By Mohamed Kargbo
The multi award winning journalist, co-founder and publisher of The Point newspaper, Mr Pap Saine, has urged the government offices to always pay for its advertisements given to media houses both print and electronic on time.
He made this appeal during a talk show program called Coffee Time with Peter Gomez on West Coast Radio to talk about the 30th anniversary of The Point newspaper, which started its publication 16th December, 1991.
Mr Saine emphasised that The Gambia government should make sure that all advertisements given to private media are paid for and should be on time.
According to him, he said, sometimes payment goes beyond a month before paying for them and because of this “we often struggle to pay our staff salaries. So we want the Barrow-led government to consider the way and manner in which they pay for advertisements given to media houses, especially private,” he said.
On celebration of the late Deyda Hydara’s anniversary, he said they chose to celebrate it in a low-key as they only invited few friends, colleagues and members of staff saying it is just to avoid large crowd as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to him, since the assassination of Deyda Hydara on 16th December, 1994 it was impossible to have celebrated its anniversary, but they decided to honor the anniversary after postponing it for about seventeen years till now they decided to have a cocktail event for member of staff, friends and colleagues.
He disclosed that his institution has really struggled a lot before reaching where it is today, especially during the regime of ex-President Yahya Jammeh which he said had no regard for media freedom, as “there was sensor of the press.” Whereby, Mr Pap Saine himself was arrested and imprisoned on a number of occasions during the era.
Mr. Saine, expressed a sigh of relief when comparing the current situation to that of Jammeh’s era. He said people are no longer afraid of their lives, no more killings, no more arrest and detentions and journalists are now free to go about their daily activities.
He said the media climate has now improved to the point that there are currently thirty-three Radio Stations, Six TV Stations and Four daily newspapers.
He however urged the Barrow administration to abolish what he called the draconian laws, adding that in ten years from now, The Point Newspaper would be looking forward to having a Radio and TV station. He said it is another milestone as far as media development is concern.
Meanwhile, he called on President Adama Barrow and government to approve the TRRC report and bring to trial all those responsible for the murder of Deyda Hydara and others, as they should not go unpunished.