Gainako Newspaper

Soccer of old is far too cry from now. Like the Grammarian
Quinton Cummings of Gambia High School once put it, "Those
were the good old days when men were men" I couldn't agree
more with my former teacher especially now that it resonates
with the life of a soccer star, Captain Yusupha Sibby fondly
'Captain Sam Sibby' or simply ' Cappy ' who recently passed
away in Banjul, the Gambia. It is true the activists believe good
people don't die because of their deeds that they left behind.
This is true for the case of captain Sam whose soccer endeavors
sparked a brilliant moment at Real de Banjul and the greater
Banjul neighborhood.

According to Mr. Pa Alieu Loum, former wing player for Ports FC and Walidan, Cappy was his
neighbor and a teammate at Ports FC and of the finest characters. He was a man of good spirit with
soccer talents that inspired a lot of Gambians especially those that knew his mid-field defense
(numbers 5 & 6). Cappy was a resident of Half-die, Banjul, The Gambia, believed to have died in his
fifties recently. Cappy, whose titled of honor was as a direct result of his soccer accomplishments was
the heart of Real de Banjul at the time, as narrated by Mr. Loum and Mr. Bah. Further he was an
organizer and the central unifier that combined personal skills and humor with his ambition for soccer
locally called Football.

In Mr. Loum's own words, "I know him very well as we were residing in Half-Die, Banjul. We played
in the same team 'Ports FC. My elder brother Doctor Hector Loum was among his best friends. I
therefore extend my condolences to his brothers Bladdr Sibby (Germany) and Adou Sibby (Banjul)."

Another one of his admirers, Anne Forster a resident of Minnesota also added a touching tribute to
someone she one time admired. In a tearful tone Anne recalled the vibrant soccer star whose
momentum was a moving one, thus: 'Yusupha was very down to earth, a true team player, famous and
liked by everyone. I extend my condolences to his family especially his sister 'my friend, Mariam
Sibby.'

According to Mr. Cherno Bah another resident of Minnesota, who was a coach to Ndanaan soccer
team and happened to interact with Cappy in the vicinity then, thus: 'Cappy was of a strong
personality, likewise in the field ' he was a solid rock, and off the field 'he was the sweetest person
with smiles. He was the bedrock of Real de Banjul and Gambia's National Squad.' I want to pay
tribute to my uncle Musa Njie who was a team mate to the late Cappy

With the above words coming from reliable sources, adds to the tens of others mourning a man of
soccer legacy whose contributions towards soccer cannot be forgotten just like that. In my whole life,
I didn?t have the opportunity to play soccer at a higher level because I was a herds boy but by such a
memorial piece of tribute, brought remorseful moments to why I missed the opportunity to have
played soccer, a game of my admiration - probably I would have been another 'Pele', yet still
"Biri-Biri " my long time admirers during the times that I played weakly in the field, breathing heavily.
The latest of its show was the summer of 2007 when I almost scored a golden goal in Minnesota, a
shot that surprised many and attracted a lot of echoes. At once I cried in my inner heart over the
opportunity that I missed 'to be a soccer star. The ball I handled in the 18-yards distance that angled
at a slant of 65 degrees hitting the bar and coiling in the net 'just below the cross horizontal bar,
changed my love for soccer for ever.

To the late Cappy, though I have never known you but at once began to search your love of soccer
from people who have known you then. May Almighty God's love and mercy decent on your soul for
eternity. I also take this opportunity to extend my condolence to his family, the players of Real de
Banjul especially those that played with him and all soccer lovers around.

The author of the article can be reached at editor@gainako.com. Please send in your articles
for publication.

A REJOINDER TO Gainako's
.............EDITORIAL
..............................By Janko, The Gambia.................April 21st, 2008
Cherno Baba Jallow�s (C.B.J) article "When Journalism is the Enemy", Gainako April 10th, 2008, is
a wake-up call that goes beyond Online Newspapers and their self-styled journalism/reporting.
Thanks to the communication revolution. Whatever prompted his position, whatever validity his critics
might have, the issue call for a fraction of self-search, self-reflection. On the other hand, those days
are long gone when the preacher commands his addressees; "do as I say and not as I do!" Spent are
the days when members of the congregation are spectators and not active participants in the reliability
scrutiny.

