Good morning Nandi. It's good to see you again. Please tell our readers how we first met.

"Hello Aruna, yes I'm glad to see you again too. We first met at Pa Pratt's Methodist Boys High School in Sierraleone. We kept in touch since then as I gained admission to Cambridge, Mass. where I met a friend of yours Mike Malinovsky. You and I met once again in Tunis in '92 where you worked as an engineer consultant for the Texas Oil Company which later became Texaco and Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO). I was with Sweden's Telefunken at the time establishing a phone network for Trabulus - Libya. And here we are again in Valetta, Malta."

Nandi, where are you from?

"I was born in Nigeria, Anambra State."

Are you on business here or pleasure?

"I am here with your old friend Mohannas of Jordan on a subregional telecommunications conference."

Ahlan yaa wuld ammi, keif al haalak ya Mohannas?

 "Hamdullah, Yaa akhi. Keif'k int?"

Hamdullah. Nandi, your work seems to require a lot of travel, doesn't it?

"Yes Aruna. That is the essence of my work; Telecommunications. We have to utilize our expertise to bring people closer together and to enable more efficient commerce. I earn my living that way too."

 So you must have a pass-port? and before I take a look at it, tell us what your view is on Pass-ports.

"Well, a Pass-port is just a documentary witness to your birthplace and identity. It evolved from the old certificates and out of standardization by the International Civil Aviation Agency (ICAO). It helps catalog the movement of people and assists interpol in combatting international crime. So all member countries subscribe to the standards of ICAO so that travel becomes streamlined with security in mind."

Nandi, is your Pass-port from Nigeria?

"No. It is a Gambian Pass-port from Qatar."

May I have a look? It looks new and cheap. Have you ever been to Gambia? How did you obtain it, if I may ask?

"The Pass-port is the most recent from Gambia that conforms to ICAO standards. I have never been to Gambia. I have a Nigerian friend who was born in Gambia. He told me about it after I explined to him the problems we encounter at airports and seaports with Nigerian Pass-ports. It is common knowledge now that you can purchase a Gambian Pass-port for a few Naira. A friend of mine handled the transaction for me and he mailed it to me."

So you did not have to be present to obtain a Gambian Pass-port. I see it has a visa issued on it by the Spanish embassy in Tunisia. Do you find it useful for your purposes?

"It was useful for a while, but like Nigeria, it engenders suspicion now at some of the airports I visit. I see Gambians now cordoned off to the side by security agents just like Nigerians used to be delayed. A feel soory for dem oh!"

So do you still use it?

As a matter of fact, my Naturalization application has been approved by the Maltese government. It was handled through my company. I am supposed to pick it up before I head back to Tripoli on Sunday. I will frame this Gambian Pass-port as a momento.

It is amazing that you can purchase a Gambian Pass-port and have it mailed to you without your identity verified. I see Mohannas has a similar Gambian Pass-port.

"Eh eh, Aruna. You speak as if you are not from Gambia. I can get you a Gambian Pass-port tomorrow if you want it."

No thank you. you have just told me Gambian Pass-ports are losing their value the way Nigerian Pass-ports did.

"You know the military governments in Nigeria have used Pass-ports to restrict the movement of their opponents and reward their supporters. The diplomatic ones are used among their ranks to facilitate crime and assasinations without search at the airports. But even Nigerian diplomatic Pass-ports are worth less than the paper they are printed on. Our diplomats narrate horrendous stories of harrassment and delay."

Did the military governments use to impound Pass-ports of opponents?

"Eh eh, Aruna! who is teaching the military government of Gambia these tricks? We have experience with military governments and we will help small Gambia become like Nigeria." Gambia will know no peace. No military government has really voluntarily stepped down. The ones that did, replaced themselves with their Yes men with the threat of coup always hanging over their heads."

Thank you Nandi. God bless. Maa A Salaam yaa Mohannas!

God bless you Aruna. Maa A Salaam brazar. See you again soon.