Fatou Jawo, 21-years -old accountant student at the University of The Gambia has told The Voice that she demanded her divorce from her former husband Sheikh Ahmad Ceesay based on her strong conviction that she made the wrong move barely two months into the married.
The Kanifing Cadi Court delivered a landmark judgment yesterday, before a crowded courtroom that Fatou Jawo should return back to the married of Sheikh Ahmad Ceesay or pay back the dowry, gifts and all the monies spent on her during the married.
Fatou Jawo said in her response to the court’s verdict; “Am really surprised with the judgment because am asked to pay for things that I never requested for neither receive nor use and I think the verdict of the court is not fair on my site.
A lot of things have been said about me on social media and I believe the statements and audios circulated by Sheikh on different social medium have a bearing in the final decision taken by the court.”
She said she has been judge even before the trial took place as everyone believe what has been said on the social media, adding that talking to media is an opportunity that will enable people with reasons and authority to help her during this difficult times.
“I met with Sheikh Ahmad Ceesay at the University, he requested by number by using a fellow and what follows next is series of calls and an extended invitation. When I finally meet him he requested my hands in marriage that I rejected base on the fact that I have gone far into my studies and I suggested to her that I will only like to marry after my graduation. He persisted that he just wants the knot to be tied because there is no guarantee that I will get married to him after I finish my course,” Jawo revealed.
According to her, the moment Sheikh started dashing out gifts to her, she asked him to stop as the family becomes concern on how she was getting valuable materials in her possession, adding that he calls on the attention of Sheikh to make a stop to it but to no avail as he persisted that they are gift that he does wholeheartedly.
“I never demanded any gift from him and it was on the 31st of May, 2018 when he brought ten different types of clothes for me and when I demanded my divorce he brings a consolation letter and a laptop to appease me but I asked him to get them from my house which he never did. When we got married he only bought one cloth for me for the Tobaski but never bought any vehicle for me and I never asked him to pay a driving school for me and he never paid for my tuition fees,” Jawo revealed.
She said when she realized through investigations that Sheikh married and divorce four young girls of her age couple with the fact that marrying to him because more harms than good between her and her family she feels the best thing is to seek divorce from him.
“My reasons for going to the court is based on the fact that Sheikh has been lying to me and he started mixing up my family I got the feelings that the best thing to do is to seek divorce. I strongly believe that he is only interested to know me as a woman but never have interest for my personality and my plans to contribute my quota towards the development of my country which I make clear to him before marriage but he insisted to have canal knowledge of me which I also insisted until I finish school,” she disclosed.
Jawo told The Voice that her major concern is that Sheikh has been diagnosed with sexually related infection which he never disclosed her after so many requests, adding that this also influence her decision to seek divorce from him.
Fatou summed that she took the verdict of the court in good fate and all arrangement are on course to adhering to the decision of the court, adding that she has no plan to appeal to the court but to put all her energy to her academic work.
However, Sheikh Ahmad Tijan Ceesay who also spoke to The Voice disclosed that the Cadi has taken a decision which is from the teachings of the holy prophet Muhammed (SAW) and made a judgment that doesn’t go in his favour neither Fatou Jawo based on the teachings of Islam.
He disclosed that the verdict was taken based on the fact that he was not taking care of her but the fact that she asked to pull out of the marriage that is to pay back his dowry and all other expenditures incurred during the marriage.
“Am a government vendor I registered my company with the registrar of companies at the Attorney General Chambers and I was serving goods to Management Development Institute where I met Fatou Jawo, she was just from having lectures and I think the university is a right place to meet a girl and when I spoke with her on the phone she told me the only person she got is her mum and started speaking with the mum and rendered help financially,” Ceesay explained.
He said he has been doing all he can as a good husband to making her happy including giving her mum D50, 000 as well as buying clothes for her and registering her at Njie’s driving school where he paid D13, 000, adding that he would not mind to spend the same amount of money on a girls she loves and wanting to marry.
Sheikh Ahmad Ceesay said his ordeal is a learning point for everyone.
Author: Kebba Ansu Manneh