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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Momodou |
Posted - 02 Oct 2023 : 14:04:38
BARROW GOES BALLISTIC ON DARBOE, PRESS
The Standard: OCTOBER 2, 2023
By Omar Bah
President Adama Barrow has accused UDP leader Ousainu Darboe of being a hypocrite for claiming that The Gambia is sliding back to dictatorship, saying if he were a dictator, media outfits like Kerr Fatou and Mengbekering would not have existed.
Reacting to Mr Darboe’s comments at the funeral of the late Nogoi Njie that the government had betrayed those who fought to end dictatorship in The Gambia and that the country was retrogressing to dictatorship, President Barrow, who is currently on a tour of rural Gambia to inaugurate roads and his party’s political bureaus, said: “They are belittling our police, claiming that the country is sliding back to dictatorship, but if dictatorship were in this country, he [Ousainu Darboe] would not have said those things and go unpunished. The police would have found him there, arrested him, and thrown him into the prison. We want to tell him that if there was no democracy in this country, Kerr Fatou and Mengbekering platforms would not have existed in this country. All these radio stations making noise would not exist in this country.”
President Barrow said his government will crack down on lawbreakers, saying lawlessness will not be tolerated.
“We have been lenient with them for too long, but we will no longer tolerate law breaking and idle rhetoric. No country can exist without laws. I was raised by religious people and taught to live a moral life. I have never been involved in any shady activities, and I have never been seen drinking alcohol.
“This Ousainu Darboe who is fighting me is the reason I didn’t perform the hajj in 2016. I refused to travel to Mecca because I wanted to stay and fight for his release from prison, and God made me a candidate. I fought against the person who incarcerated him, but ingratitude is abhorrent. I heard him say they [UDP] are living from their sweat while we are off the work of their members who sacrificed their lives. I said, listen to the words of a hypocrite. This is somebody who was arrested and tied down in one place, waiting for his time. I rescued him and appointed him vice president. So, tell me and them, who owes who? This is very sad.”
He said the NPP is focused on establishing itself across the country.
“The NPP is not here to play games. We are ready for anything. We are willing to lay down our lives for this country, and we will win because we are working hard,” he said.
Counter
In his defence of Ousainu Darboe, UDP deputy national organising secretary, Ebrima Dibba said Barrow erred in his statement.
“Firstly, to claim that he could not go on haji in 2016 because he was in charge of UDP’s money is far from reality because in the first place UDP never had any large amount of money at any time. I know this because I was part of those coordinating monies sent to him from our members in the USA,” Mr Dibba said.
On Barrow’s claim that he freed Darboe and others from prison where they were only waiting to die by sending away Jammeh who imprisoned him, Dibba said Barrow has forgotten that Darboe and fellow political prisoners were set free soon after Jammeh conceded defeat before he changed his mind and obviously before he Barrow took office.
”Besides it was we, the Gambian people, who made that change possible and not you. Your efforts could not have brought you where you are. It was the UDP that made you what you are today and Aji Yam Secka in particular who almost forced you to apply to be party’s candidate,” Dibba reminded President Barrow. |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Momodou |
Posted - 08 Oct 2023 : 23:06:42
NEVER AGAIN NETWORK
Open Letter to President Barrow: Jammeh is a bad role model
Dear President Adama Barrow,
Please allow us, with all due respect, to address this open letter to you. But before delving into the subject of our letter, please allow us to introduce ourselves. We are the Never Again Network, a post-TRRC civil society organization dedicated to supporting The Gambia’s transitional justice process and helping ensure that Never Again will our country have a dictatorship or suffer the kinds of human rights violations it suffered under the regime of former president Yahya Jammeh. The Network was created by a few former staff of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), including the Commission’s former Executive Secretary, the Coordinator of the Youth and Children’s Network Unit, a former legal consultant for the Commission, and some researchers and investigators. The Network conducts its work through purely educational means, by engaging and empowering young people and the general public through dialogue and conversation on issues of national interest.
