----- Original Message -----
From: Mori K. Jammeh <[log in to unmask]>
To: GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List
<Sent: Monday, June 07, 1999 12:16 AM
Subject: RE: Amadou Samba buys the Daily Observer
>
> Mr. Ceesay please allow me to bring your article on this forum of may 26th
> into limelight once again. I found this quite necessary because of the
> latest developments at the daily observer. Two of the top brass of the
paper
> were given the boot within the last 48 hrs. I thought your predictions
were
> excellent! The story follows below:
>
> Bombshell at Observer
> Deputy MD, News Editor sacked
>
> by Pa Nderry M'bai
>
> Exactly two weeks after the Observer Company changed hands, two key staff
> members have had their services abruptly terminated.
>
> They are, Mr. Theophilus George, deputy Managing Director, and Mr. Demba
A.
> Jawo, news editor, Daily Observer newspaper. Mr. George, who received his
> marching orders last Thursday had served as acting managing director of
The
> Observer after the proprietor and managing director, Kenneth Best, a
veteran
> Liberian journalist, was unceremoniously declared 'persona non grata' and
> deported to his war-torn country.
>
> Shortly after receiving his letter of termination, Mr. George bid farewell
> to staff of the various units.
>
> "I have finished with the Observer. I am going for good," he is reported
to
> have said.
>
> Andrew Dacosta, Observer Financial Controller disclosed to the Daily
> Observer on Sunday morning that he was instructed by the new Managing
> Director, Sarriang Ceesay "to work out Mr. George's benefits." Mr. Dacosta
> said the managing director told him "Mr George is no longer with us."
>
> And yesterday, Sunday, the new management unexpectedly/surprisingly served
> Mr Demba Jawo, news editor, with a letter of termination. Mr Jawo, is a
> respected journalist of long-standing repute, and chairman of the Gambia
> Press Union. He joined the Observer in 1992 as court reporter and has
been,
> since 1996, news editor.
>
> He was sanguine about his termination: "I am not the least bitter about
the
> termination ..... Mr Samba owns his company and it is perfectly within his
> purview to terminate anyone he does not feel comfortable with.
>
> "I have no idea why my services have been terminated but I assume it had
> something to do with my critical articles about government and other
issues.
> I wish to thank all my colleagues for their cooperation."
>
> Contacted by our reporter to comment on the terminations, the new M.D. Mr
> Sarriang Ceesay, confirmed the terminations.
>
> "This is a new management and the company is being restructured," he said.
>
> On whether other staff would be affected during the re-structuring
exercise,
> Mr Ceesay said: "I cannot answer that. We are restructuring the company
and
> we are looking at all aspects."
>
> In the offices of the Observer, news of D.A. Jawo's termination was
greeted
> with shock and disbelief by the entire staff. Some staff members openly
> wept, and recalled how D.A. (as he was fondly known) brought so much
quality
> and professionalism into the paper.
>
> "We will sorely miss him," cried a freelance reporter. "But God is great."
>
> Reacting, editor-in-chief Baba Galleh Jallow said: "D.A.'s termination is
> shocking and painfully depressing. It is a big blow to the editorial
> department. D.A. is extremely honest, hardworking and a perfect
gentleman."
>
> On whether he thinks the Observer will still maintain its editorial
> independence, Mr Jallow replied: "That is what we would always wish and
> strive for in the Observer. But the management has a right to hire, fire
or
> opt for an editorial policy of their choice. Equally, the staff too have
the
> right to stay or leave anytime if they feel their principles are being
> compromised. I think the management fully understands that."
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: ebrima ceesay <[log in to unmask]>
> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> ><[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Amadou Samba buys the Daily Observer
> >Date: Wed, 26 May 1999 09:28:16 PDT
> >
> >Gambia L,
> >
> >It was my wish not to comment, as at now, on the decision taken by
Kenneth
> >Best, the expelled Liberian-born proprietor of the Observer Company, to
> >sell
> >the company, including the newspaper, to Amadou Samba, a Gambian
> >lawyer-turned entrepreneur, because of two main factors.
> >
> >Firstly, I am yet to get all the facts concerning the sale. Since the
news
> >of the sale broke out, I have been trying, without success, to contact
> >Kenneth Best in Washington DC, to find out what actually led to his
> >decision
> >to sell the Company and whether, apart from Amadou Samba, there were
other
> >bidders.
> >
> >Secondly, I must confess, at the onset, that while in the Gambia, Amadou
> >and
> >I have enjoyed what I would describe as a very privileged relationship
and,
> >consequently, I am at pains to openly question his motives for purchasing
> >the the Daily Observer now, even though I am a little bit suspicious,
given
> >his close links to the Jammeh regime.
> >
> >It is important for me to point out that my friendly relationship with Mr
> >Samba goes back to 1992, when Sierra leonean-born journalist Justice
> >Fonanah, now living in the US, and myself were assigned by Kenneth Best,
> >then editor-in-chief of the Daily Observer, to cover Amadou Samba's
cement
> >factory row with Hatib Janneh of JIMPEX Company.
> >
> >During the peak of the controversy between these two business giants, we
> >had several interviews with Mr Samba, during which we found him to be
> >enterprising, patriotic, erudite and benevolent. We admired these
qualities
> >in him and he also admired the fact that during all those interviews he
> >gave
> >us, we never misrepresented or misquoted him.
> >
> >It was therefore natural that we became friends. Mr Best himself also
> >admired and liked Mr Samba because of his (Samba's) business shrewdness.
> >This, in fact, would explain why Kenneth Best would not hesitate to sell
> >the
> >company to Mr samba.