This communication revolution, when everything seems speedy and the only means forward is
self-proclamation, gives occasion to re-evaluate not only professionalism but also the concept of time
and space. The question we are faced is how we compensate the lost notion of distance and whether
the principle of "immediacy": that the nearer an event the more newsworthy, is still valid. The
perception of time and space has changed therefore news reporting is based on the relationship a
reporter has to an event and not how near (distance) the event is to the reporter. However,
cautiousness is a very appropriate tool.

Nevertheless, that is not the point here, rather focus is on C.B.J`s observation, which insinuates a
bigger misconception, the catch-22 of professionalism amid us Gambians. It is when self-proclamation
becomes overwhelming to the limit of becoming unhelpful, that we are obliged to scrutinise its validity
and its root in our society and discuss its disadvantage to our aims and objectives for development.

It is widespread that people claim being doctors, lawyers, accountants, managers, students,
businesspersons, civil servants, politicians, police, security personnel etc. without acquiring any
formal training, on-the-job-training or classroom training. However, self-given titles post great risks for
existence. What I intend to discuss here is the possible origin of the idea of self-proclamation in our
society, by remembering my own growing-up, along with recalling some events connected to
self-proclaimed professionals.

Blowing ones own trumpet, self-proclamation is a human virtue that did not start with cyber journalists
or cyberjournalism nor initiated by the communication revolution. It is typical but not genetic. From
where is this egocentric and self-fulfilling disposition? Surely, not a genetic disposition hence our
grandparents had selfless collective social and economic relations and being humble and honest are
some of the benchmarks of good neighborliness and a yardstick for good human being. Subsequently
the self �proclamation virus is from our, environment's learning process, an educational system that
excludes our everyday reality and history. The self-proclamation virus I claim is implicit in the
education mechanism, in Mary's little lamb whose face was white like snow and not bright like
morning sun, or grey like rice-field-mud, or brownish like groundnut-field-soil. The question is
complex and there is no absolute answer. One thing is certain; it is a toubabou karanding virus.
Therefore, to get a grasp of where the virus infection began calls for focusing the microscope on the
school and daily activities of the toubabou karandingo therein.

The school day begins at home, a completely different environment from the school. The aesthetics
manifested by the school-uniform sets a difference between us going to school and they farm workers,
and those going to Koran school, they and we demarcation therefore establishes at a very early stage
of our upbringing. Thereby a hierarchy between the traditional collective consciousness and individual
consciousness is established. With the help of transition rites in songs, content of textbooks and other
behavioural coaching the hierarchy is strengthen in the school system.

From the morning assembly to the classroom the pupils sing: "We are all going to our classes with
clean hands and faces to pay great attention to what we are told. Oh� learning is better than silver
and gold." The song transits the singer from normality into the roll of a pupil and signals the beginning
of no vernacular (no speaking of mother tongue) principle. In the classroom, the pupils learn
everything else except that pertaining to the everyday reality they live in. I remember the most popular
teacher in the school was the geography teacher who specialised on the American Tundra region. We
loved him; his lessons were always about the weather seasons in America and Europe nothing about
our seasons or climate. Another song that ends the school day goes: "Our daily school is over we are
going home, goodbye, goodbye teacher, we hope to see again." This song transits the pupils back to
their everyday reality and signals the end of the no vernacular period. Back at home, the pupils find
themselves in the everyday reality, again (a child of two cities).

