Alhaji A.E. Cham Joof (22nd October 1924 - 2nd April 2011) better known as Cham Joof, whose proper name is Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof was a Gambian historian, politician, author, trade unionist, director of programmes at Radio Gambia and a great advocate for The Gambia's independence during the the colonial era. Before the street names in Banjul were changed Saturday 22nd August 1998, in an attempt to distant the City from its colonial past (Jim Hudgens and Richard Trillo. "The rough guide to West Africa", p274. Published by: Rough Guides, 2003. ISBN: 1843531186, 9781843531180). Cham Joof was consulted to give the history of streets in Banjul, the families that dwelled in the relevant streets, their historical accounts and importance in Senegambian history. He was born on 22nd October 1924 at 7 Griffith Street (Half-Die) in "Bathurst" now Banjul, the capital of The Gambia. He was the third child and the oldest son of Ebrima Joof (1887 - 1949) and Aji Anna Samba (1896 - 9th April 1977). On his father's side, he was a decendant of the Joof Dynasty of Sine-Saloum and the Njie Dynasty of Jolof. On his mother's side, he was a great grand-nephew of Tafsir Sa Lolly Jabou Samba (a 19th century Senegambian jihadist, military strategists and advisor to Maba Diakhou Bâ as well as commander of his army).

Cham Joof started his schooling at the age of 11 just before his 12th birthday. He attended the St. Mary’s Personage at the Priest’s Residence in 1935. Having completed his first key stage, he proceeded to St. Mary’s Kings School (St Mary's Anglican School) under the guidance of of Rev. J.C. Faye. He was there until until 1940. Having passed his Standard Four Examination, he progressed to St. Augustine’s High School (now St Augustin's Secondary School) with Alhaji Kebba Conteh, M.L Drammeh and Michael Baldeh.

Cham Joof was a passionate football player. Whilst at St. Augustine’s High School, he was selected as the School's goalkeeper. His favourite subjects included history and religious studies. He completed his schooling in 1945 which coincided with the end of World War II. After his schooling, he got a job with CFAO where he had worked as a Commercial Clerk until 1962.

On 27th April 1953, Cham Joof arrived in England as a representative of The Gambian boys scout which he headed and was invited to attend the Corronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

http://www.foroyaa.gm/modules/news/article.php?storyid=6832

http://www.foroyaa.gm/modules/news/article.php?storyid=6832 http://allafrica.com/stories/201104181232.html

Under the guidance of Rev. J. C Faye and I. M. Garba Jahumpa both of whom were friends of Cham Joof's family, Cham Joof entered politics and in 1954, he defeated his opponent Paul Njie and was elected as a Town Councillor for the Soldier Town Ward in Banjul Central. At the end of his first term in office, Cham Joof stood again in 1958 unopposed. Whilst at the Council, Cham Joof managed to hold several positions including: Chairman of the Colony Team (equivalent of the Physical Planning Unit of the Ministry for Local Government); Chairman of the Parks, Open Space and Cemetry Committee. By 1961, he was appointed as a Member of the Royal Visit Committee of Queen Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II's]] visit to The Gambia. By 1962, his second term as Councillor came to an end.

Cham Joof's major involment in politics came in ________ when he joined The Gambia Democractic Party(The GDP) which was the first political party in The Gambia formed by Rev. J. C Faye in February 1951 at the then Information Bureau at Allen Street in Banjul. Cham Joof was appointed Social Secretary of The GDP and from then on, he became prominent public figure.