Mr. President, we deem it necessary to add our voice to that of the Gambia Bar Association and other individuals and entities in registering our concern over the recent spate of arrests and detentions of journalists and government critics, and your own recent statements regarding your critics in the country. We are particularly alarmed at your pronouncement that there is “too much democracy” in The Gambia. You made this statement in Wollof, and followed up with words that may only be understood as your stated determination to clamp down on dissent, and even to have people granted bail by our courts re-arrested. These developments and statements must be of grave concern to all who wish you success, and all who wish our country success, including our good friends in the international community. We are hoping that the international community – US Embassy, British High Commission, EU Delegation, and the UNDP, among others - will also reach out to you concerning these grave matters.
Mr. President, please note that there is no such thing as “too much democracy”. Democracy is defined and its limits demarcated by the constitution and legitimate laws of the land. Whoever says or does anything outside the dictates of the constitution and legitimate laws of The Gambia is not practicing too much democracy; they are breaking the law. And only those who by their words and actions break the law should be punished by the state. And as you know, according to the constitution and laws of The Gambia, all who are charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law. And during their trial, if a court of competent jurisdiction deems fit to grant them bail, you as President of the Republic would be acting illegally if you were to order their re-arrest. So please, Mr. President, however angry you are, however tempting the impulse, never do or condone such a thing because then, you will be sabotaging the very rule of law that your government is built upon. No one is above the law Mr. President, and that, we must say, includes the President of the Republic. The concept of the rule of law dictates that the law, and not the personal likes and dislikes of public figures, determines who is guilty of a crime. You must do all in your power to make sure that the country now under your care operates by the rule of law, not the rule of man as was the case under the ousted Jammeh dictatorship.
Mr. President, we also heard you say that you have all the powers that Yahya Jammeh had. Yes, you do, Mr. President. And that is entirely normal. The President of the Republic has certain powers that are defined and bestowed by the Constitution and Laws of The Gambia. But we beg that you be very careful with how you deal with these same powers that Yahya Jammeh had, and that you now have by virtue of being President of the Republic of The Gambia. These powers will stay with you while you are president, and will leave you and migrate to another person as soon as you cease to be president which, by the very nature of things, will happen one day in the future. Always think, Mr. President, of that day in the future when you shall be referred to as former president Adama Barrow. That day will surely come because that is simply the law of nature. No condition and no position is permanent.
As we would say in our national cultures Mr. President, power is Satan. And as Satan, power is always whispering things in the ears and mind of its holder. We hope and pray that while you have all the powers that Yahya Jammeh had, you will be careful that your power does not use you like Jammeh’s power used him. The relationship between Jammeh and his power was a case of the tail wagging the dog, rather than the dog wagging the tail. He allowed his power to use him to commit atrocities and crimes against the Gambian people that eventually landed him into his current complicated predicament – a predicament he will have to deal with for the rest of his life. If a leader allows his power to use him, he will end badly, just like Yahya Jammeh did - as an international pariah and fugitive from law, possibly wanted under the regime of universal jurisdiction, and occupying a place of infamy in the annals of Gambian history, to be forever remembered as a careless leader who abused his power and tormented his country and people. You do not want to end that way Mr. President. And we do not want you to end that way. That is why we are saying that Jammeh is not, and should never be your role model. Jammeh allowed his power to exercise and destroy him. Please do not allow your power to do the same thing to you!
We all know, Mr. President, how Yahya Jammeh’s power tricked him into believing that he owned our country. We all remember the countless times he declared that whether we liked it or not, he was the president of all Gambians and if we don’t like it we could all go to hell. He was so deceived by his power that he openly declared that he literally owned the country (dekabi maako mome), and he famously told the whole world on the BBC that he would rule this country for a billion years and if anyone doesn’t like it, they can go to hell! That was not Jammeh the rational being talking, Mr. President. That was Jammeh the victim of his own power saying things he very well knew were untrue and dangerous. But his power had deceived him into believing that he was the invincible choice of God, and that he could say and do anything and get away with it. Let us all be judges on how his story ended, Mr. President. Please do not let your story end that way Sir.
On a final note, Mr. President, please allow us to say that we wish you, your government and our country well, and to again remind you to beware the dangerous trappings of power, and pay heed to its insidious whisperings of invincibility, infallibility and the capacity for total dominance. You have every right to respond to your critics and to warn all Gambians against breaking the law. And your government has the right to prosecute any person within the jurisdiction who breaks the law. But we beg that you also constantly remind yourself that the president is also subject to the Constitution and laws of the land. Focus on cultivating your interests as president, the interests of your government, and the interests of our dear little country. And please, please, please, never regard Yahya Jammeh as your role model, or allow your power to use and abandon you like Yahya Jammeh’s power used and abandoned him!
