High on your agenda should be to work towards addressing the ongoing conflicts between Palestine and Israel, in Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia and other Muslim countries for the sake of humanity. It appears there are other emerging conflicts around the Muslim world which we call on you to try to iron out by encouraging parties in conflicts to lay down their arms and work together for the development of their respective countries.
Achieving such peace and tranquility among member states, we believe, would require the full support of the 57 Member Countries as you do your best to ensure oneness, love and the smooth flow of divine spirits in the OIC.
Mr President, we cannot but say since you are now the Chairman of the OIC, it is good that you take the opportunity, through bilateral cooperation, to invite investors to do business in The Gambia, as well as to pave the way for study opportunities or further education, and for more jobs for the youth with the backing of government through secured agreements.
Mr President, in the same vein of tapping for national development, the CEO of the Islamic Development Bank, Mr Muhammad Aljasser, has said the Bank has a capital of 232 billion US Dollars to assist poor countries.
This is an opportunity for The Gambia to present her case to be assisted with funds, which can be used to develop good infrastructures, reliable electricity and water supply countrywide, new hospitals, a bridge between Banjul and Barra, and other economic structures to minimise cost of living.
Mr President, the Gambia on Friday, May 3rd 2024, joined the world to commemorate World Press Freedom Day. In the World Press Freedom Index, The Gambia’s ranking on press freedom has dropped from 5th to 10th in Africa. It has also declined from 46th to 58th in the world.
This decline, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), was due to two reasons: one being delay in payment of bills of subscription and adverts to media houses by government, and the other has to do with the country’s draconian media laws introduced by the former regime, which are still in the law books.
Mr President, the aforementioned reasons could have been avoided had government taken proactive stance to change the draconian media laws in the country as they maintain media as partners in development.
Government should act swiftly to redress these problems since free press is essential in any vibrant democracy.
We recognise that since you assumed office in 2017, journalists in the country have not been jailed or killed or their houses and those of their media outlets burnt, as it used to be. We must say we are presently working in much free environment. We thank you for that!
In the foregoing, we renew our call for government to support media outlets with subvention and timely payment for government subscriptions and advertisements, as well to abolish the draconian media laws in the country in order to improve our standing in the world.
We are partners in development and not enemies. Therefore, we should complement each other’s efforts in a win-win situation.
Good day!