Kejau, Indeed, Alhajie Musa was a very kind gentleman. I was a neighbour at Latrikunda. I benefited many a time from his generosity. Anyone who falls ill in the neighbourhood runs to his house for help. Lamin Marenah (Customs Officer) his eldest son is a great brother. My condolences to Fatou, Yama, Tida, Lisa and Che. May his Soul Rest in Perfect Peace. A really befitting tribute to great genuine gentleman and philanthropist. Best regards, Mboge On Sat, Jul 9, 2011 at 11:04 AM, Kejau Touray <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Thanks Haruna, > > May Baa Alagie's soul rest in peace. He indeed was a gentleman, visionary, > and a philanthropist. My condolences to Ley, aunties Fatou, Yama, Tida, > uncles Lamin and Cherno and the entire Marenah, Sisay and Touray families. I > hope we live up to his lofty ideals and help keep his legacy alive. > > Thank you Ousman for such a befitting tribute to a very soft spoken and > gentle great uncle and grandfather to some of us. Till we meet again, > grandpa, rest in peace. > > Kejau. > > > > ------------------------------ > Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2011 21:36:39 -0400 > From: [log in to unmask] > Subject: [G_L] Obituary: Alh. Musa Marenah. Courtesy - Maafanta.com > To: [log in to unmask] > > > I join Ousman Jammeh to share my condolences on the passing of one of > Gambia's illustrious citizens. With children like Ousman and siblings, I am > comforted that Alh. Musa Marenah is in peaceful repose having done his > utmost to prepare and nurture the family. Alhamdu Lillaah. > > Haruna. > > *Tribute to **Alhaji Musa Marenah **(A True Gentleman) * > > It is with a heavy heart and a deep sense of loss that I write this tribute > to Alhaji Musa F. Marenah of Latrikunda German, > The Gambia. Alhaji Musa Marenah departed this world on Sunday 26 June 2011, > at his residence. If, indeed, there is > anything certain about mortality, it is death. However, the transition from > mortality often marked as a dramatic and sad > moment in the lives of many. This transition has the added effect of > leaving deep, if not, an indelible and lasting > emotional scar, which only prayers, fortitude and faith mitigates with the > passage of time. > > Alhaji Musa F. Marenah, more commonly known as Baa and still to some as > Niaminanko, in the family circles, was born > in the year 1937, and was until his demise the patriarch of the > Marenah-Kunda clan of Kudang, in the Central River > Division of the Gambia, a village, whose people are known and respected for > their passion for knowledge and success > in all human pursuits. He was born to Afang Foday Marenah (an Islamic > scholar) and Tida Touray. He was an > accomplished family man, a virtuous servant of Allah, a trusted mentor, a > dependable friend and counsellor, and above > all, a mundane healer. Beyond his healthcare professional call where he > rendered dedicated public service with rare > distinction for more than fifty years to The Gambia, he was a philanthropic > at heart. Indeed, there is hardly any major > public health post where he did not serve our country from Fatoto to > Banjul. He was the first National Co-ordinator of the > National Primary Health Care Programme (PHC) where he worked with the > former Director of Medical Services and his > friend, Dr Hatib Njie, Dentist George, Dr Abdoulie Jack and Dr. Kabir Cham. > During these years, he attended numerous > trainings and conferences in several countries including the Liverpool > School of Tropical Medicine - UK, University of > Carlifornia, Santa Cruz, U.S.A, the University of Zagreb, former > Yugloslavia, Training Centre for Health Services > Personnel, Nigeria, Togo, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, Nazareth, Ethopia, > etc. He then took voluntary retirement from > The Gambian civil service and joined the WHO national office in Banjul > where he worked for five years with people like > Dr Ulric Jones who remained a close friend and personal doctor until his > death. In addition, he served as Vice-Chairman > of the Scholarship Advisory Board, a member of the Hospital Management > Board and later PRO of the RVH. > > Although, a native of Kudang, he received his early\primary education in > Bansang under the guardianship of Alhagi > Karamo Tambajang (father of the first Immigration Director, I J K > Tambajang), having been sent to school by his elder > brother and the great educator, Pa Landing Marenah. He started his Islamic > education under the tutelage of his father > as well as the late Imam of Kudang and his brother, Afang Karim Marenah. He > also attended the Darra of the late Imam > of Bansang, the Venerable Alhaji Bubacarr Jallow. He then proceeded to > Armitage High School in Georgetown, > (Janjangbureh) where he established several lifelong and dedicated > friendships and acquaintances. Some of his close > friends still around include Momodou F Singhateh, Baba Touray (Snr) Dr. > Sheriff Ceesay, Sulayman Touray, Baboucarr > E. Ngum (RTVH PRO), Dr Bakary Nyambi Touray, Kalilu Sawo, Alhaji Junkung > Ceesay and Kabba Jallow (former MD of > GPMB). Others are Kekoto Manneh, I J K Tambajang, Janko Ceesay, Jay Saidy, > M I Jallow, Seyfo Kebba Jammeh, > Sheriff M Dibba, Chamsu Coker, Alhaji Kebba Sanneh, Baba Touray (Jnr), Tose > Kinteh, Amadou Jallow, Lamin Bora > Mboge and Sheriff Saikouba Sisay (all of blessed memory). Beyond these, he > also maintained very close relations with > great Islamic scholars like