Foroyaa: Can you tell us something about the political developments during the colonial era and the demand for self government? Alh. Cham Joof: I was among those who fought tooth and nail for the introduction of the franchise to all Gambians in the country. In 1958, an All Party Committee was formed, including political leaders, chiefs and citizens of the country with the aim of charting out the political destiny of the country. This committee, of which I was a member, had in a period of 18 months drawn up a comprehensive Constitution that was second to none and it goes with the Slogan “Self government now.” This committee submitted their report to the Secretary of State for the Colonies through the Governor. This was then the beginning of great political struggle for the people of the Gambia. The journey to politics was ‘slow but sure’. This then sparked the great “Bread and butter demonstration” due to the rejection by the Secretary of State of almost over 75% of the recommendations of the people of the Gambia. A demonstration was then held taking us to the Governor’s house to ask for audience with the Secretary of State for a redress in addressing the aspirations and demands of the people of the Gambia for their political rights. For the first time in the history of British brutality, a Field Force was ordered to mercilessly beat the members of the crowd who were demanding for their rights and had no stones or sticks to pay back. The Field Force used tear gas against the demonstrators to prevent them from entering government house to meet the visiting Secretary of State for the Colony. The demonstration was triggered because there was information that the Secretary of State will visit the Gambia only for a day and his schedule will be tight and that he cannot meet the people of the Gambia who wanted to meet him. The crowd insisted that they must see the Secretary of State and the then Police Superintendent, Mr. Ferguson instructed Miss Clark to type a Rights Act with the content that anybody seen at the vicinity of the Governor’s house will be tried and imprisoned for 5 years. We were then indicted as people inciting the public to disobey the laws of the land. Myself, Chrispin Grey Johnson and Mr. M.B Jones were arrested and taken to court. We were then termed as political prisoners. We objected to the presiding magistrate and told him that the instructed Miss Clark, the Secretary, to the Governor to type the Rights Act and he had witnessed all what happened. The case dragged on for 3 months and the notable lawyer Bamba Saho challenged the authority on colonialism and cited the declaration of Human Rights and Freedom to Assemble and we were freed by the then Attorney General. A Committee of Youth was formed in 1960 whose aim was to bring political unity among the political parties in the Gambia and the committee used to hire mini buses with which to go round every night and be preaching unity among political parties. The Committee told the parties that any party that fails to join the bandwagon will not be voted for in the 1960 elections. I contested against Pierre S. Njie in the 1960 Legislative Council election under the auspices of the Democratic Congress Alliance and he defeated me. In 1962, we joined the PPP to form the PPP/DCA Alliance and I again stood against P.S Njie. The greater alliance was born. I knew I was not going to win the Legislative Council election, but I upheld my moral dignity as a defector for P.S. Njie not to penetrate into the provinces. In 1961, the British Government decided to appoint P.S. Njie, who was in the minority as Chief Minister of the Gambia. This decision was against the wishes of the people because P.S Njie was in the minority and had lower numerical strength in the Council than Jawara. The Council was dissolved and a Constitutional Conference was held at Lancaster House in London, in July 1961. The date for Self Government was fixed for 1962 and Jawara was appointed Prime Minister of the Colony. In 1964, another Constitutional Conference to determine the date for independence for the Gambia was held at Marlborough House in London where all political parties were represented. The date was finally fixed for February 19th 1965. Foroyaa: Were you involved in Trade Union activities? Alh. Cham Joof: In the field of Trade Unionism, I was inspired by the spirit of symbolism of the late Edward Francis Small who formed the first trade union in the Gambia in 1929. He spearheaded a general strike in the same year which lasted for 82 days over low wages for Gambian workers. In those days there was no Wage Control Board and nobody was there to challenge that because the question was “Take it or leave it.” This attitude of nonchalance by the British towards their colonial subjects dragged on to 1961 groundnut trade season and during that season, the Gambia Workers Union decided to organise a national strike for all workers in 1961. This strike, though effective, did not last long. It lasted for about 5 days over wage disputes for daily paid workers. During that period, negotiations between the Workers Union and the Chamber of Commerce were done and the chamber of commerce agreed to meet the wage demands of the workers. The meeting was held at the GPMB Office and the Chamber of Commerce appealed for the workers to go back to work and their wages will be paid. A mass meeting of workers was held at the KGV playing ground at Half Die and the workers were there awaiting the arrival of the late M.E Jallow, the then leader of the Gambia Workers Union to report on peace negotiations with the Chamber of Commerce. On arrival, Mr. Jallow reported to the crowd the result of their successful negotiation and that all workers should return to their working place as their wage demands will be met. I mounted the stage and demanded for positive action to be taken and told all workers that we are not going back to work unless our wages were met. And then Jallow said to me ‘Ye nangee taal reewmi’ (you are setting the nation on fire), ‘maneko naako laka be turn ko doomitaal” (I will burn it until it turns to ashes) was my reply. I then led a demonstration of positive action of workers in the streets of Banjul and after our meeting Jallow was arrested and I moved the crowd to my house at Allen Street. A Strike Committee was formed and letters of protest and petitions were written and were dispatched to all international organizations, including the U.N After hearing Jallow’s arrest, I moved again with the crowd to the Police Station at Buckle Street and we demanded for his release. The World Assembly of Youth also asked for the prompt release of M. E. Jallow from prison. Seeing that all the workers in the Gambia, including commercial workers and civil servants, were behind the strikers, the government of the Gambia appealed to the government of Sierra Leone to send some security officers to come and help the police in their security work. Two Commissioners were appointed and sent to the Gambia, in the persons of Mr. Pander and Mr. Louise. These two Commissioners helped the Gambia government to prepare a wages structure and a Joint Industrial Council was appointed. I was the Chairman of the Joint Industrial Council in the early 1960s. Foroyaa: Do you have any other involvement apart from politics and trade unionism? Alh. Cham Joof: Yes, I was the founder and Secretary General of the First Gambian Youth Movement called the Central Council of Youth in the Gambia, in 1957 and I helped to build the Central Council headquarters at Allen Street. We used to organise annual youth week and sporting events. All kinds of sports were staged including cycling in which Alhagie O.B Conateh (Fisco) used to participate. In the field of scouting also, I have been named the doyen of Scouting in the Gambia. Scouting, which is a supplementary to education, was dear in my heart and I served the movement from 1938 up to date. I was the first Gambian Scout to be awarded the coveted badge known as the Wood Badge by the Chief Scout of the World at a successful training course held at the International Training Centre at Gillwell Park in Sussex, England, in 1953. I was also appointed by the Gambia Scouts Council to represent the youths at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in June 1953. I also had the opportunity to be selected as the Leader of the Gambia Contingent at the World Scout Jamboree held at Sutton Cold Field in Birmingham in 1957. As a scout I grew up from Wolf cum Scout, Scout Master, Commissioner in Charge of Training and retired as the President of the Gambia National Scout Council in 2005. I attended the First Pan-African Youth Movement Conference in Tunisia in 1960 and the second in 1961. I was able to meet Julius Nyerere and Kenneth Kaunda and I had the privilege of travelling with Kaunda in the same plane and we had fruitful discussions about politics. I also helped in the creation of a Unit called the Hansard Unit at the National Assembly in 2002 and I was appointed as a member of the International Committee of Dispute Resolution in 2002. I was also appointed as a member of the Dispute Tribunal Unit of the Magistrates Court in Banjul in 2003 and I retired in 2007. I am the current chairman of ECO (Education through Culture Organisation) which is an International NGO. I do part time lecture at the University of the Gambia on History and the students do come to my house for lectures. I also wrote books on various subjects in the Gambia. Foroyaa: Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. Alh. Cham Joof: It’s a pleasure.

