Hello and a warm welcome to the Daily Observer’s weekly Bantaba that comes your way every Friday, where we feature prominent personalities in the country.

In this edition, we bring you excerpts of our lengthy interview with Honourable Fabakary Tombong Jatta, the National Assembly member for Serrekunda East and Majority leader, who is known to be a seasoned politician. Below is the excerpts of the interview;

Bantaba: Could you tell us about yourself?
Jatta: I am Fabakary Tombong Jatta. I was born on the 16th of November 1952 in Albreda, the Upper Niumi District, North Bank Region. I don’t know my father physically because he passed away at a time when I was very young.

Bantaba: Tell us about your early childhood life?
Jatta: When I was two years old, my mother got married to an uncle in Sika village, who was a resident of Tallinding. Then I came with my mother to Tallinding in the early 50s. That is where I stayed until in 1959 when I went back to Albreda Primary School. I was in that school for four years (from primary one to four). When we sat for the then Common Entrance Examination, two of us were fortunate to pass the exams to pursue education at Armitage Secondary School in Janjangbureh. I attended that school from 1964 to 1970 and completed my O’levels there. Immediately from there I went to the Yundum College and trained as a qualified teacher from 1970 to 1973 specialising in Mathematics. On qualification, I was posted to Bansang Junior Secondary School from 1973 to 1977, and during my last year at Bansang, I became the head of the school.

Fortunately for me in 1977 when I was in Bansang, the late Kama Badgie, the then principal of Crab Island, who later became minister of Education, came for me to go to his school. I was not that much comfortable to go to Crab Island because there were lot of persuasions but due to family influence, I decided to go there from 1977 to 1979. During this period, the difference in my career was that, at that time, I was very active in trying to make people to make informed choices and decisions.

At some point while in Bansang, I was reported to the Ministry of Education by our then member of parliament, Landing Jallow Sonko, that I was teaching politics in the school. There I was teaching form 4 mathematics, civics and other subjects. I was recalled but I was fortunate because the then head of our unit, Tony Blain, knew me from the time I was in school, and so broke down the whole thing. At crab Island, I was not pro-PPP party then. My entire family was pro-PPP but I was not and there was lot of witch hunting in trying to victimise me from all angles.

Bantaba: Were you an opposition then?
Jatta: Yes, to be honest I was. Then I was fluctuating from the National Convention Party (NCP) to others because I never wanted the PPP government.
Bantaba: Why?
Jatta: I felt that they were cheating and that they could have done better than it was. And this was the honest reason why I was anti-PPP. My immediate family members were one billion percent pro-PPP. Then there were problems and I said I would leave the teaching field, otherwise I will be sent out. So I decided to resign.

I resign three times from the teaching field but Kama Badjie and Tony Blain would not accept. When Kama Badjie was posted to Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia as an ambassador, I tendered my resignation in 1979. When I resigned I had no job but I later joined the Nigeria Airways in the same year where I rose from account supervisor to accountant and to district accountant. I was the head of the account and finance here, overseeing Dakar.

Bantaba: When you left the civil service for the private sector, did you face more political problems?
Jatta: Yes; whilst at the Nigeria Airways, these political problems continue to plague my life. As I told you I was born in Albreda, I supposed to go to Albreda to register around the 1987-88 before the election. The then government including the then MP of the area cooked something. I was just told that I was wanted by the police. One afternoon I was in my office when one of my students who was an NIA officer came to my office and revealed to me that there was something cooking up saying ‘if I were you I would leave’.

He told me that they were planning to pick me up at the close of my work. I told him that it was ok with me. And this is what they did around 4pm in the afternoon. When I went to the police they told me that I was wanted and that I should be detained at the police. They said lot of things; one being the allegation that I registered in Albreda when am not resident there.

Then the following day they picked up my wife, my brother and my cousin-brother whose wife is my niece, and Queen Jatta alleging us to have registered in Albreda and that we did double registration. When that happened, we were subsequently bailed and taken to court. The interesting thing about the whole show was my wife had never registered and that she suffered because of me. We went to court  -  almost one to two years at the magistrate court and Fafa Mbaye, who was my lawyer, did extremely well for me.

We were going to court on and off, and when it was time for campaign, I would give money to Queen to go to Upper Niumi and campaign against the PPP. But Queen was eventually convicted and fined 500 dalasis, which we paid. Five of us were remanded at mile two from Friday up to Monday but we were brought to court again and later bailed. But I suspected that Landing Jallow-Sonko, our then MP was behind everything.

Bantaba: To cut the story short, how did the case end up?
Jatta: This was the most interesting part of it. When Queen was convicted, my wife was withdrawn from the case and we came into the box and had a lengthy argument. The case was adjourned. Then the man in place went on leave and a Nigerian came to be the magistrate. When the Nigerian came, he heard the case up to the third time, threw the case out of the court. The following day, they picked us again and charged us fresh relating to double registration and then we continued with it.

