and another decision to be made by you right away to allow those media houses outside the gates to come in and we place them wherever they should in order to be able to observe the distancing that is necessary. If we fail to do that Honourable Speaker, the integrity of the national assembly will be questioned.”
The speaker told Mr Sallah: “Honourable Member, with all due respect I have taken your observation but I don’t think it is fair to force me to take a decision immediately. I cannot accede to that request. It’s something that we will take note of and we will consult with the Office of the Clerk…”
By Jaka Ceesay Jaiteh
Members of the press were today denied access to the National Assembly to cover the much-awaited tabling of the new draft constitution.
The Minister of Justice is expected to table a Bill today seeking to repeal the 1997 Constitution and replacing it with a new constitution.
Members of the media were however denied access to the national assembly; only three media institutions of GRTS, QTV and Eye Africa TV were given access to cover the historical event.
Reporters from various media institutions gathered outside the National Assembly building as they demand explanation.
Kemessen Sanneh a journalist expressed his disappointment as he believes that this is a sign of discrimination. He also blames the ministry of communication and The Gambia Press Union for not taking any action regarding the matter.
“This is a state event and all media institutions should be allowed to make reporting. It is a discriminatory act that has been carried out,” he said.
He added that the National Assembly should have taken necessary steps in organizing today’s event due to Covid 19.
“We have been covering events at the National Assembly since March and we have been taking all the required measures for Covid 19,” he said.
Another reporter by the name Abdoulai Gibril Dibba, Foroyaa FM radio insisted this type of scenarios should have stopped at the Jammeh regime.
“The current government were complaining of injustice against the media during the previous government but it is the same injustice that we and now witnessing in the media today,” he said.
Gambia Press Union official Lamin Jahateh said GPU was not aware of the incident.
“If the GPU was aware that only few media houses will be selected, we would have recommended that they allow one main media institutions to do the coverage and then give access to other media institutions for footages,” he said.
Mr Jahateh further added that the GPU will not let any discrimination or injustice be faced by members of the media.
The GPU however state that they would involve the relevant authorities responsible for what had happened to prevent its kind from reoccurring.
Gambians should start questioning this government’s seriousness towards the security sector reform or even ask President Adama Barrow whether he is comfortable with the presence of foreign forces?
Many Gambians are beginning to worry that this could be another lost opportunity for The Gambia .
It was yet again disappointing listening to Barrow begging Ecowas to extend Ecomig forces stay in the country, directly telling the whole world his administration has failed in its reform agenda. What a disappointment?
Nothing has been put in place to demonstrate that any progress had been made towards the security sector reform.
By asking for the extension of the Ecomig mandate, it shows that Barrow has no clue in how to address the security challenges.
His failed leadership is demonstrated in our fragile democracy. I think Barrow should have told his fellow African leaders his inability to lead this country to the promised land.
Not only the reforms but all sectors of government are crumbling.
The culture of corruption in gov’t is also a cause for concern.
Yes, under Jammeh, the security was politicised but they were performing but what are we seeing under Barrow?
The security sector is in a mess and hopeless state.
Our securities are left in a state of uncertainty they don’t even know whether they worth anything at all in a country they were supposed to provide security .
Barrow is a good lesson for Gambians and I hope they will avoid re-electing him as president in 2021.
Gambia wake up, Barrow is holding this country on siege.
MC Cham Jnr
GDC National Youth President
By Lamin Njie
Associates of businessman Nandkishore Rajwani, the managing director of EMKAY Stores have praised the businessman over his contribution towards the development of the Gambian economy – as they pushed back at claims foreign investors are not willing to compete with the natives.
Scores of Gambians have insisted that a foreigner cabal have seized various sectors of the Gambian economy and are bent on destorying any Gambian that tries to compete for supremacy.
The review comes amid a rowdy court battle between EMKAY Stores and Alasan Ceesay and his Rahma Gambia Limited company.
Mr Ceesay through the PR agency that works for him had also told The Fatu Network that “as a Gambian-owned business, when our client ventured into the food and commodities business – a sector dominated by non-Gambians, it expected a strong pushback and resistance from the current market players”.
“What we did not expect though is that anybody will go as low as fabricating falsehood and unfounded allegations just to achieve that,” Picasso Global Communications had said.
Musa Jawneh, the man who has been accused of leaking the story of Alasan Ceesay to The Fatu Network while responding to the claims said he has been with Mr Rajwani for 25 years and knows him to be a good man.
“He is a hardworking man who has helped a lot of Gambians and has sponsored a lot of companies,” Jawneh said.
He added: “Myself I have three companies and more than 20 staff are working in each company. I’m also into rice importation.
“I am a witness to Mr Rajwani giving goods to people to the tune of more than what he gave to Alasan.
“But Alasan took his goods and there is law in the country. There is no truth in all the claims that there is a conspiracy against Gambians.”
Samba Batch Njie whose father is prominent late Gambian businessman Modou Musa Njie said: “I want the truth to come out. It’s the jealousy. How can you have a mafia? In what sense?