http://archive.thepoint.gm/Opinion%20-%20Talking%20Point52.htm

Please see the result of WP:AN3#User:Halaqah reported by User:Tamsier (Result: Submitter warned) which contains a warning for you. Let me know if you have any questions. There are various steps of WP:Dispute resolution that you could take. On one of the articles where you were disputing, the two guys you were arguing with, User:Kwamikagami and User:Taivo are both experts in linguistics. From your user page it sounds like you may have expertise about Africa. Discussion is good.

You are in a surprising amount of conflict for a user who basically started work in March, 2011. Some of your edit summaries are hostile. This is not a good sign. The text on your user page is confrontational and warlike, and it speaks about losing battles. I hope that you will calm down and stick around, so that Wikipedia can benefit from your knowledge. Thank you, EdJohnston (talk) 06:13, 25 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Tamsier, I am pleased to see that you have started using "Diffs" in your latest complaints. This does at least show that you listen to what the rest of us tell you.

I think you may have misunderstood the Three Revert Rule.

• To be in breach of the Three Revert Rule, a single editor has to make more than three reverts to the same article within 24 hours.
• If an editor makes three reverts to Article A and two reverts to Article B and one to Article C, he/she has not broken the Three Revert Rule.

--Toddy1 (talk) 06:40, 25 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Per wiki policy I am notifying you of this: Hello. This message is being sent to inform you that there is currently a discussion at Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents regarding an issue with which you may have been involved. Thank you.