*Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue*

*Issue No.22/2006, 23-26 March,2006*

*Editorial*

*ATTEPTED COUP D'ETAT*

On Monday, 21st March 2006 President Jammeh arrived in Nouakchott,
Mauritania for a three day working visit. However on Tuesday, 21st March
2006 he was reported to be back in the country. There was no announcement of
his return and no call for the usual welcoming ceremony by state official
and inspection of guard of honor.

Foroyaa was reliably informed that security was being reinforced in Banjul
on Tuesday before his arrival.

Heightened security developed at the Denton Bridge, the prisons and other
strategic junctions. Military men searched transports as if they were
looking for people who were at large. On Wednesday Foroyaa spoke to the SOS
for Interior to inform him of the rumours of a coup d'etat. He explained
that routine checks were being conducted by the army. He did not explain the
purpose of the intensification of security measures.

Foroyaa continued to monitor the situation on Wednesday morning only to
discover that arrest have been made and that Colonel Ndure Cham, the Chief
of Defence staff was at large. Conflicting rumours intensified regarding the
soldiers under arrest and detention. By midday Office of the President
issued a press release indicating that a group of army officer led by
Colonel Ndure Cham were at an advanced stage in their plot to overthrow the
government.

The public is informed that there is no cause for alarm.

However, they claim that the public should not aid and abet Ndure Cham. It
is still confusing how advanced the cup plot was and who were involved. At
the time of going to press it was claimed that he had been arrested.

What analyses of coups d'etat have revealed is that they can be orchestrate
by officers or junior rankers. Coup by junior rankers can be successful only
if the soldiers in the various sections, companies, platoons and battalions
rebel against the officers and refuse to accept their command. When that
happens armies become ungovernable and governments also tumble for lack of
security. On the other hand, coup by officers are usually organized through
agreement by the unit heads. This often goes down to the level of all the
command structures. Once the commanders of the units agree and they have
effective control of their units a coup d'etat takes place. Foroyaa is still
gathering information to find out what type of coup d'etat was at an
advanced stage. The government should however be very objective in its
arrest and detention. The wrong method can lead to uncertainty.

Foroyaa has always maintained that building a democratic society where the
people are fully conscious that power belongs to them is the best way of
consolidating peace and security. The reconciliation talks by President
Obasanjo has stated the way forward. Political parties should now
demonstrate their sincerity to the people so that they become convinced and
are assured of a peaceful route to address their vital needs and concerns.

The greatest enemy to stability and peace is a state of hopelessness among
the people. Those who wish to contribute to peace must give hope and
confidence that they can attain their objectives through peaceful means.
This is the challenge to all political parties as we head towards the 2006
presidential election. Political leaders should digest the critical
situation in the country and start convincing the people that they can
address their vital concerns. This is a guarantee to peace.**



*COUP PLOT FOILED*

*By Yaya Dampha*

Coup plot was reported to have been foiled on Tuesday evening continuing
till the early hours of Wednesday. According to reports Lt. Col. Ndure Cham
is said to be the leader of the coup plotters. The report indicated that the
PRO Bunja Darboe, Major Sampierre Mendy and Major Abdou Jah are among the
arrestees and that they are helping intelligence agents with their
investigation. It is also reported that the alleged coup leader, Lt. Col.
Ndure Cham is still at large and that he was last seen around the Brufut
area. However another source has informed Foroyaa that the Chief of Defence
Staff, Ndure Cham was also arrested at the Kartong beach while attempting to
cross to the Cassamance. A press release issued by the President's Office,
published below, has not revealed the names nor the number of the arrestees.


