Good Morning Mr. Spokesman


The Point (Banjul)

EDITORIAL
January 2, 2001

Banjul

In a statement read to the press last Saturday, the Chairman Government
Spokespersons' Committee, Mr. M. Sarjo Jallow attacked The Point as being bias
in its opinion. For of all we know, an opinion is an opinion.

In the statement dubbed "Good Afternoon Mr. Editor, the Healing Process
Revisited", Mr. Jallow claimed that our assertion that nothing was healed from
either side is unfounded. Our reply is simple: Omar Joof still at large? Where
is the official report of the enquiry? Why were the wounded students thrown out
of Egypt in pain? Why is GAMSU appealing directly to the public for help?
Although we could go on and on, these few issues suffice to demonstrate that any
meaningful healing process must resolve them.

As for our foreign policy, we maintain our opinion, as we told them in their
last press conference if Mane was of Senegalese origin, Bissau would not have
attempted on his life.

All indications are that the Bissau murderers didn't have any regard for
Gambians and their Government in dealing with Mane. If they had a little bit of
respect for this country and its government, they wouldn't have killed Mane.

What credit is the Spokespersons' Chairman talking about? At least one has to
hail the finality of a diplomatic action and not attempts that have failed to
change a crisis situation.

Guinea-Bissau: the death of Mane points to a failure.

Casamance: the reluctance of Abdoulie Wade "not to associate any foreign
country" as well as the prevailing stalemate cannot be described as a success
for Gambia's diplomacy.

So, what credit can we give? Maybe as we have already done (in fact in the
editorial in question) we can recognise that attempts were made but they were
not conclusive as the problems are still with us.

Talking about fairness, we have in our last issue revealed that the MFDC was to
meet here this Wednesday. So, Mr. Chairman, be fair to us, don't only look at
your bad side in our paper.

As to the accusations that we are being used by conservative forces, we invite
the Chairman to revisit the pages of The Point from 1991 to July 22 1994.

This editor was the only journalist interrogated by both the NSS and the NIA.
So, he had then nothing and has nothing today to be shy about as far as his
journalistic integrity is concerned.

That is our reply to that unfounded accusation.

As for jobs creation, give us figures- what were last year's figures? What
progress has been made in the job market in 2000? And what are the projections
for 2001? On groundnut buying, did you hear of reports of credit buying at
seccos? This paper has been fair to the regime since it came to power and was
the first to praise the developments in the agricultural, health, air transport
and educational achievements. But if things are not right, we point it out.

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