“Well, I Neverâ€
Doris Mudge was on the British Council’s list of landlords/ladies who were willing to take in oversea students in their homes for partial board; that included Bed and Breakfast on weekdays and full board over the weekend. Doris Mudge and her husband were both cockneys. That was where the British Council took us when Reggie, (later Dr R. Eleady-Cole) and I were taken when we first arrived in London as students. (Photo: Dr. Sama Banya)
The care and attention paid to overseas students in those days were simply fantastic. Although we had a long bus journey to Norwood Technical College from where we lived in Norbury, and although we had to change buses in each direction, we were fairly comfortable in a shared bedroom. It was heated by a nice coal fire but as the autumn weather way to a sharp winter, Kosso, (later Professor Kosso-Thomas) went to our rescue by stuffing our single window with newspapers to keep the warmth of the fire in and keep the cold out. Mrs. Mudge had an amusing habit of interjecting the phrase “Well, I never†into practically every sentence. It was made more amazing by her typical cockney accent.
That was how I reacted to an article on page 4 of the African Champion newspaper of Wednesday March 24 with the heading, “WHO WERE THE RUF SPONSORS?†As I read through the invented rubbish, I interjected the phrase “well. I never†at least three times! The author was a Tatafway Tumoe who as I recall drifts from one newspaper to another, one of those who appear to write only to survive. There must be something wrong about the name; another Tumoe who edited a newspaper for a while and long before his demise, once made a similar allegation when I ran into him in a super market along Wilkinson Road when the war was on. On seeing me he said “Sama Banya and others are responsible for the rebel war because they had marginalized the people.†I wanted to reason out with the young man but he was reeking of alcohol and I could not even get him to listen to me. Now this other Tumoe who suggested a long time ago that I ought to have my head examined by Dr. Nahim; all because I stated that I wanted the honourable Vice President and other prominent brothers from Kono to react to a statement from some citizens from Gorama Mende chiefdom in the Kenema District, that the Be Kongor falls were in that chiefdom and in Kenema district and not in Kono as generally assumed
The highlight of Tumoe’s article read: “The main players involved in the game of changing the “system†in the country included such greats (how flattering in deed like John Karefa-Smart, former President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, Dr. Sama Banya and the late Hinga Norman. These were the people who helped raise the initial funds to ensure that the revolution succeeded.â€Â
My gut feeling is that the Tatafway must have been in the same condition when writing his piece as his late relative was when we met in that supermarket so many years ago. Readers may wish to read the article itself in the edition of the newspaper quoted earlier. It would be wrong to suggest that the fellow is mad; he is among the group of opportunists who believe that they are doing Ernest and the APC a great favour by coming up with such absolute nonsense. In spite of that I am simply going to ignore it as answering it point by point may make him feel that he has scored a scoop. May be someone may get to suggesting to him to visit Dr. Nahim. So the author of “pikin en mama salone†is back; and look at what he wrote in Wednesday’s edition of For di People newspaper, my goodness!Â
Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!
© 2010, https:. All rights reserved.
