Despite our pleas, our calls for sanity in the case of the Media Commission Bill, government has crossed the Rubicon and got the National Assembly to pass the obnoxious bill into law.

The local and international media fraternity has also called on government to look into the inconsistencies in the bill but it went ahead and signed the death warrant of a free press in the Gambia.

As we made clear in the past few days, we intend to challenge this piece of  legislation as soon as it is assented to by the President.

A media commission with such an anti-press disposition is unacceptable to the media professionals of this country.

The government has inflicted a deadly blow on the media fraternity that must from now on be fully resolved to face up to this challenge to make sure that what the Constitution stipulates is upheld at all times.

In this connection, we must without delay consult to pave the way for the normalisation of the rules governing the media.

As made clear, we must not partake in the membership of a body whose ultimate goal is to cripple press freedom, as it is known in any democratic dispensation.

This is a move that calls for dedication and determination on the part of all media professionals in this country.

We must not allow government to seize in broad daylight what the Constitution gives and guarantees for the enlightenment of our people.

Relevant laws are at hand and we must explore them to the fullest to counter such an undemocratic move that can only hamper the development of a free and pluralistic media in the country.

We have to say a resounding NO to the attempt to cripple free expression that is guaranteed in the Constitution and governed by the existing laws of libel, slander, defamation, sedition, false reporting, etc, etc.

The government must be made accountable to thepeople as clearly spelt out in Section 208 of the Constitution.

We do not want favours; we just want to be treated fairly like responsible people, as we have over the years demonstrated that the Gambia media has been more than responsible in the discharge of its duty. Over the years, the Jammeh administration, which seeks to protect itself with this law, has neither made use of the law books nor the decrees to challenge the media for any wrongdoing. Not once! They cannot point to a single professional skidding committed by newspapers or radio stations. Therefore, what are they afraid of? They have chosen to serve the people and we are the eyes that pierce their activities on behalf of the people. And this only vindicates our claim that there is no need for such a drastic law. Its enactment only confirms our claim that the government is out to cripple freedom of expression in the country.

This also strengthens us in our resolve to combat, through legal means, such an obnoxious law.

(The Point, Saturday, 4 May 2002)
(Reprinted with permission)