THE POINT NEWSPAPER MISSES THE POINT!!!!

“ The internet is a way for…the struggle in our country, and the many other countries where there are a lot of human rights abuses to be brought into the open.” Janai Robert Orina

The Point Newspaper has once again manifested its poor journalistic standards,  by  woefully failing to address the key issues raised in our recent editorials about Pap Saine’s gross journalistic misconduct. Instead of engaging us into intellectual debate, the paper’s disgraced and shameless  co proprietor Pap Saine resorted to personal attacks, which would not help to save his already battered credibility.

The Freedom Newspaper takes no offence of the fallacies contained in the Point’s misguided and erroneous insinuations about the Freedom Newspaper. The Freedom Newspaper is managed by team of seasoned editors and reporters. We do not need a positive report card from  Pap Saine, a man who our able editor Pa Nderry M’bai helped over the years to write and edit his Reuters News Agency stories for him. If Mr. Saine can be so ungrateful to the point of questioning our journalistic abilities, this clearly demonstrates his double standards. Reuters Editors in Dakar can attest to the fact that Mr. Mbai used to file stories for Pap Saine,  while he was away from the country. Point Newspaper staffers can also attest to the fact that Pap Saine is a ghost writer, who relied on the likes of Pa Nderry and other Nigerian journalists to write and edit stories for him.

Pap Saine should respond to the charges brought against him instead of making personal attacks. The Freedom Newspaper has no intention of taking such a route, but if we are provoked by Saine, we will defend the image of this leading Gambian online paper.

We must point out that Pap Saine and Mr. Mbai are good friends. Saine used to be a big admirer of Pa Nderry’s  journalistic investigative skills. Despite his long years of journalistic experience, Mbai used to beat him,  when it comes to gathering scoops and classified Government stories. Saine had personally told the late Deyda Hydara in the presence of Pa Nderry that he Mr.Mbai had good sources at the NIA.

Having said that, Mr. Mbai used to author majority of the Point lead stories. He also writes the paper’s editorials occasionally. On numerous occasions Pap Saine would asked Mr. Mbai to write editorials for the Point during Deyda’s overseas trips.

At one occasion, he Pap Saine asked Editor Mbai to write an editorial praising the former Director General of the NIA Abdoulie Kujabi.  Saine was pleased with Kujabi’s leadership at the NIA and therefore believed that it was important for the Point to acknowledge Kujabi’s  good work. Mr. Mbai told Saine that his editorial was going to be based on the realities on the ground and not otherwise. Please visit the archives of the Point Newspaper and see Mbai’s editorial about the NIA.

Without any prejudice, some of the Teeth Bite stories contained in the recently published book, featuring the late Deyda Hydara were authored by the very Pa Nderry M’Bai, who Pap Saine is trying to chastise today. For the purpose of posterity, we deem it imperative to expose this online. Gambians and friends of The Gambia should take note of this.

Mbai had a highly paid job, while in The Gambia. As a Voice Of America Correspondent, Mbai earns nothing less than $ 500 dollars per month. He was able to built a five bedroom  house and had his own car and a driver  at his disposal.

Mr. Mbai served the Point Newspaper faithfully and honestly. If the late Deyda Hydara was alive, a situation like this wouldn’t have happened  in the first place.

For the information of Pap Saine, the Freedom Newspaper received numerous letters against him in the past, but for some reasons, we decided not to run such letters. We valued our past relationship and shall never be a party that will antagonize Saine.

Our opposition against Yahya Jammeh is legitimate and we shall continue to expose injustices in our country. The Point should not perceive the Freedom Newspaper as a competitor, but a partner in development.

Few days before Pa Nderry left for the US, he was treated for a dinner by Pap Saine at his Latri-Kunda residence. We know what was discussed at the said dinner and shall never abandon past friends. Musician Mam Tamsir was present at the said dinner. Pap Saine should think twice. He should not start a fight with the Freedom Newspaper. Yahya Jammeh shall leave one day. We have nothing to lose by parting with him. We still consider him as a partner and brother  in the struggle. Lets sleeping dogs lie.