‘Ke-kendo'

‘Ke-kendo,’ is a flattering remark in local Mandinka language used to compliment a person for a job-well-done. But journalist Dodou Sanneh has been made to have a different understanding of this accolade. For him, ‘Ke-kendo’ is of an irony and a quirk of fate.
A day he was called ‘ke-kendo’ by his former boss, he was to spend a night in detention at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) in Banjul, the capital. And the next time in the same year, he received the compliment ‘Ke-kendo’ from his same former boss, his services were to be terminated for good.
Mr Dodou Sanneh, a former reporter at The Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS) is facing a charge of giving false information to a public officer at the magistrates’ court in Banjul, the capital.
He pleaded not guilty.
The trial came about when, a few years after his dismissal, he petitioned the state media to the Office of the President on claims that the termination of his engagement in 2006 by the state broadcaster was wrongful.
But both the director general of GTRS, Momodou Sanyang and a senior staff, Mr Kebba Dibba had denied journalist Sanneh’s claims when they testified against him. Their take is that journalist Sanneh was fired as a result of unbalanced reportage when he was assigned to cover the political activities of main-opposition-UDP in the run up to 2006 presidential elections.
On Thursday, when it was his turn to explain, he revealed how it all began, how he was deceived by his former boss up to the time he petitioned, which is the subject matter of his current trial.
“Whilst in Baddibu covering the campaign, I received a phone call from my senior, Ya Abbis Njie, who informed me that Mr Pierre Sylva was coming to take over from me.
“I asked her what the matter was, but she only told me that GRTS DG asked her to inform me to come back.
 “The following day, I was taking bath when I received a phone call from Mr Kebba Dibba, a senior staff, who asked me to go to his house.
“Upon arrival at Kebba’s house, he told me that DG Sanyang asked him to inform me to give him the balance of the emergency fund.
“I then left for work and on arrival at GRTS, I met with Momodou Sanyang, the director general, who praised me in Mandinka (a major local language) ‘Ke-ken do’.
“Momodou Sanyang told me that my reports were very good and that he made a mistake by sending all the experienced reporters in the field and that the reason for re-calling me was that there were some important programmes at the office, as well.”
It was after this meeting that he was asked by Momodou Sanyang to do him a favour; to go to Banjul and collect a letter for him, Dodou Sanneh testified at the magistrates’ court in Banjul on Thursday as he put up his defence.
“Upon reaching Banjul, one Mr Saine directed me to the NIA. When I reached at the NIA, I was detained from 9 am till the following day, at the NIA conference room,” said journalist Sanneh, who had his engagement with state media terminated without any stated reason. At the NIA, he was questioned about his relationship with boss Sanyang, which he said, was cordial.
He said, he was also informed by NIA personnel that he had indicated that 250 ruling party supporters had defected to the opposition party, but he told them that that was a piece of news to him. And he was handed his termination letter at NIA following which  he was released and he returned home.
Later in September 2006, he received a letter from Mr Kebba Dibba, who informed him that Momodou Sanyang wanted to have audience with him.
When he reported, he said, his boss told him to collect an annual leave letter from the personnel office as that would ease down the controversy. He was however warned not to grant interview to any media, local or foreign.
“On November 15, 2006 whilst I was at home [on the annual leave], DG Sanyang phoned to inform me to cover a visit of the Senegalese Chief of Defence Staff to Gambia.
“After the broadcasting of the event, I received a call from the former CDS, Lang Tombong Tamba, that the report was good and that he wanted copies of all the programmes,” he added.
That was the next time that journalist Sanneh was called ‘Ke-ken do’ by GRTS boss Sanyang, who he said, even came into the newsroom and gave him a tap on the back.
According to him, Sanyang further informed him that former CDS Tamba wanted copies and the ‘Big Man’ (likely president Jammeh) requested a rebroadcast of the programme.
Sanneh said, when he arrived at work the following morning prepared to go to Basse for another assignment, he was directed by the director general to see Adama Mboob, who to his surprise, handed over his termination letter, without any reason.
He went on: “Whilst in my village on November 27, 2006, my wife phoned to inform me that two persons came to my house requesting for my papers, which they went along with.
“When I came back, DG Sanyang called me and said that he was trying to liaise with the ‘Big Man’ for me to be reinstated.”
He explained further that Momodou Sanyang then referred him to the accountant’s office to collect an advance payment. But this, according to Sanneh, was to make him keep quiet and not to talk to journalists.
“I later lodged a complaint at the Ombudsman’s office for wrongful dismissal. For four years on, there was no result. That was what warranted me to write a petition to the Office of the President,” he concluded, but the trial continues.