By Fatou Sillah
The Minister of Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, has cautioned journalists and media institutions against boycotting government activities in protest of the proposed National Press Accreditation Policy, warning that such actions could trigger reciprocal measures from the state.
In an interview with West Coast Radio, Dr. Ceesay said a boycott by the media would inevitably lead to a counter-boycott by government institutions, a development he argued would ultimately disadvantage the press.
“If you boycott the government, the government boycotts you. If the government boycotts you, you feel the pinch,” he said. “If they take the boycott highway, we take the boycott highway. Media houses survive on the government; that is a fact.”
He stressed that while disagreement is a normal feature of democratic governance, it should be addressed through dialogue rather than withdrawal from engagement.
“Boycotts are not the solution in a democracy; conciliation and dialogue are what breed solutions,” he said. “If there is an issue, we discuss it. If there is a disagreement on how things should be done, it is important we sit and dialogue and find common ground.”
Dr. Ceesay called on the Gambia Press Union and its partners to return to negotiations rather than continuing with boycott actions.
“I would tell the GPU and their allies to come and dialogue so we can discuss and resolve the issue because a boycott is not the solution,” he said.
He reiterated that disengagement was not a productive strategy, urging media stakeholders to remain at the table even when they disagree with government policy decisions.
“It is not the right approach to stay away even if you disagree; come to the table and express your views,” he said. “My advice to the GPU is let them be mature and engage, and stop this boycott and hashtag thing. It doesn’t work.”
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