We thank you for your kind attention Sir.
#NeverAgain. |
| Momodou |
Posted - 06 Oct 2023 : 23:53:41
Barrow’s Comments - A Threat To National Cohesion?
By D. A. Jawo
The hottest topic of discussions these past few days had been the reaction to statements attributed to President Adama Barrow during his current tour of the countryside. He had been quoted using all sorts of invectives against the leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Ousainou Darboe, even to the extent of describing the UDP as a threat to national security.
At the beginning, President Barrow was seen as a humble person who did not talk much, let alone try to use his position to castigate anyone. However, it is now becoming apparent that as he gets more intoxicated with the trappings of power, he has become quite a changed man who not only indulges in self-aggrandizement as the sole liberator of Gambians from the clutches of the Jammeh dictatorship, but he also does not hesitate to show anyone that he is the head of state who has a lot of executive power that he is ready to use.
It now appears that President Barrow is assuming much more power than he actually has. Does he really believe that he has the power to instruct the police to re-arrest anyone granted bail by the courts? Probably he does not know the limits of his powers and it is therefore incumbent on the Attorney General and Minister of Justice as chief legal adviser to the government to tell him what he can or should do and cannot or should not do. Lest he does not know the limits of his
power, the AG should make it quite clear to him that he does not have the power to instruct the police to re-arrest anyone granted bail by the courts as that can lead to serious constitutional crises. He should also be told that being head of state and head of the executive arm of government does not give him the power and authority to interfere with the work of the judiciary. While as head of the executive, he appoints the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other senior police officials, but that still does not give him the authority to use them as tools to do his political bidding.
Let us therefore hope that the IGP and other members of the police hierarchy would not allow themselves to be used by President Barrow to fight his political battles against the UDP. That was exactly what happened during the Yahya Jammeh era when the police and other state institutions allowed themselves to be used by former President Jammeh as his tools to oppress the opposition and his other perceived enemies, and we have seen how most of those willing tools of oppression were humiliated at the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) and the Janneh Commission. We should therefore hope that such public humiliation should be enough lesson to the IGP and other heads of state institutions and that they would never again allow themselves to be used as tools of oppression against the people.
Of course, as leader of the National People’s Party (NPP), President Barrow has the right to respond to anything said against him and his party by Darboe and his UDP, but he needs to distinguish when and where to make such comments. He certainly should not use his position and privilege as head of state, using state resources and facilities to make such political comments against his opponents. Presently we have seen that just like during the Jammeh era, there is hardly any distinction between state functions and functions of the NPP. He had been using state vehicles, fuel and other state resources to go about inaugurating his party’s political bureaus and other political activities. In addition, he has also been using the facilities of the state broadcaster, the Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS) which belongs to all Gambians to release all sorts of innuendos against his perceived opponents while those people are never given the right of reply, which is certainly unethical and unfair. This is quite reminiscent of how former President Jammeh had been mis-using the public media to his political advantage.
Most of the time when President Barrow makes statements on whatever platform, most Gambians see him as President of the Republic instead of as NPP leader and as such, he needs to be quite measured in his statements. He certainly should not use such platforms to make statements that have the potential to incite his supporters against the opposition. Telling his NPP militants to stand their ground against criticisms from the opposition as well as calling on the police to re-arrest people granted bail by the courts certainly not only have serious ramifications for the respect for the rule of law, independence of the judiciary and the separation of powers, but a prescription for chaos in this country, and President Barrow should be the last person we should expect to promote such.
We have also heard him make some veiled threats against some media houses that he perceived to be sympathetic to the UDP. We all know that some of those media houses played quite a crucial role in his victory against Yahya Jammeh in the 2016 presidential elections, and it is therefore unfortunate that he would now turn around against those same media houses.
