Horomsi: UDP Leader, And His Deputy In The US!!!

Is The Point Newspaper Serving As Spokesman For Gov’t ?

What is happening with the Gambian media? How comes that such a major story is being missed? Guess what? The UDP leader Ousainou Darboe, and his Deputy Yahya Jallow are on a visit to the United States. They have been here for over a week now. Perhaps, the jailing of the six journalists might have diverted the media’s attention. Everyone is mourning. The GPU six have been jailed for nothing. They are victims of state power abuse.

What is evident though, Yahya Jammeh has succeeded in taming local journalists. There is news scarcity everywhere. There are stories, but very few journalists are brave enough to pursue such stories.  Local journalists are extra careful about what they report these days.

Yahya wants to keep the GPU six in jail, until after the 2010 elections, according to a close confidant of the President. Jilanka said this would help him to win the elections because in his own words “ these are the most experienced journalists in the country. Locking them up, will prevent the world from knowing  what is going on here.  It would also scare other reporters from writing stories critical of the Government.”  

If any of you thinks that the GPU six would return home pretty soon, you  better give up. Jammeh is determined to keeping them in prison until after the polls. He was rejoicing after the verdict was handed down. He thinks this is an opportunity for him to cripple the private media.

The GPU six would only be released,  if the military decides to topple Jammeh’s Government. This is the only available option for them. No court can set them free. The courts belongs to Jammeh. He directs the Chief Justice, and other judges as to what to do.

    Is The Point Newspaper Serving As Gov’t  Spokesperson

The Point Newspaper recently carried an interesting editorial. The paper tried to dispel rumors that its editor Pap Saine collapsed in prison, and was hospitalized overnight.  I think the story was reported by the Associated Press (AP) and the Freedom Newspaper.

Fine, there is nothing wrong to set the records straight, but the Point editorial left many to question if the paper was holding brief for the Government. The editorial sounds like a PR propaganda.

Fact number one: The Point never detained Pap Saine, but Jammeh’s Government. I think the most honorable thing the paper should have done was to challenge  the Government to shed light on the story. There was no rebuttal from the Government's side. The Point merely quoted colleagues of  Mr. Saine as saying that the journalists were in high spirit. That's not enough.

In order for the Point editorial to pass credibility test, it must also include the Government’s version. We expect prisons, or Interior Ministry officials to state their side of the story on Pap Saine’s admission .   

We are not convinced that the Point has done a good journalistic job in the case of  their boss’s health controversy. The paper ought to have cited Government sources  in their rebuttal of our story. This would give some degree of credibility to their claims.

In view of the foregoing reasons, the Point is equally guilty of spreading unconfirmed rumors. The accuser is not better than the accused. I think the paper owes an apology to both the AP, and the Freedom Newspaper.  We need facts, and not fiction.