By Lamin Drammeh
The Gambia press Union (GPU), for the third (3rd), time since its establishment in 1978, have decorated Nine Gambian journalists with awards at a ceremony held at The Djembe Hotel in Kololi, Friday evening, The Fatu Network has gathered.
The awards conferred on the country’s journalists men and women was done in recognition of their excellent journalistic work in Sports, Human rights, Environment, politics, amongst other high profiled areas and issues of reportage of national interest.
Two Gambian journalists Rohey Bittaye and Ebrima Baldeh who both report for The Gambia Radio & Television Services, (GRTS), won the Business, women’s affairs and political reporters awards. This is not the first time that GPU is awarding the Television broadcaster duo Baldeh and Bittaye having both won (back to back), Environment, and agriculture reporters of the year awards in 2016.
Sports reporters awards went to West Coast Radio journalist duo Omar Jarju and Johnny Mendy, Agriculture award winners are Kumba Leigh and Rohey Bittaye of GRTS. Ms Bittaye’s colleagues at Grts Oumie Njie, and Isatou Jatta won the Environment and Agriculture reporters awards. This has brought the total number of awards by the television broadcaster to five (5).
Mustapha Darboe, a freelance journalist won the Human rights award. He succeeded Foroyaa Newspaper reporter Mustapha Jallow who won the prestigious accolade last year.
The Point Newspaper’s Halimatou Ceesay and Adama Jobe received the awards for lifestyle and political reporters of the year respectively.
Standard Newspaper’s Alagie Manneh was named feature sports writer of the year. Manneh has snatched the award from previous winner Mustapha Darboe although Darboe has managed to grab an award for human rights affairs. He has also claimed that award from the prolific Ebrima Baldeh of GRTS who won more GPU awards than any other Gambian journalists since the Press Union came up with this initiative.
Below is the list of the awardees in all categories.
1. Human Rights: Mustapha Darboe freelance journalist.
2. Environment: Isatou Jatta, Grts.
3. Politics, two winners, Adam Jobe, Point Newspaper & Grts’ Ebrima Baldeh
4. Feature Story: Alagie Manneh, Standard Newspaper.
5. Women’s affairs: Ebrima Baldeh, Grts.
6. Lifestyle award: Halimatou Ceesay, The Point Newspaper.
7. Business: (Double winner), Rohey Bittaye & Kumba Leigh
8. Agriculture: Oumie Njie, Grts.
9. Sports: Omar Jarju & Johnny Mendy, both from West Coast Radio. Foroyaa Newspaper Sulayman Bah was the winner of the sports award last year.
The occasion was attended by a cross section of high profile dignitaries including Bai Emil Touray, president of the union.