Going to school is a privilege, pupils are treated different and feel different at home, they are exempted
from farming even whereas they work, less is expected from them than others who are in the same
age. Discontinuing school at primary school level, or junior secondary or secondary high, or technical,
or form one, or upper six, or college or university does not change belonging to the toubabou
karandingo category. The dilemma of the primary school dropout is not learning other skills like
farming and yet has no qualification to get office jobs but still belongs to the category of the
"educated". On the other hand, this false title came to hunt many in the mid 90s in the form of
a new phenomenon call "nervseh". Which befall only young unemployed youths: presumably, those
inevitably accepting the false title, educated. The symptom of this disorder is insistent obsession with
thoughts of going abroad, toubaboudu. The fatigue from restlessness, the false hope plus other social
shortcomings results in psychoses, nervseh.

The early 80�s witnessed another very serious incident caused by self-proclamation. A gentleman from
toubaboudu (a been-to), proclaimed himself a medical doctor and people entrusted him with their
lives, which turned out to be a deadly misfortune for some and a lifetime injure for others. On arrival in
Gambia, the said gentleman made a tour of the provinces. He went from village to village injecting
patience with his bewitched malsterilized syringes. By the time, he was through with his rampage many
healthy persons lost their lives and many more left lamed for life. Would the outcome of this unethical
expedition have been the same had the gentleman had a proper training? No, because the danger of
using un-sterilized syringes is a basic professional knowledge, thumb rules of medical expertise.

I met a classmate the last time I was in Gambia, 2008. While weexchanged greetings he told me; "I
am a doctor now". I was very glad for him for I knew him a hardworking man who took good care of
his family. When where you citified, I asked. Oh, no, not like that, I mean, I have a motorbike, travel
upcountry and sell medicine, he said. What kind of medicine do you sell or and administer, I asked.
Everything, from tablets to injections, he said. Oh� was my reaction, from the stunt. Nevertheless, I
managed parting with him cordially. When I later complained to my friend walking with me: these
kinds of doctors are in abundance here, he replied, without a grain of surprise in his voice.

Self-proclaimed professionals lack basic merits. Professional qualities are not just rules and regulations
but achievements gotten through many years of on- the- job- training or through a form of classroom
training. The training provides not only the occupational capability but also gives a sense of maturity to
detach work from pleasure, private from public and gives the insight that, rights come with
responsibilities, priorities with obligations, possibilities with limitations. Hocus-pocus has never been a
way to achieve professional qualities.

Is it possible that this, self-fulfilling, self-proclamation, self-entitlement, self, self, self is the virus eating
up the spirit of our collective identity? If so, we need a concoction, an immunization and an antivirus
program to remedy the deterioration. This chronic infection hinders national development and the
sense of national pride.

...Please do not mistaken me
...for an APRC sympathizer
...........................By Ebrima Conteh....................April 21st, 2008
Please do not mistaken me for an APRC sympathizer, what I am unequivocally and unconditionally
standing against is unfounded stories. If anyone fails to see that by now I am profoundly sorry there is
no other way I can say it. No reasonable person can defend reporting unfounded reports. There are
ample reports that have turned out to be false and in fact it is becoming trendy to report unfounded
stories. The online median is becoming more and more a rumor mill rather than a credible source of
information. The picture the online media is portraying is not accurate. May be some of you have been
in the Diaspora far too long and hence disconnected and out of touch with reality on the ground; if this
is the case please come back to earth for times have changed.

I have made my self categorically clear; I am not standing against reporting events from The Gambia.
If the information is true by all means report it, what I am standing against is reporting false information
to the detriment of our national security. It is unethical to report unfounded information and no credible
editor should condone this practice. If the excuse is it is hard to get information then you might want to
consider changing careers for no one said journalism is easy. What is the excuse now? It is hard to get
facts so we are entitled to distorting the facts. This is by far the most unprofessional and the most
ridiculous excuse I have ever heard. This might be news to some but FOROYAA is in the Gambia
and they have been reporting for a long time, no one has heard of such nonsense from them. Guess
why? They are professional and pride themselves in accuracy and the truth. If it is too hot in the
kitchen then get out!

The old trick of labeling every objective person as job seekers is really getting old, so try some thing
new. Not everyone is ready to join the rumor mongering bandwagon again I am sorry. I am not for the
APRC administration but my opposing does not mean I will report or condone reporting baseless
stories that are a treat to The Gambia's national security. What is this extremism? Reasonable people
know the truth and you cannot silence some of us. If I can survive IEDs in Iraq I am confident I will
survive your propaganda. So bring it!

