What Happened to The Echo?

Dear Editor:

We your readership wish to express our boredom for not getting our daily dose for the past days. The Gambia Echo has been resourceful and inspirational and surely a Gambian and African Pride. This paper is not only read by the average Gambian but our notorious dictator, President Dr. A.J.J. Jammeh. Can one imagine how it feels waking up in morning without coffee or tea? For us, it is more than a newspaper. It has been a source of intellectual debates. Across the countryside, students, teachers and field workers copy the paper and read it for vital news that we do not get until weeks later. We pray whatever the problem might be to be resolved quickly.

The Gambia Echo sheds light on so many issues of relevance to the common Gambian and we will never underestimate its importance. That we could not be logged in to read the paper for three days, so deep inside us the boredom is ringing. What some of us fail to realize is the gap between the developing countries and the developed world? The opportunity in the developed countries continues to outweigh that of the developing countries. May I please remind my brothers and sisters, to storm the libraries in cities and towns in the quest for knowledge because that will empower you to eternity?

Three months ago, one of the brothers who live in the US told me about his membership in one of the world's best and well-equipped libraries, Carnegie Library. I was so filled with joy until I shed tears. In a way, reading most of the good books is just like a student in a University. The library is the poor man’s university my parents told me.

The Gambia's failed development projects were largely as result of an absolute lack of knowledge and skills, which opened up these projects to the nickel and dime scheme. The Gambia Echo has not only been informative but continued to report on the unscrupulous performance of these inert organizations. The entire editorial staff and the subscribers have done a fabulous job by empowering all readers and to you we say congratulations!

Please for whatever difficulties you might be experiencing keep your heads above water, because you will make anti-developments agents smile. I have no doubt that there are people, I mean Gambians, who will dance the day you guys close The Echo. I hope they fail!! 

Do we know how it feels to watch the same show daily on Gambian national television? Then welcome to our world? We The Gambians have a one man of our dictator with a long title repeated daily like a ritual: His Excellency, Retired Colonel, Doctor, Herbalist, Alhagie Yaya A.J.J. Jammeh. This is what we see on a daily basis on GRTS. Who in the world with his right frame of mind wants to watch something like this? This is the void that The Echo continues to fill with first class news that has never been refuted. No wonder for the past days, everybody has been asking what happened to The Echo?

Sincerely

Momodou Badgie "ANAYBH"

Western Foni

The Gambia