President Adama Barrow of the Gambia Thursday sacked the country’s minister for the Interior and head of the Civil Service from his cabinet.
Ebrima Mballow is succeeded as Interior minister by Yankuba Sonko, a former head of the country’s police force during the regime of Yahya Jammeh while Omar Camara was succeeded as secretary general and head of the Civil Service by Muhammed Jallow, a former permanent secretary at the Office of the President.
As always, no reasons were given for the removal of the two senior officials. But a statement from Mr Barrow’s office said it was done in accordance with provisions of the Gambian constitution.
The statement said the sacked officials will now be working in the Foreign Service but didn’t say in what capacity.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Omar Faye, a former Gambian ambassador to the United States in the regime of Yahya Jammeh,has been called up to fill the vacant minister of Defence position. Until his appointment, Mr Faye was Consul General at the Gambian embassy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Sir:
These are the ministry needed for peace, progress and prosperity.
1. Agriculture.
2. Trade and Tourism.
3. Interior.
4. Infrastructure and Transportation.
5. Environment and Water resources.
6. Education.
7. Health, Social services and Housing.
That’s ALL!
God Bless The Gambia.
Proven assassins replacing potential would-be killers.
@Andy, Bax et all: check this one opinion piece I penned on the forGambia online newspaper. Two days later, came the “cabinet reshuffle”.
https://forgambia.com/index.php/2019/08/20/the-gambia-police-force/
Nothing changed! recycled personalities from Jammeh-cliché won’t help this president. People have voted out Jammeh, his Team and policies. So re-grouping that Team is self-defeating. But self-destruction is the declared aim of this president.
Mballow a Family member came to the realisation that pouring hot on protesters is perhaps not the best of ideas. Barely had he called for dialogue between the coalition stakeholders so that a political resolution instead of protest is reached, the next day he was shown the door.
That is clearly a sign of deep insecurity and childishness on the part of the president. The changes or reshuffle merely reinforces the perception already out there in the public that the president is presiding over a deeply incompetent and divided inner-circle.
For UDP, the reshuffle in some ways is a blessing. Barrow has now stopped appeasing part of the party through cash and position in order to weaken the party. With the removal of O. Camara and lesser Mballow, the small udp supporters, deceived to think that Barrow is our man, will have being awaken by the latest unreliability of Barrow.
For the Gambia as a whole, the latest episode, signals 2 fundamental strategies.
1. Sheikh Omar faye. To align Gambia military more to Senegalese military umbrella. To make the case that if EU withdraw support for ecomig, as planned, the Senegalese will continue to protect the president’s personal security.
2. Yankuba Sonko. To prepare the police and paratroopers for violent suppression of the potential December protest.
3. Muhammad Jallow: To entrench the Fatoumatta Bah connection. The first lady is very ambitious and the selection indicate an aim to smother her and cronies control over the Civil service. A further destabilisation of the Civil service can be expected from now on.
All aims may not materialise but will set Gambia further back. The aims are singularly geared towards entrenching one man in power against the wishes of the people. NOT Sustainable!
Here we go again.
Oh God
Have mercy on me.
We are in trouble!
Dr Isatou Sarr,
I want to hear a more daring statement from you. During the Jammeh days your statements were more challenging. Why the change of tone now?
Kinteh’s accounts reflect the horrendous realities of the inept, corrupt and dysfunctional administration of the British Argos Watchman. I love them.
Each second, minute, hour, day week, month, year is a waste in our lives. May The Almighty Allah SWT save us from the Barrow administration!!
It was way back there it was hatched. It can’t be true that you’re oblivious to all of it as it rolled out .. Did you just say, ‘here we go again’? I just heard that phrase coincidentally in a song from the radio as I read your comment. In the song, at least it made little bit sense.
Gambia …, to be a battle ground for outside interest holders from North and South with high possibility of her going northwards probably to find HERSELF altogether >> le direction place de l’independace?! Direction Dr. Sarr?
Didn’t you see that attempts to embolden Barrow is a challenge to the intelligent kind of democracy most Gambians desire and a high risk to the country’s very territorial integrity. Perhaps you should see the first lady and counsel her. She could be of great help to Barrow or curse to his legacy.
Very many people desire a Gambia where leaders would learn to serve a maximum 8yrs in office and go back to their private residence as an honorable statesman. Barrow, giving the impression that he is no more a coalition flag bearer and transitional president since was a clear sign that we have risen just to fall even lower than we didn’t deserve as the process got infiltrated by wayward and spellbound bound antidemocratic elements of the former regime. I never though Yayah Jammeh was in a hopeless mood when his mouth and grotesque mandibles kept twitching awkwardly while conceding his defeat. I thought he still has a lot of mischief in store for the country which is to cause chaos. Then I thought I got it all right, learning some of his evil elements have parted their way with him (the ruthless dictator), to come back quickly to be able to fix their bloody noses and meddle in the endeavours and wills for a clean democratic process. Such element are potential national security risks that can make the smiling coast wear the most ugly frown.
