28/04/2024
It’s the 23rd of June 2006, we are currently at the jam packed Banjul Ferry terminal awaiting the arrival of the Libyan president retired colonel Muammar Al Gaddafi who is travelling by road after landing safely at the Leopold sedar Senghore airport in Dakar . The retired colonel is expected to board the newly commissioned Kanilai Ferry that was bought from Ukraine last year for an amount of $2million and displayed as part of activities marking the July 22nd take-overs 11th Anniversary. All the schools from the North Bank have been allocated enough funds for transportation and feeding of the students welcoming the colonel from the Amdalai-Barra Highway while the P A systems in Banjul are repeating the Jaliba Kuyateh AU summit song which will go down as one of the best songs of the Kora Maestro and the Kumareh Band .
It’s 18:30 GMT and the colonel is in Banjul on board a bus . The security detail is different from anything we’ve ever seen, He is surrounded by his female bodyguards we’ve been hearing about over the years. It’s like a movie as he makes his entrance into the capital city, all telephones are jammed and there is no network at the Banjul Ferry Terminal .
Young Drivers from the greater Banjul area have all been recruited and shortlisted to transport the dignitaries and good money is paid to them . After successful auditioning, their measurements have been taken to qualified tailors a month prior to the events so that their suits will be ready on time, the tailors are paid good aswell . As kids that love Fancy vehicles, we are granted access to the police line Barracks in Banjul which happens to be the temporary shed of atleast a 100 VIP cars that will later be injected in the Government system while the rest of the vehicles will be donated to Guinea Bissau that is finding its feet after years of civil unrest .
Money is flowing, the tailors are happy, the drivers are happy, the students are well fed and they are happy as a result, the vendors are happy, the people currently without jobs and eager to be part of the fanfare by receiving free money just need to join the queue at Jeck Chams house to receive free $100 notes from Colonel Gadaffi daily .
We are not APRC, we do not like the president and his government but we are blessed to witness back to back stints of Success in the space of 12 months by Winning our first silverware in African football (U17 trophy) and hosting arguably the most successful AU summit which is attended by a number of presidents more than there are in the African continent. One must highlight the presidents steadfastness and desire for success as a key component that placed The Gambia on the spotlights for these positive reasons …
What were were you ???
We were here
🎹✍️🇬🇲
