FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
Isatou Bittaye
1 April 2008
The President of the Gambia Press Union has said that there is only one GPU which works in the interest of its members, in particular, and Gambia, in general. She said media practitioners and members should recoginse the GPU in order to attain the goal of press freedom in The Gambia and contribute to the protection of the interest of journalists inside and outside the country.
Ndey Tapha Sosseh said that the GPU is a union of Gambian journalists, irrespective of editorial outlook or orientation. She stated that it is in the best interest of journalists to work together as a family because we all share the same destiny. She expressed her conviction that it is the collective role of journalists to shape their destiny in the right direction and the fact that we are all journalists binds us together, thereby creating the need to forge an enviable future for the profession. She noted that at the executive level, they will strive to maintain the unity that brought the founding fathers of the GPU together. Despite the fact that they all had their different media houses and editorial slants, Ndey Tapha intimated that they were wise enough to use their areas of common interest as a platform to champion the cause of Gambian journalists and defend press freedom and professional independence in journalism. She added that the GPU will seek to promote unity and understanding amongst journalists and other media workers through information sharing on a regular basis, noting that when people have access to information they can make informed decisions and form clear opinions rather than be misled by rumour mongers and others bent on pushing their personal agenda. She said from the last congress, there appeared to be factions but at the level of GPU they do not see any fragmentation but one GPU and one body of Gambian journalists.
Ndey Tapha indicated that, in order to make the GPU proactive, her team will continue with the monthly meetings and find ways of communicating and contacting members. She promised that minutes of all meetings will be sent to members by e-mail. She said the GPU belongs to all Gambian journalists and that they should therefore ensure that peace exists. She stressed that the Executive is entitled to make decisions but the final decision is from members.
She expressed the hope that the next monthly meeting which is slated for April 4th will be well attended and that members would participate fully as they did during the previous congress. She noted that the GPU constitution mandates the Executive to find or impose a penalty on members who fail to attend meetings as stated in the constitution but that it was not implemented by the past Executive. She said it is left to them now to decide whether to implement it or not. She, however, remarked that the GPU wants active members who attend AGMs and congresses, but not members who are dormant. Ndey Tapha indicated that the present Executive will engage with the government in dialogue on issues such as the Newspaper Registration and Criminal Code Amendment Acts 2004, state-media relations, investigations into Deyda Hydara's murder, the disappearance of Chief Ebrima Manneh and other attacks on the media which, if resolved, would give much credence to the security apparatus of the state and help boost the image of the country externally.
She said they are yet to begin their courtesy calls but it is part of their plans to visit various government departments, especially the Communication department of State, which is their line ministry, and hopefully they will be welcomed on that as it is in the interest of both parties to maintain cordial relations.
She said they have no positions to take except dialogue because this is one Gambia and the departments are development on one side and the GPU is development on the other, notiing that both need each other and it is in their interest to have good relations. Ndey Tapha further said that the GPU will, at times, try to maintain cordial and good relations with the government. She said the GPU has affiliated members such as the Association of Health Journalists, Young People in the Media and the Young Journalist Association who approached the GPU for membership because they share a common goal and need to share the common platform of the GPU so that the GPU will address issues that affect journalists. She added that if others want to set up associations, it is left to them because the Gambia is a free country, and so long as they go ahead, who ever wants to join is free. The GPU President said that the Union has an agenda which includes working for press freedom in The Gambia, working for the welfare of journalists and to find ways and means of finding the whereabouts of Chief Ebrima Manneh, and to continue to talk about Deyda Hydara's murder and its investigation.
She promised that they will continue to train journalists and look for ways of offering better packages for journalists, but added that the GPU is not interested in any issue that will distract or sideline its members.
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