On Wednesday March 6th 2019, the people of Baddibou Kerewan woke to the sad and sudden news of the demise of our beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Alh Fafanding Nanding Ceesay. The said Alh Fafanding Nanding was a prominent community leader, Islamic Scholar, educationist and Imam of the Kerewan Central Mosque. He was a well-known person throughout the North Bank, across the Gambia and in neighbouring Senegal. The news of his passing has therefore come as a heartbreak not only to the Ceesay Kunda Family and Kerewan, but also to the people of Salikenni and Katchang, the entire North Bank and to Mother Gambia and Senegal at large.
That fateful Wednesday marked the departure of a great man of high respect, integrity, honour and trustworthiness. The late Fafanding Nanding was a torchbearer of Islamic education in Baddibou Kerewan. Along with other great men of Kerewan such as Alh Dembo Fula Ceesay, Alh Secka Jawara and the likes, Fafanding Nanding has championed the initiation, maintenance and development of Islamic religious education in Baddibou Kerewan. These prodigious men were the founders and the backbone of the Kerewan Arabic School and Imam Fafanding has been the founding President (Chairman) of the School since its inception dating as far back as several decades. Fortunately, Kerewan Arabic School can pride itself with the production of certain outstanding and well-known Islamic Scholars such as Alh Bakemo Mamadou Suruwa Fatty, Ismaela Jonkunda Fatty, Alagie Dembo Sheriff Jawara, Alh Alagie Kuwanku, Sheikh Ba Fanding Wasa Hydara, Alh Kalifa Fafanding Nanding Ceesay of the Islamic University of Riyad Saudi Arabia, and many other prominent scholars of the Gambia.
The late Imam Fafanding Nanding has devoted his entire life to the promotion, development and maintenance of Islam, social wellbeing and community development. Admiringly, the said Imam Fafanding has also instilled Islamic knowledge, socio cultural and moral consciousness in all his children, grandchildren and others and he always preached Islam and goodliness. His was indeed an exemplary life, alhamudlilLah. On behalf of Dad Alh foday Nanding Ceesay and family, bro Masanneh Ceesay, all the children of the late Fafanding Nanding, and on my own humble behalf, I wish to extend our sincere thanks and appreciations to the god people of Kerewan, Baddibou, Gambia and Senegal for all their sympathy, condolences and sincere prayers. May Allah SWT reward all of you and grant the decease Jannatul Firdaus. Ameen.
Alh Yahya Ceesay
Greenwich, London
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