(JollofNews) – Authorities in the Gambia Wednesday ordered the closure of the country’s first newspaper, the Daily Observer.
The newspaper which supports former President Yahya Jammeh and his APRC party, is accused of failing to pay millions of Dalasis in tax to the country’s revenue authority (GRA).
According to sources, an enforcement team of GRA entered the paper’s premises in Kanifing at around 15:00 while staff were working on the next day’s edition and ordered them to vacate the building.
The management of the newspaper was not available for comment at the time of posting this story.
The Daily Observer was founded by Kenneth Best in 1990 and is credited for transforming journalism in the Gambia.
Mr Best had previously managed another paper called the Daily Observer in Liberia, until the First Liberian Civil War caused him to relocate with his family to the Gambia.
He was later expelled from the Gambia in October 1994 by the military junta of Yahya Jammeh which took over power a few months earlier.
Although the newspaper was allowed to continue operation, Mr Best sold it in 1999 to Amadou Samba, a business tycoon and closed associate of former President Yahya Jammeh.
Most of Gambia’s Journalists worked and were trained by The Observer at sometime or other. One hopes the situation can be recovered/ and reporting standards and job opportunities and training can continue.
The saying that “Insanity is Doing the Same Wrong thing over and over and Expect a Different Result”, Echos, Highlights and follows the Foot-steps of Jammeh Regime’s Closing down of Media Houses that are not Supportive of the Regime’s Agenda. It is Alive, Flexing, Finger Pointing with Drummed Up Self-serving Hyperbole with Elementary School Student for doing their Homework or being Late. Have GRTS which was also Under the Jammeh Regime and All other Media Houses Paid their Fair Share of Taxes or Collected all the Income and Social Security Taxes over the years from their employees? Did NAWEC, The University of the Gambia, the Public Works Department (PWD) or whatever it is called now? Simply put, have any Auditing or Accounting Undertaken on Major Parastatals or Departments in the Gambia since the New Regime took over? What’s the result? When will the findings be made Public? These and many other questions and concerns need to be addressed, instead of Press Censorship Camouflaged as being Accountable and Deligent. Any Media House Closings that is Undertaken by a Government is Suspect and Need to be Protested by all Media Houses and the Gambians of all Political, Ethnic and Regional Background . Today is your Competition, tomorrow it will be you unless you are willing to be the Government’s or a Segment of the Government’s Mouth Piece. Silence and Voluntary Co-option into Blind allegiance and Support by a Compromised and Emasculated Press can and will Breed Contempt, Corruption and Corruptive Practices at the Highest and Lowest Level of Government. If l am a Furtune Teller, which I am not, after the Media or Press is reduced to Parroting the Government’s Selected and Packaged News of the Day, the next Victims, will be Political Parties, Civic Organizations that are Perceived Not to be in Line with the Government’s Program of the Month or Year. It would not be far fetched to postulate that like the previous Regime, this Current UDP Led Regime would be Targeting Select Mosques and Imams for Silencing based on Perceived Political and Regional Bias. I hope the Point is made. Authoritarian and Despotic Acts do not begin with a Flood of Oppressive Proscriptions that Outrages the Opposition and Supporters. It begins with a Drip here and there and then a Flood of Proscriptions and Actions that in the beginning, taken at Face value, the Supporters agree with. Then comes the escalation into all Directions, Nooks and Cracks of the Society. By then, Anomie or Normlessness have gotten hold of the Society Mentally or Psychologically and thus rendered Impotent and Compliant to the Whims and Insatiable Apetite of a “Monster”. The Gambia is said to have beenThere has been through such an experience in the Past. To avoid repeating past Wrongs, Gambians must Speak up Against these Disturbing Developments. Gambians cannot bear another Months and Years of Democracy without Due Process and Governance by the People. Mirage Democracy of the Past, of “Now You See it, Now you Don’t” Need not Apply or Exist in the Gambia. One People, One Destiny.
Very unwise and poorly thought out action. Arbitrary actions against press or media houses should be behind us now, given our opposition to it under the last dispensation.
Whatever monies are owed by the DO, closure actions should only be a last resort, after everything else fails to get the paper to honour its obligation, if indeed it accepts the charges.
I hope this decision is rescinded for the benefit of all of us.