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Breaking News:Some Heads To Roll In Jammeh's Cabinet Soon!

Breaking News:Some Heads To Roll In Jammeh's Cabinet, As He Makes Private Consultations to Appoint New Ministers!

                  VP Njie Saidy Likely To Be Replaced-Says State House Insiders.....

        Soldiers Complain About Unpaid Benefits!

                  By Staff Writer Justice Sam

There is an environment of uncertainty in Banjul these days in Jammeh's cabinet. The President is reported to have been making private appointment consultations to replace some of the old guards in his cabinet. Few individuals have been approached for Ministerial offer, the Freedom Newspaper was reliably informed by a close associate of the President. Local Government Minister Sambou, Justice Minister Hydara, Interior Secretary Baboucarr Jatta and few others are posed to be replaced according to the source we spoke to today. Some of those approached reportedly turned down the Presidential offer.

The President according to sources is apparently delaying the cabinet reshuffle for two reasons. One, according to the source he wants to wait after his swearing-in-ceremony and the legislative elections. Already, he had billed the Taiwanese President, Iranian and other sub-regional leaders to grace the occasion said my source. Once he is sworn in as the country's elected President by the Chief Justice AK Savage, continued my source the President will then enforce the list of Ministers to be replaced.

The source hinted that there will be surprising changes this time around, while hinting that the Vice President was likely to be affected. The source said the VP off late had not been in Jammeh's good books and had decided to embark on silence syndrome to keep a low profile. According to the state house insider despite the VP'S strong campaign for Jammeh's re-election, the head of state is distancing himself from her for unknown reasons. The source hinted that the VP wants to resign but is apparently afraid what will visit her after such an action. According to one security officer attached to the VP, the state in recent years had threatened to drag her to court for land graping in the event she decides to go ahead with her planned resignation. The VP was reported to have owned close to 20 properties in the Greater Banjul, which was a subject of private probe by the notorious NIAS. The source of the said properties has not be established at this hour, but what is clear is that the VP'S salary cannot earn her such luxurious houses, said our source.

Our source hinted that the President was contemplating disowning the VP and would capitalized on any possible opportunity at his disposal. The source said at some point Jammeh wanted to demote the VP to the portfolio of Ministerial position but later changed his mind following appeals made by people close to him. But this time around continued the source, the VP risked being fired as Jammeh had been saying a lot of things against her during her absence.

The Freedom Newspaper reporter was told that the President has groomed someone close to him replace the VP. Some reports have it that the VP might be very lucky if she happens to get only a sack, as there was deeper conspiracy reached to set her up.

Isatou Njie Saidy has been Gambia's first female Vice President. Since her appointment she survived many cabinet reshuffles. But sources hinted that the President had confided with one of his close associates to sound his opinion on his plan to send the VP packing. The said associate advise was that the VP be retained,but the President reportedly insists that it was time for the VP to go. While not advancing any reasons for such a move said the source, the President also had in mind to effect some changes in the army. The source said there is list of army officers on his hand some of whom he intends to replace.

A well placed source who spoke to this paper on condition of anonymity says the "President is in the habit of malicing his associates. If you serve him for more than one year, you must be very lucky. We expect to be sacked at any minute. This is a President who will call you in his office and praise you and the next day he sack you. We had a meeting with him recently and he cursed us like his kid. The Vice President is not happy at all, including any other Minister. We are serving him, but deep into our hearts and minds we don't subscribe to the man's policies."

Meanwhile, this paper has been reliably informed about a rift in the army. Army Commander Masaneh Kinteh has been faced with internal complaints by disgruntled soldiers who complained about their unpaid peace keeping mission duties benefits by the state. The said soldiers served in Dafur and other troubled hot spots on the continent. For some reasons said the source there is a bureaucratic red tape at the Department of Defense who sat on the hard earned monies of the soldiers. The protesting soldiers say they have not been paid despite repeated demands. The claimed that they received numerous unfulfilled promises from their seniors to settle the said money but without success.

Attempts to reach the army spokesman during the weekend to authenticate the story proved abortive, but GAF sources say the army was over staffed and had problems in meeting the budgetary needs of the soldiers. The GAF insider says the recent mass promotion of some junior soldiers to officers rank further undermined their budget. "Our current budget never catered for such promotions. Our budget for 2006 never catered for such promotions and as such we are using our reserve to pay the said officers. Having said this, I must add that the indebted soldiers had nothing to do with the current budgetary problems we are faced with with. The peace keepers were being paid from a separate budget. Since there is no money some of the soldiers were paid in piece meals. Some are still not paid." said an official of GAF.

Posted on Sunday, October 15, 2006 (Archive on Sunday, October 29, 2006)
Posted by PNMBAI Contributed by PNMBAI

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