When our reporter visited Yundum and the armed force head quarters in Banjul
he found headily armed soldiers moving in and out. He was also informed that
the Vice President Dr. Isatou Njie Saidy was asked to stay at home and not
to report for work. The head of Stat who was on a working visit to the
Republic of Mauritania was also said to have had an emergency landing on
Tuesday night at Banjul International Airport. Below is a press release from
the Office of the President



*PRESS RELEASE ON THE COUP PLOT*

The General Public is hereby informed that in the course of conducting
routine security surveillance, the security forces discovered in the late
hours of yesterday (Tuesday) that a group of army officers led by Colonel
Ndure Cham, former Chief of Defence Staff were at an advanced stage in their
plot to overthrow the constituted government of the Republic of The Gambia.

All those involved are presently tinder custody and helping the security
forces in their investigation, except the leader who is still at large.

He was last seen driving a Renault Megane (KM 7171 A) within the vicinity of
Brufut. The general public is hereby urged to come forward with any useful
information on his whereabouts. This should be reported to the nearest
security agency through the following numbers:

I 12-Police

4224247- Army

4225771- Army

The general public is further warned that any attempt to assist the fugitive
tantamounts to aiding and abetting which is a punishable offence.

While thanking them in anticipation for their cooperation and patriotism,
the general public is hereby assured that there is no cause for alarm as the
situation is firmly under control. They can go about their normal business
as usual.

Meanwhile, His Excellency the President of the Republic is pleased to
appoint Lt. Colonel Lang Tombong Tamba as Chief of Defence Staff, with
promotion to the rank of Colonel, Major Peter Singateh is hereby appointed
Deputy Chief of Defence Staff to the rank of Lt, Colonel, Mr. Harry Sambou
is hereby appointed Acting Director General of the National Intelligence
Agency, while Mr. Ngorr Secka is hereby appointed Acting Deputy Director
General of the NIA.

All the foregoing appointments are with immediate effect.



*NADD HOLDS RALLY AT SUKUTA*

*By Abdoulie G. Dibba*

The National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD) held a rally at
Sukuta in Kombo North Constituency, on Saturday 18th March 2006. The rally
which was organised by the NADD Militants Forum, was well attended by
members of the NADD Executive Committee and the general public. Addressing
the audience, the members of the Executive told the people that the
objective of NADD is to end self-perpetuating rule in the Gambia, rectify
the bad system of government operated by the APRC government and consolidate
genuine democracy. They told the people that Gambia belongs to them and that
they, the people, own the resources of the country. They explained to the
people that their political leaders are mere trustees of power and should
use that power to ease their suffering. They explained to the people that
the reason why they hold elections every five years, is to take stock of
their political leaders; that if they, the political leaders, serve their
needs and aspirations they can re-elect them, but if they fail to server
their needs and aspirations, they should remove them from office. The
members of the Executive Committee told the people that the APRC government
has endless hardship and suffering in stock for the Gambia people. The lack
of good governance, the lack of job security for the civil service, the lack
of drugs in health centres and hospitals, the poor quality of education, the
lack of employment opportunities for the youths with skills and those
leaving schools, the high cost of living, the deteriorating road network and
the insecurity of life and property, are the only thing that the APRC
government has in stock for the Gambian people. They explained to the people
that the country is so indebted that out of a budget of D3.7 billion, a sum
of D1.5 billion is to be utilized to service debts. They explained that in
order for the government to finance the deficit, it has to incur more debts
and increase the tax on the people and reduce government spending on key
social sectors like education and health. They told the people that if they
(the people) want to prolong their hardship and suffering, then they should
rally behind the APRC; but that if they want to put an end to their hardship
and suffering then they should rally behind NADD. They told the people that
NADD is a party of the people and that they are committed to redeem the
country from the precarious situation in which it is. They challenged the
UDP/NRP Leaders to forward tangible reasons for their withdrawal from NADD
but not just to say that "there is mistrust" when they had every right to
veto any decision. See subsequent issues for the speech of the flag bearer
and others in detail.





*AVIAN INFLUENZA A CAUSE FOR CONCERN*



*By Amie Sanneh*

The Deputy Programme Manager at the Health Education Unit, Mr. Amadou Sowe,
has described women and children as the most vulnerable group to Avian
Influenza or Bird Flu. Mr. Sowe said this is due to their active
participation in domestic activities.

