Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un:
Epitaph: Doyen Gambian Journalist Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas:
An Elephant Fallen On Its Four Feet.
Alagi Yorro Jallow.
The loss of life of a veteran journalist marks the tip of an period. When an elder, brimming with data and knowledge, passes away, it’s as if a library has burned to the bottom. The harsh and inevitable actuality of loss of life 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 last abode, leaving us in sorrow. Yet, now we have 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 honor his everlasting reminiscence. Despite his early departure from life, he leaves behind an amazing legacy. As a real pal 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, your complete Gambian media fraternity, and the folks of Gambia. Struck by some of the horrible information of 2024, the Gambian media fraternity has misplaced a father, grandfather, pal, uncle, and comrade in journalism and scholarship. Gambia has bid farewell too quickly to one in every of its best, a real journalist of huge data, a sociable particular person, and a patriot with unwavering religion in Gambia’s progress and growth. I be a part of Gambian journalists and all of Gambia in mourning the lack of the doyen Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas and supply my sympathies to his household. Having recognized 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 Nineteen 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 checklist 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 recognized, stands as a literary large, a colossus, a genius, and indubitably, the pleasure of our technology. 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 increase 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 claim 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 vastly admired.
Throughout his illustrious profession, Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas demonstrated an unwavering dedication to the rules of journalism. His capacity to dispassionately assemble information 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 duty and a relentless pursuit of fact. He coated tales that mattered, shedding gentle on points that others might need ignored. 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 pal, and a guiding gentle to many aspiring journalists. He was at all times keen to share his knowledge, providing steering and help 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 bear in mind Alhaji Ngange Demba Thomas right now, allow us to have a good time his life and the indelible mark he left on the world of journalism. Let us honor his dedication to fact, his ardour for storytelling, and his unwavering dedication to the very best requirements of the craft. Rest in peace, Alhaji Ngange Demba Thoma. Your phrases will proceed to encourage us, and your legacy will dwell on within the tales we inform.May Allah grant him Alijannah Firdausi.
