Inna lillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Raji’un.

I am speechless. Words cannot capture the magnitude of the Inspector General of Police’s loss. Alhagie Mr. Mamour Jobe. Death is a shadow that always, ALWAYS follows the body. It is a universal, inevitable phenomenon that picks the weak and the strong, the rich and the poor, the young and the old.

 “Every man must do two things alone; he must do his believing and own dying” (Martin Luther – not the King Jnr). Yes. All that lives must die. It is a debt we must pay. In the words of Hilaire Beloc, “death is what even politicians fail to bribe or swindle, bully or blackmail.” Fare thee well, IGP Mamour Jobe.

This news profoundly saddens me and the entire Gambia on the sudden passing of IGP Mamour Jobe. A formidable law enforcement officer, a man of profound intelligence and a prodigious memory. His extraordinary knowledge, considerable understanding, and sharp instincts made him a remarkable police officer to many of the Gambia Police Force.

A shattering loss for Police Security Sector Reform (SSR). My heartfelt and profound condolences to the bereaved family, my brother, and the entire Gambian Police Force, also the Republic of the Gambia. I am beset by another of the awful news of 2021. 

The Gambia Police Force has just lost a father, friend, mentor, uncle, and comrade in law enforcement. The Gambia has lost another worthy citizen. The Gambia said goodnight early to one of its best police officer of vast knowledge, a sociable person, a patriot who had strong faith in the Gambia’s growth, stability, and security.

IGP Mamour Jobe had a sharp tongue that drew from a complex mind that was very well informed about the world but even more so about the Gambia. He loved his country, and he brought a certain amount of freshness to every security offerings. 

He dared to sail effortlessly beyond the narrow boundaries of political-security issues where a culture of; see something but say nothing has held sway and kept the country on the boil. He remained committed to creating an egalitarian society and believed those police duties could and should be a force for good and for the country’s stability.

Mamour Jobe was a great patriot, a scintillating debater with a prescient mind. He put aside a career in law and opted for the police and life as a brilliant man. He gave a good account of himself. 

For a society that thrives in ambiguity and dubiety, one can understand why the nation did not call him to political office. He shot straight and often skirted on fragile ice. He was unwavering in his commitment that a new police order could be created in the Gambia Police Force.

Mamour Jobe was a brilliant, irrepressible, and a formidable police educator, a wonderful human being, a devoted husband and father, and a loyal and lovely friend to all of us who were privileged to know him. 

We first met in Serekunda, around 1987, a very close confidant to my elder brother Paa Amady Jallow. I was immediately struck by the sharpness of his mind, kindness of his heart, and selflessness of his soul. His passion for youth progress was deep and infectious. I regarded him as a brilliant person. 

I learned a lot more from him in his inquisitive and provocative discussions on a wide range of issues. I will always cherish his contribution to my intellectual and personality growth. He was simply amongst the most compelling police officers and cognitive of his generation of exceptional law enforcement officers I have ever met in the Gambia.

The Gambia has lost a blossoming brilliant police officer. I admired him, loved him, and will miss him, that infectious and mischievous smile of his, the flashes of extraordinary insight in every conversation, his uproarious laughter and joy of life, the authenticity of his humanity and irreproachable integrity and ethical life. 

IGP Mamour Jobe is gone, is unimaginable in its cruelty. However, it was a privilege to have known him, have a friendship with him, and have travelled towards educating young people’s pieces of knowledge with him. 

For that, we can all be grateful that he lived among us, enlightened young people’s lives, minds, and hearts. He inspired a lot of young and older adults.

His traducers’ reprieve is merely temporary because the issues were far more significant than any one man. 

The honour of being an outstanding police officer is both a burden and a vocation. He does not measure his relevance and friendship by those who agree with him. We are all searchers for a shining treasure called truth which is not easy to find. 

The search continues, and the beat must go on. Max Ehrmann, the great American author of the Desiderata, said it all: Speak your truth quietly and clearly, listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. He had a chance to tell us, and we thank him for that noble service to humanity.

IGP Mamour Jobe: You were so alive; ‘death’ is so inappropriate. You have transferred, transposed, translated, transited, transversed, transmuted, and transcended. 

Mamour Jobe – a decent human being: you were so gracious, soft-spoken, and open-hearted. Mamour, your faith and quiet deeds touched many, many hearts and minds. 

All things bright and beautiful; the Lord God made them all. “He gave us eyes to see them and lips that we might tell.” IGP Alhagie Mamour  Jobe (rest in peace): May Allah grant you the highest Aljannah Firdausi. Ameen. 

By Alagi Yorro Jallow