NEWS
Bombshell at Observer; MD, Chief Editor Fired
By Our Special Correspondent



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October 6, 2005
A bombshell was dropped at The Gambia's pro-government Newspaper, the
Daily Observer on Wednesday, which left two casualties, as the paper's MD
and it Chief editor were fired with immediate effect, The ALLGAMBIAN
online Newspaper can confirm

Observer MD Momodou Sanyang and Editor-in-Chief Lamin Cham both received
their marching orders yesterday amidst reports that they offended
President Jammeh and his government following their recent reportage of
the "Economic operators meeting" which was held at the State House in
Banjul.

The observer which is widely said to be sympathetic to the Ruling APRC
government reported Wednesday that the Chamber of Commerce meeting with
Jammeh centred on the Gambia/Senegal looming border crisis, which
according to the paper is having an adverse effect on Gambia's fragile
economy. The paper went as far as quoting GCCI President Abdoulie Touray
as saying that they discussed ways and means to find a lasting solution to
the border crisis.

According to sources, the said story was not well received by the paper's
proprietors who wanted to treat whole affair under the carpet. Sources
hinted that the sacked observer staffers were blamed by the paper's board
of Directors, who accused them of trying to undermine Jammeh's government
by publishing such a topical issue. One report also say previous attempts
made by the State House Press officer Mam Sait Ceesay for the Observer
reporter Ebrima Jaw Manneh to drop the story failed, as Editor-in-Chief
Cham insisted in carrying the said economic piece, which angered the
Gambian leader.

Another theory linked to the sacking of Messrs Sanyang and Cham was their
recent move to allow members of the opposition NADD to be heard through
their paper. Sources say the paper's by election coverage was not welcome
by Jammeh and his followers. The sacked observer officials said our
sources, were cautioned by their employer(s) for some of the stories they
carried about the opposition prior to their unceremonious dismissals.

Meanwhile Dr. Saja Taal, a die-heart supporter of president Jammeh and one
time permanent secretary and administrative secretary of the APRC was on
Thursday named as the new managing director of the company. Dr. Taal who
is also a political science lecturer at the University of The Gambia will
assume office on Friday.

Lamin Cham is one of the longest serving staff member of the Daily
Observer. His sacking was greeted with big shock by observer local
staffers. An insider at the paper told the AllGAMBIAN that both men
received their sacking letters yesterday afternoon.

"Momodou Sanyang, a program manager at the government controlled state
television sent his messenger yesterday to our paper who asked management
to give him a copy of the observer letter head. Few hours later, news
emerged that MD Momodou Sanyang and Editor Lamin Cham have been fired.
Everybody in the office is shocked." said the Daily Observer insider.

GRTS'S Momodou Sanyang who is also the Daily Observer deputy board
chairman was said to have been asked by the President Yahya Jammeh to help
Taal in overseeing the paper, which was one time owned by veteran Liberian
journalist Kenneth Y Best. Sanyang said our sources, will be closely
monitoring the paper's editorial staff, even though he will not be
physically present at the Observer premises.

Up to the time of going to press, both Cham and sacked MD Sanyang were not
available for comments. Our reporter made several attempts to reach the
two dismissed observer senior management members for comments without
success.

It would be recalled that the Observer, which was one time critical of the
deposed PPP administration and the then military junta headed by Chairman
Jammeh was purchased by prominent Gambian businessman Amadou Samba some
couple of years ago. Many observer believed that Amadou was being used as
a "front" by President Jammeh to purchase the country's only daily
Newspaper. Jammeh who had never hidden his hatrate for the private press
is a close friend and associate of Amadou Samba. Government sources even
went on to say that " Amdou had since stopped managing the affairs of the
Observer as ruling party officials had taken charge of the daily paper."
Our sources added "Amadou don't know what is going on at the Observer. The
observer is answerable to the State House in Banjul. This is the reality.
He helped Jammeh in purchasing the paper and had since finished with the
observer." said an insider at the State House.

Lamin Cham had now joined the list of Gambian journalists fired from the
Observer, since the change of ownership. Former Observer fire brand News
Editor Demba Ali Jawo, senior reporters, such as Alieu Badara Sowe and our
own Chief Editor Pa Nderry M'Bai were all fired by then the new Observer
management. Former Observer Editor-in-Chief Baba Galleh Jallow also
resigned in protest and set up the Independent Newspaper together with his
co-proprietor Alagi Yorro Jallow.

Meanwhile, reporters working with the Observer have expressed their
opposition to the sacking of their colleague Lamin Cham.



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