The Gambia Press Union is saddened to learn about the demise of our colleague, Alhagie Colley, a Senior Reporter for West Coast Radio. Kolley, who died this afternoon at the Sharab Hospital in Kanifing, was a courageous journalist dedicated to reporting on the lives and livelihoods of the poor, disadvantaged communities, minority groups, and policy and governance issues.
He has been a popular voice with the current affairs news programme, Coffee Time With Peter Gomez.
Some of his last popular works, in which he exhibited courageous journalism, were reports from various villages in Foni, Gambia’s West Coast Region, where fighting between Senegalese forces and the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance, a separatist group, was still going on across the border resulting in the displacement of thousands of Gambians.
“Alhagie Kolley gave a voice to ordinary people across the four corners of The Gambia, and he did this with utmost determination and dedication. His demise is a huge loss to the media fraternity,” GPU President, Muhammed S. Bah, said.
The Gambia Press Union joins the Kolley Family of Faraba Banta, the Cham Family of Fass Njaga Choi and the management and staff of West Coast Radio in mourning our dear colleague, who, in his own words that he lived by “…has respect for people irrespective of colour, tribe, religion and nationality.”
He was laid to rest at 5pm today at Faraba Banta. We pray that Allah grant him Jannah.
