I simply couldn't resist it after the announcement from the Office of the Gambian President that another title was being added to the already absurd long list of titles held by the president. According to an official release, the Gambian leader will now be known formally as "His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh Babili Mansa".
Babili Mansa, we are told, means Bridge Builder, or Conqueror of Rivers, in the Mandika language. Since the figurative building of bridges or making peace is not one of President Jammeh's known characteristics, I take it that it is more the Conqueror of Rivers that the new title of Babili Mansa is meant to indicate.

Gambia's president added a title to his name which translates as "conqueror of rivers"
The President of the Republic of the Gambia, Commander in Chief, Sheikh, Professor Alhaji Dr etc etc Yahya AJJ Jammeh might think he is treading new ground; but unfortunately, we have seen it all before.
The practice of acquiring a long list of titles started with our earliest presidents as soon as independence came.
That, after all, is how our traditional chiefs are addressed and the new presidents saw themselves as big chiefs - that probably explains why they couldn't come to terms with term limits and wanted to be presidents for life.
Exactly why the title of "Dr" had to be an obligatory part of that list, I haven't worked out.

Ghana's first president was the man who started the trend for presidents to add Dr to their title
Ghana was the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence and our first president got himself suitably impressive titles, with the obligatory unearned "Dr" and with that started the practice.
He was addressed: Osagyefo, (a chief's title, said to mean Redeemer) Dr Kwame Nkrumah - Life President of the Republic of Ghana. The Life President bit was aborted when he was overthrown in a coup d'etat.

Joseph Mobutu gained the title "The Warrior who Goes from Conquest to Conquest Leaving Fire in his Wake" but kept the same hat
The sergeant-major-turned-president of Zaire, now Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Mobutu, took the trend a scale higher. He became Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Waza Banga, meaning The Warrior who Goes from Conquest to Conquest Leaving Fire in his Wake.

Malawi's "life president" was forced out of office three years before he died
Those of us of a certain age can recall that there used to be His Excellency the President, Ngwazi Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda-Life President of the Republic of Malawi. If you missed out a comma, you got into serious trouble.
Again, the Life President bit turned out to have been over-optimistic because he was forced out of State House before he died.

The CBE in the letters after Idi Amin's name stood for Conqueror of the British Empire
Then of course there was a certain embarrassment in Uganda; he had to be called: Field Marshall Dr Idi Amin Dada MC DSO CBE (Conqueror of the British Empire)-Life President of Uganda.
Once more, the Life President bit turned out to have been optimistic and he was chased out, much to the relief of everybody in 1979.

His Excellency, The President, First Secretary of the Party, Head of State and Government, Commander-in-Chief of Zimbabwe Defence Forces remains in power
In Zimbabwe, state TV refers to: His Excellency, The President, Robert Gabriel Mugabe and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
But at social events, ministers often add: Patron of War Veterans, First Secretary of the Party and Chancellor of State Universities.
And even: Supreme Leader, First Citizen of the Nation, Honorary Black Belt and Professor of Diplomacy.
He remains in post at the age of 91 and continues to befuddle all his opponents.

Her Majesty, Elizabeth II has "by the Grace of God" and "Defender of the Faith" in her full title, which is too long to fit in this caption
The obsession with titles as I have pondered in previous columns, is not reserved for only our leaders, it seems to be an African disease. Or so I thought until a friend of mine pointed out to me recently that it is not unlikely that it is something that we inherited from the British colonialists.
Indeed who else has all these Sirs, Dukes, Duchess, Baroness, Viscounts, OBEs, CBEs etc etc? We have probably simply been trying to emulate them.
The official full title of the Head of State from which we got our independence is: Her Majesty, "Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith".
Try matching that! The Bridge Builder or even Conqueror of Rivers doesn't quite have the same ring to it.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-33245094

True

A governor called himself lion of Ubima but he was roundly beaten in the polls conducted.

He made mess of the word LION

PROVACATEUR:
A governor called himself lion of Ubima but he was roundly beaten in the polls conducted.

He made mess of the word LION

And after that, as a coward.... He started making moves for election polls be cancelled when the Judas realised he has been defeated.

His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular.

sunnyb0b0:
His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular.

Lalasticlala add your own.

Another one calls himself *Jagaban* but he spends his time decieving his people and enriching his pocket.

Cc uniklinkum missy89 idrismusty89 gaborone firefire mogidi happiness87

EXCERPT ON MOBUTU

He was also the subject of one of the most pervasive personality cults of the 20th century. The evening news on television was preceded by an image of him descending through clouds like a god descending from the heavens. Portraits of him adorned many public places, and government officials wore lapels bearing his portrait. He held such titles as "Father of the Nation," "Messiah," "Guide of the Revolution," "Helmsman," "Founder," "Savior of the People," and "Supreme Combatant."

PROVACATEUR:
A governor called himself lion of Ubima but he was roundly beaten in the polls conducted.

He made mess of the word LION

Technically, he never lost an election. He reclaimed a stolen mandate and won another election in his eight years as Governor. More telling, he refused to bow to federal intimidation and played a starring role in the removal of the imbecilic airheaded half-witted cretinous dolt, former president Goodluck Jonathan. A governor removing a President? Today he is a rather prominent federal minister despite the best efforts of his many opponents and traducers.

The slayer of the behemoth PDP, remover of Presidents. I'd say he embodies lionism.

PROVACATEUR:
Another one calls himself *Jagaban* but he spends his time decieving his people and enriching his pocket.

That's a tad unenlightened. Jagaban is a Borgu chieftancy title. The bearer didn't call himself such. The title was confered. Very similar to how GEJ was confered Aarofa Ogboni by the Yoruba Ogboni cult and Dambazzau was confered Ochiaga 1 by the good people of Emelu Umuekwene in Imo state.

Talking about self titles and false grandeurs of importance, there was once a man who titled himself 'Eze Igbo Gburugburu' meaning 'King of Igbo "over all"'. Whatever he called himself is not my bi'ness and I won't mock him for it. God rest his soul.

My point being...if you want to troll, troll with a brain.

ogasnow:


Technically, he never lost an election. He reclaimed a stolen mandate and won another election in his eight years as Governor. More telling, he refused to bow to federal intimidation and played a starring role in the removal of the imbecilic airheaded half-witted cretinous dolt, former president Goodluck Jonathan. A governor removing a President? Today he is a rather prominent federal minister despite the best efforts of his many opponents and traducers.

The slayer of the behemoth PDP, remover of Presidents. I'd say he embodies lionism.

He has been used and dumped

;DTitle. Without office

Still The Gambia is among the poorest countries in Africa. A country whose major export is nothing but groundnut and they depend heavily on Senegal in terms of economic growth. Let Orji Uzor Kalu withdraw his investments the banana republic will fall like a pack of cards

I have been there and if you doubt me just google it.