By Tabora Bojang
Prominent Nianija native Modou Cham who was unceremoniously removed as guest speaker at the speech and prize giving ceremony of Buduck Lower, Upper and Senior Secondary School, has rejected explanations provided by Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Dr Habibatou Drammeh as “misleading and inaccurate” following the minister’s claim that it was the Buduck community itself which rejected the idea for Cham to be the guest speaker.
According to Minister Drammeh, on West Coast Radio on Monday, Cham was initially recommended by some staff of the school to serve as guest speaker but a day before the ceremony, the community raised a flag that he cannot serve as guest speaker.
She said in the interest of the greater good, her Ministry decided to stop him from serving as guest speaker. “The parents are the audience and it is important for us to work with them to ensure whoever we are bringing they are happy about it. At the end of the day we want people to come to our schools and inspire learners and advice them,” Drammeh said.
She added that the matter generates controversy because the school authorities have failed to handle the matter amicably by simply informing Cham that the community opposes his guest speaker nomination.
“This could have been handled simply without coming to the permanent secretary’s desk much more, the Minister but there was a pull and pull between the community and the school and the best we did was to look for the greater good and that was why we asked Modou Cham to step aside. We did not do this because Cham belongs to another party. I think over time he and the communities have been having issues. This is why it is important to relate to each other respectfully even if you don’t belong to one party,” Minister Drammeh told West Coast radio.
Modou Cham fires back
However, Modou Cham has categorically denied the minister’s explanation describing them as “far from the truth.”
He said the whole issue revolves around his affiliation with the opposition UDP, accusing the minister of falling for politics.
“That is why she did not mention the issue of the four teachers who have been targeted and transferred from Buduck because they accused them of working with me and also giving out information to the media.
It was Chief Dawda York’s clerk who made that announcement and provided the names of four teachers, two of them, Omar Cham and Alpha Njie, have been transferred from Buduck immediately. Alpha teaches English and was moved to Sabi in URR while Omar, an SES teacher, was also moved,” Cham said.
He accused prominent people connected with the governing NPP of being behind this problem because they perceived him as an opposition supporter and do not want him to be credited for anything good.
“These same people contacted the permanent secretary Adama Jumba Jobe to order for a change of the guest speaker or cancellation of the programme,” Chem alleged.
He also rejected Minister Drammeh’s explanation that he had a strained relationship with the community, stating that he never had arguments with anybody including the Alkalo, NAM, chief or other community members adding that he was invited by the school administration and the entire community of Buduck including the mothers’ president. “This is why I am so disappointed with the minister because she was misled by the PS and the Regional Director who told her that I was rude to the community,” Cham, a former teacher, said.