Speaking in an interview with Foroyaa on Tuesday, Mr. Sowe revealed that
direct or indirect contact of domestic flocks with wild migratory water
fowls and other birds, can be implicated as a frequent cause of the bird flu
epidemic.

He said that domestic poultry such as chickens and turkey are susceptible to
influenza.

He added that life birds market can play an important role in the spread of
the epidemic.

Describing the bird flu as serious, he pointed out that there is a
possibility of it coming into the country because of the difficultly in
controlling migratory birds, which spread it easily.

Mr. Sowe revealed that bird flu does not infect birds alone but human beings
can also be infected with the virus. He said that humans can be infected
through close contact with infected birds by touching infected birds with
bare hands or by inhaling infected bird's faeces. The health officer posited
that the incubation period of the virus in humans is two to seven days, and
that its signs and symptoms are fever, sore throat, head ache, pain in
muscles, coughing and pneumonia. However, he revealed that the virus in
humans is cureable.

With regards to the signs or symptoms which may occur in birds, he said that
the incubation period is 3 to 7 days, and that there will be an oedema of
the legs of the hen or bird, which will turn red and the faeces will be
green in colour with swollen nose, discharge from the nose and mouth,
reddish comb and the bird will always be rotating with spread feathers.

Mr. Sowe said the virus is contained in the droppings and discharges from
the nose and mouth.

He pointed out that with close contact with these type of birds, they can
help in the spread of the virus and they urged all to be vigilant.

With regards to the level of preparedness of the government towards the bird
flu, he said the government is prepared and have held series of meetings
with stakeholders, noting that the health department cannot fight it alone.

He added that through their meetings, they have already developed an
Emergency Preparedness and Respond Plan for Avian Influenza, in case of any.

Mr. Sowe said that through their meetings, they came up with recommendations
that  if any case of bird flu is discovered in the country in a particular
area or poultry farm, chickens within 3 kilometres radius of where the virus
is discovered will be killed. Mr. Sowe said within 6 kilometres after the 3
kilometres, they will embark on a vaccination exercise.

He was however quick to point out that compensation will be given upon
confirmation to the health authorities, of those affected.

He noted that if people are not compensated, they will never report any case
of the virus, but they would rather sell their birds at very cheap prices,
which is very risky. Mr. Sowe urged the general public to strictly adhere to
the advise given to them in the advent of the epidemic.

He said that people need to be observant and report any case of bird flu
discovered to health workers, the soonest. He said in a place where it is
difficult to get in touch with health workers, people should bury the bird
or chicken properly and it should not be thrown in wells or toilets. He said
they should also avoid holding infected chickens with bare hands and should
always wear face masks to avoid inhaling it.



*FOROYAA REPORTER LEAVES FOR EGYPT*

*By Bubacarr K. Sowe and Fabakary B. Ceesay*

Sarjo Camara Singhateh, a reporter with the Foroyaa newspaper is the latest
Gambian beneficiary of an annual training course for African journalist, in
the Egyptian Capital, Cairo.

The 27th edition of the course for young African journalists, organised in
collaboration with the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Egypt and
the Union of African Journalists (UAJ), will take place from the 25th of
March to the 30th of April 2006, at Dai-el-Modaraat Hotel in Cairo.

As the first Gambian female Gambian journalist and first Foroyaa beneficiary
of this course, Mrs. Camara Singhateh said the training will widen her
understanding in the art of journalism.

"I think it will help me a lot and it will enhance my work in future as a
journalist," she said. "I will build friendship and gain experience from my
colleagues all over Africa. I am grateful to the Gambia Press Union for
selecting a woman journalist," Sarjo remarked.

Mrs. Camara Singhateh is the current Assistant Secretary General of the
Association of Health Journalists (AOHJ), the Secretary General of the
Network of Development and Population Journalists, the treasurer of the
Economic and Financial Journalist and a Co-opted Executive Member of the
Gambia Press Union.

