Held at the UTG Brikama campus, the event was attended by the acting dean, School of Arts and Sciences, lecturers and students.
Speaking at the occasion, the acting dean, School of Arts and Sciences, Dr Pierre Gomez described the late Dr Taal as a very humble person, open to all and someone who has sacrificed for his country and the university in particular.
“Dr Taal served The Gambia at different levels and he gave his best to the country and the university. It is now your responsibility as students to take his teachings further and do as he did. He was a good colleague who sacrificed for his country. He was a very humble man, very open and always ready to share knowledge with all. He was a master in his area and is good in all other academic disciplines.”
Mustapha Kah, a former student of Dr Taal depicted the man who had positively impacted his life.
He said: “Dr Taal was an adviser to me and he gave me my first job. The first thing he taught me was critical thinking when I was doing a course called Comparative Ideologies with him. To be a friend of Dr Taal, one has to think outside the box. The greatest feature of Dr Taal was humility. He interacted with everyone, be it in his house or in the streets. He also interacted with renowned personalities in the world. Saja was the type who does not accept mediocrity. He gave his best to his students but also expect the best from them.”
Other speakers included Samba Bah, Sait Matty Jaw, Assan Nyang and other students of Dr Taal. They described the late Saja as not only a mentor and a role model but a father and also a giant of history who was ever ready to share his knowledge and life experience with his students. They described him as tutor who in many ways positively impacted their lives as academics and that he did not only limit himself in the class room but goes further in search for knowledge and to share what he had. They all depicted him as a hero who instilled critical thinking in the minds of his students and has left a legacy that can be learned.”
By Essa Njie
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