The Gambia Association of Professional Photographers (GAPP) over the weekend re-elected their incumbent president Mr.
Dawda Bayo to run the affairs of the association for another two years after his successful performance in the last four years.
The two day congress was held at Alliance Franco Gambiene where hundreds of professional photographers converged to listen to the activity report and the management of finance of the association in the past four years.
Mr. Bayo, who delivered the activity report on behalf of the secretary general (who could not attend because he is out of the town), said his executive had registered a lot of achievements for the photographers since 2012. He said the executive conducted a successful photographic competition for the members, photographic trainings, other fund raising activities which were not done previously by the former executives.
The photographer president told the congress that he had introduced some reforms in the financial management of the photographers’ association which makes it difficult for any executive or board member to engage in fraudulent activities. He praises the management of Trust Bank and Techno Photo LAB for donating thousands of dalasi towards the successful implementation of some of their activities.
The president disclosed that the executive also partners with the Gambia Press Union, Alliance Franco Gambiene and other institutions to defend and serve the interest of professional photographers across the country. He said the association helps needy photographers in times of emergency and provides financial assistance to families of the deceased photographers in the past four years.
The financial report was delivered by the treasurer, Mr. Modou Saidy, who gave the breakdown of the total income and expenditure incurred by the executive in the past four years, and both reports were adopted by the congress with rounds of applauds before reviewing the revised constitution and the eventual election of a new executive.
The executive was applauded for a job well done and the president and treasurer were unanimously re-elected unopposed for the first time in the history of the association since 1988. Mr. Uthman Jeng was elected the new secretary general, Mr. Christ Eberendu as vice president whilst Dr. Manneh and Amat Panneh were elected as PRO and Program Coordinator, respectively.
It could be recalled that in 2014 the initiative was organized by the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) in a bid to prepare the photographers to have a representative in the collecting society of copyright beneficiaries in the Gambia.
Speaking at the congress, Shiekh Omar Jallow, the Director of Arts and Culture at NCAC, revealed that his institution has already organized a similar initiative for the film producers, musicians and music promoters, among others, to prepare them for the implementation of copy right protection and economic benefit to the holders.
Mr Hassoum Ceesay, the Director of the Copyright in the Gambia, graced the occasion together with other invited stakeholders.
In his acceptance speech, Mr. Bayo calls on all members to take the association seriously since the photographers will henceforth enjoy copy right protection and economic benefits and praises the photographers for their loyalty and the continuous support they have been giving to the executive in order for it to perform its duties as expected.
