YJAG reminds Justice Minister of unfulfilled promise

The Young Journalists of The Gambia (YJAG) has reminded the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Edward Gomez, of a pledge he made to them more than one year ago which he is yet to fulfill.

At the 4^th anniversary celebration, which also marks the 2^nd biennial congress of YJAG, held on Saturday at the Kanifing Municipal Council multi-purpose centre in Kanifing, from the outgoing president, the secretary general and to the treasurer of YJAG all re-echoed in their report that the Justice Minister still did not honour the pledged he made since February 2010 to give the association ten thousand dalasis (D10,000).

Justice Minister Gomez

“Until today, we have not received that D10, 000 pledge, despite several efforts made to remind him about it,” said Assan Sallah, the former president of YJAG, while delivering his statement on the occasion.

“Therefore I will use this opportunity to again remind the Honourable Minister of Justice of his pledge to YJAG,” Mr Sallah added.

“It is worth noting that more than one year on, the promise is still in the pipeline, so for the benefit of our members who think it has went to the pockets of the executive that is not the case,” said the former assistant secretary general of YJAG, Modou S Joof, who is now the president, while delivering the 2009 – 2011 activity of the association.

The former treasurer, Haddija Jawara, also while giving the financial report of the association for the past two years, told the congress that the pledge by the Minister of Justice is yet to be fulfilled.

It was during the training on media laws dubbed ‘understanding media laws in The Gambia’, which was solely organized and funded by YJAG and held at Joint Officers Mess in Kotu in February 2010, that Hon Edward Gomez promised the young journalists that the he will give the association an amount of D10,000.  He said he was impressed by the activities of the young pen-pushers that warrant him to pledge to help them with some cash.

The news was so welcomed by members of the association who thought that their account, which was in red after funding the media laws training, will soon be rejuvenated.  However, as evidence by the statements of the former executive members, under whose term the promised was made, the pledge is yet to see the light of the day.