Opinion
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Mr Samuel Gibba and the Rt Rev Michael Cleary:
An unwarranted attack on the Bishop of Banjul (part 1)
By SHM Jones
Jan 27, 2005, 08:09

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In a letter which appeared in your issue for Monday 10th January 2005, under the caption:
“Disapproval of Bishop cleary’s call for Civil strife”
Mr Samuel Gibba launched a diatribe against the Bishop of Banjul.

Although the Rev Francis Eyo, MSP has given a convincing rebuttal of the allegations made by Mr Gibba in your issue of 17th January, I fear carping critics may choose to latch on to the fact that:

1. The Rev Fr Eyo has done so merely out of loyalty to the head of the Roman Catholic Church in The Gambia.
2. He is a Nigerian - a “foreigner,” who is temporarily working in The Gambia and then proceed to dismiss his well-reasoned rejoinder.

Because of these two possible objections, I consider it my duty as a “son of the soil” who is not one of the Bishop’s flock, to defend him. It is my considered opinion that he has been unjustly traduced by Mr Gibba.

Let me begin by establishing, so to speak, my credentials for undertaking the defence of the integrity of the Rt Rev Michael Clearly, the present incumbent of the high office of Bishop of the Diocese of Banjul and the dignity and prestige of that office.

I have known Bishop Clearly for over fifty years. In the fifties, he and I were colleagues in the Teaching Profession; he was on the staff of St Augustine Secondary School, while I was on the staff of the Methodist Boys’ High School. In the sixties when I was no longer in the classroom but in Government Service, serving first as Education Officer (Protectorate) and subsequently as Director of Education, we attended many meetings at home and abroad together.

By the time of my return to The Gambia in the nineties after a long sojourn in the United Kingdom, he had been translated to the exalted office of Bishop of the Diocese of Banjul, head of the Roman Catholic Church in The Gambia.
The second point I wish to make at the outset is that I acknowledge Mr Gibba’s right to express his opinion on anyone, be he a Bishop, a Blacksmith or a Beggar. However, he has no right whatsoever to couch his remarks on Bishop Cleary or anyone, indeed for that matter, in language that is grossly offensive and highly disrespectful.

Africans generally take pride in telling people of other Races about the high regard they have for their Elders- now referred to in Britain as SENIOR CITIZENS - and the respect they show towards them. They often boast of the fact that in this matter, they have nothing to learn from non-Africans.

It is the case that in our own Society they are cared for by their kith and kin, within the context of THE EXTENDED FAMILY SYSTEM, where their role is that of the revered Transmitters of the MORES - the beliefs, customs, traditions, history, myths etc - of our culture from one generation to another.

Many of my Compatriots will have read with disbelief not only the very strong language which Mr Gibba used but also the very serious allegations he made against the Bishop. In my opinion, he acted in a most un-African manner towards a Senior Citizen, admittedly a native of another Country, but nevertheless, deserving of respect and courtesy from all of us, his host.

In his letter, Mr Gibba baldly states that Bishop Cleary is;
1. a Hypocrite;
2. failing in the discharge of his Priestly duties;
3. irresponsible in inciting civil strife;
4. a man of loose morals: not his words, but my own interpretation of “moral turpitude”, which expression he mentioned in his letter and
5. “now identified by the Gambian Society as a septic sore in the body of hitherto healthy nation”.

In order for me to examine each of these allegations, it has occurred to me that it may be helpful to Readers if for the purpose of this exercise, I assume my former role as a School Master.

I will now pose five questions based on the allegations and request you, Gentle Readers, to mark them. Please do so in the manner used by Examiners in the marking of the Objective type test papers- that is to say, to indicate whether the answers are “YES” or “NO”, if “YES”, then the allegation is TRUE, if “NO” then the allegation is FALSE.
Firstly, Mr Gibba asserts that Bishop Cleary seem to be:
“more concerned about the unfortunate attacks on the media in The Gambia than in the terrorist attacks on the people of Ireland for their religious and other beliefs”

Comment
In connection with Mr Gibba’s quotation from the Bible he does not state what “the plank of word” in Bishop Cleary’s eye is; I suspect he is referring to “THE TROUBLES” of Northern Ireland. He therefore infers that as long as the situation in that part of Ireland remains in the state in which it is; and as long as Bishop Cleary, presumably does not take any steps to improve it, he must be one to whom the words of Jesus apply, in the context in which He used the phrase; namely, a Hypocrite.

The Questions which I would like Mr Gibba to answer are:
a. How can an individual who has not been living in Ireland for over fifty years solve the undoubtedly difficult problems which his Superiors and countless other people (Politicians, Religious Leaders and an array of men and women of goodwill) on the spot have still not been able to solve.
b. Does Bishop Cleary’s inability to solve the problems of Northern Ireland disqualify him from expressing his views on the cold -blooded murder of one of our leading journalists?
With this background information in mind, please answer the following question.
Question 1
Is Bishop Cleary a hypocrite?
Secondly, Mr Gibba states: “Bishop you are losing your grip”

I understand this to mean that the Bishop is failing in the discharge of his Priestly duties and, presumably, according to Mr Gibba, not giving the leadership expected of him.

It is the case that during the Episcopate of Bishop Cleary, the Roman Catholic Church has made tremendous progress. Evidence of this can be clearly seen from the following facts:
a. Many new Churches have been built and consecrated in different parts of the country. It is understood that as many as six such Churches were consecrated during the last twelve months.
b. Many young men have been Ordained into the Priesthood.
c. Many young women have “taken the Veil”
d. Several new Congregations of Nuns have been established in The Gambia.
e. The Languages spoken in The Gambia are given a prominent place in the Services of the Church.

Admittedly the use of Gambian languages in THE MASS pre-dated the elevation of the Rev Fr Cleary to the Bishopric. However, there is no doubt that this development has received a great fillip since then.
(i) Passages in the Bible are regularly read in Wollof, Fula, Jola, Karoninka, Manjago, and Mankangne.
(ii) Prayers are offered in these languages
(iii) Sermons are preached in them.
(iv) Hymns and Songs of praise are rendered in them.
(v) African Musical Instruments are used in Church Services, side by side with the traditional Organ and Piano of Western Culture.
This is a truly impressive record of development, which have largely taken place during the Episcopate of Bishop Cleary.
With this background information in mind, please answer the following question.

To be continued

© Copyright 2003 by Observer Company

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