By Makutu Manneh
Dr. Jeggan C. Senghor, a former senior researcher at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, has launched a book on Assan Musa Camara’s biography, former vice president in Gambia’s First Republic.
The book is entitle “Servant of the People.” The event took place on the 14 September 2019 and was attended by many dignitaries including Lawyers, National Assembly Members, Poets, Government Officials, Friends and Families of both the Author and Assan Musa Camara.
At the ceremony held at QCity Bijilo, Dr. Jeggan Senghor was represented by Dr. Roddie Cole, who read his statement. The book “Servant of the people” narrates the life story of a politician who was both a member of the decolonization era and of the transitional generation of leaders.
He traced his family roots and the rural environment which played a major role in shaping his world view, noting that the search for education brought him into another world of foreign values which he also succeeded in dominating.
“The politics interrupted a highly successful career in teaching, but also led to high political offices such as Minister and Vice President,” Dr. the Statement asserted.
He said the book featured how Assan Musa weathered the storms of independence politics in the Gambia, the competition for power and narration on his funeral.
The statement pointed out that unlike some other African countries where the lives of political and other leaders have been well documented and even immortalized, in our country they are still unknown. He said the young ones are thus deprived of their inheritance, their heritage, and also, their history and their institutional memory.
“These Motivations, when put together, constitute standards against which aspiring Gambians and Africans in general can assess their own goals and the means for realising them,” he said.
Fafa Edrissa Mbia, a barrister and former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, who reviewed the book at the ceremony, said the book is part of a conscious effort to put records to the lives and times of Gambians.
“There is no political figure who has gathered so much experience in his or her life as Assan Musa Camara,” he said.
He said the book is divided into 7 chapters and chapter one of the book is about the roots and educational backgrounds of Assan Musa Camara, Chapters 2 and 3 talks about his entry to polities, Chapter 4 describes his times as Vice President, Chapter 5 is about his glories during his services in The Gambia, his numerous awards in the government. Chapter 6 is the twists and turns of his political calendar and finally Chapter is about his last years.
Hassan B. Jallow the Chief Justice who officially launched the book said he believes everybody is indebted to Jeggan Senghor for his excellence in writing such Biography. “I also thank his Family for their decision to have the publication of the book,” he said
Other activities that happened at the ceremony are documentary screening about Assan Musa Camara, poetry performance by Omar Champion Cham, Musical interval by local Fula Musicians, Early life and Political Career of Assan Musa Camara by M.C Cham, Speeches by a Son and Daughter of his and the launch of a foundation called “The Assan Musa Camara Foundation.”
