By : Binta Jaiteh
Sulayman Saho, lawmaker for Central Badibou has frowned at the claims made by the majority leader Billay G. Tunkara against the media.
The majority leader raised concern during the adjournment debate stressing on the recent afrobarometer survey. “You cannot go and manulpulate or try to cook things making the government unpopular. We expect them to do an independent research to make sure that they are driven by fact not partisan politics. There is an act that will address issues of misinforming, false information and many other issues. That is why I was eager for the act to be read the third time, from this stage I will send it straight to the President to assent to it forthwith. It is high time we regulate our society for sanity to prevail in this country,” NAM Tunkara queried.
Sulayman Saho Central Badibou NAM immediately raised a point of order under (18), referencing the constitution under section (200) (7) which states the Freedom and Responsibility of the Media. “Freedom and independence of the press and other information media are guaranteed by the constitution. The press shall at all time be free to hold the principle, provision and objective of the constitution and the responsibility and accountability of government to the citizens.”
“You can’t threaten the media, they have a role to play and they will continue to play that role,” Saho argued.
“I have not said the media is not free,” NAM Tunkara replied.
However, the point of order was ruled out by the Deputy Speaker Seedy Njie who is overseeing the Speaker.
“You are fond of putting words in people’s mouth. I have never said that the media is not free. This is the most freed dispensation that respect freedom of expression and fundamental human rights,” Tunkara maintained.
