Star
GSM Communication Wednesday awarded the management and staff of The Point
Newspaper with a certificate of appreciation, at its 5th year anniversary
celebrations held at the Monument in Westfield.
Star
GSM Communication has emerged as one of the crowned bearers in the provision of
quality and affordable communication items like mobile phones for all
irrespective of their financial means.
Star
GSM Managing Director Lamin Kaba, speaking on the occasion, said media houses
and journalists like The Point Newspaper and others should be honoured and
commended for their “tremendous and untiring effort towards national
development”.
Mr
Kaba said The Point Newspaper has contributed immensely and exceptionally to
national development, as it has also demonstrated high standard of
professionalism by disseminating accurate and unbiased information to the
nation and the world.
‘’The Late Deyda Hydara and co-Publisher of
The Point Newspaper, Pap Saine, were both awarded for their honour, loyalty and
great esteem for national development coupled with their immense contribution
and exceptionally high standard of professionalism in their responsibilities
with regard to journalism as we observed in the media fraternity,” he said.
Receiving
the award, Pap Saine, co-publisher of The Point Newspaper, said the award was a
big boost for them to work even harder in discharging their duties and service
to the people of The Gambia, especially the voiceless.
“I
myself and the paper have received several international awards,” he recalled,
saying: “The Star GSM communication award will really inspire me with the other
awardees to continue to serve the nation as expected, despite all odds.”
Mr
Saine dedicated the award to the staff of The Point Newspaper and the family of
the late Deyda Hydara.
“We
would like to thank sincerely Lamin Kaba and his company, Star GSM
Communication for awarding the paper, the late Deyda Hydara, myself and Njie
Baldeh.”
“It
is good for people to appreciate the job of journalists in The Gambia, because
we all know the environment or atmosphere in which we do our job, especially as
regards the draconian media laws in the country,” he added.
He
appealed to young journalists to be committed and dedicated to the job of
educating and informing the public, banking on accuracy and veracity.
The
Point’s senior reporter and entertainment columnist, Njie Baldeh, who was also
awarded for his hard work, dedication and immense contribution towards tourism
development in the country and most especially the Entertainment journalism in
The Gambia, said he was grateful to the management and staff of The Point
Newspaper.
‘’I
thank the entire management and staff of The Point Newspaper, especially Pap
Saine, because the little time I have spent with him has given me a lot of
experience and opportunities,” Njie added.
He
also dedicated the award to all his colleagues in the media fraternity for
partnering for national development.
He
commended the management of Star GSM Communication for coming up with such
initiative to honour and recognise the work of journalists in the country.
“We
have been doing our work for many years, but this is one of a kind for a private
entity to recognise and appreciate the work of journalists in the country,”
said Njie.
He
urged Lamin Kaba to continue the good work he had started.
