NEWS
New Observer Management Take Issue with AllGambian Editors
By AG



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October 14, 2005
The Daily Observer new management in Banjul is at logger heads with The US
based ALLGAMBIAN online Newspaper editorial board, as the paper's
management branded our news medium as an institution "which comprises of
self exiled Gambians bent on destabilising our country." In a protest
letter sent to ALLGAMBIAN'S Editor-in-Chief Pa Nderry M'Bai and the
paper's proprietor Baboucarr Ceesay, the Observer management under the
leadership of Dr. Saja Taal bitterly complained about our recent lead
story captioned "NEW OBSERVER MD LINE UP SOME STAFFERS TO BE FIRED."

The Observer management maintained that the said piece was baseless,
libelous and a well calculated to tarnish the reputable name of the
Observer Company and its managing director.

Below is the unedited Observer reaction letter to our recent lead story on
Dr. Taal's moves to send some journalists packing. In addition, you will
also find our reaction to Observer management's erroneous and misleading
judgement on our recent story on Dr. Taal. Please read on...

[BEGINS]
Flabbergasted
Our attention is drawn to your last Monday lead story captioned: NEW
OBSERVER MD LINE UP SOME STAFFERS TO BE FIRED, authored by your editor, Pa
Nderry M'bai. The management and staff of the Daily Observer wish to state
that no staff is being targeted for sacking by our new MD, Dr Saja Taal.

The story is completely baseless, libellous and a well calculated move by
your Rubbish Editor, Mr M'bai to tarnish the reputable name of the
Observer Company and its managing director. It is a cardinal rule in
journalism that journalists should write nothing but the truth and Mr
M'bai's piece is a violation of the ethics of our noble profession.

Mr M'bai's grudge against the Observer Company is known to every Gambian
since his sacking from the newspaper and we want him to know that his
unwarranted criticisms and blatant lies against the Observer will not in
any way deter us from writing nothing but the truth. It is our duty to
educate Gambians and non Gambians alike and the continuous publication
false and libellous materials against us will in fact make us stronger.

We are reputable institution respected by all right thinking Gambians and
if you hate us for being the most independent and credible paper in The
Gambia, the so be it.

Let us inform Pa Nderry that Dr Taal never made mention of sacking any one
during the meeting he has with the reporters and editors of the paper. The
said meeting was only aimed at introducing him and Mam Sait Ceesay, our
new editor-in-chief to our team of reporters. And all what Dr Taal told
the reporters and editors is that, he was not appointed to dictate them or
interfere with the editorial policy of the paper. He informed them of his
plans to upgrade their writings as well as provide incentives and
equipment to enable them perform their work as professional journalists
who would be the envy of all Gambians.

Therefore, Mr M'bai's statement that Dr Taal resigned from his University
job to correct a rotten editorial system at the Observer" is nothing but
RUBBISH. As far as we at the observer are concern, the Daily Observer has
the best editorial policy and with the help of Mam Sait and Dr Saja Taal
we will continue to shine and shine.

As mature people, we would desist from launching a personal attack on your
institution which comprises of self exiled Gambians bent of destabilising
our country. In conclusion, we wish to inform Mr M'bai that we are ready
to defend our integrity at all time should he continue to make nonsense
statements against the Daily Observer.
Chi Jama
[ENDS]

Editor's note:
If reporting the truth tantamount to being an enemy of The Gambia, then go
ahead and brand us as such. We are more patriotic than any of you, bent on
aiding and abetting dictator President Yahya Jammeh, who is hell bent on
undermining the fabric of society in The Gambia. Posterity will certainly
judge you bunch of bureaucratic liars and cheque book journalists. There
is no turning back in our crusade to expose Yahya Jammeh and his allies.

It is erroneous to jump into conclusion that the said piece was authored
by my very self Pa Nderry M'Bai. There is no grain of truth in such
speculating assertions. Just to inform you that the said piece was sent by
one of our committed correspondent in The Gambia, who happens to be close
enough to The Observer. We have no intention to expose our correspondent,
but in view of your malicious reaction, we thought it necessary to set the
records straight.