Talking about challenges, I have another challenge to the online media. I will donate D40, 000 to the
outlet who stays away from unfounded reports and have the least rejoinders between today, April 21,
2008 and April 21, 2009. Call this the Ebrima Conteh Challenge. My name is Ebrima Conteh, I am
the kid from Badibu Kani Kunda who grew up in Kombo Lamin and I am have chosen to
unequivocally and unconditionally stand against false information, making up facts, slandering our
fellow citizens in the name of journalism.

If APRC's critics are tired of the regime's unabated power, and if the regime has committed all these
atrocities then for God's sake do something about it, serious people stand against tyrannical regimes
by uniting and taking action. This is what is lacking both in and outside Gambia; I do not think being
paper tigers will get rid of the APRC regime. This approach has not achieved much, I suggest trying
something new. What the Diaspora ought to do is address its failures, the Diaspora has failed to uplift
Gambians from the APRC regime, yelling about the situation will not accomplish anything. Rather than
reporting nonsensical, baseless and malicious stories at the expense of The Gambia, as the segment of
society that has the means the Diaspora should have by now come up with a tangible solution. When
great nations are faced with challenges its people rise to the occasion and respond with creativity. If
Gambians are truly tired of the APRC regime then organize and either form a new opposition party
that will bring the desired changes or unite behind the current opposition. This might be a new concept
to some people but democracy works.

Stop barking! Organize; gather clout and political capital

.......A Call for Higher Ethical Standards
.....� Gainako Welcomes the Challenges
..............................Demba Baldeh Seattle, WA ................April 21st, 2008
.........�The higher the standard the better the product�
The recent article titled �When Journalism is the Enemy� written by
Cherno Baba Jallow and published on Gainako on April 10, 2008
and rejoined by several other readers has no doubt awakened us
about some fundamental principles of journalism as a profession. The
general consensus from the readership either for or against the issue
of higher standard of news quality in our online newspapers across
the board is loud and clear: Gambian online newspapers, as echoed
by our respective readers, need some serious revamping if we are to
continue to gain the respect and support of our consumers.

It is an undeniable fact that the reason we continue to invest our resources and energy in reporting the
daily news and informing the public is simply because we have consumers who visit our various sites
daily to get their dose of news. It is equally a fact that these consumers are in a better position to judge
the quality and substance of the news and reports we supply daily.

Similarly, the satisfaction and/or frustrations of our general readership on the impact of the news and
reports we carry on about our country � The Gambia, must be something we treat with exceptional
seriousness anytime we sit on that keyboard to put out a report. The stakes are always high anytime
our people and nation becomes the subject of discussion. This is all the more true because we, the
people, form the bedrock of our nation. We should individually be great ambassadors of our great
country anywhere and in anything we are engaged. It is therefore the duty of every good citizen to
carry forward that great name of The Gambia, �The smiling Coast of Africa�.

The media both at home and in the Diaspora has a fundamental role to play in reshaping our society
and advancing the rule of law and human rights in our young �democracy�. Unfortunately, the current
regime has shown little or no appreciation for the role of the media in the socio-economic
development of our people. The environment is not conducive for a sustainable free press. As a result,
newspapers at home and other young aspiring journalists had to find alternative ways to continue to
educate our people with what is going on in our nation ruled by a government which, to put it nicely,
has a close door policy. This restrictive policy had to force media practitioners to find other means to
bring news and opinion to the community. This led to the birth of the current online newspapers and
blogs.

The emergence of these online newspapers has undoubtedly brought enormous opportunities for the
advancement of democracy and press freedom in our nation. In this era of the information gateway
where anyone at any time or anywhere can access information, it is crucial that the information that
they access is of quality and carries with it a positive and uplifting message. The online newspapers
have thousands if not millions of readers daily that not only rely on us for the daily news, but also count
on us to give them educational materials that make a difference in their lives or the lives of their
children.