“I have been with this man for 30 years. He loves this country and he is among the people who are developing this country in terms of jobs. He has lived in this country for 30 years and he has helped a lot of people.
“They are entitled to their opinion but here is a man who gave a Gambian an opportunity by trusting him with his goods, so that he (Gambian) too can make his profit.
“Any foreigner that comes into the country would have to use Gambians to start but that doesn’t mean the Gambians conspire with them to destroy their fellow Gambians.”
Banjul Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe has toured what’s left of a storey-building after it collapsed Saturday leaving people injured.
A statement on Banjul City Council Facebook page Sunday said: “After receiving the sad news about a storey-building that collapsed @ Hagan_ Anglesea junction in Banjul leaving some people injured.
“Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe and team visited the family involved in the incident and sympathised with them. She then went to the site to have first hand information about what happened.
“This is very sad and I urge the authorities responsible(ie Department of Physical Planning) to be more careful in the way of issuing and controlling of building permits in the City for residential purposes, and to be constantly inspecting all the old buildings, inorder to avoid such disaster; she said. However warehouses shouldn’t be erected in residential areas of the City; she concluded.”
The Gambia has had many towering giants in the area of Islamic scholarship and preaching (da’wah); the late Sheikh Omar Jarjusey stands out as one of the finest we have ever seen in this field of human endeavour.
Sheikh Omar Jarjusey commonly known as Jarjusey is a native of Jarra soma. He was born in 1925 in Soma. He did most parts of his early education in Jarra Bureng. His father’s name is Foday Sona Jarjusey and his mother Aja Bintou Ceesay. He started his education in local Islamic schools called (karanta or Majlis) in Jarra Bureng. It was from the Majlis where he started learning the Quran and sunnah before starting his journey in search of knowledge which took him five years before reaching his destination, Saudi Arabia.
In the early 1950s he began his journey to the Saudi Arabia in order to seek knowledge to be able to pursue his dreams of propagating Islam. He is among the first Gambians who walked all the way to mecca with on foot in search of knowledge.
Along the way he was engaged in farming and other trades at every stop he had in order to gather some money to continue to his destination. He passed through Sudan, before arriving in Saudi Arabia. He had his first stop in Casamance in a village called Tamba Kunda where he gathered some funds and continued his journey.
Sheikh Jarjusey finally arrived at his destination after five years of hardship. Upon reaching Saudi Arabia, he found out that the norm during those days was to work for a year before starting studies in order to feed yourself during your studies. He studied Shariati Islamia for five years. During those days there was no formal schooling, students converged in the ‘Haram’ (surroundings of the Kaaba) in order to take lectures.
There was no formal system and no certificates were given in those days. It was in a form of a Majlis where Islamic principles were taught. Upon completion of his five years of studying Islam, he was advised by one of his senior lecturers called ‘Mufti’ to further spread the message of Islam in The Gambia.
Upon his return in 1958, he established majlis in different parts of the country, where thousands of Gambians learned about the Quran and sunnah. He toured the length and breadth of this country to spread the word of Islam. Many majlis schools were created in every village that he visited in this country which were later turned to be Arabic schools.
He was a member of the famous Islamic union with its headquarters in Talinding Arabic Institute, which was formed in 1953. Jarjusey, being the force behind the union, they were able to build about one hundred and sixty schools across the country.
The union secured scholarships for many people in the country to further their education. He was the supervisor and advisor to the executive committee of the union. Among other things, they built mosques in different parts of the country. He regularly conducted annual supervision missions throughout the country since in the 80s up to his demise in 2014 in making sure those schools were well equipped with qualified teachers. According to his close associates, Jarjusey was never ready to take a break or rest while in the service of Islam even when he fell sick. He believed that it is a task upon him that must be executed.
He was not only a member of the Islamic Union but almost all the Islamic associations in the country which includes the supreme Islamic council and AMANA.
Jarjusey spent the whole of his life in teaching and preaching about the fundamental principles of Islam in every nook and cranny of The Gambia. He is well known for his bravery, and selfless service in defending the words of Allah. Being an Arabic teacher and a supervisor for over three decades at Tallinding Arabic institute, he nurtured thousands of students to become experts in their various fields. He transformed that institution into a formidable and well-structured institution that is well known for excellence.
During his tenure as supervisor of the main Arabic Institute, it produced numerous distinguished scholars and experts in all walks of life. Amongst his students are Dr. Baba Ceesay and Dr. Jawla, both university lecturers; and the current imam of Guinea Bissau’s main mosque is said to have been his student. Some of his students are teaching in the Gambia college’s Islamic sections.
Jarjusey was a man with rare talents whose passion for promoting Islamic education was exemplary . He was an icon among our Arabic/Islamic scholars and his contribution towards Islamic studies in The Gambia is awe-inspiring. He led an eventful life striving so hard to better the lives of thousands of Gambians. He devoted the whole of his life to the service of Allah, may his soul rest in peace.
Basiru O. Ceesay