Editors all over the world reserves the right to keep the identities of
their correspondents working under hostile media environments, especially
in countries such as The Gambia. Our correspondent is a patriotic Gambian
journalist, who felt that such a story, which appeared to be an attack on
media freedom should not be censored. Consequently he decided to send us
the piece.

We have no cause to doubt our correspondent, who is privy of the details
of the said meeting between Dr. Saja Taal and the Observer editorial
staff. Our duty as a responsible media institution is to double check the
story and publish it. That is exactly what we did.

The ALLGAMBIAN will accept stories offered to us by local journalists in
The Gambia and we wouldn't hesitate to publish such stories. We have been
vindicated, since you confirmed in your misplaced and empty letter that
such a meeting between Dr. Taal and Observer editorial staff did
transpired. We expect the Observer management to be decent and address the
issues.

We can bet that Observer will not publish a letter from The ALLGAMBIAN,
not to talk of publishing divergent views critical of the Jammeh
government. This has been confirmed by recent complaints we received from
Gambians residing abroad that opinion letters sent to the Observer were
censored for unexplained reasons. The ALLGAMBIAN being a true media
institution committed to empowering our readers, resorted to publishing
such letters perceived to be critical of the Jammeh government.

On the issue of my sacking from the Daily Observer, I still maintain that
it was politically motivated and nothing can make me to depart from my
stance. Right thinking minded Gambians are aware of this undisputable
fact. I was fired because of my commitment in exposing the corrupt Jammeh
government.

Just to remind the strangers at the Observer, mssers Taal and Mam Sait
Ceesay, that there is nothing wrong in exposing the truth. My Observer
sacking never deterred me from my quest to pursue the truth. What happened
after my sacking? Was i redundant like Dr. Taal who went on kissing the
ass of the current administration? Hell no. I continued to survive as a
journalist and suffered series of arrest and intimidation from Jammeh's
trigger happy security men. I was fired, but that didn't stop me from
raising my head high in The Gambian community.

Unlike Dr. Taal who is an intellectual prostitute, dumped from one bed to
the other without any client. Dr. Taal has no conscience and lacked
principles. A classical case of a so called dishonest intellectual who
will do whatever it takes to serve Jammeh. Beside the hiring and firing,
he continued to serve as Jammeh's "Jaliba." We believe that he will
continue to practice the same "Jaliba" business at the Observer, while
sycophancy being the order of the day.

Interestingly, the Observer, which is guilty of ethical violations in the
recent times can turn round and preach us about ethics. This is an insult
to our intelligence and press freedom. We will not waste time to respond
to such idle charges.

It is our firm believe that the destabilisation charges you brought
against us, suits the Observer better and not us who are patriotic and
dedicated journalists committed in exposing the current maladministration
in The Gambia, characterised by rule of law and human rights crisis. If
your hands are clean, why are you afraid of The ALLGAMBIAN? We will
continue to report the truth, no matter whose ass is gutted.

We know those behind this malicious letter, but The ALLGAMBIAN will not be
intimidated by enemies of freedom. We are here to serve the common good
and not Yahya Jammeh, as in the case of the Observer. By a copy of this
letter, we are informing all press freedom defenders and friends of the
media about this blatant and malicious attack on our noble paper by
Gambia's pro-government Newspaper the Observer. We want to assure our
esteemed readers that nothing can shake our quest to expose the current
atrocities taking place in our dear mother land The Gambia. We will
continue to put our lives on the line to expose the truth.

To our correspondents in The Gambia, we here by urge you to remain
steadfast in your work and to continue sending us the usual big scoops for
public consumption. Let them continue to kill, but the truth will
certainly prevail one day. As stated earlier, the Observer is an
accomplice to the current government, bent on undermining the rights and
freedoms of peace loving Gambians. God protect us from enemies of freedom.
The struggle for just and democratic Gambia continues. We rest our case.



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