We have all been quite impressed by his government’s record in the last media freedom index, but with such unprovoked attacks on the media, it would not be surprising to see a drop in the country’s
ratings in the next index. He certainly cannot eat his cake and have it. |
| Momodou |
Posted - 06 Oct 2023 : 20:32:50
Statement Of The Gambia Bar Association Following A Statement By The President “That Individuals Released On Bail By A Judge Will Be Arrested”
The Gambia Bar Association [GBA] is very concerned and troubled by the remarks made by His Excellency, President Adama Barrow at the opening of NPP Bureau in Jarra Soma. According to audio-video clips making rounds in the media, the President amongst other statements remarked “We will put an end to the practice of insulting others. Even if individuals are released on bail by a judge, we will re-arrest them”.
The GBA is very troubled that the President being the Head of Executive arm of government made the statement that the state will re-arrest individuals even if released on bail by a judge. This statement essentially amounts to a disregard for the legal authority of the competent courts of the country and undermines the respect for the rule of law. To this extent, the GBA categorically states that the statement made by the President of the Republic is unwarranted and has very serious ramifications to the respect for the rule of law, independence of the judiciary and the separation of powers. The President of the Republic, as the head of the executive branch of Government can only exercise powers within the confines of the law in accordance with the constitution and laws of the land underpinned by respect for democratic values and principles as succintly espoused in the preamble of our constitution “This Constitution guarantees participatory democracy that reflects the undiluted choice of the people. The functions and arms of government have been clearly defined, their independence amply secured with adequate checks and balances to ensure they all work harmoniously towards our common good.” Any citizen including the President is entitled to the protection of the law and entitled to file complaints against individuals accused of violating the criminal laws of the land to the police for an independent, impartial investigation before a decision to prosecute is made by the relevant prosecution authority.
Under section 85 of the 1997 Constitution, the legal authority to prosecute persons accused of committing criminal offences is vested exclusively in the Director of Public Prosecutions subject to the approval of the Attorney General. The President of the Republic has no prosecutorial power or authority under the laws of the land and cannot lawfully direct or instruct the prosecution of any individual. As such, any attempt to do so constitutes an unwarranted interference with the prosecutorial authority of the prosecuting authorities to make independent prosecutorial decisions without fear or favour. As a country that came out of the clutches of a brutal dictatorship characterized by the weaponization of the laws and rule of law institutions such as the police, the GBA strongly advises the executive to desist from making any pronouncements or acting in a manner reminiscent of the Jammeh era dictatorship.
The practice of re-arresting individuals released on bail or discharged by the courts is a legacy of the Jammeh era and is an abuse of power as well as a contempt for judicial authority. As a country rebuilding its rule of law institutions as part of its transitional justice process, we must collectively reject such undemocratic conduct and uphold the respect for the rule of law unreservedly. The social implication of such statements is that it erodes the public’s trust and confidence in the administration of the criminal justice system.
The respect for court orders by the executive is the fundamental cornerstone of the rule of law and underscores the independence of the judiciary. On the other hand, the disregard of the court orders by the executive undermines respect for the rule of law, independence of the judiciary and negates the state’s commitment to democratic governance. As a country that has defeated dictatorship and rebuilding its democratic institutions, such a statement from the President is regrettable and a departure from our country’s democratic trajectory.
We trust that the unguarded statement by the President will be the last utterance of this nature and strongly remind the President of his solemn undertaking and oath to govern the country in accordance with the dictates of the constitution.
Dated – 6th October , 2023
Salieu Taal
President
Gambia Bar Association |
| Momodou |
Posted - 06 Oct 2023 : 12:04:47
THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (NHRC)
PRESS STATEMENT 6th October 2023
CONCERNS OVER RECENT STATEMENTS OF H.E. PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC
AND CURRENT POLITICAL INTOLERANCE IN THE COUNTRY
As the State institution mandated to promote and ensure respect for human rights, democratic principles, and the strengthening of the rule of law in all circumstances and without exception, the NHRC continually monitors the national landscape to stay informed of prevailing issues in the country. Following recent developments, the NHRC is deeply concerned with the widening political
divide in the nation.
Of grave concern to us are recent statements of H.E. the President made on different occasions.
