Please
allow me space in your widely read newspaper to share my views on an issue of great significance. As we all know,
television and media in general, play a very important role in informing,
educating and communicating with the people in this day and age. As such, they
are a very powerful tool. I want to believe that Babili Mansa understood this
very well and used TV to the maximum to control the former president’s
narrative at every level. I also want to believe that the authorities of the
new Gambia can capitalize on the potential of TV to influence opinion for the
better, shape perspectives for the better, entertain positively and educate us
as they embark on the difficult task of governing. The new Gambia is faced with
a myriad of challenges and I believe that the GRTS as a powerful communication
medium is underutilized, at least for now.
Having said that, I perfectly understand that
GRTS is in the throes of a transformation. Saddled with serious financial
constraints, with new top level management, who are yet to stamp their mark on
the content, the station is yet to find its bearing. This is understood, but I
want to humbly suggest that in the process, they should undertake what
marketers refer to as a product review and identify their star, cash cow
programmes, as well as the dogs and problem children. In my humble view, the
programme entitled Kachaa is a star given its focus on socially interactive
themes and issues. Thanks to Kachaa and Bakary Fatty the credentials of Jali
Mbye as a great historian and great kora player were put to the fore. This has
catapulted this humble Jali in to the limelight. The Nuuni Neenla programme
could be rebranded to evolve into a very interactive and opinion influencing
programme that tackles social ills.
What
about the Assignment? This flagship, weekend programme could evolve into a star
that not only informs but serves as a platform for key officials of the new
Gambia to lay out their programme and engage with the people. For example,
Honourable Ousainou Darboe – a human rights lawyer turned politician - is a
great asset of the new Gambia in my humble view. I have been monitoring his
engagements since I was in high School just after the Kukoi led abortive coup,
when the late Honourable Sheriff Mustapha Dibba was incarcerated and charged
with treason. This erudite lawyer stood his ground and liberated Dibba – one of
the main exponents of democracy and pluralism in The Gambia. Over the years he
has been relentless and very consistent in exposing impunity not just in the
second republic, but the first republic as well and the high point was the
street protest he led to reclaim Solo dead or alive.
Honourable
Ousainou Darboe – the leader of the UDP and the Minister in charge of Foreign
Affairs, International cooperation and Gambians abroad - is now in the throes
of politics and Gambians just rewarded him and his party with well-deserved
“political capital” in the recent parliamentary elections. How he dispenses
this capital through his dominant party will go a long way to consolidate
democracy in the new Gambia. Of late he has been a subject of a great debate in
certain circles, which is very much in line with the basic tenets of pluralism
– understood as “genuine engagement of diversities within the bounds of
civility”. In return, my humble view is that he has to use the media such as
TV, radio and even the print media to explain his vision and that of his party
to dispel misconceptions and set the record straight.
The
recent press release from this gentleman was a step in the right direction in
which he pointed out, “We are a nation of one family, united by blood ties and
love of our people. Whatever village or
town you live in, whatever work you do, which ever language you speak,
whichever party you belong to, you are first and foremost the daughter of the
son of the land, this beloved land of The Gambia, this home and abode of ours”.
He went on exhort the parliamentarians of the UDP- the dominant party in
parliament to “serve all Gambians”. Well
said and such statements should come often, to dispel misconceptions and set
the record straight.
I
concur with the fact that the Gambia is one big family. A case in point is that
the author is Mandinka, but born and bred in Foni Bondali - the land of the
Jolas where there has been great ethnic diversity and tolerance from time
immemorial. All my childhood friends were Jola and my father, who passed away
in 1972, was a great friend of the current chief Seyfo Mr Ebou Colley. If that
is not enough, my grandfather - a renowned Jaliba – Abdoulie Suso was the first
to compose a song in Jola “Balawo Musa Colly – ISabari”. My mother’s mother was
a wollof called Chumbu Samba – daughter of a Hallam player! What a colorful mix.