Outside the Gambia, she is also the Financial Director of Journalist for
Regional Integration (JORIN).





*COASTAL AREAS ARE SOURCES OF DEVELOPMENT*

*By Lamin Fatty*

Coastal areas are an important source of development in any given country.
Infact the West African Coastal zones, are at the heart of economic
activities such as fishing, tourism, maritime and river transport extraction
of mineral resources and agriculture with 80% of the population of the five
countries participating, lying within 100km of the coast. Coastal areas also
serve as a source of ecosystems such as mangroves, sand dunes, lagoons,
wetlands, coral reefs, and 'niayes' type inter-dune depression, essential
for the development and conservation of flora and fauna. This includes
reproduction Zones for numerous species of fish, crustaceans and turtles,
and also parts of these areas are situated on the bird migration routes.

However, the socio economic and natural wealth of these coastal areas is
being threatened by various types of coastal degradations, such as erosion
in some areas reaching 23-30 metres per year, which is mainly due to
salination, pollution, sand mining and over exploitation of mangroves in the
coastal areas. Also a number of hotels within the sub-region, have already
been abandoned (e.g. Varela in Guinea Bissau). Also in the next few decades,
major urban centres like Banjul will be threatened with permanent flooding,
if the degradation continues; while the drinking water is also at serious
risk of being sharply diminished. The causes of this degradation in the
coastal areas are partly natural eg: climate changes, which are human,
induced. So as far as the Integrated Coastal Area Management is concerned
towards the protection and improvement of coastal areas, the general public,
particularly the coastal communities, should be well capacitised regarding
the degradation of the coastal areas and some of its consequences towards
people living in the coast and its environments.



*WE ARE READY TO DIE FOR GAMBIA*

*Say Hamat Bah*

*By Lamin S. Fatty *

Hamat N.K Bah former Parliamentary Member for Upper Saloum and Executive
Member of the UDP/NRP Coalition, has said that he is ready to go to jail and
die for the country even before he joined politics. Mr. Bah made these
remarks at the UDP/NRP rally that was recently held at Ebony in Serrekunda.
According to Mr. Bah, they are ready to face any consequence since they are
not better than Deyda Hydara, who was brutally assassinated in broad day
light. He said neither brutality nor torture can lead them to subjugation.
Going further, addressing the rally, Mr. Bah advised the students to be
careful of the beach parties that are sponsored by the President. He advised
the President to stop inviting peoples' daughters to un-necessary beach
parties, because HIV/AIDS is on the increase. He accused the President of
not respecting the norms and values of our African culture, noting President
Jammeh encourages people's daughters to adopt Western life styles such as
the beach parties he sponsors. He stated that he is not oppose to the
students adopting a private life, but they should think of their position as
students and put at the back of their minds that HIV/AIDS is existing and it
kills. He said as far as the UDP/NRP Coalition is concerned, they do not
want any student to be a victim of Aids.

According to Mr. Bah, when he was a member of the National Assembly, he was
the first member to raise the issue of HIV/AIDS and started sensitizing his
constituency about the dangers of the Disease. He advised the students to be
very careful because they are the future leaders. Mr. Bah said during his
detention at mile two central prisons, he seriously felt the way some
children are being detained. He said that children between the age of 13 to
14 years are being detained at mile two prison period of fifteen years, just
because they are caught with one wrap of cannabis, when according to him, we
have the big wigs with us whose job is to import harmful drugs like cocaine
and heroine for trade and personal use, but they have never been taken
before the law. He therefore advised the students to be mindful of such
things because the Government of the day does not have their interest at
heart.

He finally urged the UDP/NRP militants to form committees throughout the
country because the committees will help the party to be stronger, stating
that nobody should underestimate the 2006 Presidential election which in his
view is going to be history.