Particularly disturbing were remarks made during a political rally in Bansang on September 29th and subsequent statements at the opening of the NPP Regional Bureau in Jarra Soma on October 3rd. In these addresses, H.E. the President described the United Democratic Party (UDP) as the ‘biggest threat to national security,’ sternly rebuked the Kerr Fatou online media platform and Mengbekering Radio Station and threatened to rearrest individuals alleged to have committed and offence even on bail granted by Gambian Courts of competent jurisdiction. These statements have the potential to undermine the democratic progress made by our country since 2017. They encourage open defiance and disobedience to court orders thereby undermining the authority of the Judiciary and places the lives of media professionals at heightened risk.
According to reports reaching the NHRC, the President's comments were in response to a barrage of criticism against the Government by the Leader of the UDP and some of his supporters. However, the responses of H.E. the President have generated widespread concern from various quarters owing to their severity and implications.
We acknowledge the positive strides made by the Government since coming into Office, including efforts to restore respect for human rights and the rule of law in The Gambia. Nevertheless, we remind the Government of its responsibility to uphold its human rights obligations, as guaranteed by the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia and other regional and international human rights instruments that The Gambia has ratified. We urge the Government to commit to upholding and safeguarding the human rights and freedoms of every individual in the country.
While we call on the media to be responsible and ethical in its reporting, we emphasize that the right to freedom of speech and expression, including that of the media, is fundamental to holding power accountable. Threats against the media stifle criticism of Government action or inaction on matters of public concern. They echo the censorship and hostile environment that the media endured in the
former regime.
Upholding good governance, respect for the rule of law, and honouring decisions, judgments, and rulings of the Judiciary and recommendations by the NHRC are fundamental to a functioning democracy. Thus, safeguarding and strengthening the independence of the Judiciary should be of paramount importance to everyone in the country.
We urge all political stakeholders, especially our leaders, to redirect their focus and energy towards pressing economic, social, environmental, legal, and political issues facing the country. Collaboration is necessary to find lasting solutions that improve the lives and livelihoods of the people and contribute to the development and progress of the nation. The TRRC Report emphasizes the need for collective action to realize the ‘Never Again’ mantra.
We remind the Government, especially the Executive, of its primary obligation to guarantee the freedom of the media within the bounds of the law, ensure the security of journalists, create an environment for a robust opposition, and maintain the independence of the Judiciary. Building a New Gambia demands respect for and protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms, adherence to the rule of law, obedience to Court orders, allowance of diverse opinions in the ‘marketplace of ideas’ and promotion of meaningful citizen participation in national dialogues and development initiatives.
Similarly, the Commission is gravely concerned about the deafening silence from authorities, political, and opinion leaders regarding attempts to reverse laws against Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, the rise in hate speech and bigotry of all sorts and kinds, and statements made by certain religious and opinion leaders against human and women’s rights defenders that have the potential to further polarise our communities, undermine national unity and peace and put lives of individuals in the country at serious risk.
The Commission remains committed to fostering a democratic society where human rights are respected and protected, the rule of law prevails, independence of the Judiciary is guaranteed and all
individuals are able to contribute to the progress of the nation without discrimination. In the fulfilment of its mandate, the Commission would not hesitate to hold every institution, organization and individuals accountable for their acts of omission or commission.
The End
________________________
Emmanuel Daniel Joof
Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission |
| Momodou |
Posted - 05 Oct 2023 : 20:08:38
UDP RESPONSES TO PRESIDENT ADAMA BARROW
On Tuesday, October 3rd, President Adama Barrow at a political rally marking the opening of the NPP political bureau
in Jarra Soma, went on tirade against the person of Alhagie Ousainu Darboe, leader of the UDP, employing vituperative language that is ugly and unbecoming of a
Head of State . Additionally, the president in that public gathering and in a message he said he was sending to the whole country made the following declarations:
1) The UDP poses the gravest threat to national security than anything else in the country.
2) Henceforth, he will instruct the Inspector General of police to ignore court orders granting bail to any member of the UDP that his government is already maliciously persecuting and immediately re-arrest them.
Both statements are categorically condemned in their entirety.
Whatever the president’s motivations are for these statements, whether it is bluster or an intention to target UDP for persecution, there should be no doubt that those who fought and defeated the tyranny of Yahya Jammeh with their bare hands and righteous determination will do everything in their power to forestall the reconstitution of dictatorship in this country. A statement designating a legally registered political party that is the biggest in the country as posing the gravest national security threat to the country has crossed a line. It is a statement that is not without consequences because a national security threat is a profound designation that triggers course(s) of action. If the aim of the president is a hope that this irresponsible statement will somehow cower UDP, we assert that we are more determined to defend our rights than any time in our history.
