By Tijan Nimaga, New York
Watching from the balcony of the Department of Education, Youth, Sports & Culture, a few minutes walk from Albert Market overlooking MacCarthy Square, was the last place I saw Mr. Omar Jallow. On that memorable morning, a handsome, famous, strong energetic young man stepped out from a black Mercedes benze and majestically walked his way towards the platform built for the nation’s independence anniversary celebrations, and as he walked on the grass and embellishing landscape of MacCarthy Square, every footstep he made could tell any one, even those who had never met O.J before, that he is a man of authority and some one who could be trusted. A sense of patriotism and humanity could be sensed everywhere around him. Each smile from him on that day matched with every rhythm from The Gambia Police Band’s melodious tunes.
In particular, was President Jawara’s own tribute: D.K. Sabari. A friend of mine who was also present at the nation’s independence anniversary celebration on that wonderful and joyous morning, pointed at him and said that is O.J, the Minister of Agriculture. Those are days that I will never forget. As he approached
the steps of the platform, friendly hand shakes from the international dignitaries from all over the world and various Ministers that were already there before him, all highlighted the wisdom and humility in him. Today, those days remain history but even O.J himself could not have predicted that The Gambia will be like the way it is today. MacCarthy Square itself, which was named after Sir Charles MacCarthy one of imperial Great Britain’s colonial Governors, was the center for every state occasion, until after the Independence Stadium was inaugurated by Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara. Until then, MacCarthy Square watched the nation’s responsible young men like O.J. as they continue to baby sit The Gambia’s premature government under the leadership of Alhagi Sir Dawda Jawara. The entire struggle by O.J and his peers all ended at the bottom of a parrot cage.
It all began on July 22,1994 unlike any other Friday, something struck The Gambia when the democratically elected President of the Republic of The Gambia also the Commander in- Chief of The Gambia Armed Force, Alhagi Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara was overthrown.
Omar Jallow and many enthusiastic young Gambians holding Ministerial posts all lost their proposed plans that were made to develop the nation. One of the achievements of O.J and his Agriculture Ministry was the JAHALI PACHAR Rice Development Project. The project itself that created both economic and political developments for the nation became a trademark for the beginning of a new era in Gambian Agriculture. Jahali Pachar could have advanced further had it not been the tragically shortened period it had. The efforts of the Agriculture Ministry under O.J straightened the way for F.A.O and its field workers to modernize and create new techniques in rice farming not only in Jahali Pachar but throughout the country. During his time in office, various aid organizations offered numerous help to the nation’s agriculture. Aid organizations such as the West African Rice Development Association (W.A.R.D.A), Freedom From Hunger Campaign [F.F.H.C] all contributed to the nation’s development. With such organizations the nations unemployed young men and women, were gainfully employed.
During O.J ‘s time in office these organizations, were able to employee both skilled and unskilled workers which helped the nation to control its unemployment rate. Above all, O.J was a man of courage and determination who in the past decades was the only man who could solve the nation’s crop failures. These are the veteran politicians that crafted the Gambia from all the destruction created by colonialism and post-colonial era efforts to destroy the country. These are men that perhaps the younger generation would have known nothing about since they are forced from office against their will prematurely. The Gambia just started to walk when all of a sudden its legs were broken under it. I would advice Mr. Omar Jallow not to reject any offer from the current regime be it a ministerial post or just any thing that is good for the nation. This Gambia belongs to all of us. If we can do something to stop any further decline in development we must do it for the shake of our generation. Let the past just remain the past. President Yahya Jammeh is a young man that really needs help. He has begun something that only veteran politicians who know Africa well and the world could be able to handle.
The farmers that rely on groundnuts for their living and the nation in general will miss that opportunity O.J. accorded them. The Gambia must thank the Portuguese for
introducing groundnuts in the country but must not also forget Mr. Omar Amadou Jallow and all the veteran civil servants who worked for the government during his time in office.
The Ministry of Agriculture which had its main office on Marina Parade and its employees and every responsible Gambian will miss the efforts of a
responsible young man whose enthusiasm, courage, efforts; personality above all humanity will ever remain on our minds. My last words to cheer up O.J are BEING A VETERAN POLITICIAN, IS NEVER TOO LATE TO COME BACK. CHEER UP OMAR!