Saikou Jammeh has thanked members of the Gambian media over support they went about availing him while serving as secretary general of the Gambia Press Union.
Jammeh stepped down from the administrative role last month after five years of service. He has now written a letter to the nation’s newsmen and women thanking them for their support.
The letter reads;
Dear Journalists,
Now, my watch has ended. Our President Sheriff Bojang Jr. has finally granted my wish to step down as your Secretary General, effective end of January, 2021. This probably has been one of the most difficult decisions for me to make. The GPU has given me a great deal of experience. Serving you has so far been the most memorable, honorable and fulfilling assignment in my career.
Yet, the decision to leave now, after much careful thought, I think is both in my best interest and that of the GPU.
I am sure my decision wouldn’t be a great surprise to many of you, even if you may not expect it now. To be the Secretary General of the GPU is probably one of the riskiest jobs there ever is. And the ‘fatality rate’ of GPU Secretary Generals we all know has been quite high. In my position, you’re forced to go into exile under a dictatorship. Under a democracy though, the chances are that you will live on antidepressant pills (smile).
My reasons for leaving are none of those nor is it because I have a better job offer – I have none. It is a simple one: I missed writing in the style of the 5Ws and H. In the history of our country, has there ever been a better time to be a journalist than now?
But, more frankly, colleagues, after five years of service, I think the time has come for me to move on. Even if I have not “overstayed my welcome”, I think the GPU needs a new Secretary General to propel it to the next level, one more envious than I would be leaving it and with greater passion and vision.
After all, for me, it has never been about staying forever. This job of making the world a better place never really gets done. You do your part, make your mark, leave a legacy and allow others to have similar opportunities for them to attempt to make a difference. I have done the best I could and can.
Looking back to the years that I have spent with you, I take great satisfaction in the zillions of miles we’ve covered in pursuit of press freedom in particular, and democracy and sustainable development in general. From the institutions and mechanisms we created, to the minds we built, to the lives we saved, to the opportunities we created, to the partnerships we forged here and abroad, to the bread we provided, to the firm stance we took against dictatorship, to the laws and polices we helped positively shape, I am leaving my position with a deep sense of fulfillment, thanks to your trust and support.
Certainly, the journey ahead remains difficult to travel. There will be bumpy roads to ride on and I wished I could firmly hold on to the touch from the Sheriff Bojang led Executive Committee and drive you through those bumpy roads that lead to beautiful places. But I fear my will and wisdom are no longer adequate for that challenge. I can feel it to my bones that the Union needs another leadership which is fresher and more focused, and greatly reinvigorated to take us to our promised land. We need another pair of hands to the steering wheel.
So, as I say goodbye to you, allow me to pay tribute to my very hardworking and incredibly smart staff led by Lamin Jahateh. I have been a mere waiter – they cooked the meals I served up to you. I am not sure if I could have done what we did together sans their incredible support and commitment. This is a winning team.
My gratitude goes to Bai Emil Touray who forced the cross on me when I was neither ready nor willing and to a brother and friend Sheriff Bojang Jr. who allowed me keep it on and adjusted it for me to see and do better.
If the GPU is where it is today, enviable and better prepared and provisioned, it is because we have had steadfast friends and partners, at home and abroad. They refused to abandon us even when the future was bleak, even when the stakes were very high. To each of them, I express my sincere gratitude and appreciation. The GPU is because you were and still are.
And you, GPU Members, thank you very much for the trust, support and love you gave me as your Secretary General. I will continue to cherish the time I have spent with you. I wish each and every one of you more successes in your endeavors and GPU greater feats and accolades in its strides for better working environment for journalists in this country.
Thank you
—
Saikou Jammeh
Journalist
