Donning an embroidered enveloping haftan with a white turban that has come to become his trademark, Bakawsu is a scholar of repute in the Gambia.
He was forced out the country’s shores after the administration that was found his preaching threat to their doings. There have been some squabbles and fire spat between the Sukuta-born cleric and erstwhile leader Jammeh who was at the height of his powers.
One of few muslim scholars to have spoken up against repressive actions of the very military flavoured reign of Jammeh, Bakawsu turned centre of public attention. Jammeh viewed him through the lense of a rival and did his utmost to wipe him off or rather get rid of him.
Now based in Equatorial Guinea in isolation, Jammeh managed achieving his aim -getting rid of the “stubborn” imam who exited albeit in dramatic circumstances to neighbouring Cassamance where, by virture of his teachings, he also garnered adulation.
When the Kanilai-born man was deposed by Barrow in 2016, the change of power paved way for his return -a rambunctious one at that and when he finally did, there was TRRC, a committee offering him the platform to narrate his ordeals.
The occasion came last year this day. Wearing an embroidered haftan, the proceeding went smoothly but there came this moment which stole the show -the intermittent times when he will pull off his kettle and sip water through it.
The stunts went viral as social media went ballistic about it with several imitations.
