Omar Amadou Jallow (OJ): A Prominent Politician and Peaceful Ideologue – In Memoriam, Three Years Later.

By Alagi Yorro Jallow

Fatoumatta: Three years have passed since Omar Amadou Jallow OJ returned to his Lord. Still, the silence he left behind echoes across the Gambian nation. His departure did not diminish him; it magnified him. Time has only sharpened our understanding of what we lost. He was a towering statesman, a pacifist ideologue, and one of the most persecuted figures of the First Republic. His courage was tested in the furnace of Yahya Jammeh’s dictatorship. OJ endured imprisonment, torture, humiliation, and even the loss of his eyesight — not because he sought power, but because he refused to betray the soul of his country.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.

We mourn him still, but we rise to honor him.

Fatoumatta: For OJ was a rare kind of leader — the kind who believed that politics was a moral duty, not a personal inheritance. He stood for peace when others chose fear. He preached forgiveness when vengeance would have been easier. He carried the wounds of a nation yet never allowed bitterness to eclipse his humanity. And in the darkest years of our national life, when truth was dangerous, and silence was safe, he chose truth.

Today, as we mark the third anniversary of his passing, we remember a man who lived not for applause, but for principle; not for power, but for people. A man whose life remains a testament to the idea that one voice — steady, stubborn, and sincere — can alter the destiny of a nation.

As one Indian Polymath and philosopher, Rabindranath Tagore, wrote, “Immortals never die, and death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.” Omar Amadou Jallow is gone physically, but his spirit is alive with us. When the news of a political hero’s passing broke on that sad May 14, 2023, afternoon, many felt heartbreak and sadness. We had to balance these feelings with the knowledge that a critically ill man, who had dedicated much of his life to the third liberation of the Gambian struggle, could finally rest.

If you are a good man, you can break down the barriers of religion and ethnicity. Alhagie Omar Amadou Jallow, known as OJ, is the finest example of a true Gambian political leader who has touched the lives of Muslims and Christians. No virtue speaks more loudly for a man than his charitable deeds and genuine service to humanity. This is indeed one of OJ’s most endearing and magnetic virtues. His humility is disarming; his spirit of brotherhood and kindness without borders is incredibly remarkable.

You do not have to command billions to touch lives. Generosity stems from the spirit of the individual and not the billions under your belt. Mother Theresa famously said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” OJ demonstrated qualities in his political career and associations that made him a true leader. He naturally became the head of every group he joined, without imposition.

For a politician not too gentle to carry placards or endorse a popular pro-democracy revolt against dictatorship, that was a pearl of wisdom not misapplied. However, suppose he had accepted to sacrifice and fight to restore democracy in the Gambia. In that case, I have no doubt he is gone down in history and qualified for categorization as a “patriarchal leader” in an Ali Mazrui book of Africa’s political biographies, for, among many traits, his pacifism. When grand statements exuded this, which is bravery and patriotism. You would be missed, OJ, for your leadership, infectious charm, and deep, loud, hearty laughter, and for your gentle words, effortlessly expressed humor, and, of course, for your similarly didactic spoken words. May Allah grant you Alijannah Firdausi, forgive your shortcomings, and grant you eternal bliss!

The love of humanity is one of the finest virtues that makes Omar Amadou Jallow an outstanding Gambian who served as a Parliamentarian, the people’s representative in the House of Representatives, and a Cabinet Minister in the First Republic and the Third Republic. He connects wonderfully with ordinary people.

Omar Amadou Jallow was an international figure, loved by many and admired even by those who reviled his struggle. In his life and even in his death, he impacted the world and set the tone for generations of freedom fighters. While his passing had been expected for a long time, the loss of this great man, leader, and icon was still unexpected for those he loved. As I read the accolades from leaders and ordinary folk on social media celebrating Omar Amadou Jallow’s life and legacy, I also reflect on the key lessons his life and example offer me.

Since his struggle to free his people from the shackles of dictatorship, OJ has seemed a simple man who practices minimalism in all areas of his life. Living the life he lived for decades in the First Republic, the Second Republic, and the Third Republic, he left behind a huge legacy of simplicity. Though he was a leader and idolized by hundreds of thousands until the coalition of 2016, he continued to lead a simple life with few distractions and commitments.

I was not among those who had the privilege of knowing OJ personally and professionally. However, I had the opportunity, with friends, colleagues, and other brothers, to present to and see him anytime in the Gambia and abroad. On occasion, at the height of Yahya Jammeh’s tyranny and after the ouster of Yahya Jammeh from power, OJ, at a gathering in a restaurant in Harlem in New York, spoke of peace, unity, forgiveness, reconciliation, and integrity. As clear as day, I vividly remember him saying, “Through forgiveness , reconciliation, and tolerance , people can come together.” Understanding the core message he was delivering, by the end of his speech, I was so inspired, moved to know fully that he was one of the most persecuted Gambians and tortured by Yahya Jammeh’s thugs, which led to losing his eyes, and I cried.

Everything I know about him comes from what I have witnessed, read, and seen about his struggles and achievements in broadcast media and print. However, even then, I have always felt that OJ was a gift and a pride to the Gambia, someone I loved deeply; he felt like my teacher, mentor, friend, and role model. I have come to understand that this was a special gift he had, and that many people felt the same about him.

