Sunday, March 8, 2009
The president of the Republic, Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, has pledged over D3 million to the people of Pirang, for the construction of a new mosque.
The pledge was made at State House in Banjul, last Friday. Described by many as a manifestation of his expressed commitment to the promotion of religion, this philanthropic gesture by the Gambian leader follows an earlier request by the mosque committee of the village for an amount far less than what he has pledged. As part payment for the total amount pledged, President Jammeh immediately made available the sum of D1,721,000 (one million, seven hundred and twenty-one thousand dalasi) for the commencement of construction work. That amount was handed over to representatives of the village.
For the people of Pirang, this donation could not have come at a better time. They described it as "timely and a dream come true," bearing in mind the numerous efforts they had expended to acquire funds for the construction of the mosque, months after the demolition of the old one, built in 1975, which had been largely described as a death trap because of its decrepitude.
Handing over the money to the elders, President Jammeh acknowledged receipt of their letter, saying that he had realised the extent of their constraints. The Gambian leader added that due to the lack of clarity in the request of the villagers, he had to send experts to assess the mosque, and that the result of those findings put the estimated cost of constructing a new mosque at D650,210. Pirang is in Kombo East, Western Region. Citing the rate of development of that area, the president decided to put the entire estimate at over D3 million. The idea is to construct a completely new, bigger and standard mosque that is capable of meeting the demands of the increasing population of the village.
The Gambian leader also strictly warned against acts that might defeat the purpose of the gesture. He stressed that his money must not serve as a cause for dispute among the villagers. "In giving out money to people, especially the entire village, I am afraid of two things. That the purpose for which it was donated could fail, and, by extension, generate dispute in the village. I hate to see that because I do not like to see my money being the cause of disputes in the village," he said, and added: "Islam never preaches dispute."
President Jammeh went on to say that "the construction of the mosque is left to you. If you do not betray my efforts, I will not betray yours, but if you fail, it will be inexcusable. If you are ready to build a new mosque in your village, and to avoid any kind of confusion amongst yourselves, sit as a village, identify and hire a good contractor to build your new mosque."
The president went on to remind them that the money was just half of the total of the whole budget for the project, advising them to do a thorough vetting in order to find a "good, reliable and competent contractor". While informing the elders of Pirang that he has been a resident of their village for a long while, President Jammeh revealed that Sulayman Kassama, a native of the village, had been instrumental in reminding him about their request for assistance.
Apparently as an additional warning to the villagers, the Gambian head of state also issued a simple statement: "A mosque built at the tune of more than three million dalasis is easily identifiable if seen." In addition to this donation, President Jammeh also pledged to assist the women of Pirang because of their loyalty to him, and promised to upgrade their horticultural garden.
The secretary of state for Local Government and Lands, Ismaila Sambou, urged the villagers to be grateful to President Jammeh, noting that the sum donated by the Gambian leader must be used judiciously and for the purpose for which it was donated. Oustass Abdoulie Fatty, head Imam at State House, expressed similar sentiments. He went further to highlight numerous assistances the president of the Republic has been rendering to Muslims.
Speaking earlier, Lamin Fofana, a native of the village, who chaired the meeting, told the president that the construction of their village central mosque has been the most pressing of concerns for the people of Pirang. He described the condition of the existing mosque in the village as deplorable, noting that due to limited space, male worshipers have been forced to occupy the female wing of the mosque. Fofana used the opportunity to express their condolences to the president on the demise of his aunt, Aja Fatou Jammeh. He also expressed a shared sympathy with the president on the death of his friend and brother, President Nino Vieira of the sister Republic of Guinea-Bissau.
Lamin Bojang, secretary general of the Pirang Village Development Committee, told the president that since the villagers demolished the old mosque, efforts to construct a new one had proven almost futile. Speaking on behalf of the women of Pirang, Bori Bojang told the Gambian leader that the women folk of the village pray under the sun as their quarters are currently being occupied by the men. Alhagie Babucarr Demba, Ba-Sheriffo Bojang, and Nyakassi Bojang, all expressed similar sentiments, reiterating to the president the worsening condition of the mosque, which was more keenly felt during the rainy season.
The Imam Ratib of the village, Alamay Jabang, prayed for President Jammeh for relieving them of their most pressing problem. While describing the gesture of the Gambian leader as another significant demonstration of his continued support to the course of propagating Islam, Imam Ratib Jabang told him that only the Almighty Allah can pay him for what he has done for not only the people of Pirang but the entire Muslim Ummah.
President Jammeh receives young science student
In a separate engagement, and on the same day at State House, President Jammeh also received in audience Satang Ann, a 17 year-old grade 12 student. Satang Ann is a student of the Gambia Methodist Academy.
The young girl who was accompanied to State House by her parents, had earlier on written to the president, asking for sponsorship to enable her pursue her studies at higher level in the sciences. Speaking to reporters shortly after their audience with the Gambian leader, Ebrima Ann, father of the young girl, revealed that his daughter’s request of assistance was acknowledged by the president.
He told reporters that his daughter had for a long time longed to pursue her studies at this level, and that the meeting with the Gambian leader offered the young girl the opportunity to discuss issues of girls’ education and empowerment as outlined by President Jammeh's administration.
Author: by Hatab Fadera