Home : News : Gambia News : Five Gambian journalists return home
Gambia News : Five Gambian journalists return home
The speaker of Gambia's National Assembly, Honourable Fatoumatta
Jahumpa-Ceesay, on Tuesday received five Gambian journalists – dubbed
the Ghana-five - who recently returned from Accra, after a 3-week
international studies on parliamentary reporting.
The group
comprises Alhagie Jobe, deputy editor-in-chief of the Daily Observer
newspaper; Abba AS Gibba, senior news editor of The Point newspaper;
Mama Jaye, Famara Fofana, and Nuha Badjie, all of GRTS.
During
their stay in Ghana the journalists underwent an intensive three-week
international course on parliamentary reporting at the Ghana Institute
of Journalism (GIJ), facilitated by the Office of the Speaker of the
National Assembly, and funded by the United Nation Development
Programme, Banjul office, under its governance programme.
Speaker
Jahumpa-Ceesay expressed hope that the Ghana-Five would serve as an
example among the many journalists in that country. She used the
opportunity to urge the authorities at the country’s first and only
university, the University of The Gambia, to consider establishing a
journalism school.
She announced that early next year, the second batch of Gambian journalists would be coming to Ghana for the same training.
The
National Assembly Speaker believes that specialization by journalists,
especially in areas crucial to national development is something
important to be given consideration.
She also unveiled plans
for the establishment of a state-of-the-art National Assembly with a
media centre which, according to her, is President Jammeh’s priority.
She then congratulated her Ghana-five for successfully completing the
course, urging them to put into practice the knowledge gained.
Momodou
Sanneh, Minority Leader and NAM for Kiang West, described the training
facilitated by the office of the Speaker as one of the best, one can do
for her nation. He described the press as the fourth estate in any
nation that recognised its importance.
"Without training the journalists, they will not do their work accurately.
But
with such, it will greatly boost their morale, especially as National
Assembly reporters," he said. He then thanked the Speaker and the UNDP
for the training and congratulated the Ghana-Five for successfully
completing the training.
Abdoulie Kanaji Jawla, NAM for Sandu, also thanked Speaker Fatoumatta Jahumpa-Ceesay for the initiative.
Alhagie
Sillah, NAM for Banjul North would not be left out in showering praises
on both the Speaker and UNDP. He said that "in order to catch up with
the present world status quo, such training for the press is vital.
For
Kebba Dibba, Senior Manager, Television Programmes at The Gambia Radio
and Television Services (GRTS), the initiative is the first of its kind
in the history of the National Assembly. He said "the role of the
Assembly and decisions reached always impact on the lives of all
Gambians. Therefore enhancing the capabilities of those who disseminate
the information of what transpired in the Assembly to the electorates
is vital."
On behalf of the entire media fraternity, he
acknowledged the giant efforts of Speaker Jahumpa-Ceesay, as well as
the financial assistance of the UNDP to ensure success in the training.
He implored on his colleagues to put into reality the knowledge gained,
further buttressing on the importance of specialisation in reporting.
Nuha
Badjie of GRTS radio, on behalf of the Ghana-Five, thanked Speaker
Fatoumatta Jahumpa-Ceesay for facilitating the training and the UNDP
for funding it. He gave a brief report of the activities during the
three-week training.
Mama Jaye, a producer at GRTS, gave the
vote of thanks. Present where Pa Malick Faye, production manager at the
Daily Observer, Ebrima Sawaneh, News editor, The Point newspaper, among
other National Assembly members. At the end of the ceremony, Speaker
Fatoumatta Jahumpa-Ceesay presented gifts of bread from the Kanilai
Bakery farm to the Ghana-Five.
1931 times read
|
|
|
Rate this Gambia Article
 (total 179 votes)
|
Gambia News
Gambia Archive
Newsletter
Poll: 2011- Gambia General Election
Comment on This Gambia News (0 posted)
Syndication