*TRIBUTE TO ONE OF AFRICA'S GREATEST ARTISTS AND THINKERS! GAMBIA'S EBOU
MADI SILLAH*

In 1958, I was still a pupil at the Leman Street Infants' School. My class
was to represent the Mohammedan School at the annual Inter-schools Physical
Education Championships. Class 3, my Class, was detained in order to work on
some new exercise routines and work-out drills. We left the School premises
rather late that evening and on my way home with some School friend we
walked along Leman Street heading towards Hill Street. Just after past Leman
and all the way up to the Farage Holdings at Hill Street, there was some
extra-ordinary works of Art on the pavement. They were all lined drawings in
Charcoal. Like all novices, I found the work of Art quite astonishing; it
caused me a fair amount of consternation. I was completely awed. This was
something I could at the time hope to find only in comic books. I started
viewing the Art from the Leman end but one of my school friends who lived in
the neighbourhood-and had had some experience with this Artist's peculiar
order and form of Pavement' Artistry, said to me that in order to make sense
out of the drawings, I ought to start viewing them from the Farage Holdings
and head towards Leman. This way, one could view graphically a whole film of
'Zorro'. I heeded his advice and saw the opening scene where Zorro emerges
from a distance in a rocky landscape riding his horse. He had a mask over
his nose and mouth. All that was visible on his face were his eyes, his
forehead and his Cowboy hat. Well, of course, what is a Cowboy without his
pistol? Zorro had two, one on each side pocket I combed through all the
slabs of the sidewalk and each one of them was a complete screen,
action-packed till the very end. Zorro was the victor and of course, we
identified with him as young boys will. All the way home we kicked and
punched and simulated the Zorro manoeuvres. I asked for the name of the
Pavement Artist and was told that it was Ebou Sillah. The name did not ring
a bell but someone mentioned that he was the brother of 'Debs'-Suleiman
Sillah. It all fell into place as Suleiman himself was already an
accomplished and known Artist in his own right. Debs could even at that
tender age draw the Life-cycle of the Mosquito, the Puff Adder and a house
built out of bricks. This was something that most of us in his class could
not contemplate doing.

In 1960, Abdu Latif Njaay, opened the first Arabic Madrassa in Banjul. The
Pupils came from different age-grades, from diverse backgrounds and quite a
few of us had very distinct personalities. Njaay Saasu, Abdulaay Jaak, Badou
Saar, Goora Nyang, Chuuch Njaay, Marie Ngooda Saar, Mam Yusu Faye,
Chaanador, Baay Ndongo Faal to name but a few.

For some reason both the attrition and the recruitment rates of the Daara
were high. It was only later I figured out why. However, in this constant
state afflux came a new entrant. He was called up in front of the Class to
recite Surratu Yassin. He was clad in a pale yellow "T" shirt and a pair of
grey shorts. The young man stood there and without the slightest hesitation,
without the Koran and without the assistance of a Prompter, recited the
Surra. We were impressed. The comment that the Ustas made after thanking him
was that the young man recited the Surra with a rummy Pulaarr accent. Later
on we gathered that the young man who was around fifteen was a former pupil
of the famous Koranic teacher, Baaba at Musante.

That young man was Ebou Madi Sillah and this was my first meeting with the
Artist in flesh. Since that day, my contact with Ebou remained. Most people
inadvertently call us brothers. This may largely be due to the coincidence
of our surnames. The truth is that Ebou and I are close friends,
notwithstanding the geographical distance that lay between us. I spoke with
both Ebou and his wife Joorr, barely three weeks before his passing. Our
closeness can be attributed to our commonly held convictions of conserving
and defending a set of shared values and principles.

Born in 1946 in Banjul at Orange Street, Ebou grew up in the Street-wise
neighbourhood of Half-Die. He was schooled in Banjul. Later on he went to
the School of Art in Dakar and to the University Of Dakar in Senegal. Ebou
continued his Education in Canada. He returned The Gambia and up until his
demise was a Lecturer in Art at the University of The Gambia. It is not my
intention to go into his career path as others have done so quite ably. What
I intend to do however is to examine the influences that might have impacted
on the mind of this highly educated man who could engage anyone from every
strata of society and discuss subjects as widely different and varied as Art
and Zoology. I want to discuss his work, his outlook on life and his World
view.

