Alagie Ndure:
How can you put me on the spot just like that? (laugh) I am just kidding
you! In actual fact, I am used to being asked questions off my guard,
especially when the interviewer is named Robin White or Elizabeth Ohene.
Alagie, that was my own mistake/error and I'll take responsibility for it.
In fact, the source of the story did ask me, just yesterday, to correct it.
In the original e-mail my source sent me, which I just read once again since
I still have it on file, he (my source) had written that in February (2000)
Zainab was 4 months old pregnant. Therefore, the sentence really should have
read: "By the way, Zainab is now 8 months old pregnant"...
So, my apologies to you, especially the source of the story, for the
mistake. You see, Alagie, as a journalist, especially having passed through
the hands of Kenneth Best, I am used to giving background information to my
stories so that their content/message can well grasped/understood.
However, my sources do send me articles, but many of these articles do not
come with background information. Now, in order to help Gambia-L readers,
especially those members who are not familiar with events in the Gambia, I
try, sometimes, to add background information to my sources' articles;
however, sometimes, my own background information may be wrong or is out of
date.
For example, when Baboucarr Gaye won his court case, my source gave Wallace
Grante as being the Judge who presided over the case. But in order to help
the reader, I had to give a little background by saying that Wallace Grante
was the Judge who also presided the case of Sanna Manneh (against Saihou
Sabally, Dr Saho and others).
Now, if my background info on the Baboucarr Gaye court victory piece was
wrong, unfortunately, it would have been my source who would have taken the
blame, when in actual fact, the mistake/error was mine.
Another example: over the past few weeks, one of my sources in the Gambia
was reporting a lot on the "disagreement" going on between Cheyassin Secka
and Isatou "Coms" Wadda, but in all his e-mails, he, my source, never
mentioned to us Isatou "Coms" Wadda's position in the Government.
Now, I myself know "Coms" Wadda well, and as far as I knew, she was the
Registrar General at the Ministry of Justice. So I almost added in my
source's email that "Coms" Wadda was the Registrar General, just to help the
reader understand things better, but I had a second thought and as a result,
did not go ahead. Later on, it turned out that "Coms" Wadda was the Judicial
Secretary.
So if referred to her ("Coms") as the Registrar General in source's e-mail,
it would have been wrong and which mistake/error should have been mine, but
the Gambia-L reader wouldn't know that unless told by me. Members of the
List would have just assumed that the error was committed by my source.
Finally, let me take the opportunity to ask all my sources to try and put
some background information in their pieces to help the new reader, or those
members on Gambia-L who are not familiar with things/events in the Gambia.
Ebrima Ceesay
>From: Alaji Ndure <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Ebrima- CLARIFICATION!
>Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 08:09:04 -0400
>
>Hello Coach,
>
>Last week, Saul Khan informed us on the List, that Yahya Jemus' Zainab, had
>delivered a baby-girl, at a hospital in America.
>
>In the e-mail one of your sources sent, that was titled ''why is ADC Paul
>Sambou in detention?'', and you posted it fri, 30 Jun, 14:05:41 GMT, he/she
>wrote, ''by the way, Zainab is now 4 months pregnant''.
>
>I am just wondering, because if (she) Zainab, was 4 months ahead that time,
>then she should be almost 5 by now. Unless if the child was born premature,
>of course.
>
>I was just wondering.
>
>Have a week-end!
>
>Ndura.
>
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