By Ansumana Touray
The late Honourable Idrisa Samba Sallah died on Saturday 6th September 2019 at his residence in Brusubi.
He was laid to rest on Sunday 7th September 2019.
Late Honourable Sallah hailed from Sami Karantaba Wollof in Central River Region (CRR) North and started his educational career in Karantaba Primary School in the late 1950s. He was a teacher and later Headmaster in many Schools in the country including his native village of Karantaba. He became the first Headmaster of Karantaba Primary School in 1979 after it was closed down due to low enrolment of students in the 1950s. ‘Bai Idy’ as he was fondly called by the younger ones was instrumental in the reopening of Karantaba Primary School and was constantly engaging parents to send their children to the School.
He joined politics in 1997 and became the National Assembly Member for Sami Constituency on an APRC ticket for two terms from 1997 to 2001 and from 2002 to 2007 respectively. He however lost his Constituency seat to the UDP’s Lamin Ceesay in the January 2007 National Assembly elections and described his lost as unexpected due to low voter turnout.
During his time in Parliament, the late Honourable helped many farmers in his Constituency with farm implements and will always be remembered for this important service he rendered to his community, according to a native of Sami Constituency.
The late Honourable was also the first parliamentarian in the second Republic, to table a Private Member’s Bill against public smoking which earned him a WHO award and recognition.
He is survived by three wives, children and grandchildren.
