Mr. Conateh Sir,

Your small reply was really a non-reply as you don’t address the issues raised with the GPU in my long letter.

As for “jounalistic ethics” it is a lot of nonsense and hot air! One of your esteemed colleagues at the Independent attacked viciously a young Gambian lady, Fatima Jabbi, in 2002 simply because her ex-boyfriend wanted to dish the dirt on her.

She had found a good Gambian husband (a footballer in Belgium). We at the Daily Observer defended her (I wrote the editorial) against the journalistic malice from a so-called “seasoned journalist”. The Independent complained to us and we said “to hell with your ethics” - the lady was being disgracefully vilified and we defended her proudly.

But you are right. The rules of the game have indeed changed. I do not believe in fooling myself into thinking that you lot are professional journalists. Just read the piece you have written to me again. What is professional about that?

The Daily Observer under my tutelage will call a spade a spade. We will say GPU stole the election if they did. Can you deny that? We will say GPU is a political party if it is. Didn’t the opposition (Halifa Sallah, OJ, and Darboe) gather at their conference this week? Didn’t they ALL condemn President Jammeh’s government at that GPU gathering, a political gathering?

Sir, we will call a spade a spade henceforth. Please keep the conversation going for it is healthy.

Dida Halake,

MD/Editor-in-Chief