I saw dreams being shattered as the vultures started hovering and landing on the carcass of the fallen coalition. Crooks don’t want that kind of an enlighten political process in the Gambia, so they rather pull the strings on the gigantic puppet in order to set the country in a bigger chaos than ever before in our lifetime. It is still up to Gambians to make that predominantly wise and honest population of themselves or to remain snoring, mischievous, corrupt and backward thinking majority. It is up to Gambians.
It’s the ultimate betrayal. It’s frustrating and disappointing to many to see these developments taking place, but it should be a lesson too. God doesn’t make leaders; we do and we are turning this one into something else.
Public reactions to recent revelations about the huge sums of public funds consumed by State House (as cost of feeding per month) and the GPA offer to build a Police Station in Mangkamang Kunda indicate why the reluctance of this administration to prioritize Civic Education, is undermining the reform process.
For me, the question is not even about how much is being consumed by State House but whether we want to keep a Monarchical President that lives and acts like a monarch (which has been the practice since former President Jawara) or whether we want to introduce revolutionary changes which ends parasitic leadership for a humble, servant-of-the people-like, leader.
If we choose to maintain the monarchical presidential system, then we shouldn’t really complain about the cost of maintaining it, as it has to be maintained and always to a certain standard, to keep up with what’s happening around the world. Rather, we should anticipate ever more funds being consumed by our parasitic presidency, as cost of goods and services go up, especially when residents of our State House (past & present) have shown that they have an insatiable taste for foreign goods and services.
And let’s not kid ourselves, the current generation of political leaders have no plans to depart from this globally institutionalised parasitic leadership norm, except Halifa Sallah (PDOIS). It is the ONLY party that has criticised the legalised parasitism in public office and made commitments to end it.
The rest would be as happy and comfortable as Jawara, Jammeh and Barrow to indulge in the privileges due to the so called “First Families” around the world. The OPTIONS are clear in 2021 and the choice is ours. We can choose to experience a new type of leadership or we can continue with the same old, decadent and parasitic leadership system.
To single out Halifa as the only saviour of Gambia among all would-be contesting Gambians is irritatingly selective.
Hon. Sallah is a tested, seasoned and experienced politician. An as a tested personality, I do trust him with the mantle of Leadership of our Country. I do trust Sidia likewise.
I do also trust Hon. Darboe with the mantle of Leadership of our country as a result of the above-mentioned qualities.
Maybe there other seasoned politicians out there waiting for the right moment to rise.
So no matter how much I would campaign for Darboe to become the next president of our Country, I am not going to be driven to cancel out any other Gambian, with the will and character, to lead our Country.
Therefore, Hon. Sallah or else doom, is a rather fatalistic mind-set!
Kinteh (Kemo), I always give context when I make my claims and fairness demands you take that into consideration.
The context here is the huge monthly feeding expenditure of the Barrow household at State House. The point I am making here, is that only Halifa and PDOIS have openly criticised this type of leadership (parasitic leadership that legally allocates unimaginable sums of money to itself) and have committed themselves to ending it.
It is the Only party that has dismissed the “First Family/First Lady” status with its attendant privileges and influence over government.
I am not aware of Darboe or the UDP (or any other party/leader) committing itself to ending this type of leadership. If you are aware of the UDP’s commitment to shun and end this type of leadership, please make the claim by all means, but do not misrepresent my position. Please.
Mwalimu, indeed you summed it up in the statement,
“Again, what the GFP should do is to engage in reorientation to serve those who pay them, but at the same time, finds itself brutalized by its sons and daughters it feeds, cloth and shelter”.
Can’t we say the same for all public corporations and other arms of government?
I’d urge all subscribers on this forum to be blunt in language aimed at speaking truth to power.
A struggling economy such as The Gambia shouldn’t offer any room to the mooches,freeloaders and leeches that abound in our midst. There must be, of necessity, a limit to all the Maslaha, Insha Allah and the tolerance of mediocrity.
We bear witness to good and qualified people being passed up for positions of responsibility in this government only to give preference to YES men and empty bags that turn out to be absolute liabilities to tax payers. Seems to me that the re-orientation must start from the top.
Keep telling it as it is Mwalimu. Kudos.
Very right Andy, the same could be said of all public cooperations and institutions in The Gambia.
I focused on the GPF because its actions has cost hundreds or even thousands of Gambians limb, life and in some instances both.
@Babu Soli: thanks for checking the on forGambia and the nice comment. Minus your support for Yaya Jammeh, you are a gem. Lol
Oh by the way, when I hear of Ba Kawsu Fofana and Dou Sanno in a shouting match, I can’t help concluding that these two fellows should have been engaged in the role of, what in Jarra is known as, MBO JALLO, following in the footsteps of Boma Naaro from Jarra Tonyataba. The entertainment would bring the community a lot of good cheer.
Then I painfully listen to the duo arguing over who has got a real connection with SHIRRIFOLU and MOROLU. To that I say, ALU MUUMAY MU SULAALU LA MARCHANDISO LETI. What we said in Kombo of folks that put themselves to the pleasure of SULAALU. SULAA JONGOLU in other words!
Only in The Gambia will folks of this caliber be counted upon for political advice. Eh Kambia!