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Gambia’s iconic Speaker, Sir Alieu S. Jack, dies
By Ebrima G. Sankareh, Editor In-Chief
The death has been announced of The Gambia’s veteran politician and former Speaker of Parliament, Sir Alieu Sulayman Jack. The former House Speaker died early Tuesday morning at about 9:00am at his Churchill’s town residence in the heart of Serekunda, the largest town in the mini-West African state.
House Speaker, Sir Alieu Sulayman Jack dies at 88
The towering figure and prominent Banjul politician was among a coterie of pioneer politicians to be knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and was born in colonial Bathurst on November 24th 1924. Soon after completing his formal education, he quickly joined the colonial bureaucracy and for many years served on the Bathurst City Council where he honed his skills in readiness for the herculean tasks that political independence were to yield.
Ex-House Speaker, Sir Alieu S. Jack dies at 88
In the first decade of The Gambia’s independence from Britain, Sir Alieu Sulayman Jack was appointed to Sir Dawda’s Cabinet as Minister of Works and Communications in the late 1970s during which time he negotiated with Libyan Minister of Food Affairs & Marine Wealth, Omar Ahmed Mughsi, the initial US250, 000.00 fund for The Gambia Libya Public Transport Corporation later renamed GPTC. Sir Alieu also negotiated for an additional US30, 000.00 for the construction of a mosque and the Brikama Arab Islamic School. He is the founder of The Gambia Ports Authoriy and the defunct Gambia Untilities Corporation. He later rose to the coveted position of House Speaker and for many years he was among the literati of Gambian politics.
On the wake of the failed bloody coup of July 30, 1981 led by Kukoi Samba Sanyang, The Republics of Senegal and The Gambia entered into a confederation and Sir Alieu Sulayman Jack was to preside over the new Senegambia Confederation decreed at Kaur as Confederal Speaker of Parliament with enormous political gravitas. He was to leave office shortly thereafter and since then, Sir Alieu as he was affectionately called, retired effectively from active partisan politics.
A highly religious gentleman and much-respected politician, he will be remembered by many as an icon among the first generation of Gambian political rabble-rousers, a political rara avis in his own right; one that definitely sparks nostalgic feelings of the memorable days of Sir Dawda’s mature and dignified politics with its fascinating Parliamentary decorum. Today, every facet of that noble institution has been eroded and what remains of Gambia’s Parliament does not even measure to simulacra of ethical standards.
Survived by his wife, several children, grand children and great grand children, Sir Alieu Sulayman Jack was laid to rest at the Jeswang cemetery. May Allah grant his soul, eternal peace-amen!