As the Freedom Newspaper commemorate its two year anniversary today, our Banjul Bureau Chief Landing Badjie went around town to sample the views of Gambians about the Freedom Newspaper. The idea for this important opinion survey is to empower our readers to air their views about the Freedom Newspaper and what needs to be done to improve the leading paper. People from various walks of life, including APRC supporters participated in this survey. Interviewees say they don’t want their pictures to appear on Freedom for fear of reprisal from the state. The Gambian Public have spoken, Freedom is celebrating. Below is the random survey. Please read on….

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It was a sunny day at the West Field busy intersection. Travelers were busy boarding cars, while market vendors walked by. My first guest was Fodayba Samateh, an internet operator at West Field. I first asked him his views about the Freedom Newspaper since the paper is celebrating its two year anniversary. And this is what Fodayba Samateh had to say: I have been reading the Freedom Newspaper for two years now. The paper has been an excellent source of information for me. The factual aspect of this newspaper has made me love it more than our local newspapers. I have always got the news I wanted from this paper and I always code named it “Leading Newspaper with my friends.” Some times we only say Leading then they can understand. This is because the many expositions of the wrong doings that go on in a country where there is no freedom of speech, has been covered by other members of the media in the like of Observer Newspaper. We don't pay for news on the net but we get it and it is pertinent to know as it is happening.

The fear I have only is the government's meddling in the affairs of the paper instilling fear in the minds of Gambians. Most of the things happening are highlighted by this leading paper and no one dares to say it even if you see it happening. It is our breakfast and dinner paper. I always browse it when I need news about the country. I was fascinated by the beating of Edward Singhateh. No other person could publish such news. But after listening to those that read the news and their reaction I was made to know that the Freedom Newspaper was right and is always right.

In my cafe many people come to browse but do it secretly if they want to go to the website. This is only to safeguard them from NIAS who are often reading the paper themselves.

My main advise for them is that they should continue giving us the news we so desire even though we cannot change the situation. Knowing it is better than being in the dark always without knowing or exposing practices of our political big guns who had earlier on raged war on corruption in 1994.

The paper has shaken The Gambia on its feet. Many people do things now with the fear that anyone could be a reporter to report them to the paper. This is good, it brings check and balances in society although our government does not give in at all to wrong doing.

Bravo to our leading paper! Long live Pa Nderry and his team and long live its numerous reporters. God bless and be your guide always.

Modou Touray, Businessman: I’m an APRC supporter. In the beginning, I was over carried by what I used to hear in our offices, party campaigns, Parliament and other business places about the agenda of the Freedom Newspaper. They say your paper is anti Government, anti establishment and all that sort. I personally hear Saja Taal and Fatou Jahumpa Ceesay saying that the Freedom Newspaper is a hate paper and should banned in the country. I was among the subscribers of your paper, when it was hacked. Though, I registered under a pen name.

I must admit that your paper is not very popular within our party circles. They think that the Freedom Newspaper is enabling the President to know some of the buried stories on the ground. Many were arrested and charged based on corruption stories you published about such public officials. I must also hasten to add that some of the security issues you reported online also created some panics within the military.

Overall, your paper is doing a fine job. I think it’s unfair for the President to see you as enemies of the state. He reads your paper every day and make informed decisions about what he read despite his opposition against your paper.

I have stopped buying the Daily Observer. Why should I waste my money on a paper which is not reporting the truth? I rather pay and access the Freedom Newspaper, than to buy the Observer. This is the only paper telling us about the true story about our Government and the country.

Fatou Taal: My son in America often called asking me if I was aware of some of the stories reported by the Freedom Newspaper. Through my son, I started developing interest browsing the internet. Each morning, I have to read the Freedom Newspaper. The paper did a fine work during the Local Government Elections campaign.

It was the Freedom Newspaper who reported the dismissal of Mayor Jeng and his acquittal by the courts. I think the Freedom Newspaper should be allowed to open a media house in The Gambia. The President will do himself great deal if he allows papers like Freedom to be here. Democracy is all about press freedom. The Freedom Newspaper is a national paper. It’s educating Gambians and other nationals alike. Happy anniversary to the Freedom Newspaper. I like your paper. It’s the best paper in The Gambia.

Lamin Jallow: Your paper should cease the negative coverage against the Government. After all, this is our country. You need to cover the President’s developmental programs. Many people reads your paper and anything reported by the Freedom Newspaper whether true or false is bound to have an adverse effect on Government. I think you guys should develop to accept the President as our leader and stop painting him as a bad man. Jammeh is our leader whether you like it or not.

I read your paper because the paper is well connected when it comes to sources. Most of your stories are factual. You need to cover government programs as well. Not Jammeh every time.

A Concerned Lawyer name withheld: I will start by thanking your hard working editorial staff. I must say that the Freedom Newspaper is doing a fantastic job. Keep up the good work and remember that all meaningful Gambians cherish what you are doing. I have since stopped buying local papers. I read the Freedom Newspaper every morning before going to court. I also read the paper before going to bed. This our true source of news. The elite population are proud of you. No wonder the President wants to see this paper closed.

