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Articles by Hassoum Ceesay
O.C. Bunhatab Jallow: Founder member of the PPP Youth Wing, youth activist, diplomat and socialite, 1934-2026.
O.C. Jallow, aka Chair, who tragically died on January 31st, a few days before his 92nd birthday, was a pioneer youth activist who assisted in the forming of the Peoples’ Progressive Party(PPP), and was a close confidante to the PPP leaders, especially Sheriff Sisay(1935-1989), first Finance Minister of The Gambia. In the 1970s, he worked as Protocol Officer at The Gambian High Commission in London, a post he held with high esteem, and decorum wining him respect from all who interacted with him.
Tribute: Mbye Cham(1947-2025),Professor at Howard University, and Film Maker dies, at 78
My good friend and scholarly mentor B. Mbye Cham, Distinguished Professor of African Literature and Film at the respected Historically Black University of Howard, USA, has died at 78. He was a pioneer Gambian scholar and Tenured Professor, in the same league with the late Professor Sulayman Nyang(Howard) and Lamin Sanneh(Yale).
Commentary: Gambia marks 60 years of independence from British rule - The glass is half full!
In 2024 The Gambia hosted the Organization of Islamic Conference Summit. His Excellency President Barrow is the current Chair of this large international organization.
Alhaji M.C Cham (1938-): The only man standing from Marlborough House, 1964
He went as part of the United Party delegation with others like P.S Njie, K.W. Foon, I.A.S. Burang John. The PPP, which was in power had a strong delegation led by Sir Dawda Jawara, then Prime Minister and assisted by S.S. Sisay, Kalilou Singhateh, Henry Madi, Amang Kanyi, A.B. Njie, Famara Wass Touray, S.M. Dibba, Omar Mbacke; while J.C. Faye was there as High Commissioner of The Gambia to the UK. I.M. Garba Jahumpa represented The Gambia Muslim Congress.
Alhaji Kalilu Singhateh 1934-2025: Politician, Minister, Who Attended The Gambia Independence Conference Talks At Marlborough House, Dies At 90 - The Standard Newspaper | Gambia
By Hassoum Ceesay Alhaji Kalilu’ Singhateh, who died in Banjul, Sunday, 19th Instant, at the age of 90 came from a chiefly family in Badibu, and worked his way from an Audit Clerk into nationalist politics, Cabinet and international duties at UNESCO. Alhaji Kalilu Singhateh attended Armitage School, Georgetown, and worked at the Audit Department, Bathurst, until 1962 when he contested the Lower Badibu Constituency seat under the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) ticket.
Tribute: Alhaji Kalilu Singhateh 1934-2025: Pioneer PPP Politician, Minister, Who Attended the Gambia Independence Conference Talks At Marlborough House, Dies at 90 - The Point
Alhaji Kalilu Singhateh attended Armitage School, Georgetown, and worked at the Audit Department, Bathurst, until 1962 when he contested the Lower Badibu Constituency seat under the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) ticket. He was among the youthful Mandinka Civil Servants who helped to create the PPP in 1959, and turned it into a national political movement embracing all regions, religions and peoples despite it myopic roots.
Tribute : Ngaing Thomas (1942-2024): Gambian Editor and Journalist
He was in the same generation of accomplished Gambian newspapermen like Pierre Sock (1940-1989); Jongkunda Daffeh (disappeared 2021); Sanna Tix Manneh (1943-2009) who combined good writing with perceptive of ideology. What their presses lacked in basic resources, they made up for adequately in the panache to fix an unyielding gaze on the PPP regime which they covered for three decades and more.
Tribute: Alhaji Malick Jeng (1955-2024) broadcaster, journalist and presidential press officer
Although he never spoke about this experience in public, as he believed he was still bound by the Civil Service oath of secrecy, he must have seen all the intrigues of the last minutes of the PPP regime, and the first wobbly steps of the AFRPC Junta that ruled this country from July 1994 to September 1996. He was Jawara’s Press Officer from May 1993 to the end of his rule. Alhaji Malick replaced Jay Saidy (1936-2001), the first substantive holder of ‘Press Officer, State House’ from 1982 to 1993.
Tribute : Alhaji Malick (Sam Jones) broadcaster, DJ and media administrator (1956-2024)
Anyone who knew him, did so because of his beautiful voice which was a regular diet on Gambian airwaves for 45 years. In the later years of his career, he made his international breakthrough with stints as commentator for the BBC at the South Africa World Cup in 2010, and in the Qatar World Cup in 2022. But this international flourish was earned the very hard way here in The Gambia.
Bicentenary commemoration of Janjangbureh
Why were the British interested in buying this piece of insular real estate in the middle of River Gambia? First, the British wanted a hub for their trading and mercantile interests along the River Gambia where they have been present since the Elizabethan period of the 1500s through the Royal African Company. The British wanted a solid base on the River from where their firms could be secured from hostile competition by French traders and attacks from local chiefs.
