Goodbye to a True Servant

It is with heavy hearts that we bid farewell to Alh. Momodou Babucarr Njie, alias Njie BP, who was yesterday given a fitting state burial at the National Assembly building in Banjul. We join with our colleagues in the media fraternity, National Assembly Members and the general population to extend our deepest sympathies to his family and indeed the nation as a whole.

We remember his achievements with great joy as he devoted his life to the nation and the dream of national development. It is a great indication as to his foresight that the late Mr. Njie was, at one time, speaker of the defunct Senegambia Confederation. He was a visionary who saw that unity in the sub-region was an important factor in our progress. Let us pay our respects to him now by continuing to focus on that dream and unify in a very real way with our neighbours. We in West Africa are an example to the continent in this regard and we pray for the day when this example will be heeded by all.

As it is always said, death can strike anyhow, anywhere and anytime. In this sense, we live in the danger of death every working moment- that is, the fact that we are alive means that we shall die someday. It is for this reason that philosophers over the ages have urged us to live each day as though it were our last day on earth.

Speaking at the National Assembly on behalf of the Speaker, Majority leader and Member for Serrekunda East, Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta, said the late Mr. Njie has been a great servant of the country, who has immensely contributed his quota towards the development of this country, noting that the late speaker has dedicated his entire life in serving humanity through philanthropic gestures. This is a perfect description of a true patriot. We pray that he will receive his eternal reward not only for all that he has done for The Gambia and her people but for the sub-region as a whole.

“Death… It’s the only thing we haven’t succeeded in completely vulgarising.”

Aldous Huxley