Doyen of Gambian Journalism Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas
Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un
The dying of a veteran journalist marks the tip of an period. When an elder, brimming with information and knowledge, passes away, it’s as if a library has burned to the bottom. The harsh and inevitable actuality of dying has claimed Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas, a veteran Gambian journalist whose affect reached numerous people inside the press communities of Gambia and Senegal.
He has departed for his remaining abode, leaving us in sorrow. Yet, we have now nothing to specific however tears and heartfelt sorrow, uttering solely phrases that our Lord permits.
To mourn Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas is to not diminish our love for him however to honour his everlasting reminiscence. Despite his early departure from life, he leaves behind an incredible legacy.
As a real good friend and mentor, I embrace the reminiscence of Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas. He embodied William Shakespeare’s phrases: “When he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night And pay no worship to the garish sun.”
I prolong my heartfelt and profound condolences to his bereaved household, the complete Gambian media fraternity, and the folks of Gambia. Struck by probably the most horrible information of 2024, the Gambian media fraternity has misplaced a father, grandfather, good friend, uncle, and comrade in journalism and scholarship.
Gambia has bid farewell too quickly to considered one of its best, a real journalist of huge information, a sociable particular person, and a patriot with unwavering religion in Gambia’s progress and improvement. I be a part of Gambian journalists and all of Gambia in mourning the lack of the doyen Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas and provide my sympathies to his household.
Having identified him for over 30 years, the final time I noticed him was at a lunch at his residence in Churchill’s Town, within the firm of the esteemed late Dr. SaJa Taal, the prolific scholar and public mental.
Thomas, a real doyen of journalism whose phrases formed our understanding of the world. Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas was not only a journalist; he was a storyteller, a truth-seeker, and a beacon of integrity in an ever-changing media panorama.
Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas, a fearless journalist from the Seventies and Eighties, belonged to the “Golden generation of the finest Gambian journalism.” He stood among the many ranks of doyens and veteran journalists like Dixon Colley of the Nation newspaper, together with a protracted listing of his colleagues within the non-public press. As the author and editor of The Gambian, whose motto was “No Justice, No Peace,” he made his mark.
Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas, affectionately identified, stands as a literary big, a colossus, a genius, and unquestionably, the delight of our era. His discerning thoughts, mirroring Ngange’s personal, would by no means condone crude tyranny; to take action can be to give up one’s mental sovereignty.
With Alhaji Ngange Demba Thoma, the supersonic growth of concepts and the thunderous barrage of thought resonate and echo. Indeed, he was a maestro of the pen, a ‘wordsmith’ the ultimate. An unparalleled and formidable fiery journalist, he was amongst our most distinguished essayists and compelling columnists in his heyday of journalism.
Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas might need been ideally suited to regale us along with his autobiography, promising an journey in its personal proper. It is honest to say that he was amongst Gambia’s most esteemed and influential print journalists.
As a flexible mental and multidisciplinary scholar, his writings and scholarly articles span a mess of fields, reminiscent of Literature, Politics, Governance, Democratization, Pan-Africanism, Cultural Production, Post-Colonial Theory, Creative Writing, and past. His mental acumen, candor, impartiality, and integrity are tremendously admired.
Throughout his illustrious profession, Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas demonstrated an unwavering dedication to the rules of journalism. His potential to dispassionately assemble info and current them in a transparent, clever method earned him the respect and admiration of colleagues and readers alike.
Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas believed in giving the reader the credit score of understanding the import of the information, permitting them to attract their very own conclusions with out pointless embellishment.
Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas ‘s work was characterised by a deep sense of accountability and a relentless pursuit of reality. He lined tales that mattered, shedding gentle on points that others might need neglected. His writing was not nearly reporting occasions; it was about connecting with folks, understanding their struggles, and giving a voice to the unvoiced.
Beyond their skilled achievements, Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas was a mentor, a good friend, and a guiding gentle to many aspiring journalists. He was all the time prepared to share his knowledge, providing steerage and assist to those that adopted in his footsteps. His legacy lives on within the numerous lives he touched and the various journalists he impressed.
As we keep in mind Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas right this moment, allow us to have fun his life and the indelible mark he left on the world of journalism. Let us honor his dedication to reality, his ardour for storytelling, and his unwavering dedication to the best requirements of the craft.
Rest in peace, Alhaji Ngange Demba Thoma. Your phrases will proceed to encourage us, and your legacy will reside on within the tales we inform.
May Allah grant him Alijannah Firdausi.
By Alagi Yorro Jallow
Editor’s be aware:
Thank you Alagi Yorro Jallow for a befitting tribute to a journalism nice and a real distinctive author and mentor. I’m a journalist right this moment due to him. He handpicked me once I visited the Daily Observer to submit an essay I wrote to commemorate the Day of the African Child. He instructed me I ought to contemplate journalism as a profession and launched me to the superb Hassoum Ceesay who was then the information editor. And as they are saying the remainder is historical past. I pray his soul relaxation in peace and should Jaantul Firdaus be his abode.
Momodou Musa Touray
Post Views: 35