You guys are making history and should never relent on your efforts in making The Gambia a just and peaceful nation to live. We are proud of you. Happy anniversary Freedom.

Modou L. Gibba, police officer commonly known as Gibbs. He lives at Bundung Freetown: Well, I am afraid to talk! Firstly because of my position as a police man and the government's stance against such an informative paper. I think the editors are not Gambians because I remember when the government apprehended quite a good number of people for their contribution to the paper. Many of them were sent to jail and later released, others ran away and others were sacked and humiliated. This was because the paper was hitting the right targets and those targets were afraid of their image, but could do nothing to curb the situation but to catch innocent people. Well that was the time I started stealing time to read the Freedom Newspaper in hiding and today thousands craved to read the paper with enough news to follow.

For the paper, it is on the spot news and they are always ahead of time. I kept wondering why they beat those on the ground , that is why I said they are not Gambians but foreigners who risk their lives to send very factual news.

I want to thank them for a work well done. They have enhanced my job because many bad things that were meeting us now seem to be down because of the fear of the Freedom Newspaper. I read with pleasure about lots of burning issues especially from the State House. This is amazing indeed. The President should know that no body supports his actions against our people, but we all fear to say it or else we would find ourselves six feet deep.

The Freedom Newspaper is a shinning paper. It is loaded with news, especially current news. Many offices I have been to log in to see what the latest is but no one talks. They would only say did you hear Freedom? This is scandalous about our country. Others would say, yes it is happening. My word of advise is if any one is reporting for the paper should be a professional and to know what he or she does and to continue sending factual reports as always, because before the world would knows that it is factual but you are punished for it. In some cases, people associated with Freedom went missing. May God forbid!

May the paper live long, may it serve us and may the message enter deep down in those who do the wrong things that are exposed. Fellow subscribers God be with you daily and you read the truth from the leading newspaper on line.

Karafa Tamba: I think you guys are denying development to this country. The stories I read on Freedom are meant to scare investors. Remember that we all lived in this country. You need to censor some of the stories coming to your paper. Some people writes out of vengeance and jealousy. The President will leave one day and the Gambia will remain. So you should not dwell too much time on him. That’s my view about the Freedom Newspaper.

Bakary Sanneh, a Teacher: I’m a teacher by profession. The Freedom Newspaper is the only hope for Gambians. It is the bastion of hope for Gambians. Where the Daily Observer or other papers are afraid to report certain stories affecting Government officials including the President, the Freedom Newspaper would publish the story. Gambians have confidence in Freedom. We the Civil Servants have confidence in Freedom. It’s out to expose injustice, corruption and other social vices inimical to development. I salute your gallant staffers. You are the true sons of our land. Patriotism is measured based on one’s commitment to serve his her country. You have truly demonstrated to be the true patriots. Well done Freedom.

Soldier A Jammeh: I decided to give you my first initial to avoid being in trouble. There are many soldiers with the first initial A Jammeh. I like your paper because the stories you report are factual. One of your contributors who I believed is a colleague Lamarana Jallow is doing a fine job. He relayed most of our concerns and needs through your media outlet.

In The army today, if you are not a Jolla like myself you will not enjoy. Despite being a Jolla, I dislikes how the President is marginalizing other tribes in the Force. I’m a Jolla different from Oga Jammeh. I can bet that if there is changes today, I have nothing to answer to. I have not killed or harassed any Gambian. I hate Jammeh and all his hypocrisy.

I urge your staffers to keep up the good work. We the soldiers are reading everything that’s reported on Freedom. We believe in your stories. This country has been reduced to Oga’s property.

Pa Badjie, a Taxi Driver: I’m a Gambian, anything that will spoil Gambia I will hate it. At first, when the Freedom Newspaper showed up it was fearful and we thought that it was bad for our country. But when I kept checking the net I realized that there was good news but again I had to be cautious before I’m picked up like the others who suffered for nothing. After closing from my driving I must go and look at the site to see what truly is happening in my country. Through the paper, I got to know a lot about the country, the leaders, and their attitude toward their opposition members. I often read stories first before I even see it on the other two papers, of course Observer does not mention a lot of the stories in the Freedom newspaper. This is sad and we have discovered that we cannot rely on Observer because President Jammeh is the proprietor so they will sing all about him.

The second anniversary of the Freedom Newspaper should mean a lot to those who set it up and those who upkeep it and for those who read it around the world. It is amazing to learn about things happening to even President Yayah Jammeh who is said to be curing diabetes but suffers from it himself. I did not know that till I saw it in the paper. Whether it is true or not, the paper has not told me lies before I must believe it because he often looks tired and his voice sounds like a sick or suffering man. The second anniversary does not feel second anniversary but like a paper of fifteen twenty years. I think people should support the paper to grow by giving us the news that is good for consumption.

But may I ask a favor from the paper! Could the paper try to know how much money Jammeh has that he lavishes on funny things around the country? We are afraid to ask him because he would just say Allah is my Bank. I want to thank the staff of the Newspaper for letting us know about President Jammeh's wife going to breast feed in Morocco. This was fantastic, keep it up and God bless you.