By Devon Evans, Gleaner WriterOCHO RIOS, St. Ann:
RESIDENTS OF Nine Miles in St. Ann are raging mad over recent reports in the press that Rita Marley, widow of the late Bob Marley, was planning to remove his body from its resting place in the community to a final resting place in Ethiopia, later this year.
Declaring that they are already prepared to physically resist any attempts to remove the body of the late reggae icon, from Nine Miles, several of the residents pointed out that such a move would be devastating to the entire area and that they will not stand by and see the main sources of livelihood taken away from them.
"How dem fi move our flower from out a our garden, wi naah mek dat happen," said Irue, a dub poet living in Nine Miles.
When The Gleaner visited Nine Miles last Thursday, only a few of the residents were seen along the way, as most, including close relatives of Marley were said to be out in the fields looking after their crops.
AGAINST THE REMOVAL
However, scores of visitors who were seen touring the Marley mausoleum, as well as taxi operators, were openly against the removal of Marley from Jamaica.
Citing the mausoleum as a source of development for Nine Miles and adjoining districts, one elderly resident said the improvement to roads, water supply and other areas of development would not have come about if Bob Marley was not resting there.
"This entire south region of St. Ann is solely dependent on farming and with the continued downturn in production aggravated by the destruction caused by Hurricane Ivan, tours to Nine Miles have become the only other available source for bringing an income to some of the people."
"Only repatriation can mek him lef yah," declared Jonathan 'Fuzzy' Braham, a cousin
of Bob Marley and who is the caretaker of the premises on which Marley mausoleum is located.
Braham went to school with Marley at the Stephney All-Age School in the adjoining community.
He said none of the relatives including Marley's mother, Mrs. Cedella Booker, or the people of Nine Miles would agree with any plans to remove his remains to anywhere outside the community.
"I think that not only the people of Nine Miles but all Jamaicans would strongly object to any such move," Brahman assured.
BLOOD SHED
That possibility was reassured by Wilbert 'Yotto' Brown, a Rastafarian who recalled an incident some five years ago in the community which nearly led to 'blood shed', when the tomb was opened to allow morticians to turn around the casket.
Brown explained that Marley visioned his mother and the 'abuna' who delivered the final rites, that his head was turned in the wrong direction, and that arrangement was made to have the tomb opened and the casket placed in the position Marley had requested in the vision.
He said, "When de people dem inna de area si wah gwaan, all a dem tek up dem cutlass and gather up at de gate, saying him nah lef yah."
'Yotto' said that was about the first time it was reported that Rita Marley was planning to repatriate Bob to Africa and that the residents who had heard the report had become infuriated by the presence of the group of 'strange' people at the tomb so late at night.
He warned that any attempt to remove the reggae icon from 'Zion' (the Nine Miles resting place) will be met with an even more forceful resistance. Tour guides Joseph Powell and Judah who both live in Nine Miles agreed. "It nuh gwine happen," Powell reasoned.
While Judah believed that during the fulfilment of prophecy, Marley will be repatriated to Africa. He was forthright in saying that his removal will not be done out of the ego and ignorance of man."
A HOLY PLACE
Sonia Bisocchi, an Italian living in Jamaica, describes Marley's resting place in Nine Miles as a holy place and hoped that he will not be removed to Africa. "I know that was his biggest dream but he was buried here so let him remain here.
Two Italian visitors, Cladio Tosilli and his wife Capozzielli Assandro, spoke with the Gleaner shortly after completing their tour and they both felt it would be an unwise decision to take the remains out of the country.
One of the most important benefits to the people of Nine Miles from the Bob Marley legacy is the establishment of the Cedella Booker Basic School in the community, now providing early childhood education for approximately sixty (60) children as well as employment for three teachers and a cook. Principal of the school, Mrs. Edna Lawrence, was grateful for the facility.
The residents are adamant that because Marley originates from Nine Miles the people of the area deserve any reward that they receive from him being there.
On leaving the Marley premises at Nine Miles the gatekeeper, Paul Ruddock, utter a reminder "Only repatriation can remove Bob Marley from Nine Miles."
