I had been a radical and very eloquent journalist and political participant at FBC. I virtually controlled the media. My biting articles attacking the government downtown , the college administration and students union government were drawing crowds of readers daily during breakfast, lunch and dinner. When I came to post articles at night, I would meet lecturers or the Warden of Students, Dan Decker or hall warden Dr. Simbo reading. I also had my own newspapers, Cocorioko and Spotlight Sensational . I was also a leading member of Aureol Times.
I became a kind of spokesman for the students. When allowances were delayed, students came to cry to me to blast an article because they felt Harry Sawyer, the Principal, Pa. Cole, the bursar and the college administration feared my articles. When I write, the students Union president Marcel Thomasi or Johnny Sumner or Hassan Kamara would take my articles to the administration and say : ” Pa, you see ? The students have started agitating for their allowances. Do not blame me if they go on the rampage “.
So, I was one of the students who contributed to the agitation and discontent that snowballed into the 1977 national demonstration. Soon, a revolutionary government was elected led by the Marxist- Leninist doctrinnaire, Boubaccar Njai- Bah, who appointed me the Minister of Propaganda with the specific responsibility to reorientate the minds of the students.
Be informed that though it was Hindolo Trye that pulled the trigger in 1977, the real father of the revolution was Njai – Bah . He laid the groundwork for the radicalization of students that actually started in 1974 and FBC was never that same again. There was one crisis after the other. It was Njai – Bah who radicalized Hindolo Trye. We all sat at his feet and learnt from him.
Before the students struck in 1977, Hindolo, who had maintained ties with me even though I had graduated in 1976, forewarned me that something was going to happen but he did not know the time.
The 1977 demonstration was well planned but kept a big secret. Hindolo took credit but there was another young man, Mohamed Tayibb Bah, who is saying that he actually planned and executed the big shocker during the convocation when the students struck at last as soon as Shaki started talking. The banners and placards started appearing and the catcalls of ” Tiffy, tiffy “jankoniko ” started. Shaki could not believe his eyes.
The demonstration developed and the President had to be smuggled out of the college.
That Monday, thugs attacked the campus and beat up and arrested students.
Hindolo and team were arrested after they met with Shaki at State House and an impasse developed.
Word got to me to help mobilize schoolchildren at the Brookfields and Congo Cross area where I was a famous teacher at Technical School and a syndicate evening class teacher at Roosevelt.
I went to St. Joseph’s Convent, FSSG, YWCA, Technical, Methodist Girls High School and Roosevelt and incited the students to come out into the streets and demonstrate against the attack on FBC and the arrest of Hindolo Trye and his students union team.
I had to do it because if we had not done so more students would have been arrested and the college closed for long. So, the slogan was NO COLLEGE, NO SCHOOL.
Students took over Freetown and the demonstration spread throughout the country.
Three days later, I was arrested and taken to Pademba Road Prisons.