Western lockdowns still torment Africa Original
Nearly three months after the World Health Organization declared that Covid-19 was no longer a global health emergency, the repercussions of Africa’s policy response to the pandemic are yet to subside. Quite the opposite: as a result of its response to a contagion that had a relatively low impact on African mortality, the continent now faces a decade or more of austerity. To understand what this will mean, look no further than the smallest country on the mainland.
Tribute : Lady Fatou Sanyang-Singhateh, CRG, aka Fanta Basse (1929-2023): First Gambian First Lady
Lady Fanta Singhateh was born on 13 July 1929 at Georgetown, got married in 1945, performed the hajj in 1964, and widowed in 1977. As the wife of Governor General Alhaji Sir Farimang Singhateh, Lady Fanta was the first Gambian First Lady. She is remembered for using her exalted position to help improve the lives of the poor, especially children and women.
Gambia: Literary Column - Cherno Omar Barry, a Brief History of Education in the Gambia, Iou Press, 2022, 118 Pages
The book is divided into nine short but concise chapters which discuss comprehensively the story of Western education in The Gambia from the 1820s to the more modern period. In chapter one, Introduction, the author discusses the religious and political and social context in which Western education thrived in the country. The British colonial structure of indirect Rule where you had the Colony and Protectorate influenced the spread of Western education.
Gambia: The 'Fulcrum, Humankind's Retreat From the Brink of Peril' By Alpha A. Jallow. Baobab 2021
This book is a philosophical musing on what the world is and what the world should be and could be. It paints a correct picture of the painful state of the world, and also an idyllic picture of what it could be if we do the right things and ensure that justice prevails.
(T)homas (G)regory (G)eorge Senghore, J.P. (1936-2021): Gambian Civil Servant, Governor Of Central Bank Of The Gambia And A Staunch Catholic – The Standard Newspaper
By Hassoum Ceesay I have lost a good uncle and friend of mine last weekend, when Mr. T.G.G Senghore, a pioneer Gambian Civil Servant, third Governor of the Central Bank of The Gambia and a staunch Catholic, died at the age of 83. He has been ill for some time, in fact since the demise of his loving wife a few years ago. He was one of the first Gambian Divisional Commissioners after Independence. He spent two years at Georgetown as Commissioner of Maccarthy Island Division.
Tribute To A Fallen Daughter Of Africa: Clarrie Mendy 1959-2020: Gambian-British Pan-Africanist, Anti-slavery Activist And Promoter Of The Gambia Roots International Festival - The Fatu Network
By Hassoum Ceesay, National Centre for Arts and Culture The demise last Saturday of Ms. Clarrie Mendy, a Gambian-British woman of substance has robbed us of a great daughter of unbridled passion for her fatherland and social justice and Diaspora-motherland connection. Clarrie became associated with the Roots Homecoming Festival, later re-branded Roots International Festival, from its inception in 1996 to the latest edition held in 2016.
Pa Sanyang Aka Stone Man (1957-2020) – The Standard Newspaper
By Hassoum Ceesay, NCAC Pa Sanyang aka Stoneman who died last week aged 63 was a long serving staff of the NCAC of 18 years service. He worked as Site Attendant at Wassu Stone Circles site from 2001 to 2019 when he retired. During this period, he won fame for his very wonderful and sometimes fantastic interpretation of the megaliths. Many visitors found his interpretation very interesting and would return to Wassu site just to hear him again repeat his interpretation of the sites.
Alhaji Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara (1924 2019), FRCVS: the Scientist-president – The Standard Newspaper
By Hassoum Ceesay introduction One year since his demise, Gambians continue to pay homage to our elected Founding Father, as a democrat and champion of human rights and Gambians’ physical dignity.
Gambia: Tribute - Mother of Library in the Gambia Gone
Sally P.C. Njie (1932-2020) (The Gambia's first librarian; pioneer chief librarian of The Gambia National Library) Aunty Sally P.C. Njie died this week at the ripe age of 88. She was the pioneer staff of The Gambia National Library when it was founded in 1963, a few months after the closure of the British Council in Bathurst. Hitherto, the British Council Library served as the only reference and lending library facility in the country.
Gambia: History Corner - 'I Fear Being Managed Out and Eliminated and My Opinions Suppressed': E.f Small, Gambian Patriot
Yesterday, I spent a few hours at the archives and I was intrigued by a small article tucked away on page 2 of a 1958 copy of The Gambia Echo on a very momentous event in Gambian media history been a reported encounter between our foremost patriot, First Gambian Elected Member, and crusading journalist, Mr. E.F Small, OBE(1890-1958), and The Gambian's first millionaire Sarkis Madi, died 1962.
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