BY KABS KANU :
Former All People’s Congress ( APC ) North America Branch Assistant Organizing Secretary ,Mr. Brima Bangura of Somerset, New Jersey, who died on Tuesday October 29 was buried at the Clover Road Cemetery last Saturday. The death of Mr Bangura, who was also a socialite and a community activist , added to the grim toll of community residents who have passed away within the past year.
During the muslim funeral service held at the Andersen Funeral Home in New Brunswick, tributes were paid to the late man by family, friends and clergy .
Haja Memuna described the late BB as a good son-in-law .She noted that the goodness of an in-law is not determined by the amount of money he gives out but his character, treatment of others and his attitudes. She asked that if the late BB wronged anybody in his lifetime the offended persons should forgive him because he was a good man.
The late Mr. Bangura’s wife, Haja Tamu Bangura, described him as a dutiful husband who even did the groceries .She said that Bangura was a very loving husband who made a difference in her life and she stated that she was going to miss him but she said that God, who lent him to us has decided to take him back. She described BB as her twin partner and prayed that God would grant him eternal rest. She noted that she did not know anyone that BB had quarrelled with during the time they were together.
THE PRAYER FOR THE DEAD -JANANZA-BEING READ OVER BB’S COFFIN OUTSIDE THE FUNERAL HOME
The occasion was chaired by Sheik Bala Barrie and the funeral sermon was preached by Alhaji Hassan Savage who praised the late BB for his humility ,simplicity and good character demonstrated by the fact that he had never been seen quarrelling with anyone in the community.
THE COFFIN IS TAKEN OUT OF THE HEARSE AT THE CEMETERY
He offered words of comfort and consolation to the family and spoke about the inevitability of death.
SHEIKH BALA LEADS THE SERVICE AT THE GRAVESIDE
Alhaji Abdullah Savage , who is Chief Imam of Dawatul Haq Jamaat of Somerset, NJ , and whose sister , Haja Tamu, was married to BB, said it was another difficult time once again in the community. He said when BB got sick, he (Alhaji Savage) spiritually prepared BB’s wife, children and members of their family for the inevitable , which was why they were calm and composed while giving their tributes. He described BB indeed as a very good in-law who took care of the Imam’s father when he got sick in Freetown and even moved the old man over to his house. He has never seen BB quarrel with anyone.
THE APC NEW JERSEY MAKING A PRESENTATION TO THE FAMILY
The Imam described death as the inevitable end of man and advised the congregation to draw closer to God and shun the too much obsession with material things , which were useless.He condemned what he described as the mutual obsession with the acquisition of material wealth and the mutual competition for material possessions .He said that the danger of it is that man would remain with his obsession until his death, which would not serve him a useful purpose in eternity.
APC MEMBERS FODAY MANSARAY ( LEFT ) MARIAMA CONTEH AND MINKAILU JALLOH
He said God created man for only one purpose–to worship him–and thus worshipping God should be the primary concern of man.He admonished everybody to have courage in the face of the bereavements that have befallen the community this past year. He said that man should learn to endure trials and sufferings. The funeral home erupted with cheers when , to demonstrate his point , the muslim clergy masterfully and authoritatively used the Biblical passage in James 1 : 12 , which says : “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY KABS KANU AND APC WOMAN MARIAMA CONTEH
After the service, the muslim prayer for the dead, called Jananza, was done over the late BB’s coffin outside the funeral home , followed by the long drive to the cemetery.
THE OFFICIATING CLERGY POSE WITH KABS KANU AND MINKAILU JALLOH
The Chief Imam was assisted with the funeral service at the graveside by Alhaji Abbass Savage, Ahaji Hassan Savage, Alpha Aliru Bakarr and Sheikh Bala Barrie after which mournful muslim funeral dirges were sung as the body was lowered into the grave. BB, one of the most popular and lovable characters in New Jersey was gone , but he would never be forgotten.
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