Greetings Gambia-l,
Here is the content of a new Gambian online news from www.qanet.gm
Congratulations Baba Galleh JAllow, Patience Sonko-Godwin, Alagi Yoro
Jallow and N.B.Daffeh.
Best regards,
Momodou Camara
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INDEPENDENT VIEW
OUR POSITION
Good Morning The Gambia
We are The Independent, a new independent media group. We have decided to
come together and to produce a newspaper with a difference, a newspaper
with a critical edge, which will cater to the needs of our growing and
aware reading public.
We must hasten to add however that we are not at war with anybody. We did
not embark upon this venture to start a fight with any person or
institution. We bear no grudge, have no hidden agenda, and no reason to
fight anybody.
Our aim, like all patriotic Gambians, is clear and simple: advancing the
cause of our country.
In pursuance of this goal, we want to assure our esteemed readers that
truth will always be our guiding principle.
We will truthfully discharge the responsibilities traditionally associated
with the free press. We shall objectively inform, educate and entertain
our readership. In addition, we shall take up the role of social watchdog,
and act as the voice of the voiceless in our society. In this role, we
shall champion the cause of our people, their expectations and their
fears, and point out the shortcomings of their representatives and
leaders. We shall praise where praise is due and condemn where that is
due. We shall not be used by anybody to promote or demote individual or
institutional interests.
We shall try to fulfil these responsibilities as truthfully as is humanely
possible. We pray that God guide us on the difficult path of truth.
We recognize the heaviness of the responsibility we have assumed. We
recognize our human fallibility and the fallibility of all human beings.
We recognize the inevitability of error on our part and on the part of
everyone else. We therefore crave your indulgence and rectification where
we go wrong.
We shall respect every opinion however contrary to ours, and beg that our
opinions be respected, but never-the-less challenged, rebuffed or
rectified. We very much welcome criticism, justified or unjustified, and
shall in turn criticize what we think deserving of criticism.
We shall always endeavour to bring you news worth reading, and also
analyses and interpretations of events as we read them, as and when they
happen, and to do this promptly.
Please join us in this worthwhile venture for the common good.
God bless you all. Welcome.
WE ARE NOT AT WAR
Says Editor-in-Chief.
By N. B. Daffeh
The Editor-in-Chief of The Independent newspaper, Baba Galleh Jallow, has
said that his paper is not out to wage war on any person or institution.
Mr. Jallow made this remark in response to a question on speculations
around town that The Independent was out to oppose the Government.
'We are not out to support or oppose anybody,' he said. 'We are out to
operate as any responsible independent newspaper would. Nothing more,
nothing less.'
Asked whether the starting of The Independent was a consequence of the
sale of the Daily Observer, Mr. Jallow said: 'In fact, we finished
registering The Independent before the sale of the Observer, about a week
before I learnt of the sale; it was a sort of coincidence,' he explained.
Asked whether that meant his resignation, as Editor-in-Chief of the
Observer had nothing to do with Jawo's sacking, Mr. Jallow said: 'No. My
resignation had everything to do with Jawo's sacking. I resigned because I
believed Jawo was sacked for the wrong reasons, not because he was my
friend or because we wanted to start The Independent immediately. In fact
I have discussed this issue at length in my article in this paper.' (Why I
resigned, page 11).
On what The Independent's editorial policy would be, Mr. Jallow said: 'To
report the truth and nothing but the truth, always, without fear or
favour, affection or ill will, to the very best of our ability and within
the context of our collective national aspirations.'
He said they do not claim infallibility, but crave everybody's indulgence
in case of any errors of judgement, 'as no man is perfect.'
Mr. Jallow also revealed that for a start, The Independent hopes to come
out twice weekly, on Mondays and Fridays. The Independent on Friday, he
said, will be largely entertainment-oriented. On whether he would still
continue writing his Story of the Week column for The Independent, Mr.
Jallow said: 'Certainly. It should be out on Fridays, God willing.'
Also speaking to this reporter, Managing Editor Alagi Yorro Jallow
said:'The need for The Independent arose sometime last year when we
thought that the Government was going to close the Observer. It is very
important to have a free press in any country. A country without a free
press is like a time bomb. It can explode any time. And we don't want that
to happen here.'
He said he was very hopeful that The Independent would be a successful
newspaper. 'We have a credible cadre of journalist and we know we enjoy a
lot of public support and trust. That is very important.
On whether they hope to increase their frequency in the near future, Mr.
Jallow said:
'Our target is to come out daily, as soon as feasible. And we are also
thinking of having a French version of the paper. We are working hard on
that'
The emergence of The Independent following the sale of the Observer
Company has excited a lot of public interest in recent days.
WHO KILLED KORO CEESAY?
FATHER ASK FIVE YEARS AFTER EX- MINISTER'S DEATH
Five years after the death of Koro Ceesay former minister of Finance in
the now defunct AFPRC regime, Sainey Ceesay, the father of the deceased
minister, has expressed dissatisfaction over government silence
investigating his son's untimely and mysterious death.
Speaking to the independent, Sainey Ceesay explained that the family is
very disappointed and dissatisfied 'with all the promises made by the
government to investigate the manner of his death!'
"After the incident, the impression we were given was that a thorough
investigation will be carried out and that no stone would be left
unturned, Mr Ceesay lamented. He further explained that the government had
promised to provide a report on how he died, but has still not done so".
"Mr Ceesay also said that a man of his late son's position 'should not be
forgotten like that; but since his death, no action has been taken.'
According to Mr Ceesay, a highly placed government official had contacted
him and told him that the investigation team had started investigating but
ceased work when they realised that the public was not ready to offer
information.
'But I was never aware of any such team,' he said, Mr. Ceesay was however
quick to add that the Ceesay family was equally disappointed with the
government's refusal to give them the posmortem report prepared by the
medical doctor after the autopsy.
Dilating further on his son's death, Mr Ceesay complained on the lack of
any compensation for the family.
'We did not get a single butut from the government, and the law guiding
civil servants explicitly states that if any one dies in active service,
he or she should be compensated,' he said.
Mr Ceesay however refuted allegations that he opposed the APRC government
because his son died during their era.
'I am not opposed to the APRC government. As a law abiding citizen, I know
my duty in contributing towards national development. I am not opposed any
political party. I am neutral,' he explained.
It could be recalled that the late Koro Ceesay's charred remains were
found in his burnt out car along an abandoned road in Jamburr, shortly
after leaving the Banjul International airport where he had gone to see
President Jammeh off. The authorities have still not investigated the
manner of his death.
The issue of Mr. Ceesay's mysterious death has also been the centre of
debate at several sittings of the National Assembly with mainly opposition
leaders in the Assembly demanding that investigations into his death be
carried out in the interest of justice and transparency.
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