In dispensing that noble duty, we must exercise diligence, maturity and most importantly, an absolute
professionalism guided by principles of decency and uncompromising fairness and balance. We must
also realize how the personal and social costs of the information we provide affect the daily lives of
others and our nation. The power of print media and online publicity carries with it a powerful image
that may go a long way towards impacting society.

Our daily task as practicing journalists or administrators of media outlets as others put it may seem to
us as volunteerism that we choose to engage in at our own expense. However, since we have self
-appointed ourselves to be the watch dogs of public officials and government, it is important that we
also conduct ourselves professionally and submit ourselves for periodic public scrutiny. Besides, when
we take up the task of exposing a regime that strives to suppress its people in the name of patriotism
or development, we must try to be credible at all times.

It is a fundamental part of our duties to train and educate ourselves continuously in our profession with
an aim to grow and make ourselves better reporters or editors and to keep pace with intellectual
challenges that may arise in disseminating vital information to our readership. Today�s media
consumers are certainly far-more sophisticated than we may think. They are not only willing to
consume the product and give a blind eye, but are also determined to see to it that what they are fed is
of quality and important information.

In passing, we must put ourselves in the shoes of others anytime we are ready to sign off to something
for publicity. We must also remember that we cannot be our own judges on the quality of news we
put out every day. It is therefore essential that we have people within our society who are brave and
willing to call it as they see fit. No single one of us has a monopoly of knowledge over what constitutes
journalism, nor should we put our egos ahead of this noble profession. There is no need for any undue
sensitivity and overly reaction to anything as fundamental as a call for higher standards.

Finally, we at Gainako seek to see the issues differently. We welcome Cherno Baba and others�
clarion calls for higher standards and ethical journalism as an important challenge for us to continue to
learn and grow as young aspiring professionals. We also wish to reaffirm that in order for us to win the
moral battle against a suppressive regime, we must not resort to the same tactics the regime employs
to silence its critics.

At the same time, we also wish to call on those seasoned journalists and other interested Gambians to
step up to the plate and take up the challenge and redirect the face of Gambian journalism. We believe
that a vacuum of responsible journalism has existed in the Gambian media far too long. As a result,
where seasoned members of the media fraternity are reluctant to rejoin the fight for our common
good, precedence is bound to take a not so desirable shape and direction. It is therefore our collective
responsibility to see to it that the bar is raised high at all times. Together, our moral convictions and
desire for decency far supersede anything else.

We leave you with the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: �I cannot be what I ought to be until
you are what you ought to be.�

...THE CLOCKING TIME FOR GAMBIA'S
......................STRUGGLE;
........................................Part One
............................By Yero Jallow......�..April 21st, 2008

Gambians in large numbers are all online now, struggling for unity, freedom,
equal rights and justice. There is no worthier cause than the one at hand.
A big credit where credit is due for all those that continually sacrifice their
few shillings and energy to invest in the struggle at hand. One thing that is
clear is that Gambians all in one recognized the value of information. The
power of accurate information and the information battle is one that cannot
be abused or distorted to feed history. It is also clear that victory is on the
side of the oppressed. We have seen the stance of especially the Point
Newspaper, Foroyaa and other vibrant media outlets echo sentiments of
unity.

The nature of the Gambia is such that the voices of decent -the oppositions, the media outlets and our
societal activists are all muzzled by an administration that is clinging onto power by all that it can. So
the level to which those at home can make a noise to be heard is limited owing its fact to arbitrary
arrest, torture and maiming. So Gambians in the Diaspora took up the challenge to stand for those in
need. We all agree that this is a worthy cause to fight.

