By Lamin B. Darboe, The author
The closured of the Daily Observer Company Ltd, the publisher of Daily Observer Newspaper on August 24th 2017 was from the Court Order through GRA legal suit and it is seriously affecting the overall media landscape in the country.
Daily Observer was first closed on June 2017 with the Order of the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) with the reason that Observer Company incurred over 17 Million Dalasi Tax arrears during the time of many former Managing Director’s of the company.
GRA made the first closured few days before 2017 Koriteh prayers this was followed by state appointment of Chartered Accountant by the names of Augustus Prom as Receiver of the Daily Observer Company Ltd like many other companies own and associated with former President Yahay Jammeh.
The Company was closed while the state Chartered Account was in control and preparing his report for the necessary action to take effect, but unfortunately frustrated by the Closure Order.
As I am writing this article, the company is still locked up while staffs that were at the company are in limbo as to where their faith lies because they are neither terminated nor sacked.
The closured of the Daily Observer Newspaper is causing serious impact to the welfare of staff as citizens of The Gambia that employed over one hundred (100) of paid staff.
The company served as a means of sustenance for thousands of Gambians and non-Gambians alike through its daily operations as one of the leading Newspaper in the country by the time tenable on both print and online.
The staff at Daily Observer company thought that change of Government will bring about total shift in administration of the State related matters for both their interest and welfare regardless of their Term Of Reference (TOR) at Daily Observer Company within the context of Rule of Law, Democracy, Good Governance and Respect for Human Rights including fundamental rights and freedoms as enshrined in the Chapter 4 of the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia.
I want to draw the attention of the Government of The Gambia under President Adama Barrow that the continuing closured of the company is not good for the country financially but instead is making the country losing its revenue.
The closured is now running into exactly two years and three months without salaries for its un-sacked staff and the closured has not only occasioned untold hardship to the staff of the company, but it also affects the media landscape under this new Found Democratic Dispensation.
Thus the media occupied the pivotal role of fourth estate or the fourth organ of Governments across the globe including The Gambia, under Barrow’s leadership.
The Daily Observer’s status left the company staff in a state of nightmare, frustration and total confusion as the staff fate, since the Government under President Barrow have all the opportunity of putting in place effective management for the company towards payment of the cited Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) Tax Arrears as opposed to its continue closure.
The Gambia Government should know that the closure of the Daily Observer Company has far serious implications for the staff contrary to the spirit and objectives of our new democratic dispensation meant to have equal opportunity for all.
I have the believe that Dictators and comes and go and no one should be punished for the crimes committed by others innocence of their actions, thus Daily Observer Company with an effective and efficient management put in place has the potentials of paying the cited GRA Tax Arrears within the confines and spirit of universal brotherhood, devoid of occasioning hardship for one and another.
I have every trust and confidence that the Government of The Gambia will address this issue for prosperity in line with the trust and confidence that the people of The Gambia bestowed on the Government under Adama Barrows leadership through 1st December 2016 Presidential election.
If Daily Observer reopens it will play a big role in contributing to the current political situation in the country and media which Daily Observer Newspaper is not an exception, is an important pillar when it comes to the promotion of democracy in any country if only they are not harass by the authorities or her people.
Continuous closured of the Daily Observer Newspaper Company is a sign of depriving democracy to exist, thus the reason I am appealing to the Government of His Excellency, President, Adama Barrow that any country without viable media is like a parallel Government without a leader.
Therefore, the staff of the Daily Observer Company Ltd, the publisher of Daily Observer Newspaper seized this opportunity to appeal for the compassionate, human generosity to consider for the reopening of the Daily Observer Newspaper Company for the sake of the staff, our esteem readers, Newspaper vendors, friends and family members.