This
is the essence of The Gambia – The Smiling Coast of Africa. In later years when
I was Director of Marketing GTA/GT Board, (2005- 2012) I used to point out in
my overseas marketing campaigns, that The Gambia is the Smiling Coast of Africa
because we are at peace with each other, and there is unity in diversity and
great religious tolerance, social cohesion and that Gambians are very open,
hospitable and warm hearted. In the Smiling Coast we all tend to be related to
one another.
These
unique qualities attracted the first batch of tourists to our shores, and years
have gone by but these unique attributes are still the bedrock of our tourism
and the bulk of our visitors have thoroughly enjoyed their stay in the Smiling
Coast. Invariably, it is not uncommon to hear “meet you soon” or “welcome back’
at hotel reception desks of our various hospitality outfits. This is further
evidenced by the 52% huge repeat visitor base. According to authoritative
studies, the lion’s share of visitors has expressed their willingness to
recommend this small gem of a destination to friends and relatives back home.
Invariably,
it is said that tourism in the Smiling Coast was started by accident by one
Swede named Bertil Harding way back in 1965. According to another tourism
expert, “this was an accident waiting to happen|” given the abundance of
positive credentials we have on the Smiling Coast.
Simply
put, our legendary hospitality and kind-heartedness, buttressed by a great
degree of social cohesiveness, constitute our unique selling point a “product
plus” according to the Tourism Development Master Plan Study. In my view, that
story should be told in very clear terms, and the programme to tell that
success story is “Expedition Gambia”. This is a great programme that showcases
the true credentials of Gambian tourism, and it is increasingly recognized that
“tourism is an opportunity for people to do better”. In my view, “Expedition
Gambia” should evolve into a travel trade/ tourism/culture information
programme to better reflect the changing dynamics of tourism and project our
unique selling points.
Another
programme that has yet to unleash its full potential is the “Weekend Spectrum”.
I want to believe that this programme should be revisited and repositioned in
terms of content and delivery. A weekly current affairs programme of this
magnitude should be very interactive and should make best use of expert opinion
to inform, educate and enlighten people about key issues at both domestic and
international levels.
In The Gambia we have it all from celebrated
artists, musicians – Jaliba Kuyateh comes to mind, fashion in media gurus –
Ms Conateh/ Ms Chilel Sarr come to mind
, historians – Hassoum Ceesay comes to mind, film makers – Mr Ebou Waggeh, Nana
Offori Atta come to mind, seasoned
diplomats – Alhagie Momar Taal comes to mine, legal experts –the erudite Henry Darlington Carrol comes to mind,
economists – Mr Momodou Sabally comes to mind, bankers, political scientists,
international law and international relations experts Mr Ebrima Badjie – former
Gambian envoy to India/Taiwan comes to mind, tourism experts – Adama Bah comes
to mind, cultural experts – Bakary Sidibe/Sheikh Omar Jallow come to mine,
social development experts, human rights activists – Mr Musa Mbenga of
DUGA comes to mind, social workers, private sector gurus – Mr Alieu Secka comes
to mind and environmental experts, including climate change experts, Pateh Bubu
Jallow comes to mind.
My question is why we are not using them to
the maximum in our television and other media outlets for expert opinion on key
and significant issues of the day? This is food for thought for the new
authorities.
I always admire the Senegalese for their love
of country and creativity and they pay particular attention to the role of
experts/intelligentsia in national development.
As such, they always utilize expert opinion in their TV programmes. A
case in point, the very day on December 9th when the ex president made a declaration
in rejecting the election results, straightway the TFM TV station went to work and invited a very
articulate expert to give his opinion and perspective on the issues of the day
and entertained questions and answers
from the audience.
In
my view, this made a lot of impact in shaping Senegalese public opinion, which
is critical in a democracy. Cognizant of this, the Senegalese Foreign Minister
immediately joined the fray to lay out the official Senegalese Government’s
position on the issue, with the confidence that public opinion was on his side.
I
rest my case.
Lamin
Saho