We are asking those holding national security portfolios to advise the president on this specific false declaration is directed at UDP. They should tell him illusions of dictatorship he is attempting in this statement of his is what has potential to harm national security not a lawful political party that is serving the Gambian people diligently and honorably with the responsibilities they have been assigned to do .
On the second ugly declaration from the president that he will direct the police to violate court orders, we categorically condemn this affront to a coequal branch of the government. The judiciary is a separate and integral part of any functioning democracy and by declaring intent to willfully and capriciously violate orders emanating from the courts; the president is effectively saying he is going to abandon the rule of law in his vindictive pursuit of innocent UDP members.
Executive lawlessness cannot and should never ever be tolerated in our country. Lest it is lost on the president, but more likely, he is ignorant of the fact that defending the constitution is a legal obligation of every citizen who believes in the constitution. A Head of State cannot violate the constitution, and he certainly must never order the police who are sworn duty bearers to uphold the constitution to violate their oaths. The police are not a personal vendetta executing agency. Their job is to enforce the law at all times without fear or favor. We urge the leadership of the police to respect the judiciary, uphold the law and resist being made pawns in the potentially dangerous path the president is taking the nation.
We wish to reiterate our party’s commitment to hold on to our cherished values of peace, justice and democracy. We believe in the supremacy of the rule of law as the governing principle for our beloved Gambia. We will break no laws in the exercise of our fundamental rights. However, we will not for single moment tolerates even a single attempt of lawlessness be directed at us under any guise. That is not a threat. It is a promise.
United Democratic Party Secretariat
No. 1 Alpha Tafsir Street
Banjul, The Gambia
5th October 2023 |
| Momodou |
Posted - 03 Oct 2023 : 13:41:25
Barrow is a BULLY PULPIT!
By Omar Wally
Adama Barrow is doing everything humanly possible to distract Gambians from the unsolved murder of the two PIU officers. But how can an uneducated illiterate like Barrow outsmart Gambians and shift their attention from the killings?
Barrow couldn’t improve his reading skills nor his vocabulary, but he is a good bully pulpit and rabble rouser. Instead of improving the lives of Gambians, Barrow is beating the drum of violence.
Barrow must understand that democracy exists because not everyone agrees on the same thing at the same time.
KERR FATOU and Mengbe Kering TV are credible and independent media outlets and will continue to strive. No amount of bickering will distract them. We have retentive memories, so Barrow can’t distract Gambians from the murder of PIU officers.
As the saying goes, a river cuts through rock not because of its power but because of its persistence. Not even the Indian Ocean #127754; tsunami can shake Kerr FATOU and Mengbe Kering so it is better for Barrow to accept the reality. He who controls the media controls minds! |
| Momodou |
Posted - 02 Oct 2023 : 20:20:57
GPU thumbs down president’s comments
The Standard: OCTOBER 2, 2023
By Alagie Manneh
https://standard.gm/gpu-thumbs-down-presidents-comments/
Delivering a statement at the opening of the NPP’s regional headquarters in Bansang on Friday, President Barrow castigated the work of some media houses and journalists, and said his government has been lenient with them. He said certain media houses would not have existed if The Gambia was not democratic.
Reacting to the comments, Gambia Press Union head, Muhammed Bah, stated: “I believe the President (Barrow) should desist from making such utterances that could have a direct implication or negative impact on the safety of media houses and journalists in general. I believe such rhetoric could also have a direct implication on our press freedom gains as The Gambia is ranked among the top 5 in Africa in the Global Index Ranking and 45 in the whole world. Such comments coming from the head of state against the media will have serious ramifications on some of those gains made over the years. It doesn’t look good, and this is a concern to the union. The head of state should desist from making these statements that could have an implication on the safety of journalists and media.”