Not long ago, Gambia's presidential elections legitimized Jammeh for another five years. Very soon
that time will elapse. Perhaps all hope is not lost yet. Diaspora Gambians should galvanize under a
unifying umbrella to help the opposition mend their bridges in preparation for the next presidential
elections. If this is not in the minds of Gambians at the current juncture, I am afraid; we might be
running a loose battle again. Like the old adage goes "Make hay while the sun shines." Further let
us "strike while the iron is hot." If all the complaints registered by the media outlets both at home
and abroad represents Gambia's true situation, then we need to move further to galvanize people in a
true spirit for unity. The Gambian problem is bigger than our individual differences. Selfishness,
hypocrisy and pettiness cannot rescue the ship of the state at the current hour.

I therefore take this opportunity to appeal to all the party group affiliates, the political party leaders
and their surrogates to start thinking about the bigger picture of unity. The unifying group should have
the ability to get all the Diaspora associations together. From there on, they can take the direct
approach where they will invite the opposition party heads and their supporters on the same table to
discuss the way forward. I am sure once all the people sit down on the same table and talk about the
problems at hand, it will truly pave a way for unity. Unity is a collective responsibility. It can neither be
left in the hands of the oppositions nor in the hands of the media outlets alone. All Gambians must be
ready to shoulder the burden. The personal differences, unsubstantiated bickering, hate monger is the
least that Gambians should reduce themselves to. The Gambia, a sweet home deserves not another
Kenya, or what is under the microscope currently under a Jammeh administration.

The author can be reached at editor@gainako.com

..........................................................NEWS
....CASAMANCE REBELS
SENT To PRISON; Are There Any Lessons?
............................By Solo, Banjul Correspondent......April 20th, 2008

The Banjul magistrate's court has sentenced nine rebels to various terms of imprisonment on 16th
April 2008. The magistrate Mr. Olajubutu said the prosecution has provided four witnesses and
tendered many exhibits as evidence to prove their case. He also said all the accused persons
admitted that they obtained Gambian documents such as ID cards; that they all admitted being
members of the MFDC rebel group fighting for self government in Casamance.

He then convicted them accordingly.
Sidat Jarju is sentenced to 6 years, Nuha Badjie to 2 years, Lamin Tew Sambou to 2 years,
Ansumana Jarju to 2 years, Tamsir Badjie to 2 years, Abdou Salam Jammeh to 4 years and
Wuyeh Jarju to 1 year.

The relatives of the convicts were seen crying in court especially when they were refused to embrace
their convicted loved ones. It was the cry of many people that non Gambians especially the people of
casamance have always been involved in Gambian politics to the extend of taking part in the actual
voting process. Many people have observed during elections strange faces said to be from
casamance in the queue taking part in voting. When these rebels asserted in court that it was the
Gambian security officers who helped them to acquire the said documents it was not a surprise to
many.

The casamance people may also thought that they were doing a favour to their ethnicity when they
come to vote for president Jammeh, perhaps hoping that he would also be kind to their cause in their
struggle for self determination. But this case has shown that at least the state or the leader of the state
does not have any regard for anyone who comes in his way irrespective of which ethnic group one
comes from. One person who was at the court was heard saying that the "I do not have any
sympathy for this Casamance ethnic Jolas since they are the ones who always come and disturb us
here during elections and jubilate and insult people after elections."

For the Gambian People, some have expressed the feeling that the wrong people have punished; that
it is the Salif Sadjo faction that were heavily involved in Gambian affairs not the Jakai rebels.
Some say this would teach others a lesson that just because one is an ethnic Jola does not give a
blank sheet for one to acquire a Gambian ID card or voter's card.

FAMARA-The Gambian Rebel:
.......................A True Story
............................... By The WATCHMAN......April 20th, 2008

On a sunny morning in July 1981, the young Watchman woke up to
an astounding array of noise and what he presumed to be fireworks.
He was confused because there were no holidays to celebrate this
time of the year in Banjul. From his vantage point, the house window,
he could see people running for cover and screaming for kids to stay
inside compounds. He knew something was terribly wrong and no
sooner had he come to that conclusion than he heard family members
talking about a coup to oust President Jawara from power. Gambian
society up to that time was relatively �blissful.� Underneath this peace
however was a powder keg of dissatisfaction waiting to explode.