Whatever OJ was in life and his achievements, now that he is gone, I have always thought he would not have wanted any fuss made about his struggles. He did what he did out of duty and an inner obligation to strive for his people, not for recognition. Still, we must honor him so that history tells future generations what he meant to us and the legacy he left. I hope his example and life story will never be forgotten.

In my lifetime, OJ was amongst the highest examples of how one person can change the Gambia for the better, how one man can sacrifice his life to go against the tide to salvage hope for a downtrodden mass of people. OJ revealed the true meaning of struggling for life in The Gambia, especially for marginalized people, even though it is often ignored.

He gave the poor and marginalized a sense of hope for their lives. Hence, he showed his heartfelt love and compassion for those who were helpless and oppressed, and he responded spontaneously to the circumstance. He showed that the only thing man desires is love and a determination to fight for that love, be it for one’s faith, one’s people, one’s family, or one’s soul. Moreover, it was his love for his people that drove his determination.

Often, Gambians cannot speak out against the wrongs and injustices of President Yahya Jammeh’s cruel dictatorship, feeling that they are all alone. However, OJ showed that no one is insignificant when one has a passion for life and human dignity. He bore witness to all this, especially when he gave up his freedom and the offer of relative safety for his people, uncertain what might eventually happen to him and his family.

Indeed, OJ believed in the one voice that can make all the difference in this world, even if it is marginalized. He showed courage and what authentic leadership represents. Moreover, for him, leadership was never about gaining power or making himself a hero; for OJ, leadership was always about his love for his people.

When I think about it, his example urged me, as an individual, never to be discouraged and to be a person of hope. When I read and saw how he selflessly gave his life to those relegated, he showed me what was enormously influential in life. Moreover, as he showed me, he established in the world that loves; the love of freedom, the love of a just cause, and the love of his people was the greatest thing in his life. This is the most unique gift he left to humanity. For this reason and so much more, his message is planted in my heart forever and should be ingrained in the annals of the world for all eternity.

Despite our differences in this remarkably diverse world we live in, regardless of our various belief systems or conventions, as people, it is essential to embrace the human values and teachings of a man like Omar Amadou Jallow.

He was a good man who gave so much to the detriment of his own life. However, through sacrifice, he thrived. He sacrificed not only his freedom but also his family and children without ever having the guarantee of getting anything in return. He loved the poorest of the poor; he would bring himself shoulder to shoulder with the dying, trying to give them hope for life. Trying to do good and fight for his people’s will in everything, as OJ did, helped define the finest structure for peace and represented the long walk that is vital to freedom. How I wish the Gambia would genuinely embrace this message.

As my brother always says, the best part of OJ’s life is that he lived long enough to see his struggles come to fruition. Moreover, that is true. All those years ago, seeing him in the Gambia was terrific, free from tyranny, the fruit of his gains. It is beautiful to see how people all over the Gambia respond to him and his legacy today and are still captivated by him; for them and many of us, OJ was and will always be a true Gambian hero.

We can draw inspiration from so many of OJ’s oral and written speeches. However, for me, his life gave the most remarkable speech. His life spoke in a simple language that inspired so many. The great Mahatma Gandhi once advised people to let their life be their message. “Be the change you want to see in the world,” he suggested. By living the life and experiences that OJ did, he could devote his life to his chosen purpose. He showed total focus on his commitment to his people and freedom; moreover, by being the change he wanted to see in the Gambia, he left behind his most incredible legacy.

Many of us fell in love with Omar Amadou Jallow decades ago. Moreover, it is ironic that, while we wanted him always to be around, watching the pain that old age and illness forced on his frail body was heartbreaking. So as I write this tribute amidst sadness and emotions, I know that while letting him go is hard, holding onto him is more challenging, given the pain he must have endured.

So as we say Adieu to this man of a great life, beautiful spirit, and pure soul, may we be comforted in the knowledge that we bore witness to the journey of one with love and total dedication to peace and freedom for the generations that knew him and those that will come centuries after him.

Furthermore, I could sum up one thing that I thought Omar Amadou Jallow was, despite all the great qualities he exhibited throughout his life. In that case, at the very core of him, Omar Amadou Jallow was just an exceptionally good and decent person. Moreover, the Gambia is so fortunate that his goodness and decency met the opportunity to create the legacy he leaves us with.

Fatoumatta: As we mark three years since his passing, we do not mourn Omar Amadou Jallow as a man lost; we honor him as a light that endures. His life was a long sermon in courage, a quiet manifesto of decency, a testament to the power of a single conscience standing firm against tyranny. OJ showed us that leadership is not the roar of authority but the steady whisper of integrity; not the pursuit of power, but the willingness to suffer for truth. He walked through the darkest corridors of our national history and emerged without hatred, without vengeance, without surrendering the gentleness that defined him. And so, as we remember him today, we do so with gratitude for his sacrifice, for his example, for the moral architecture he built into the Gambian story. May his memory remain a compass for generations yet unborn, and may the nation he loved learn, at last, to love itself with the same courage, humility, and boundless humanity that lived in him. May Allah continue to grant him Alijannah Firdausi.