We met at the TRRC. He heard me going off on someone who insisting on calling me “boss”, and Mr Waggeh decided to start calling me “boss”.
I called him Suma magji and he claimed he’s actually younger than me, and so I should not call him magji. Both names stuck. I became “boss” to him and he became “magji” to me.
If you know Ebou, you’d know he had a billion ideas in his head and wanted to implement them all. He would give me different phone numbers and one of those was for when I needed something from him urgently! Oftentimes, it was when we had a TRRC witness who was testifying via video link. He helped coordinate all of those and it wasn’t always a smooth sail.
No matter how late we got Ebou the information he needed, he would find a way to accommodate us. And with a smile. And always telling me I owe him!
One day, he came to the office with a smile and said he had an idea. We spoke about the idea but I was not too keen on it and in the end, I was able to convince him to drop the idea temporarily.
On that day, we would discuss a lot. We discussed the December 30th incident. Of course, Ebou wanted to document my life because he thought I mattered. I laughed off the idea and quickly moved on to other topics. We discussed how GRTS helped build the dictatorship of Yaya Jammeh. We agreed on some things and agreed to disagree on others. But a newfound respect was born between us on that day.
After leaving the TRRC, Ebou and I stayed in contact intermittently. He had a billion ideas in his head. One of those was for me to write a script about an incorruptible Gambian and their daily struggle to remain incorruptible, while everyone tried to corrupt them. That was Ebou’s way of showing that not all is lost and that there are some good Gambians. He felt I had the words and the story and he Ebou would put his lens to my words to bring them alive.
We discussed the idea and it was obvious that like many of us, Ebou was disturbed by the decadence we are surrounded with even though he wanted to focus his lens on something more positive.
I wrote a first part and sent it to him. He would share more ideas and make suggestions. But Ebou had a billion ideas and wanted to implement so much. He was excited about the project and wanted me to just provide a script and he’ll do the rest.
Time, man’s most implacable foe, did not allow him to fully focus on all the billion ideas he had in his head. And now, death, man’s fiercest foe, has taken Ebou away. Ebou dreamt of a better Gambia.
Ebou wanted to show that not all is terrible as he took to showcasing revamped roads in Banjul. He saw hope even in the midst of hopelessness. And he dreamt of showcasing that hope through the camera lenses.
The man had a billion ideas. If only he had as much time with us to implement them. May his soul Rest In Peace. My condolences to Ebou’s family.
By Alagi Saidy-Barrow
First I want to express my condolence to His family . May Allah give him the highest place in Jannah. As you described his goodness and kindness ,
I am curious to know what mr Waggeh really thought about you in the December failed coup attempt and Whether you should have been on witness stand to testify for your failed role to remove Jammeh from power. Most honest and fair minded people would have liked you to testify in TRRC instead of been offered a job. It would have been fair if you were not part of TRRC at least Jammeh and all alleged perpetrators as well as the victims will get fair process . I would have been happy if you take a job at UTG instead of TRRC. I hope that we will not have a smart lawyer who challenge the whole TRRC Recommendations because of conflicted and convicted individuals like you who were part of the process .
Thank you.
Alagie “ One of those was for me to write a script about an incorruptible Gambian and their daily struggle to remain incorruptible, while everyone tried to corrupt them”.
It would have been a terrible mistake for you to write a story about incorruptible Gambian because you have demonstrated highest level of corruption to accept that job at TRRC considering your past conviction and how conflicted you are to fairly and impartially do your job. In fact you have contributed to the corruption we have in the country. If you have good intentions of eradicating corruption in The Gambia and writing story about incorruptible Gambian , I think you should have asked yourself was I really suitable for TRRC job ? Was there any conflict of interest and was I ever convicted by trying to use armed to remove Jammeh’s government? Was I laying the foundation of justice so that the future Commission would not have People with conviction or conflicted records. The Negative answers to these questions would have qualified you to write a decent book about incorruptible Gambian. I am not Trying to pick on you but I feel like you are not the right person to write a story about incorruptible Gambian. I would prefer Foday Samateh , a smart and intelligent kiangka to write a brilliant story about a kiangka with impeccable integrity and honesty who are not corrupted even by Dictator Yaya Jammeh’s negligence and outright unfair treatment of people of kiang during the last 22 years of military dictatorship.
Thank you for my generous advice.
You Max, or whoever you are, is truly very stupid. I had reached out to Alagie before and advised him to ignore your cowardly ass. Since he manhandled you here, you are still feeling angry because he pointed out your stupidity. Stupid Gambians like you are the reason Gambia is where it is today. You know very little but think you are smart and educated. I feel sorry for your mother and father, the poor people that sent you to school and you wasted their money. The man writes about the death of a human being but your wicked and tribalist soul cannot see that because you are occupied with hate for Alagie. I know he will listen to me and not stoop to the level of a monkey like you. Like he told you before, you are truly an useless idiot. Go and get a life and leave the man alone. If Gambia had men like him, Yaya Jammeh would not have been killing Gambians for twenty two years while bastard cowards like you hide and cheer him on.