In dissecting the real life character that is Famara the rebel, the Watchman aims to show how despite
all the brouhaha about who has what or who gets what, the common denominator for success in
relatively still young African states is development. In his 1998 Nobel Peace winning work,
Development as Freedom, Amartya Sen, the Indian economist, outlined the idea that development is
the key to unlocking the greatest economic and social potential that has eluded the less endowed
entities that could be found in mostly Africa, Asia and South America.

In the years before the coup attempt in The Gambia, the route to getting work was petty feudal and
connection driven. One entered the Field Force with inside help, one got to work at GPMB through
personal links, one got to be an employee of Banjul Breweries with the assistance of an insider and
one definitely had to know a person of influence to land a place in the civil service that was
headquartered at the Quadrangle opposite McCarthy Square. In Banjul, a lot of compounds were
composed of Wolof, Aku and Hausa landowners who leased quarters to Mandinkas, Fulas,
Manjagos and Serers who were land and house owners back in their hometowns but had no recourse
but to rent once they got to the big towns of Bakau, Serrekunda and so forth.

This melting pot allowed all these different Gambians to see each other�s lives up close and personal
and while there was a mostly very amicable interaction between citizens, the material imbalance
instilled a sense of aspiration and frustration on the part of tenants who lived with their families in
compounds owned by original Banjulians. Famara was one of them. He was the oldest son of a
Mandinka laborer who had an intensely difficult time finding work due to his lack of connections. Now
some might say, Mandinkas were in power and this scenario could not be possible but these simplistic
statements fail to underscore that more so than tribalism, nepotism also occurred frequently and had
an intra-tribe trickle down effect.

Every week, Famara would get into an argument with his parents over the fact he was in his late 20s,
unmarried, unemployed and still lived at home. In return, Famara would lash out saying he had given it
all he had and for some reason he keeps getting told to �come back next week.� He played with his
younger siblings most of the day, went around looking for work, would get an odd job here and then
but he could never make things work on a stable and permanent basis vis-�-vis employment. His 2
sisters were getting an education he did not have, at Mohammedan and Albion primary schools
respectively and seemed to have a brighter future ahead than he had.

There were times when Famara would disappear for days and everyone wondered where he was
holed up. It also became apparent that his favorite social pastime was watching the women dance
during NCP rallies held at the wide street of Sam Jack not far from the seat of government. Famara
liked Sheriff Dibba and later revealed that in addition to really enjoying the women display their artistic
skills during the political events, he really paid attention to the words of the formerly staunch
opposition stalwart.

It didn�t take for us to know what Famara was up to because on that sunny and bloody July morning,
he proudly walked back to his parent�s home with an AK 47 slung over his shoulder. Famara was
now a rebel allied with Kukoi Samba Sanyang , the leader of the uprising. His father asked him if he
had killed anyone and warned that taking a life was not in accordance with family values not to
mention Muslim tenets. Famara couldn�t look at his Dad in the face but with a bowed head said no.
Actually, as the battle raged on in Banjul between loyalists and insurgents, one thing became clear.
Famara didn�t even know how to operate the rifle he wielded in his new found power as a rebel. It
was very darn useful though when it came to looting, because at Maurel Prom, located at Buckle
Street, he was able to bring home a couple of TVs and a small refrigerator simply due to the fact that
he was armed and other looters made way for him. During the chaos of the coup, Famara brought so
many looted items from his forays to downtown Banjul stores, his parent�s small home couldn�t
contain the material windfall. So he started giving the excess goods to friends and neighbors.

One afternoon during the attempted putsch, Famara ran like a scared antelope being chased by
ferocious cheetahs and headed straight home. Upon arrival, he screamed at his parents to tell anybody
that bothered to ask that he was nowhere to be found and then proceeded to hide under their bed.
After 6 hours elapsed, he crawled from under his refuge and with bloodshot eyes, proceeded to tell
his family how he had caught a glimpse of the legendary Tambajang and wanted nothing to do with the
defender of The Central Bank and other points of regime functionality. Famara exclaimed that he saw
the look in Tambajang�s eyes and came to the conclusion that the guy was no joke. A decade after
Famara said this about Mr. Tambajang�s eyes, I was a guest at his residence and after looking into his
eyes when he wasn�t smiling I agreed wholeheartedly.

