----- Original Message ----- From: Mori K. Jammeh <[log in to unmask]> To: GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <[log in to unmask]> 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 > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L > Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------