By: Hassoum Ceesay, The Gambia National Museum
O.C Jallow, aka Chair, who tragically died on January 31st, a few days before his 92nd birthday, was a pioneer youth activist who assisted in the forming of the Peoples’ Progressive Party(PPP), and was a close confidante to the PPP leaders, especially Sheriff Sisay(1935-1989), first Finance Minister of The Gambia. In the 1970s, he worked as Protocol Officer at The Gambian High Commission in London, a post he held with high esteem, and decorum wining him respect from all who interacted with him.
Indeed, in many ways Uncle O.C was a Londoner. He arrived there in the late 1950s, and lived there with his family until his death in a road accident in Jarra last week, on his way from a family visit to Basse, his ancestral home.
His Basse family are prominent and highly respected. His elder brother M.C was for many years MP for Jimara, and served as Minister in many President Jawara Cabinets between 1972 and 1987.
- C and Jawara were good friends. Before Independence, he chaperoned Jawara when he visited the UK like in 1961 at the Lancaster House Constitutional Talks, and in 1964 at the Marlborough House Talks. He told me in an interview in February 2024, at his Brufut home, that when the stingy British Colonial Office handlers failed to give adequate transport or accommodation to The Gambian Delegations at these ground breaking Talks, he chipped in to ensure that no one was embarrassed or morose. He kept visiting Gambian political leaders well fed and transported in London.
It was for this reason that he was appointed Protocol Officer at The Gambian High Commission in the late 1970s. He received the fateful call to the Commission from an anonymous Banjul caller informing Jawara that Kukoi Samba Sanyang had struck on 30th July 1981, the ill-fated coup attempt that killed hundreds of Gambians. O.C worked with High Commissioner Bojang to inform Jawara about the event and assisted him to recompose himself, Jawara had just returned from a long night of festivities of the Princess D-Charles wedding, and re-calibrate his next steps.
In my numerous conversations with him in my office, or at his Gambian home off Brufut, on contemporary Gambian history, Uncle O.C told me when he first heard of the Kukoi coup, he and many staff at the High Commission were nonplussed, but not disappointed. He told me that he and others prayed that someone within the Jawara inner circle like Vice President Assan Musa Camara would take over power and then get the country working. Sadly, surprise and confusion turned into anguish when he heard of the names of the Kukoi short-lived Supreme Revolutionary Council(SRC), which comprised nondescript, pan-handling Gambians. He told me in 2024 interview that when he got the full list of the Kukoi SRC, and did not recognize anyone by name, he knew that this was a dangerous adventure that could only lead The Gambian into torment. He drove to Jawara’s Haywards Heath house to inform him of the dire need to resist the Kukoi gang. He accompanied Jawara to the BBC to record a series of interviews, to raise morale back in Banjul, before accompanying him to catch a flight to Dakar via Paris.
In Dakar, the High Commission staff led by B.B Dabo were eagerly waiting with the decree ready for Jawara to sign to invite President Abdou Diouf to invoke the 1965 Senegal-The Gambia Defence Treaty to remove Kukoi’s rebels. Thus our First Republic was saved. Uncle O.C played his part.
He played his part harnessing the youth power to build the New Gambia required after 1965. He helped to create the PPP Youth Wing. He also assisted in organising the first National Youth Congress held at the Yundum College in May 1963. He worked with the World Assembly of Youths based in Belgium to bring 41 youth groups from all parts of The Gambia to discuss the role of youth in the country then aspiring for full Independence. Thanks to his vast network of contacts in Jawara’s government, half the Cabinet attended the opening ceremony of the Congress . This greatly impressed the funders.
In July 1966, Uncle O.C hosted the first African Continental Youth Seminar at The Gambia High School hall in Bathurst. He was ably assisted by Junaidi Jallow of the National Youth Council, which Uncle O.C had created in January 1966, composed of 47 youth groups from all corners of our country. When Prime Minister Jawara told him there was no money to host what became the first International Meeting hosted by our country, Uncle O.C secured funding from the German Federal Youth Council. Both the new Gambian Governor General Sir Farimang Singhateh, and Education Minister A.D Camara, addressed the youth gathering. The youths who attended from all over Africa were so impressed by the meeting that a Gambian D.K Njie was elected as head of the World Assembly of Youths.
Uncle O.C also promoted The Miss Gambia Beauty pageant which he founded in 1964 under the Metta Youth Vous that he chaired. When Miss Gambia Oumie Barry was found to be elegant enough to attend Miss Universe in London in 1966, Uncle O.C supported her travels to, and stay in London; the same when in 1967 Miss Gambia Jani Jack contested Miss World, Uncle O.C, Batch John, James Gomez(1938-2020) etc. feted her at Khartoum Road, South London.
Uncle O.C was close to the first generation of Gambian leaders. He was a fast friend of S.S Sisay’s, Jawara’s capable Finance Minister. Uncle O.C told me that he once berated Jawara for over working Sisay(ERP,SAP, Gambia Commercial Bank collapse) such that Sisay did not take time off work to cure the cancer that killed him aged only 54, in 1989.
Uncle O.C was indeed an accomplished man. He was involved in many aspects of nation building in the first three decades after independence. In his demise, The Gambia has lost a good son and earnest servant.
To his family, like Aunty Amie who introduced me to him, other children, grand-children and many friends, I convey my sincere condolences for his soul to rest in perfect peace.
(O)mar (C )herno Bunhatab Jallow:Youth Activist, Diplomat and Socialite born 11 February, 1934-died January 31st, 2026.)
Hassoum Ceesay
