Sanusi, I am surprised that the Point and Independent newspapers fall for
this trap.  The Independent especially, after being firebombed twice by
Jammeh's agents.  Now they are standing in line, hat in hand to join the
corrupting of Gambia.  Thus, they were paying lip service to everything they
said about the corruption that is Jammeh.  If they can accept bags of rice
and sugar, what will they do if offered a car, or tractor, etc.?  How come
they did not ask Jammeh where he get the money to buy the sugar and rice?
You see how quickly their credibility is shattered when they go counter
their principles, or do they even have principles in the first place?  To
hide behind Ramadan is really a new low.  Kudos to Foroyaa for refusing to
be corrupted.  The Independent and the Point need to tell Gambians why they
willingly dined with the devil incarnate.  They have shown us that they can
be bought and sold, when the price is right.  In this case a few bags of
rice and sugar did the trick.  Gambians should not be surprise should it
come out that some of these same media practitioners are on the take with
Jammeh behind close doors.  This is pathetic.

Chi Jaama

Joe


Media Receive Jammeh's Ramadan Package


The Independent (Banjul)

November 8, 2004
Posted to the web November 8, 2004

Ahmed Carayol
Banjul

A groundswell of the country's media fraternity Friday received gifts of
rice and sugar from President Jammeh, as part of his countrywide goodwill
Ramadan package to all Gambians. Media houses from the Daily Observer, The
Point to The Independent, News and Report and Foroyaa received ten bags of
sugar and ten bags of rice each from State House, whose Director of Press
and Public Relations was on hand to formally hand over the items to media
representatives.

Marcel Thomasi said, Jammeh's Ramadan overtures to the media was being
guided by his honest interest in the well being of every Gambian
irrespective of their political beliefs or persuasions. Mr. Thomasi quoted
the Gambian leader (who is away on Umrah in Saudi Arabia) as saying that the
gifts in question should be made available to all members of the country's
media without undue discrimination and precondition. "It is his own way of
sharing and caring for entire Gambian populace irrespective of their
political convictions," he said of the president's overture.

One of the editors was Thursday informed by Mr. Thomasi of the president's
intention to donate ten bags of sugar and the same amount of rice bags to
The Independent.

Relevant Links

West Africa
Religion
Press and Media
Gambia



In their reaction, the editors of the paper said since President Jammeh was
extending a charitable hand to them in good faith, they were accepting his
offer in good faith and expressed gratitude and goodwill in like manner to
the Gambian leader.

Swaebou Conateh, Proprietor and Editor-in-Chief of News and Report Magazine
expressed appreciation to President Jammeh for the kind gesture, noting that
although our ethnics stood in the way of accepting gifts, it is a gesture
that needs to be welcomed in the spirit of Ramadan.






>From: Sanusi Owens <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: As media houses come under criticism
>Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2004 18:58:29 +0000
>
>Joe
>
>I agree with you. This is a big blunder by UNCLE Swaebou Conateh. I think
>this man should have used this occasion to challenge Jammeh after various
>arsonists attacks against the Independent Newspaper. Hamat Bah has
>disclosed the wo soldiers who committed that the last arson attack against
>an Independent Newspaper.
>
>Sad to read that Marcel Thomasi was doing the spin work. The Gambia
>Government has a lot of questions pertaining to the harassment of the
>media. I would prefer if the Government come clean on the arsonist attacks
>.
>
>Sanusi
>.
>Joe Sambou <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>All, what on earth has gotten to some of the private houses to partake in
>Jammeh's corrupting of Gambians with his stolen loot? Is this a window in
>the minds of these journalists? How can they continue to be independent if
>they agree to be corrupted? Their behavior suggests that as long as the
>gifts from Jammeh goes to them, then it's ok. They need to be embarrassed
>and it is an insult to our collective intelligence for them to hide behind
>Ramadan for their miserly behavior. This is unbelievable!! Please read on.
>
>
>As media houses come under criticism
>Foroyaa reject Jammeh’s gift
>By Ebrima Jaw Manneh & Yusuf Ceesay
>Nov 8, 2004, 08:24
>
>Email this article
>Printer friendly page
>
>Foroyaa, a bi-weekly newspaper has rejected President Jammeh’s recent
>donation of Ramadan gifts to media houses.
>
>Commenting on their stand, Halifa Sallah, a board member of the Foroyaa
>news
>paper said President Jammeh should have given the rice and sugar to the
>poor
>and needy and not media houses. He argued that government should have
>explained to the media how the gifts were acquired, quoting section 207
>which states that “the media is empowered to monitor and promote the
>transparency and accountability for the betterment of the nation.”
>He accused the government of being responsible for the “extreme poverty in
>the country,” adding that a civil servant who receives D1,500 monthly
>cannot
>live on a kilo of meat a day.
>
>“It is better for the government if people feed themselves on a permanent
>basis than to give out charity,” he said.
>In a related development, media houses have come under strong condemnation
>following their acceptance of Ramadan gifts from President Jammeh on
>Friday.
>
>According to critics, media houses should not have accepted the gift of 160
>bags of rice and sugar as it is against the moral principles of journalism.
>
>“Journalists must never take gifts. I am confused by the remarks made by
>Swaebou Conateh that the gifts were given in the spirit of the religion. He
>was trying to sugar the whole thing. If people like him who are looked on
>to
>as the doyens of Gambian journalism could just speak like that, I am
>surprised. All I can say is a gift is just a gift,” one critic said.
>
>Another critic who spoke to the Daily Observer said: “I am surprised that
>the people we call veteran journalists are using the name of Ramadan to
>justify their wrongs. By accepting these gifts, they have endangered the
>independence and neutrality of the media. They have blundered.”
>
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