GPU is one Says President

The President of the Gambia Press Union has said that there is only one GPU which works in the interest of its members, in particular, and Gambia, in general. She said media practitioners and members should recognize the GPU in order to attain the goal of press freedom in the Gambia and contribute to the protection of the interest of journalists   in and out side the country. She was speaking in an exclusive interview at the background of some elements of disgruntle members who wanted to form what is call Gambia Media Association.(GMA)

Ndey Tapha Sosseh said that the GPU is a union of Gambian journalists irrespective of editorial outlook or orientation. She stated that it is in the best interest of journalists to work together as a family because we all share the same destiny. She expressed her conviction that it is the collective role of journalists to shape their destiny in the right direction and the fact that we are all journalists binds us together thereby creating the need to forge an enviable future for the profession. She noted that at the executive level, they will strive to maintain the unity that brought the founding fathers of the GPU together. Despite the fact that they all had their different media houses and editorial slants, Ndey Tapha intimated, they were wise enough to use their areas of common interest as a platform to champion the cause of Gambian journalists and defend press freedom and professional independence in journalist.

She added that GPU will seek to promote unity and understanding amongst journalists and other media workers through information sharing on a regular basis , noting that when people have access to information they can make informed decisions and form clear opinions rather than be misled by rumour mongers and others bent on pushing their personal agenda .She said from the last congress , there appeared to be factions but at the level of GPU they do not see any fragmentation but one GPU and one body of Gambian journalists.

Ndey Tapha indicated that, in order to make the GPU productive, her team will continue with the monthly meetings and find ways of communicating and contacting members. She promised that minutes of all meetings will be sent to members by e-mail. She said the GPU belongs to all Gambian journalists and that they should therefore ensure that the Executive is entitled to make decisions but the final decision is from members.

She expressed the hope that the next monthly meeting which is slated for April 4^th will be attended and that members would participate fully as they did during the previous congress. She noted that the GPU constitution mandate the Executive to find or impose a penalty on  members who fail to attend  meetings as stated in the constitution but that it was not implemented by is left to them now to implement it or not. She however remarked that the GPU wants active members who attend AGMs and congresses but not members who are dormant. Ndey Tapha who indicated that the present Executive will engage with the government in dialogue on issues such as the newspapers Registrations and Criminal Code Amendment Acts 2004, state media relations, investigations into Deyda  Hydara’s  murder  the disappearance  of Chief Ebrima Manneh and other attacks on the media which, if resolved, would give much credence to the security apparatus of the state and help boost the image of the country externally she said they are yet to begin their courtesy calls but it is part of their plans to visit various departments , especially the communication department, which is their line ministry , and hope fully they will be welcomed on that as it is in the interest  of both parties to maintain cordial relations.

She said they have no positions to take except dialogue because this is one Gambia and the departments are development on one side and the GPU is development on the other side, nothing that both need each other and it is in their interest to have good relations . Ndey Tapha further said that the GPU will at times try to maintain cordial and good relations with the Government. She said the GPU has affiliated members such as the Association of Health journalists, Young people in the media and the Young Journalists Association who approached the GPU for membership because they share a common goal and need to share the common platform of the GPU so that the affect journalists . she added that if others want to set up association, it is left to them because the  Gambia is a free country but so long as they go ahead who ever wants to join is free. She indicated that the GPU has an agenda which is press freedom in the Gambia and to be fine with their media houses and to find ways and means of finding the whereabouts of Chief Ebrima Manneh, and continue to talk about Deyda Hydara’s murder and its investigation.

She promised that they will continue to train journalists and look for ways of offering better packages for journalists but added that the GPU is not interested in any issue that will distract or sideline its members.