This is to notify the concerned officials of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, the Ministry of Justice, the Director of the Copyright Office, National Centre for Arts and Culture, the President of The Gambia Collecting Society, the Chairman of the Conference of Principals, Chairmen of the Board of Governors of all Senior Secondary Schools, Principals of all Senior Secondary Schools, Parents, Guardians and Students, Printers, Publishers, Booksellers and Bookshops, that certain authors or teachers have written pamphlets or books and have violated my economic and intellectual property rights and have copied, rephrased, summarised and paraphrased from several areas of my books namely ‘Ethnic Groups in the Senegambia: A Brief History, Social and Political Structures: Ethnic Groups of the Senegambia Region: A Brief History, Leaders of the Senegambia Region: Resistance of European Infiltration, Trade in the Senegambia Region: From the 12th to the 20th Century and Development of the Local Industries in the Senegambia Region: From the Pre-Colonial to the Colonial Periods. The infringers of my rights include: (1) Lawrence B Jah (Sierra Leonean), Teacher, Herman Gmeiner Senior Secondary School, Bakoteh, Title of the book is History of the Gambia Made Simple. After Mr. Jah and Mr. Mohamed Kebbi produced their pamphlets, my lawyer, Mr. S. B. Semega-Janneh on the 13th June 2007, wrote to them on behalf of Dr. Florence Mahoney and on my own behalf, telling them of their deceitful acts and to stop selling their books in the Senior Secondary Schools. However, Mr. Jah continued to sell his pamphlet in such schools as St Joseph’s Senior Secondary, St. Augustine’s Secondary School and St. Peter’s Senior Secondary School to name a few. Furthermore, Mr. Lawrence Jah completely ignored the warning from my lawyer and was so successful in the sale of the pamphlet that in 2013, he produced a revised version of History of the Gambia Made Simple but made sure that he corrected some of the factual and grammatical errors that I pointed out in the open letter, dated 08/01/07 that I sent to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education entitled ‘Worthless History Pamphlets in Upper Basic and Senior Secondary schools in the Gambia’ . Mr. Jah’s book, History of the Gambia Made Simple is still widely circulated in schools in The Gambia. (2) Michael Goba (Sierra Leonean) Teacher, Gambia Senior Secondary School. Title of the book Mastering Gambian History. He has produced a first and second edition of his pamphlet. (3) Mohamed J Kebbie (Sierra Leonean) Teacher, Hermann Gmeiner Senior Secondary School, Title of the pamphlet, A History of The Gambia up to 1985.(4) Ahmed Lamin Conteh and Mac Collier ( Sierra Leoneans), the school of Mr. Conteh has yet to be identified but Mr. Mac Collier is a Teachers Nusrat Senior Secondary School. Title of pamphlet Topics in Gambian History for senior secondary schools With model questions and answers. (5) Emmanuel Charles (Sierra Leonean) (Teacher, Masroor Senior Secondary School, Old Yundum, Title of the pamphlet, Groundwork of history of The Gambia. (6) Ibrahim Ceesay and Mustapha Ceesay (probably Gambians). The schools of these offenders have yet to be verified though they acknowledged the support and encouragement, of one Mr. Momodou Samateh, principal of Kinderdorf Bottrop Upper Basic and Senior Secondary schools, Brikama. Title of the pamphlet, Mastering Gambian History with ease, (7) Chris O.S Anhenrio-Ihensekhien (Nigerian), Teacher, Muslim Senior Secondary School. Title of pamphlet, Gambian History made Simple and (8) Muhammed T Jorbateh (Gambian) Teacher, Kotu Senior Secondary School, Title of pamphlet, Understanding Gambian History: A senior secondary school history text.
I take this opportunity to remind these infringers and racketeers that I have spent a lot of time, money and energy to produce these works and that I pay my taxes. Unfortunately, the proliferation of pamphlets in our schools, produced by these charlatans who force them on their students has, for me resulted in the stockpiling of unsold books, some printed as far back as the 1990s. And although I have written a lot on the history, culture and traditions of the people of The Gambia, based on the West African Examinations (WAEC) History syllabus, today, my books are gradually being taken out of the school system while the producers of pamphlets enrich themselves.
I further notify all concerned persons that the search continues for other racketeers whose nefarious activities, (like those named above) leave much to be desired. I want to further notify the above named and other unscrupulous persons who assist them that, there is the Copyright Act of 2004 which protects me (like many others) as an original creator of my works and I will not rest until all persons who have infringed my works are brought to book.
Signed
Patience Sonko-Godwin
Historian, Author, Researcher
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