Mohamed Massaquoi and Alhassan Bah

Concord Times (Freetown)

OPINION
11 August 2008
Posted to the web 11 August 2008
By Oumar Farouk Sesay

I first stumbled on James Oguoguo in the pages of Concord Times sometime in 1997 and his style of writing caught my attention. I immediately added him to the list of my favourite writers.

I met the urbane and unassuming man few months later. From reading his articles I got a glimpse of his soul. I discover a man deeply reflective with a social agenda. As such meeting him was like meeting a lost friend. He was one of the few writers who gave readers a reason to keep his article for future reference.

Now fast forward to the voice of Kingsley - I called him to confirm the rumour of James' disappearance after the rebel attack. It was not the voice that told the pain but the shadow of his voice, the words were like debris of the unspoken word buried deep in the chamber of his soul. What he did not say became louder than what he said. It was apparent that James Oguoguo, the young man who clutches a dream of helping humanity was no more. His life cut short by men with maimed minds. Worst than the tragedy was the pain of not knowing how it happened and where he was buried.

Eight years since we haven't heard or read a new line from the man whose brief sting into the world and the world of journalism left a mark in us. We have no monument to lay wreaths for James but he has become a metaphor for what we have loved and lost to a senseless war.

Life is about letting a bit of us rob off in others as we trekked to the cemetery in the end of town to decay. Wherever OGUOGUO may be it is certain that his glow and his humanity robbed off in many of us. That glow we must pass on to others to mock the mortality of James the rebel took away.

As we join Concord Times to celebrate the life of James Oguoguo, we must remember that he was a Nigerian, who struggled with us, and lost his life together with other Nigerians and Sierra Leonean so that we shall live in relative peace and harmony.

Those bland minds among us who preach hate against Nigerians must remember that we are here because the likes of James died for our freedom while fighting in the battle front of ideas. He did not ask for nationality when he took up his pen to fight for the injustice in our country. We must remember that and treat all foreign national as individuals with their fear share of good and bad people just like us. This I think will be a fitting monument to James Oguoguo. And on that monument I plant a flower of hope.

May his soul sojourn with the ancestors and his spirit live in us for eternity!