The son of a Shipwright, Ebou spent a good deal of his childhood growing up
around the harbour and Port of Banjul. He hails from a proverbial
Senegambian extended family with its attendant ramifications and nuances. A
child of the post war era, born a year after the end of World War 2, Ebou
saw first hand the ravages and excesses of Colonial rule and savoured its
tipple at the Colonial School.

Senghore and Cessaire's Negritude were powerful intellectual pulses beating
in tandem with the agitations of the independence movements, the rise of
African Nationalism, the cries of Uhuru and 'We want Bread and Butter' and
the post-independence African respublica. One could readily glean from the
above that even from an earlier age, Ebou's influences were legion. Some or
all of these factors combined will have had a colossal impact in shaping a
copious and robust mind - Ebou's mind. It is already evident that through
his teachings and his work Ebou has and will continue to leave an indelible
imprint on Senegambian Art education and Senegambian cultural history for
generations yet unborn.

Up until the early and mid sixties, he was known to all as Ebou. Soon after
the Cuban missile crisis, the growth of Black Power, Flower power and the
Student rebellions in France and in England, after he became an avid
subscriber and reader of literature from the far left (Gramma etc), after he
had read all of Nkrumah's works, 'Paabi's works' (Ebou's term) and became
involved in Trade Union activities, most notably, the Bread and Butter
Strike of 1958 and the 1961 Workers Strike, after he had read Fanon, Cheikh
Anta Diop, Debray, Marx and Lenin, Sekou Touray, Malcolm X, Padmore, Du
Bois, James and Richard Wright among other seminal treatises, he became a
total convert to Pan-Africanism. He hungered for Africans to participate in
the modem world. He lamented Africa's 'technological arrest' and hankered
for Africans to break away from this and master machines, excavate the
minerals out of the earth organise themselves, grow strong and become truly
autonomous and self-governing.

Ebou revered and cherished the Pan-Aricanist ideals and lived by them. By
the mid sixties, the name Ebou had become interchangeable with Comrade.
Armed with the gospels of the times, Comrade engaged with every one - young
and old, boys, girls, the poor and powerless alike. Comrade embarked on a
crusade and indulged all who cared to share with him the prevailing
doctrine-'Soxlasi'. Yes! Another one of his terms meaning 'the Struggle',
the big issue at hand, change. Comrade's home was everybody's home. His
meals were shared with the comrades.

These were good times and hopeful times too! Most of the African colonies
had attained constitutional independence. Portugal still held on to her
Colonies. The peoples of Guinea Bissau, Angola, Mozambique embarked on a
bitter and painful Armed Struggle.

The emerging so-called independent African Countries were given an Anthem, a
flag and a Constitution raked-up from Marlboro House or Paris. In other
words, at independence we had inherited a state apparatus reeking of
Colonialism and entirely inimical to the interest of Africa. The
consequences of this were what is now felt today and known as
Neo-Colonialism - a state which was not geared to the development of the
people, but one which coerced and condemned them into accepting an appendage
status.

Lumumba was brutally murdered and with him went the aspirations of the
people of the Congo. It gave imperialism the chance to dig its heels into
the rich mineral resources of that country. "paabi" in Ghana was overthrown
thanks to the British, American, German and Israeli agents. He was lured to
Hanoi to mediate between the Americans and the Vietnamese. He never made it
to Hanoi because the coup happened while he was in China. This Hanoi mission
was very much encouraged. To encourage him to go, the Americans even
promised to stop the bombing of Hanoi to make sure that his plane arrived
safely. The coup took place just 48 hours after he left. The British Prime
Minister, Harold Wilson, was in favour of Nkrumah being assassinated at
Accra airport before he left for Hanoi, just to make sure. The Americans
were against it. They thought it would act against them to make a martyr of
him. They thought it would be sufficient to get him out of the country and
that they then would never hear from him again.