Bantaba: Is it really true that you made double registration?
Jatta: No! This was not true. It was political. Then when our case came, the magistrate threw it out. We were called again but this time we report to the police instead of going to the court. We report on and off until finally it died off.

Bantaba: Like that!
Jatta: Yes like that! Finally they told us to go and that when they needed us they would call us. But we were never called back. My honest opinion about all these was that I was not fighting any individual but the then government, which could have done more.

Bantaba: While going through all those troubles, huddles and sufferings, were you still working at the Nigeria Airways?
Jatta: Yes I was. And another thing was there was a note written by the then minister, Landing Jallow-Sonko for the manager of the institution to send me out. The manager called me and showed me the hand written note. But because I was of great value to that institution, they felt that they had nothing to do with my political life and that was the end of that episode. In fact I had those papers but it was perished in the fire disaster that occurred in my compound in 2001.

Bantaba: Could you share with us the real circumstances that led to that disastrous fire outbreak in 2001, happening at a time when political activities were intense in the country in preparation for the presidential election?
Jatta: We had an APRC rally in Tallinding and two days later - the third day, the UDP were supposed to have it but they were agitating or wild. When I realized that I suggested the need to come up with security because some of those people thought that I was the pillar or the cause of all those things. The agitated United Democratic Party militants burnt down my entire house into ashes. I lost everything except the clothes I was wearing. Even the car that I was having was not spared as the UDP militants put petrol on it and burnt it. They also looted my mother’s house. The people involved were arrested and eventually bailed after a day or two and that was the last I heard of that case.

Bantaba: Now let’s come back to a little more onto your educational background. You made mention of one of your highest qualification which is the certificate you got from the Yundum College. Apart from the Yundum College, did you attend any other tertiary institution in or outside the country?
Jatta: Whilst at the Nigeria Airways, I did a lot of courses in Nigeria especially at the Ekenia School of accounting, where I did three to four courses. I have higher diploma in accounting. Initially I wanted to do law but that did not materialize.

Bantaba: Why?
Jatta: Because of family pressure, the nature of my work, social pressures and so on.

Bantaba: Still on education, as a veteran teacher, how did the teaching field look like in those days compared to now?
Jatta: Teaching is a noble profession but most public servants see it as a stepping stone. We had lot of teachers and promotion then was not based on merit and therefore you have to do something out of your way to be able to be recognized and be given the chance to go. I remembered Tony Blain wanted me to go and do my Higher Teachers Certificate but I refused because that would make me a teacher. And then I knew that if I remain in the civil service, I will be dismissed in that era. So I decided to develop my self on my own especially in accounting.

Bantaba: How can you compare education in those days and now.  Which one is more qualitative?
Jatta: Obviously it was better then. Just see the calibre of students we have before.  I remember that I passed the common entrance in primary four.  Look at the language of students now, even with those up to high school. They have all the facilities but discipline is lacking and teachers are not given their dues.  And there are certain things that teachers used to do and they cannot do it now.  This is why teachers would keep themselves and wait for their money at the end of the month.

I believe that children should have child rights for subject to certain things but we are borrowing too much from the west.  Children are human beings and they deserve their rights but some of us, the parents, abuse them.  Some of us, the parents came through moral values and by virtue of losing these moral values, it becomes a fibre for the development of the whole society, and at the end we pay the whole society, and pay the price. We are failing in our duties.

Bantaba: What do you think is the way forward?
Jatta: To rethink and assess ourselves. We the legis lators have problems.  Many laws like women’s rights are coming.  Some women even want us to legislate against shariah.  Recently we had a debate at the National Assembly and some people were even asking why a man should have two wives or more and a woman has one husband.  I said you better go and ask God.  So these are the problems.  Some of these women are championing women’s cause and taking this issue of rural women as a stepping-stone to higher heights. Because the fact is when I was going to school, my counterpart females were not going to school because of the culture then.  Now if you want to bridge the gap, it cannot be overnight.

Bantaba: What motivated you to leave teaching for politics.
Jatta: There are many reasons.  One was because I wanted the then government, PPP to go.  That is why in 1994 when President Jammeh took over, I gave his party and government my fullest support.  I used to go to Niumi and canpaign for them.  Again the 1997 constitution was second to none in Africa; a very good constitution and I realised that is the government that can move us forward. We formed the Juffureh-Albreda Youth Society (JAYS). It was not a political association but we wanted to promote unity and peace and ourselves.  You know it is a tourist destination and I can remember that Landing Jallow used to tell our people that, if you don’t vote for PPP, he would move the whole village out to Pakau and bring the people of Pakau to Albreda. So we said it is our responsibility to make those people believe in what they believe in and help to unite them and bring about development. This was during their time until when the transition came.  Even during the transition he still remained in his position and he was telling them that Jawara would come. So we fought tooth and nail until we removed him.

