A COMPELLING REFRESHER OF OUR NATIONALLY TREASURED JOKING RELATIONSHIP.
By: Lamin Sabally, Minneapolis, Minnesota
By virtue of my inalienable birth right as an undiluted Badibouka, having been fortunately born, raised, schooled and grew up to manhood in Farafenni, I hereby gratifyingly invoke the chokingly funny ironclad joking relationship privileges which eternally bonds Badibou and Kiang by seconding the successive strong claim being suggested by various media outlets to authoritatively crown Fatou Camara, “the most popular woman ever” in Kiang in living memory. By every indication, Mrs. Camara has impressively emerged as the most popular face of the Gambia Television Station, where she successfully created and expertly hosted the station’s most famous flagships talk show dubbed “The Fatu Show”. Often presented in high flaunting expression of studied professionalism and regularly infused in a magnetizing melodious voice by a beautiful and cheerful woman known for her dazzling broadcasting skills, the show decisively propelled the former GRTS TV Queen to both national and international celebrity status. This has been fully evinced by the swarming followership she continuously commanded in the social media domain.
Coming back to the scope of the chronically funny Kiang and Badibou Joking relationship , the whole of Kiang, good-humoredly known as ” the most forgotten” part of the Gambia, must lavishly rejoice over having a daughter to have attained such an epic Television superstardom status. At a recent Badibouka naming ceremony here in Minneapolis at which the Kiangka attendees were treated to the most delicious monoo- porridge, I had a satisfactory casual conversation with two Kiangkas, one of whom is the re-elected President of the Gambian Association in Minnesota. The outcome of the habitually hysterically humorous exchanges elicited crashing laughter to the extent that eyes were noticeably filled to the brim with tears of joy. I challenged my closest duo friends to tell me if Kiang ever had a state security establishment such as police, fire or militarily stations. The answer was expectedly an absolute no. At best though, the reason advanced was extremely laughable and at worst, a rancorous reality. While I contended that none of mentioned key security institutions is needed because there is nothing to attract thieves of any sort and bad citizens to Kiang, my finest buddies both of whom are an epitome of flawless gentleman said the peaceful atmosphere of the region totally invalidates the need for their existence.
When asked whether Kiang does have a government- built hospital or health facility, a high school and a market, the two came hard on me and loudly referenced the famous Keneba MRC Station, (a sole wonder of Kiang), while they pretentiously forgot to recall it was MRC- owned. I told them Farafenni can noisily boast of a first class hospital with ultra-modern towering edifice, a high school and Fire Service, and excellent road network and a modern market, all built by the present government, even though we have had MRC, Veterinary Station, a Secondary School, Military Camp, Police Station, Insurance Companies, Super Markets and many others. These gave the bustling cosmopolitan city a new degree of elevation and enticing upgrade. The story is partially true for Kerewan, home of the Regional Governor’s office with an imposing modern bridge and parliamentary camp, Nyaba Kunda, home to rural Family Planning office and Salikene and Katchang both of which has an Upper and Lower Basic schools and a host of other badibou towns and villages. Again my two Kiangka friends were visibly dumbfounded at this mere revelation. Can anyone tell me which part of this region sandwiched between Foni and Jarra has a market, a high school and a car park? I forcefully asked. The last time I checked, Kaif or Kweinalla had a lumo “weekly market” which has been long existent in Farafenni and in most part of Badibou. The Kiang one failed to progress and was in fact short-lived because of the dismal low quality of products that were assembled for sale by many petty traders that included Mooduto (Bush Mango), Kiang delicacy-Monoo (Porridge), sick chickens, emaciated goats and sheep and a collection of herbs and leaves of insignificant medical benefits. Because of its failure to attract outsiders, of course including Badiboukas most of whom are successful businessmen and women, the Lumo congregation composed mainly of local Kiangkas with inferior quality goods and products.
Fatou’s rapid emergence as an idolized celebrity is a compelling addition to the only known political bigwig in the person of Uncle Bakaray Bunja Darbo, Gambian former Vice President who also served as Minister of Finance in both the Jawara and Jammeh Administrations. “Dembo is Okay” was the most trumpeted political dictum in Kiang at the time especially during the simultaneously held Presidential and Parliamentary elections in the first republic. The reference meant Vice President Darboe could never have been exchanged with anyone else since he is the first native born to have ever attained such a prestigious political position as number two to the erstwhile chief of state. In the area of western education, Kiang has produced some highly sophisticated scholars including the Sanyang clan from Kweinalla village, a depository of rich historical encounter with the ruthless jihadist Foday Kaba Dumbuya. However, in terms of brainpower, Badibou is massively superior. Arguably, the dumbest Badibouka man or woman seriously equals the most intelligent and wisest Kianka man or woman, given Badibou a complete intellectual superiority. When mixed with a Badibounka, the joint Badibouka- Kiangka offspring is intrinsically wired genetically with the Badibou intellectual supremacy.
Who knows why Kombo Brikama is teeming with Kiangkas? The answer is found in a wide array of concrete historical narratives of the Rural- Urban migration in search of social and economic opportunities. While Badiboukas cleverly made it all the way to the capital, Banjul where they permanently settled in Tobacco Road and parts of Kombo and Kanifing municipality such as Jeshwang, Bundung, Talinding, Ebo Town and many areas as business people, Kiang economic migrants statically stopped in Brikama as soon they came in contact for the first time with electricity illuminating the place with a bustling market and good roads. They mistook Brikama for Banjul at on the spot of this surprised experience, hence their heavily concentration in this sprawling multiethnic town and a hub of economic activities. This is why up to today, Brikama is the biggest attraction to people of Kiang and if they are to be declared personal non-granta, I wonder where they will go next. To Badibou as I guess since their natives homes are no go areas for them.
On a more serious note, I wish to reiterate my insatiate personal interest in engaging readers of my friendly and at times choking joking relationship swipes, a national treasure that determinedly fortifies the cohesiveness of Gambians across tribe, region and clan. My beautiful wife is also from Kiang and our love relationship is great and finely wallows and blossoms in blazing joking jibes. Similarly, I know a number of Badibouka men here who have Kiangka wives. The secret is that every Kianka parent wishes a Badibouka husband for their daughters. In fact this is a presumed sanctified edict anchored on a sacred prayer that was eternally offered by their ancestors and it is being customarily passed down from one generation to the next. Frankly, no beautiful Kianka woman would like to marry a Kiangka man because it constitutes a severe adulteration of the revered edict.
Meanwhile congratulations to honorable Menata Njie of the ruling APRC party on her recent landslide victory in the Kiang West bye election. Her election as the first elected woman parliamentarian from Kiang will formally add her name to the noticeable growing list of most popular Kiankas.