The story repeats itself throughout the African continent. In independent
Africa there have been well over 70 coups. The Western technology of
destruction still decimates Africa.

"Paabi's" book, Neo colonialism, the Last Stage of Imperialism, had a
profound impact on

Comrade's thinking and indeed on that of many of his contemporaries. The
book opposed the workings of monopoly capitalism in Africa. This book so
alarmed and offended the Americans that they suspended all aid to Ghana.

Comrade's thinking now started to veer towards Armed Struggle. This is
understandable viewed against the backdrop of the apathy and the reactionary
nature of the newly independent States and their leadership. An additional
impetus came from the sit-tight white settler States refusing to accept
black majority rule. Dedan Kimathy and his movement, Mau Mau, had
successfully delivered a nasty blow to Kenya's sitting White Oligarchy's
pride and arrogance. Following were a proliferation of armed movements.
FRELIMO, MPLA, ZAND, ZAPU, PAIGC. etc.

I left The Gambia for the best part often years and had little or no contact
with Comrade. During this period, I was caught up with life's trials and
tribulations in Europe and when I got back we were together again as
colleagues at the School of Education at The Gambia College. He had gone to
Dakar and back and had obviously mellowed in many ways though the Lion in
him still roared. He was disillusioned with the struggle. Many of his
erstwhile Comrades became turn-coats, some escaped into religion as a way of
buying their way into positions in the Civil Service; others came unhinged,
some became mad and others went into exile.

Comrade now turned into his Art and a serious study of Political Philosophy.
By now he has become a family man and the demands of daily existence compete
with his other pastimes.

In one of his lucid moments, I caught him doing some work for an NGO and
listening to his Jazz under the shade of the lime tree at his backyard in
Kanifing. I played the devil's advocate by asking, "How could this Art you
are doing engender a positive change in The Gambia?" His reply was prudish
and combative. "Art has the ability of creating and forming bonds with our
social political and economic worlds. "In what way?" probed. "Art in
Africa," he said, "is functional in the sense that when we make a piece of
art, we ensure that it has a direct utilitarian value. We make Masks to
perform some ritual. We share it with one another so that it is not owned by
a rich Collector or connoisseur. We at times carry our art in the way we
dress, the way we plat our hair, our choice of chewing stick and fan we
carry for a specific occasion. And so on... Look all around us" he
continued! "Art is diffused through our lives. Listen to the Fishermen and
Builders and their work songs; watch the suggestive dances; every facet of
our lives is associated with Art and rituals. Even to kill an Animal, we
perform some ritual that connects us with the gods, the ancestors, the life
here and the after-life. Above all the way of performing the ritual itself
is a form of art."

To some, Ebou is an enigma. His detractors in the former Gambian regime saw
him as a loose cannon. This is a label he shares with a few other Gambians
who also refuse to kow-tow to oppression and intimidation and are creating
paradigm shifts in all spheres of existence in a Society that is hugely
conformist and intolerant of difference, not on principled grounds but for
the sake of posturing and for grovelling purposes. One just needs to hold
views that fall outside the realm of mainstream thinking to earn such
derogatory labels. Thankfully, this entrenched bigotry has started to wane
as younger

Gambian people are beginning to challenge such backward and deeply
entrenched views.

A maverick till the very end, Comrade lived by the sweat of his brow and
always had the plight of the poor and powerless in his heart. The last time
we met in my house at Kololi in September together with Gumbo Touray,
Ibrahim Lowe and Lord Sallah, a heated debate sparked off over the role of
the intelligentsia in national development. Ebou's last most profound
statement I recall was 'You guys need a referee and I have appointed
myself," he said wittily, , You are all intellectuals! Your intellectualism
is absolutely meaningless unless it becomes combative and situated within
its proper context and within its appropriate organisational framework so
that it can augur well for change."