Bantaba: When did you start party politics?
Jatta: After the transition, I could remember that I was encouraging people to contest for Serekunda East. I was not even thinking about being an MP honestly.  I was pushing people to apply until the last day when I was coming with a friend, who advised me to apply to contest for the post of MP.  I declined but through strong persuasion from my friend (Momodou Lamin Drammeh), I applied. We were 12 applicants, and it was tough.  After the interview, while I was in my house, one of the council of elders came and informed me that I was selected. ‘I said oh go and tell them to change it because my mother will not accept and am not even convinced that I can get into politics’. Finally they adopted me as the APRC candidate for Serekunda East.  That was how I came into politics.  The selection process was in 1996 and we had the first elections in January 1997.

During these elections, Fabakary Manneh, my own friend was the candidate for UDP and Halifa Sallah was the candidate for PDOIS.  But I won the elections under the APRC ticket.  It was during the second elections that the constituency was divided into three constituencies because it was too big.  When I was elected into office, I was appointed by President Jammeh as the desk officer for KMC and I was also the divisional chairman.

Bantaba: What is the secret behind your success in politics?
Jatta: I am successful because I have a strong team behind me.  In the political office one must be humble and willing to sacrifice for their own people; key among them is your availability and concern to them, etc.  I may not be the best but I am really trusted by my people.

Bantaba: As an experienced NAM what is the role of the Assembly in the political development of the country?
Jatta: The National Assembly and its members are key in national development. That is why the assembly is not only an electorate institution but also an approving institution. The 1997 constitution has given the assembly independent powers to exercise its powers. So it depends on the membership but the relevant legal instruments are in place.  That is why we are only accountably to the people and it makes all the other institutions accountable to the assembly on behalf of the people. So it is a very important institution and we have been trying to improve on it over the years.

Bantaba: Did you register any major achievements in politics and if yes, can you highlight them?
Jatta: The role of a NAM and the imagined role of a NAM by the people are different. For instance when I was elected as an MP, you know Abuko is part of my constituency, so when I was campaigning I went to Abuko and I could not believe that it was part of the Kanifing municipality. Abuko then had nothing; like water, electricity, telephone, school etc.  And I decided that my number one task would be to transform this community so that we can equally share the proceeds of the Kanifing Municipal Council.

I challenged the then KMC vigorously on those issues and I also made efforts on my own through the central government.  The people of Abuko will tell you my contribution towards trainsforming their community. I am one of the key players who ensured that they benefited from all the facilities they had.  I am an architect of the upper basic school in Abuko.  The primary school is also another. But I don’t want to count that as achievements.

Bantaba: Some people perceived the National Assembly members as rubber stamps in the discharge of their duties. Is that the case?
Jatta: That is not true. You know why, it is based on ignorance. The process is if a bill is coming to parliament from Finance Ministry, before we sit over it, it must pass through the APRC caucus that is the ruling party. The minister must come and we look at the bill in house before we go to parliament. This is where sometimes we will even want to fight. We would object to it if we think is not in the interest of our people. When the Bill finally comes to parliament, the opposition look at it and come up with their critism. If it is constructive, we take it; if not, we overrule and the opposition would say that these people don’t even talk about it and they rubber stamp. This is what happens in pialianments all over the world. We are moving on a multiparty democratic system. If it is a one party system, it would not be like that.

Bantaba: Does the National Assembly pertake in Ecowas Parliament?
Jatta: Yes we are members; we have five members in Ecowas and we have five members in the pan-African parliament. I am a member of the Pan-African parliament and I head the Gambian delegation.

Bantaba: What are some of the issues you discuss in these parliaments?
Jatta: The Pan-African parliament is a continental parliament that came as a result of the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). In 2000, the OAU was changed to African Union (AU). We discussed a lot of things about the continent, such as regional intergration, movement of goods, African Unity, among others. We want African to be powerful continent in the globalised world and we want to propagate the Pan-African parliament.

Bantaba: Could you tell us about your family?
Jatta: I am married. My first wife is Mrs. Ndey Lowe Jatta. She is at my compound in Kanifing. I have a second wife, who was the wife of my late brother. Her name is Fatou Jane. She lives in Bundung. I have five children and I have sisters and brothers.

Bantaba: What are your hobbies?
Jatta: Reading, I like to watch football, I am news conscious, I like information and I like debates. But I don’t like travelling, even to move from one place to another I don’t like it.

Bantaba: Any final word?
Jatta: I must say I met two young admirable boys in the persons of Hatab Federa and Assan Sallah, all below the age of 24 and I am impressed with your professionalism. I pray that the Almighty God guide you so that you can excel to higher heights. My words to the Gambian people are: “We have a government and we have a party. So let’s support our government and move the country forward.