(JollofNews) – As the bickering over the reappointment of former President Jawara’s son, Ebrima Jawara, as director general of Gambia’s Agricultural Services, the country’s minister of Agriculture has urged the warring parties to nip it in the bud.
Omar Jallow said staff members in his ministry should spend their energy in trying to revitalise the country’s ailing agriculture rather than using the newspapers to settle old scores.
Ebrima Jawara and some senior staff of the Ministry of Agriculture are using the online news site, Freedom Newspaper, to engage in a war of words over his reappointment.
“I will not condone instability or the personalising of issues in my ministry,” he told reporters during a presser held on Tuesday at his office in Banjul.
“What we need under this new political dispensation is stability.”
Commenting on how Mr Jawara was reappointed, Mr Jallow who served as Agriculture minister in the government of Mr Jawara’s dad said: “I was sitting in my office when the permanent secretary informed me that we just got a letter indicating that he (Ebrima Jawara) was reinstated back to Agriculture Department. Who am I to say no?”
“We don’t appoint people, it is the duty of Public Management Office (PMO).”
Is this yet another procedural flop. This all began with the selection and deselection and then the selection of the Vice President. It continues. Unless the Executive abides by the rules, procedures and protocols…there will be media opposition. Demba Jawo should know that////
At times the administration are looking sadly amateurish and disconnected..
The Ebrima Jawara case smacks of patronage and when the dust settles, we may find that someone at the very Ministry owes Ebrima’s dad, a PPP founding father, a good favor to return. Let’s not forget that old Gambian politicians are known for double speaking or speaking from both sides of the mouth.
Let’s also be clear that some of the folks that were dragged into the courts by the Jammeh regime indeed had cases to answer and remain tainted to this day. So there’s the absolute need for thorough vetting before folks that are tainted with malfeasance are reinstated.
Yes, it is technically not the Minister’s role to hire or fire staff within his ministry but he can raise objections about potential appointees or wink wink, nod nod. So, it is OJ’s responsibility to put his house in order. Particularly where all Ministers wish to act as Chief Executive Officers albeit that they are not armed with the skills or knowledge to fill the role.
He can start with letting go of the Permanent Secretary that may have retired earlier but wormed his way back into the system with an extended contractual agreement under the Jammeh regime. There are certainly younger and more competent Gambians to fill that role. Raises the question of why older, retired Gambians do not wish to give way to up and coming young fellows with bright ideas.
On another note, Minister Demba A Jawo has come out refuting allegations that The Gambia’s newly appointed Ambassador to the US may have issues with his placement. It may very well be that Mr. Ebrahima Manneh, that has been living in the US prior to his appointment, MAY have violated the terms of his visa or incurred unpaid medical bills that all COULD serve to murky the waters. This is the US where issues do not get swept under the rug as we are wont to do in NYO LONG KUNDA. The source of the smoke may come to light soon enough. So the advise is to come clean on what the real conundrum is with the Ambassador designate.