The Minister of Information and Communication has underscored that migration is a fundamental human right stressing that what are the things that can encourage people to stay in the country and take ownership.
Minister Ebrima Sillah made this statement recently as he presided over the commencement of a two-day training workshop for electronic media practitioners in the country.
The two-day synergy was organized by the West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR) based in Dakar, Senegal with the topics: “Professional Production Techniques and Reporting on Irregular Migration” for electronic Gambian journalists.
The training according to the officials, was part of the activities under the project ‘Using Radio to Curbing Irregular Migration’, a West Africa Democracy Radio project with support from the German Federal Office.
“As a country we need to start the difficult discussion on where we want to go to in the next five years to come with our policies that will ensure that our young people stay in the country,” Hon. Sillah suggested before Gambian journalists.
He urged Gambians irrespective of their political, ethnic and religious affiliation to do everything possible to make sure that our young people do stay in the country rather than taking this back way journey into Europe with the aim of searching for greener pasture.
Hon. Sillah appealed to Gambian journalists to hold the government accountable to ensure what is budgeted for, what donors are giving to the government are well and transparently spent so that people can benefit from it and translated into their lives.
Agnes Thomasi, WADR Station Manager said the project was part of the radio station’s efforts to build the capacities of the journalists from its partner radio stations in order to enhance reporting on irregular migration by West African youth and its attendant consequences on the affected communities and countries at large.
According to Madam Thomasi, the issue of irregular migration is becoming increasingly important to focus on as it continues to affect lives in the West Africa region especially within the youth folk.
She outlined the main objective of the training which was to build the capacity of journalists for them to produce programme on irregular migration and orientate station managers.
Sheriff Bojang Jnr, President of the Gambia Press Union, in delivering his statement dilated on the role of media in curbing irregular migration adding that covering irregular migration as journalists, they need to know the causes and all other components surrounding menace.
“As long as we want to curb irregular migration as journalists, there are ethical issues you can never do away with or take for granted as journalists. You have to be truthful, impartial and also check your facts,” Bojang urged journalists.