Mr Bah said the union intends to engage the government. “We are even looking forward to sign an MoU with the Ministry of Information so that we can see how best we can strengthen press freedom. We will continue the dialogue and the conversation even at the level of the presidency. We believe that the role of the media as the watchdog and as the fourth estate of government must be recognised and respected. It is our responsibility to hold government accountable to the people.” |
| Momodou |
Posted - 02 Oct 2023 : 14:08:29
Kerr Fatou, Mengbekering shocked by president’s ‘dangerous attack’
The Standard: OCTOBER 2, 2023
https://standard.gm/kerr-fatou-mengbekering-shocked-by-presidents-dangerous-attack/
Press release – The heads of Kerr Fatou and Mengbekering media platforms have condemned a recent “dangerous attack” on their platforms by President Adama Barrow.
Addressing a political rally in Bansang in the Central River Region on 29 September, Barrow singled out the two platforms while responding to the main opposition UDP leader Ousainu Darboe who earlier questioned The Gambia’s democratic credentials under the current government.
“If there was no democracy in this country, Kerr Fatou TV would not have continued to exist. If there was no democracy, Mengbekering radio would not have continued to exist”, Barrow told his supporters in a live televised speech, in an apparent swipe at two media platforms his officials and party members often accuse of being pro-opposition.
Raising concern about the president’s statement, Fatou Touray, the CEO of Kerr Fatou said she was “shocked and saddened” by the president’s “inflammatory rhetoric”, describing it as a “direct attack on free speech and the media”.
“The recent comments made by President Adama Barrow at the Bansang political gathering, particularly those directed towards my media outlet, Kerr Fatou Media, have given rise to grave apprehensions about the state of democracy and press freedom in The Gambia”, she wrote in a letter to the National Human Rights Commission.
Ms Touray accused the president of “crossing a dangerous line”, arguing that his “dangerous remarks undermine the fundamental principles of open discourse, pluralism, and accountability, which are indispensable for a functioning democracy”.
“When a government singles out specific media outlets for intimidation or suppression, it sets a perilous precedent that endangers the essential role of the press as a bulwark against governmental overreach.”
She also expressed her displeasure at the president for giving the impression that Kerr Fatou had done something wrong or unlawful.
“Since my return from exile in 2017 and the subsequent launch of Kerr Fatou Media, it has been my unwavering commitment as a young Gambian to provide an open platform that welcomes all political perspectives within our nation. This dedication to impartiality is evident in our platform’s history, which includes hosting the president on several occasions and extending the same courtesy to other opinion leaders.”
She added: “Despite facing resource limitations, Kerr Fatou has diligently strived to provide equitable coverage of all political viewpoints, establishing itself as a pioneer in various aspects of journalism.”
Ms Touray said although she was concerned about the president’s attack on her media platform, Kerr Fatou “remained committed to delivering news with integrity, upholding the truth, and maintaining staunch independence”.
“My determination remains steadfast in safeguarding the foundational principles of a free press and the unobstructed exchange of ideas, thereby ensuring that no government can capriciously suppress the voices responsible for holding power accountable.”
For Pa Modou Bojang, the host of Mengbekering talk show and CEO of Home Digital FM which broadcasts the show, President Barrow’s statement is “reckless and disgraceful”. He took a swipe at the president for “maliciously and dishonestly” singling out Mengbekering.
“The president’s intention was to assault our integrity, demonise our professionalism and use that vitriolic rhetoric to spark public hostility towards me and my establishment.”
Mr Bojang said the president has manifested that his understanding and definition of independent press are confined to sycophancy and presidential flattery, adding that whoever does not sings the president’s praises becomes his enemy.
“I remember in his presidential honeymoon days in 2017, Barrow was the biggest fan of Mengbekering talk show. He’d listen to us religiously and would often tell me how big a role I was playing in enlightening the Gambian people and consolidating democracy. But once the show started holding him and his government to account, we became his enemy.”
Mr Bojang said although he was disturbed by the president’s attack, it would not deter him from using his show and radio to scrutinise public officials and empower the masses.
“Mengbekering and Home Digital FM have always played by the rules of the law and democracy. We have not broken any law. What we do is to hold our president and government to account, in a language understood by the overwhelming majority of our listeners. This is what might has scared the president and his inner circle. But I have long decided to continue to do my work without fear or favour. Telling the truth and holding my government to account mean everything to me and I won’t stop.” |
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| Bantaba in Cyberspace |
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