Coach,
You were about to get into something very demanding here, and I was looking forward to it with keen interest. It is unfortunate though that you`ve decided to abandon it. I respect your decision. It seems you have a lot of valuable material regarding this issue, and it would really have been useful to many I guess. You`ve posed pertinent and complex questions in your respond to Saiks, and may be you might want to share the answers with some of us who are`nt gonna be lucky to come to London. If you had taken-off with this issue it was going to be educative and I bet there`ll be some who would come out to say, "boy, you`ve made my day". A Kenyan friend of mine who knows Mazrui was looking forward to get a copy of your article. It`s like when Hamjatta and Saul got into a debate with Halifa, some frowned and others admitted that they`ve learnt a great deal. It`s always going to be like this; people having different opinions, but that should not stop anybody from airing his/her views. Well, since you`ve already made up your mind, there is nothing more but to respect your decision. I might want to get in touch with Saiks for those copies of those references if that is ok.
Something seems to be up between "Spice Boy" Beckham and Fergusson. What`s it all about? How about the rumour that Tothenham might want to buy him(Beckham)? He was not very impressive in yesterday`s encounter against Argentine. Fergusson is playing with fire to want to loose Beckham. Maybe you should "buy" him for Arsenal. I would have loved to see him at Chelsea. And isn`t Weah already feeling home at Chelsea? Is BabaYaro back? Can you throw some light on these? You know you always make my day on this one.
Cheer up, Cheer up Coach.
Regards,
Omar.
Fra: ebrima ceesay <[log in to unmask]>
Til: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Dato: 24. februar 2000 19:54
Emne: Re: [Re: [On Wole Soyinkas Religion]]
>Brother Saiks:
>
>I hope you are now okay! Long time no see! Anyway, with regard to Wole
>Soyinka, I have come to the conclusion that each one of us is entitled to
>his or her opinion about him, and perhaps we should just leave it at that.
>
>Within the last two hour or so, I have contacted, by phone, activists and
>some professors in the UK who know him (Wole) in person, and really the
>opinion has been divided, or in other words, it is a mixed one.
>
>Some spoke favourably about him, while others did not. Some refer to him as
>a "progressive person", while other call him a "proud Yoruba man who is
>pro-Southerners in relation to Nigeria politics."
>
>I was given references of scholarly works very critical of him, but equally,
>I was told about references of works in favour of him.
>
>One agreed with me and said: "Wole Soyinka definitely has a pro Yoruba or
>pro South bias. In fact, he has said before that it was about time a
>Southerner also governed Nigeria. He said Nigeria is not just owned by the
>Northerners (who are mainly the Hausas)"....
>
>For your information, most of those who ruled Nigeria from Independence to
>now, have been Northerners (the Hausa Fulanis), who are from the Northern
>part of Nigeria. However, the present day leader, Obasanjo, is a Yoruba; and
>the Yorubas mainly live or come from the South. Saiks, Nigerian politics,
>really, is interesting but a very complex one: some times very, very diffult
>to understand!! Next time you are in London, we'll continue the discussions.
>
>Another one says to me: "Soyinka is very proud, but an honest person. He is
>both genuine and progressive. And he has always fought against repression in
>Nigeria and elsewhere"....
>
>So, saiks, really, with regard to Soyinka, I think the best thing is that
>each one of us should be entitled to his or her opinion about him. Like I
>said before to brother Latjorr, you believe what you believe and I believe
>what I believe. Frankly, for me, I have already made up my mind about him.
>
>All the same, if you are interested in the references I mentioned earlier
>on, I can give them to Ndey for you. In fact, Muhammed Faal, has the
>references of works critical of him (Wole). So I can ask him to give them to
>Ndey directly for you.
>
>There are also references of works in his favour, which I can send to Ndey
>once I've received them by post some time next week.
>
>I must take the opportunity to say that I am very sad, or down, right now,
>because one of these professors I contacted, who has written a lot - very
>impressively - on the Gambia, had this say to me, when I called him....
>"Ebrima, I have a very bad news for you and my Gambian friends. I have been
>diagnosed with a neck cancer; and, unfortunately, it is a malignant one."
>
>"I am very open about it and please feel free to tell people about it.
>Sadly, it is a malignant cancer, not a benign one, and that is why I am
>already losing my speech; by the way, I hope you can hear me a little bit",
>he added.
>
>Yes, two doyens of Gambian studies are leaving the scene. One has retired
>recently, and now the other one who was supposed to continue holding the
>forth, is diagnosed with a malignant cancer of the neck.
>
>It is really a sad day for me! I'll be paying tribute to these two men by
>sharing/reviewing on the L, some of their great piece of works on the Gambia
>from 1966 to now, and we shall give them credit where they deserve it and
>take issue with their interpretation/analyses if we have good grounds to do
>so.
>
>Dr Saine, be ready to take over the mantle from these two good people
>(laugh). Actually, you have already taken over the mantle from the two and
>you too are doing a good job on the Gambia.
>
>Ebrima
>
>PS: Latjorr, my sincere apologies to you if you feel offended by my last
>posting. You are a good guy, and I know you mean well. Saiks, equally, is a
>great guy and I know that both of you mean well. Some times communication
>via the internet, as said by Halifa some time ago, could be difficult. I
>have great respects for the two of you and do keep up the good work you are
>doing!!
>
>Latjorr: Let me in fact bring some fun into it! Do you remember when you
>came from Banjul, to play for SAF football club in the serekunda West
>Nawettan? This was when Edu brought you and Gerry I believe, from Banjul, to
>play for SAF FC in those days. But in the end, you were disqualified from
>playing in the Nawettan, because you had lived in Banjul and not Serekunda
>at the time.
>
>Actually, I never mention this to you, but I remember you very well. Edu
>mother's in Senegal used to live in Sicap Amities trois, or Sicap Baobao in
>Dakar, and I used to visit the family regularly, in the mid to the late 80s.
>
>And the last time I visited them, this time in the 90s, your sister I
>believe, the bilingual secretary who was working for the OMVG in Dakar, was
>in fact living there at the time. Just thought I should mention this to you!
>
>______________________________________________________
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