Culled from the Independent Newspaper
When Yahya Jammeh and co. forcefully took over the reins of power they
announced a four-year transition period, which was, of course greeted with
disapproval by a cross section of the Gambian populace. A national
consultative committee was inaugurated and at the end of its findings,
presented a two-year time-table to the AFPRC Regime. The rest is history.
One man who has been behind the historic committee is Dr. Lenrie Peters an
experienced surgeon and the author of three books (The Second Round,
Katchikali, Satellites).
Born in Bathurst (now Banjul) in the early thirties, Dr. Peters attended
Prince of Wales School in Freetown before leaving for England in 1952 where
he specialised in natural sciences at Trinity College, Cambridge. He became
President of the African Students Union (ASU) during an era when he was
interested in politics and creative writing. After his graduation, Dr.
Peters worked with various hospitals in Britain.
However, he knew it is home that he would be needed more.
As a man without children Lenrie divorced over three decades ago. Dr. Peters
in this issue of portrait talks about his appointment as NCC Chairman, the
April 10 tragedy and his somewhat spine-chilling last wish.
What do you think caused your appointment as chairman of the National
Consultative Committee?
Well I don't really know whether it was the head of state who appointed me
or whether it was the people around him at that time. Fafa Mbye and others.
I think the idea came from them to set up a committee to justify the demands
for four years.
What do you think would have happened if the head of state had not
recognised the final report of the NCC?
Well, we were very concerned at the time because we didn't know what the
international community was prepared to do. While I was NCC chairman I
remember the American Ambassador Andrew Winter telling me that the State
Department had just given them six months to leave. He had to calm them down
to give us time to talk to them (the junta). Nobody knew what would have
happened.
How true was the rumour that ex-APRC vice chairman Sana Sabally was not
pleased with your report and that your name was on his hit-list?
Well this is what I heard afterwards. The American Ambassador jokingly told
me we were in good company because his name was also on the list, I haven't
seen the list so I cannot say anything further on that.
What is the most interesting thing about surgery?
The most interesting thing is that you are able to help people immediately.
Surgery also requires action. You have to be in action and know what is
happening. If you can do something, do it quickly to help the patient. If he
is beyond your capacity, well accept it.
Were you determined to be a doctor?
Ah. strangely enough when I was a young man there were only two professions
that were acceptable. One was Medicine, the other was Law. People used to
say I would be a doctor and I sort of inherited that concept.
You're a published author mostly on poetry. Is it in your plans to write
your own autobiography?
Not my autobiography. I'm working on another novel. I remember when I
published my first novel, The Second Round, I was interested in an
autobiography but I thought then I was too young. These were the days when
singers and others were writing their own biographies but I was not
interested in writing mine.
But would you reckon the idea of another person writing your biography?
Yes. In fact, there is a professor from Senegal who's been wanting to write
a biography on me. At the moment he is busy at The Gambia University. We
never sat down to talk but he is very keen to write my biography.
What motivation was behind The Second Round?
I had published some poetry and I was very interested in creative writing
and I thought that the novel in Africa did not come to the kind of level and
use of language I thought about. In fact, The Second Round was an
experimental novel on many levels, which I can't talk about now.
You wrote a poem entitled "I was there" in which you mentioned the April 10
student massacres. Were you really there?
Of course I was at West Field. The work of the day was halted by the
tragedy, taking place outside and it is really a calamity that this happened
in The Gambia.
What should government do to avoid such carnage in the future?
Good governance is the way out. The kind of government we have is
authoritarian. It doesn't talk to people, doesn't listen to them. This sort
of attitude is not going to get us anywhere.
You dedicated your novel The Second Round to Rosemary. Who is she?
She was my first wife and we divorced after two years of marriage.
Was she English?
Yes. In those days, I was an opera singer and she was the pianist and that
got us together.
When and why did you develop this concept of living a Godless life?
If I remember rightly myself and a boy were walking along and meeting Bishop
Dailly, head of the Anglican diocese. The boy said Lord Bishop Dailly, head
of the Anglican diocese, good morning or good evening. The bishop stopped us
and said "you boys, your father said sir to me and you haven't said sir".
For the first time, I began to think what is this religion about when these
people who preach piety and humility can turn round an accuse us of not
saying sir. This was the beginning and then when you read more about
mankind, science and the nations, you realise that there is no
justification. In fact, no one can justify the existence of God. If you
cannot tell me why God exists, then I cannot tell you why I don't believe.
What do you want society to remember you for?
Well if they remember me at all it's just that I try to do the best things
to help the people of The Gambia and to leave the world a better place than
I found it.
Do you ever regret not having a child, say a son, to carry on your name?
Not at all. I think biology is such a science so complex that your offspring
go in different directions. You don't have to have a child by your name to
be remembered. I have not had any children but I have helped lots of
children to pursue their careers in school and so on. And I'm very happy
about that.
If you go the way all mortals go, how would you like to be laid to rest?
Actually I would like to be cremated and my ashes spread around my garden.
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