After Famara had stopped shaking in terror due to his unfortunate encounter, the young Watchman
asked him how to operate the AK 47 and Famara just smiled sheepishly. Again, young Watchman
asked him how to operate the weapon and Famara, pretending to know what he was doing, pulled
the gun from safety and accidentally sprayed bullets at his parent�s house. Everyone screamed in
terror and hit the ground, young Watchman included. Young Watchman�s Grandmother limped as fast
as she could, grabbed Famara by the ears and asked him to leave the compound in the name of God.
All the while, Radio Gambia kept uttering the now infamous words of that unfortunate episode in the
country�s history: �Long Live the Revolution!!!� Famara left but came back at night to drop off a
BMX bike he had stolen from a young man at gun point. There was tension between Famara and his
mother because he kept bringing small refrigerators and radios that could only be powered by
electricity and their home had none. He promised to look for a generator but came back with a
motorboat engine instead.

It was obvious Famara�s shenanigans caused a lot of consternation for his family. They did not know
what would happen to them if the coup failed and were unsure what future a Gambia without Dawda
K. Jawara would be live. They lived in agony because as much as their son was part of a movement
that sought to overturn the glaring inequalities that existed in those times and still do to an extent, they
were unsure of who would come out the victor. So they waited and waited and avoided their
neighbors� stares, embarrassed by the fact that they were deemed guilty by association with son who
was complicit in the deaths of many they personally knew. Famara could be heard some night during
the chaos telling his parents he never killed a single soul but was tired of being laughed at and
disrespected by people who labeled him a big loser. He kept shouting �I�m a man!� and �No one
disrespects me!� to anyone who would listen to him.

Upon hearing that Senegalese troops were summoned to aid a Gambian government under duress,
Famara immediately changed his tune. He dumped the AK 47 he couldn�t use and acted as the
guardian of the compound he lived. When some bloodthirsty rebels ventured to his home, he
convinced them everyone inside the structure supported them and persuaded them to move on without
any bloodletting. He led prayers at the local mosque down the street and attended funerals of some
coup victims. This attempt at rehabilitation was short lived, however. People had seen Famara
sauntering down the street with a group of insurgents and had taken note.

The endgame suddenly came with the success of the SAS ( British Special Air Services) in thwarting
the strategy of an utterly amateurish rebel movement and the gallantry of the interventionist Senegalese
troops whose actions led to the establishment of the SeneGambia Confederacy. After the conflict
ended, Famara did not flee like most former subversives and spent most his free time napping. One
after while deep in slumber, he had a rude awakening courtesy of government security forces that
were rounding up all known participants in that debacle of a take over and was detained for a short
period. After the extent of his role became known, Famara was released within 3 months. He was not
tortured, humiliated or had his family harassed. In other words, the Jawara security apparatus treated
him with dignity, unlike the circus workers of the NIA.

After his release, Famara�s father insisted that he go back to the home village in Badibu and think over
what he course he wanted to take in life because the previous path was deadly and God had given him
a second chance. He left Banjul with the help of all his neighbors. His Aku landlord gave him money to
start all over again, his Serer co-tenants gave him groceries to sustain him for the first couple of
months, the Fula shop keepers loaned his parents soap, bags of rice and oil to possess in his quest to
marry and start a family, his Wolof neighbors invited him for a prayer session at their mosque to confer
Allah�s blessing upon him, and one of his friends who was more fortunate and had a great government
job took him to a corner and told him even though their lot in life was different, he still respected and
thought highly of Famara. And so on a misty November morning 1981, Famara left for the car park
located near Grant Street for his journey back home. His mother and sisters cried as his Father held
the hands of his brothers and wished him luck.

And a young Watchman was right there. Watching everything.

Gambiaswatchman@gmail.com

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