Gunjur’s chief Imam Momodou Lamin Touray has said he was surprised after seeing himself at the gate of UDP’s political bureau after he had been informed UDP leader Darboe will be in Gunjur to ‘greet’ imams.
Darboe was in Gunjur two days ago but Imam Touray has been in the headlines after gracing a meeting held at UDP’s political bureau in the town.
The Imam while setting the record straight in an audio explained: “It’s important for relatives and Muslims know what happened. I was home and someone came to tell me Ousainou Darboe is touring the country and he was in the Kombos these days. That he was meeting elders and Imams and Islamic school owners to greet them. That he will be in Gunjur today and I should be present.
“As Imam Ratibi, Gunjur has right over me to be where they want me to be. But that doesn’t mean I have to be in agreement with what they must be doing at that place. But it’s their right. But I showed them a driver and told them I summoned him from Serrekunda to take me because I was travelling. But the person said I must try and be there and I told him okay.
“While away, there were a lot of calls for me to come back as the guests would be in Gunjur soon. I told them I didn’t have a car but they asked me where I was and I told them and they said a car will come to get me. The car came to pick me from Mariama Kunda junction and brought me home. But they said Lawyer is coming to greet Imams and Islamic School owners. When I came, I called my older brother and told him to come home as they said lawyer is coming. I also called my younger brother and told him to be on standby, that he too should come once he sees the guests. I also informed those I thought it’s important for them to be informed.
“I was sitting and waiting and then a driver came and said the guests have arrived, that we should go. I was surprised. Because if someone comes to greet the imam, there are two things: either they come to his house to greet him or we go to the mosque. But when he told me ‘they said the guests have come and we should go’ I thought maybe we will go and have the meeting at the alkalo’s house or the council of elders. I then boarded the car.
“When this car drove off, I then saw myself at the gate of UDP’s bureau. With the elders there and the situation and the guest involved in terms of his stature, it would not be nice for me to do anything that’s strange. So I surrendered totally.
“But now things have changed from a guest coming to greet us. Because if you have come to greet me, you will either come to the house or we go to the mosque. But to come and pick me at my house and take me to a bureau is the first time in my history. To go to an opposition bureau to greet their leaders, it’s the first time.”
