Hello Fellow Bantaba Nkolu,
It has been a while since i last sent anything to the
list. I had basicly been a silent observer over the
last year. There were many times when i was tempted
to send something or participate in issues and
discussions. Every single time though, i had managed
to hold back; i was just too busy trying to graduate.
i didn't feel i would do any issue or discussion any
justice with the schedule i had.
Now that that part is done with, i have time to
devote to correspondence in this Bantaba untill i go
back to school for an MA. or Law Degree, or land a
suitable job.
Now, on to the July 4th event and why i am really
writing today. i have so many issues, so many
questions, so many suggestions on my mind that i find
it hard to begin anywhere. i don't want this to be
too lenghty, boring, or pointless so am gonna try to
develop a few points here which can be further
discussed either privately or on the Bantaba.
First of all, before i come accross a cynic
individual, i want to applaude the efforts of the
organizers and all those who sponsored and hosted us.
Certaily, an event of this magnitude is no small
task. that still doesn't give anybody the right to
mess it up. If we are gonna do anything, fellow
Gambians, Senegalese and all those who participated,
let's do it right. Let's not get compacent and settle
for half-measures. this applies to everyone; hosts,
guests, organizers, and sponsors. If this is gonna be
a money-making venture, let there be no
disappointments, if it is an event to bring People
from all over the Diaspora together with friends,
family, and long-lost classmates, we can still have
fun, party, and play footballwithout any unreasonable
glitches. It is good that our Atlanta hosts would
want to put up their money to host us, but i think
this event has simply become too big for y'all alone
to put up the dough, that is unfair to you guys.
Everyone participating must be willing to contribute
something; from business sponsors, to those flying in
from their studies and engagemets in England, sweden,
or even if you drive in from Seattle. I would think
that those of us who had to travel to Atlanta would
especially be willing to pay something for the
opportunity to get together. Personally, i could
certainly drive to Ohio from kentucky to see Saloum,
or to Virginia to see Drammeh, or to D.C. to see
kebba Sinyan and all the others down there, only to
mention a few friends besides numerous family
members. and i would certainly not fly over to
England to see A.B Njie. The cost, not only in money,
of any one of these trips would equate the trip to
Atlanta, or in most cases, wold be far greater. with
the good intention or Atlanta hosts have, i don't see
why we shouldn't be willing to pay at least 5 bucks
for at least the Finals of the Tournament especially
when there was gonna be all that food, music, and
drinks there. and 5bucks too for each party from
friday to sunday. this is certainly not
unreasonable.it makes more sense to me than being
given all that free food, drinks, and an entertaining
game with music only to be charged 30 bucks for me
and my girlfriend for an Ijahman mess-up (there is no
other way to put it). We thought we had missed
Ijahman when we got there around 3:30 am only to find
out that he had not even made an apparance yet.
Waited an hour and the hal was still half-empty.
there was no Ijahman, and 90% of the peope were
standing outside. We felt cheated when the
gate-keepers began to charge only $10; he had still
not played and we would not be getting anything for
our $15 than those wo paid $10. There was a nice
gentleman who personally apologised and calmed me
down. Ijahman had not sang but 5 or 6 sons with a
couple of guiter melodies before he was asked to stop
the concert for throphy presentations. ijumped on the
stage and demanded an explaination. i had not paid
$15 to watch a thropy presentation which could have
been done the other day at the field. Again, i was
apologized to and calmed down by this fellow Gambian
and it made me realise what was really important. i
told him he would not hear another word from me and
promptly went home.
Even at this time, there were more people outside
than were inside. was it that people could not afford
the $15 charge? i don't think so. They didn't care to
see ijahman? maybe.... then bring someone who the
majority would care to see, or better yet, don't
bring anyone. just provide the place and a good
deejay, charge us $5 and we will do our mingling and
partying till daybreak. see, it can all be done
simply.
With all the money colleted, and business sponsors,
it still does not have to shift from a get-together
purpose to a profit seeking venture. After all
expenses incurred are taken care of, the letfover
money can simply be used to plan and organize an even
more enjoyable event the next year.
i must say that i had high expectations of proper
organization from all the years i heard people talk
of the atlanta july 4th event (yes, this was my
first, and i hope not the last). Even the website was
so organized, with schedules, digests of past events,
and even directions to each event. i just simply
could not belief how much in disarray it turned out
to be.
this does remind me of what the overall gambian
community is like both here and at home. We lack a
general purpose collectively. We lack a certain
determination to stand by our beliefs and stand up
for what we belief. We engage in half-measures and
hardly anone participate in anything if they don't
have anything to gain personally. People withdraw
their support from anything that is not the thing of
the day. All the Pa's and Merr's stood by Jawara when
he was there and now i Heard my mom goes to see Yahya
when he goes by and cheer for him. She didn't even do
that with jawara. does she really support yahya or is
it simply that she is afraid of being seen as not
being part of the band-wagon? I remember some
alfalu's and kilipha's going to beg jawara to stay
when he said he was gonna resign and i now see those
same people in the yahya band-wagon. Is it that we
are just too simply confused to hold on to anything?
for how can one concile Militaristic dictatorship,
with democracy, and islam/ anyone of these on their
own seem to contradict the other.
we all have to do a better job of doing what we are
gonna do. the possiblities are all out there for us
to choose from we can all stand by and let our fates
be messed up, or we can choose to be who we want to
be. if we want to be this aimless, purposeless people
who haven't learn't anything from Uganda,Rwanda,
Sierraleone, Liberia, Iran, Iraq, Yugoslavia, then
let us be. I will respect our decision and learn to
live with it.it is not yet too late though for us to
turn out to be this beautiful , respectful,
democratic, religious, and peaceful people. this
applies to whatever we do, whoever we are.
Al ning bara ............. NJAGA
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