GPU Sees Growing Interest In Fact-Check Ahead Of Presidential Elections

Photo: Muhammed S. Bah (GPU VP)

By Ousman A. Marong 

The Gambia Press Union (GPU) is increasingly picking up the mantle of fact-checking ahead of December 4, 2021 presidential elections.

Muhammed S. Bah, GPU Vice President, said fact-checking is a part of everyday journalism.

“Fact-checking is a part of everyday journalism, but it is even more important that this culture of verification is entrenched during elections. Misinformation and disinformation (or fake news) comes in many forms, and it is important for journalists to identify and debunk them,” he advised.

The union’s number two (2) said that Fact-checking in elections should not only be limited to what the political candidates say, but also deliberate attempts by their supporters and other groups or individuals to mislead and manipulate the people must be checked.

He made these pronouncements on Monday, 26 July 2021 during a 3-day training of 30 Gambian journalists in fact-checking. The event was held at the Sea View Garden Hotel in Kololi.

The training is inspired by the need to equip journalists and other media professionals with the needed skills to combat information disorder (a.k.a fake news).

“Our fact-checking training are in response to the upsurge in information disorder which poses a damaging challenging to public policy-making, communal harmony and media credibility. We look forward to collaborating with more partner's including UNESCO in these and other areas of capacity building for journalists,” he remarked.

He commended the UNESCO in providing the union with a very timely and relevant training on fact-checking.

He further urged the participating journalists to give the maximum attention to the knowledge gained during the training.

“Paying attention and partaking part in practical exercises in the best way to learn and to be able to implement why you have learned when you return to your various media houses,” he concluded.

 

Photo: Salimina Drammeh

I Was A Victim Of Baba Jobe, TRRC Witness Says

 

By Ousman A. Marong

The former Director of Operations, and Commanding Officer of the Counter Espionage Unit responsible for Presidential Affairs, Salimina Drammeh, told the TRRC that he was a victim of the late Baba Jobe during his arrest and detention in 2003.

“In the case of Baba Jobe, I was a victim. I was victimized, because if I am left in the service perhaps there would be an information leakage. Baba is a brother and we are from the same place and due to that closeness, the authorities might think if am left in the service and as Direct of Operations many things pass through my hands, and they feel I should stay away,” he explained.

According to him, they have this principle at the NIA called NTK meaning need to know and need not to know.

It could be recall that the late Baba Jobe, was arrested in December 27, 2003 by officials of The Gambia Police Services (GPS).

He and several of his colleagues were arrested by police officers at Sibanor before being escorted under tight security to the Police Training School (PTS) in Yundum, where they were detained.

“Are you suggesting that you were removed because of your relationship with Baba Jobe,” quizzed lead Counsel Essa M. Faal.

“Not only me, but many people were speculating that,” replied the witness.

“You are at the nerve Centre of the NIA activities during this time,” Faal flash-back.

“Correct with an explanation. NIA is a secret agent, and there is this compartmentation in it,” said the witness.

“Would you compartment out the Director of Operation,” asked lead Counsel Faal.

“Yes! The witness replied.

He made these revelations at Dunes Hotel, while testifying before the Commission.

“Mr. witness would it make sense for you to direct activities which you are kept in the dark,” Faal retorted.

“It could be of course is possible. When investigator investigate, and then you are close to the offender we have this principle called NTK,” said the witness.

“This is precisely my point Director of Operations by reason by virtue of your position you need to know,” lead Counsel stressed.

“There is an instant which I will need not to know,” the witness stood his ground.

 

 

 

 

“The NIA Were Focused On Spying Political Opponents,” – Witness Tells TRRC

Foday Momodou Hydara

By Ousman A. Marong

Foday Momodou Hydara, former Deputy Director General (DDG) of the defunct National Intelligence Agency (NIA) now State Intelligence Services (SIS), adduced before the Truth Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) that the NIA were focusing on spying political opponents of former President Yahya Jammeh.

Hydara, who worked at the NIA for a long time before becoming its head, admitted that the NIA were focusing on spying political opponents.

“The unit was more focusing on spying against the political opponents of former President Jammeh. The NIA was built with added thieves in it. The unit (NIA) was built, and then you put some added thieves in it that will eventually defeat the general purpose of the intelligence services. The NIA was built badly in the first place,” he alleged.

“Well, we want to make it good so tell us why, or what made it bad in the first place,” flipped lead Counsel Essa M. Faal.

“When the NIA came into being, along the line sometime, somewhere the whole objective became misconstrued,” he said.

“Misconstrued or deliberately obscured,” lead Counsel further quizzed.

Responding to the question the witness admitted by saying: “I will take both deliberate, misconstrued, obscures, because some officers even working in the unit you ask them honestly today aside what is the objective of the unit, they would not be able to explain exactly what is the objective,” he remarked.

He made these revelations at Dunes Hotel in Kololi, while testifying before the Commission.

According to him, the whole objective was to serve the government of the then former President Yahya Jammeh.

Hydara 54 said the NIA were operating to serve the president and to give him fair advantage in elections.

“You know that is unlawful,” stressed lead Counsel Faal.

“Yes! It was very unlawful counsel,” replied the witness.

“Its taxpayers’ money being used to spy against political opponents in order to gather information, in order to advantage the president,” added Counsel Faal.

 “This was very un-lawful Counsel, but let me start from sources. When you look at the NIA my opinion, and I think a sound minded person like me would agree with me that the NIA was built to be bad,” said the witness.

On ‘Green Youth’:

He said the ‘Green Youth’ were accomplished into the NIA and would do anything to please former President Yahya Jammeh.

“The ‘green boys’ become thugs to the ruling party. The NIA basically has several units, but let me start from the NSS. To dissect a little during the time of the NSS the units that were in existence were the counter espionage unit, political and dissidence group, the economic sabotage unit, and the operational room responsible for multimedia communication monitoring, and the religious group,” he listed.

He continues: “Apart from these units all over we have the ‘liaison’ outside the country, and the special ups were later added.”

He said the political, and dissidence group were into existence since the first regime.

“I will explain a little about that. This particular unit has been existing since the first republic, and to my understanding, and the way I am taught, the unit is to monitor the activities of the registered political parties. The simple reason is all geared towards making sure people don’t just jump up under the pretext of ‘I am a political party’, and we give them a free hand to go about their normal businesses when underneath maybe something could be cooking under,” he asserted.

He pontificated that the ‘political and dissidence’ group was the unit that many NIA officers don’t like simply, because it involves lot of writings, and transcribing.

“Whenever there are political activities anywhere the personals have to go there to cover that meeting to see what message they are sending. If there is anything subversive and you come home with those tapes to the office, and you transcribe everything, then send it to the analysis unit to deduce whatever they deem is intelligent,” he concluded.