Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission contract awarded to QTV to provide technical backup for the media team by providing the technical capacity to record, edit, and process the proceedings has been proved failure.
The media released and issued by the Executive Director makes some clarifications with him and his team awarding the contract to QTV. He needs to pay deaf ears rumors or stop all his social media pages including the email.
The failure of Executive Director and his contracts committee and communications unit, started with the calls for proposal. For providing technical backup to the media and recording, editing and processing proceedings are jobs for the state own media, the Gambia Radio and Television Services.
GRTS is state own, and the TRRC was setup by the state. The process for founding the TRRC was led by the Attorney General, Ba Tambadou. At a press conference on 20th July, 2017, Tambadou announced that a draft bill for the establishment of the TRRC had been shared with international experts for review.
He also announced that a team, led by him, would begin a public engagement tour on the bill in August, which lasted from August 14 to 24, 2018, Tambadou then proceeded to table the bill before the National Assembly. On 13th December, 2017; the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) Act was passed, and it received presidential assent on 13th January, 2018.
All proceedings of this commission should be in the safekeeping of GRTS and not to be in private business TV station hand. This is national documents while the commission is setup by the government. Flashback, the first and second commission namely the Janneh and Faraba commissions are documented by GRTS and the voices/images of witnesses are in state custody.
On the justification of these points: Their capacity to record live proceedings and other activities of the Commission are without hindrance which would empower them to facilitate video conferencing testimony for witnesses outside The Gambia. Also, their capacity to distort voices/images of witnesses who request anonymity likewise their ability to develop a mobile App for the TRRC so that the public can access the proceedings. The GRTS can meet up with these requirements.
On the issue of journalist’s equipment to the TRRC, this is the country first commission and there is the need to cover well by both local and international media. The directives to control the works of journalists are direct violation. Here is our question for the head of communication. When will we get these materials for our Newsroom? Will we get the right picture for our front pages?
Our opinion is that this commission should be opened to the media for covering.
If this commission is setup in the best interest of Gambians and also non Gambians whose rights were violated, then we call on the Executive Director, Contracts Committee and the Communications Unit to consider the awarding contract to GRTS and also consider the working condition for journalists. On the other hand, “Are the TRRC considers the State Owned Media of inability to take over the communicational systems of this imperative task for the nation and its populace?”