> >
> >Having said this, however, it is also clear in my mind that I wouldn't be
> >doing justice to my conscience and spirit if I do not express a word of
> >caution, in the wake of the sale, regardless of my friendship with the
new
> >buyer, Mr Samba.
> >
> >In my view, there is nothing wrong with Mr Best selling the Observer to
Mr
> >Samba, if Samba has given him the assurances that the newspaper will
> >continue to maintain its editorial independence.
> >
> >And I know that, under normal circumstances, Mr Samba has what it takes,
or
> >the business acumen, to turn the Observer Company around which, of late,
> >has
> >been having financial difficulties, and establish the Observer newspaper
as
> >one of the best papers in Africa.
> >
> >But given Samba's closeness to the Jammeh government, I would be both
naive
> >and novice to think or believe that the Observer will continue to
maintain
> >its editorial independence under the new management. I, for one, would
not
> >buy that theory. Yes, it was encouraging to hear Mr Samba reassure the
> >readers and the staff that the paper would continue to maintain its
> >editorial independence.
> >
> >But for me these are just wishes. The realities are certainly there!!!
In
> >practical terms, I cannot see the Observer, henceforth, becoming too
> >critical of the government, because the hard truth is that Mr Samba also
> >has
> >business interests/links with the Jammeh government and, therefore, he
has
> >to ensure that he remains in the good books of Jammeh, so that his
> >construction company will continue to receive contracts from the
> >government.
> >
> >Mr Samba , I bet, would not want the Observer newspaper to publish any
> >story
> >that would jeopardise his business relationship with the government, even
> >if
> >the story is/was in the public interest.
> >
> >In fact, given Samba's links to the the Jammeh regime, some are even
> >alleging that the government has actually bought the observer company,
> >using
> >Amadou as a front or a cover. Anyway, time will tell if this is true or
> >not.
> >But I'll be surprised if this was true, because I have always known
Amadou
> >as a man of integrity and immense honesty.
> >
> >To be fair to Mr Samba, if it turns out that he is indeed the true owner
of
> >the Observer, who would never interfere with the paper's editorial
> >independence, then he deserves commendation for investing in the media,
> >especially at this point in time.
> >
> >The militarisation of politics in Africa, today, has certainly
jeopardised
> >the chances of a free press in the continent and, consequently, there is
a
> >lack of interest in the media by African entrepreneurs in any investment
in
> >the media. Investing in the media is considered a risky venture, which in
> >all cases, invites the wrath of governments.
> >
> >So Amadou Samba should be praised for his bold move if the Observer were
to
> >continue to live up to the expectations of its readers. The last thing
the
> >observer readers would want, I would have thought, is for the newspaper
to
> >be transformed into medium that only exist to defend the status quo.
> >
> >The new management should never allow the Daily Observer to be an
extension
> >of the executive. Rather, it should allow it to continue to report
> >alternative views, or operate as the Fourth Estate.
> >
> >The new management would have done a great disservice to the country, if
> >the
> >Observer newspaper was to be transformed into a medium whose sole
function
> >was to prop up the government of the day.
> >
> >The paper must ensure, at all times, that whatever it publishes is
> >accurate,
> >balanced, fair, forthright and up to date, because it is in this way that
a
> >people determine how much trust and confidence to place in a particular
> >media institution, be it a newspaper, radio or television.
> >
> >Accuracy, fairness, balance objectivity and being up to date are,
> >therefore,
> >the primary elements readers or listeners look for in a medium. Any
medium
> >which has these elements will have the confidence of the people, but if
> >they
> >are not there, that medium can forget it, for it will soon lose its
> >patrons!!!
> >
> >Therefore, if the Daily observer wishes to maintain its readers, it must
> >continue to be in the vanguard of truth, justice and fair play, making
sure
> >that whatever is in the public interest is reported.
> >
> >Finally, I must say that one sad truth my stay in the UK has confirmed
for
> >me is that the media all over the world, is held in one way or the other,
> >in
> >some form of captivity. In Africa, this captivity can be through the
hands
> >of corrupt and authoritarian regimes, while in the West, the captivity
can
> >either be through the influence of advertisers, International Finance
> >capital, racism, or cultural prejudices.
> >
> >In the UK, there is, within the newspaper industry, an undeniable
> >concentration of ownership, and of the power and influence which that
> >bestows, in a few hands. The newspaper industry is dominated by powerful
> >figures such as Rupert Murdoch, Tiny Rowlands, Robert Maxwell and
Viscount
> >Rothermere.
> >
> >This is almost certainly an important factor in the pronounced right-wing
> >skew of the political affiliations of the British papers with the
Express,
> >Mail, The Star, The Daily Telegraph, Times and The Sun all espousing
> >right-wing positions, and only The Guardian (Liberal/Centrist) and the
> >Mirror (right-wing labour) reflecting centre or slightly left of centre
> >positions.
> >
> >Anyway, sorry for boring you to death with this piece, and I hope I have
> >not
> >offended anyone.
> >
> >Cheers and best wishes to all.
> >
> >Ebrima Ceesay,
> >Birmingham, UK.
> >
> >PS: Just to inform you that some time ago, my good sister, Ndey Jobarteh,
> >and Brother Saiks Samateh, both of whom are on the L, got married. And in
> >this regard, a wedding party is slated for this saturday night at the
Hall
> >in Kilburn, London. Therefore, those members of the Gambia L living in
the
> >UK are invited to grace the occasion.
> >
> >
> >______________________________________________________
> >Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
>
> ______________________________________________________
> Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
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