 I could carryon endlessly citing a whole raft of Comrade's-anecdotes. I
will not do that.

However, I cannot conclude without making reference to his light-hearted
side. There were indeed many other sides to him and this was one of them.
Comrade had a terrific sense of humour and was very apt at coining the most
colourful metaphors under the sun. I am sure that no one could write a
fitting eulogy without making mention of his jibes.

He would have liked it. on one of my trips 'back home', Comrade's first
comment was

"My Brother, have you come to view the Indian film………Sunyu Gaanyi dungyu
Nit.?"

A combatant till the very last! A luta continua!!

Comrade Ebou, if I could, I know I can,

I will sing you the song of Baninde.

For you have said no to oppression

For you have defied the oppressor through your work and deed.

If I could, I think I can

Praise you for putting back the honour of the meek and the pecked. If I
could,

I think I can,

Thank you for making us see that Art is change

And change is art.

If I could

I think I can

Agree with you that Art lives forever while men and women come and go.

Comrade Ebou, while we put you to rest and bid our farewells, We thank you
again for the wisdom you bequeath to us The knowledge that Art is for ever

And that knowledge is power!

BAABA SILLAH mu SABEL FEBRUARY 2006



*VETERAN JOURNALIST PASSES AWAY*



*By Yaya Dampha*

Momodou Musa Secka a veteran journalist, playwright and actor, was on Monday
morning pronounced dead at the Medical Research Council in Fajara. Borned in
Basse, U.R.D, he was educated at Armitage high school and worked in several
government department before joining Radio Gambia as a Fula announcer. He
served many years at GRTS and became an editor at the Daily Observer in
1993, during which time he attended several media trainings and courses. He
was later appointed Principal Information Officer at The Gambia Daily. He
was also the local correspondent for "New Africa" and "Africa Week"
Magazines in London. He was one of the best dramatists in the country. He
had produced many plays on HIV/AIDS, Malaria prevention, culture and family
life. He served as the Chief Executive Officer at the S and Jobe farm.

Late Momodou Musa was laid to rest at 17.43 p.m on Monday at the Jeswang
cemetry. Many of his colleagues, relatives and fans attended the burial.

He is survived by three wives and children.



*INFERNO RAVAGES ANOTHER APARTMENT BUILDING*



*By Lamin Fatty*

An Apartment building in Latrikunda German near the Kotu Bridge was on
Wednesday, 16th of March, burnt to ashes. It is purported that the accident
was caused by a candle.  According to Jali Moro Susso, the land lord and the
victim of the fire accident, he could not actually tell the cause of the
fire as he was said to be sleeping at the time of the fire.  According to
him, he suspects one of his daughters who was looking for her shoes with a
candle that was in flames, to be able to go to school, might have caused the
fire accident.

Mr. Susso told our reporter that he woke up from sleep, after realizing that
there was smoke all aver the house. He said he hurriedly called the
attention of the neighbours for help.  But he said 30 minutes after putting
off the fire, he realized that the wardrobe was blazing and it eventually
ravaged all the clothe.  The desperately looking victim said he cannot
actually quantify the amount that they lost from the accident, but he said
he lost a box bed, a mattress, a bag of rice, a carpet, wardrobe, cash of
D700.00, a Holy Quran and lots of other valuable items including official
documents and an oral history book which, he was writing.  Fatou Kanuteh,
the wife of Mr. Susso, told our reporter that she was out at the time of the
fire, but when she arrived, she could not believe what she saw because of
the fact that she lost almost everything in the house.  According to Fatou,
their neighbours must be commended for their efforts in trying to put off
the fire. She said it would have been terrible if their neighbours fail to
interfere.  Anybody who wants to help can contact Mr. Moro Susso on mobile:
9939896 or Foroyaa Newspaper:  Tel:  4393177.

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