Alhaji Bamfa Jabbi, Alhaji Cherno Baba Jallow > (after whom he named his last child), Sheriff > Habib Hydara, Sheriff Kebba Koyo Hydara, Sheriff Malaine Hydara and Sheriff > Kebba Hydara (of Brufut). All those > associated with him would attest to very rare qualities which characterised > his persona, among which were his devotion > to family, compassion, humility and the desire to share his modest > resources with the less fortunate, be it his kinsmen, > neighbours or friends. His compound in Latrikunda German was almost always > a beehive of extended family activities > ranging from meetings for planning naming ceremonies, the annual Kudang > Gamo, weddings and even negotiations for > the resuscitation of troubled or broken down marriages. > > Indeed, his eventful life was characteristically unassuming, discrete, > sympathetic and devoid of sensation and publicity. > These traits are further manifestations of the depth of his faith in caring > and sharing with the less fortunate based on his > conviction that Allah rewards our good deeds beyond the worldly > expectations of financial gain or gratitude. Equally > important was his contribution to the Latrikunda community where he spent > valuable time in retirement as a caring elder > and community leader who is always concerned with welfare of his fellow > beings until his last moments on earth. Even in > his retirement from public service, he still ran a pharmacy in his > neighbourhood where he sold as much medicine as he > dished out free of charge to the poor and needy. Indeed his demise is as > much a loss to his family as to the whole > community. > > Alhaji Musa was a true nationalist. His mastery of the Queen’s language was > just admirable, he was articulate and spoke > impeccable english. He spoke as fluent fula, wollof, aku/creole and > sarahule as his native mandinka and out of his > numerous namesakes countrywide, he could count peoples of all tribes in The > Gambia. > > His love for family also led Baa to discover his maternal relatives (two > uncles and an aunt) in Rufisque, Senegal which > has led to a family reunion culminating in the latter’s families regular > attendance at the annual Kudang Gamo and bi- > annual cultural festival (Munku Tuwoo). > > As a father, I cannot fail to acknowledge the success with which he raised > several children including nephews like > Tumani, Sana, Baba, Karamba etc, nieces and grand children, the majority of > who are university and college graduates > and who are now wives, mothers and fathers in their own rights. Most > particularly, he will be fondly remembered for his > unconditional love and passion for his children. However, he had been an > untiring and ever present shepherd over the > immediate and extended family till death beckoned. For those who benefitted > from his gratuitous counsel and support, > we can only pray for Allah’s mercy on his gentle soul. For the many lives > that he has touched with his congenial humility > and compassion, we must all take comfort and solace in the rare show of > respect by thousands of people and record > crowd from our shared humanity who graced his death in equal measure, if > not, more than in his natural life. > > As we conclude this tribute, we must single out our dear mother *Ajaratou > Fatoumatta Laibo Ceesay, (fondly called > Ley),* for being the dedicated mother and pillar of the Alhaji Musa > Marenah household. She was indeed the pillar which > saw the family through joy, sorrow and tribulations with perseverance and > much resilience. We pray for her longer life, > good health and strength to bear this irredeemable loss. It is human to > grief, but more importantly, our faith enjoins us to > moderate our grief with reflection on our own mortality, so that we may be > reminded of our vulnerability to the ultimate > call from which no living soul shall be spared. > * > I speak for myself as one of Alhaji Musa’s sons-in-law, but I am equally > competent to speak for others > notably Kawsu Suwareh of Texas, USA, Dr. Alhaji Marong of UNAMA, Kabul and > Lamin Drammeh of AFBD, > Dakar, Senegal, that Alhaji Musa was more than a father-in-law. His love > and concern for us all and our > families was unparalleled, and we can only pray for his eternal peace.* > > *To Lamin, Cherno Baba, sisters Fatou, Mariama (Yama), Tida, and Lisa*,and indeed all the Marenah family, > we pray that you continue to bear his absence with resilience and > fortitude, but rest assured that Baa, has set the bar > far higher than any of us can ever hope to reach let alone surpass. Yet, we > must all endeavour to aspire to keep his > ideal and legacy of making this world a better place than we found it. > > Baa, rest well till we meet. > > *INNA LILLAHI, WA-INNA ILAYHI RAJI-OON > Ousman Jammeh > UNICTR, Arusha > Tanzania > * > > > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To > unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web > interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search > in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the > List Management, please send an e-mail to: > [log in to unmask]¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To > unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web > interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html > > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the > List Management, please send an e-mail to: > [log in to unmask]¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