Tamsir Jallow, Bala Jahumpa, Batata Juwara, Lamina Nybally, Soma Jobe, Bai Ousman Secka Fired!

Sacked Officials Ordered To Surrender Diplomatic Passports "Tamsir Jallow refuses to return home for fear of persecution."

Anxiety and worry continues to grip the public servants, as Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh drops another bombshell, this time firing his UN Ambassador to the United Nations Tamsir Jallow. Jallow who earlier on used to head the Gambian Mission in the UK was fired alongside three public servants: Perm Sec Bai Ousman Secka, Perm Sec Lamin Nybally, Batata Juwara Director of Protocol at the Foreign Affairs and Momodou Soma Jobe governor of the Lower River Region. No reasons were advanced for the removal of these officials, but sources said the move was calculated to weed out officials suspected to be passing classified state files to the Freedom Newspaper.

The move followed revelations regarding Jammeh's cancelled UN and Taiwanese trips. The Gambian leader is reported to be increasingly worried about recent newspaper publications about his private and public life. As a result of this, he has instructed the Inspector General of police to arrest Former Foreign Affairs Minister Bala Jahumpa, Batata Jawara, Momodou Soma Jobe the governer of Lower River Rigion, Tijan Bah Deputy Per Sec Foreign Affairs and Bai Ousman Secka PS Foreign Affairs, to probe them on issues relating state security and passport fraud. "These people were called for questioning following an order from the President. One of your writers in the Freedom Newspaper Lamara Jallow has been causing a lot of panic for HE. He suspects everyone getting into contact with him these days. For your information Bala Jahumpa, Bai Ousman Secka, Batata Juwara, Momodou Soma Jobe and Tijan Bah have their services terminated. Jammeh believes that Lamarana is a senior official in his Government and has asked us to investigate the person compromising state secrets to the Freedom Newspaper." said an insider at the Police Head Quarters in Banjul.

According to the police source, no charges had been preferred against the accused persons. "The President wants to block information coming out from his office. He was advised to change his protocols. There are more sackings to come. Many officials would be fired. Some one out there is passing classified files to your paper. I attended a meeting, in which the HE lamented Freedom's stories about his cancelled trips. This, angers him a lot. He is blaming the Department of Foreign Affairs for such information leakage," continued our source.

Meanwhile, Tamsir Jallow, the sacked UN Ambassador is reported to be in New York. The Freedom Newspaper has been reliably informed about Jallow's plans not to return to Banjul. "He says he might be killed if he returns home, that the President was after his head. He is contemplating applying for asylum in the US. I met Tamsir and he said in no uncertain terms that he is not going back to the Gambia. He said going back to The Gambia means his death body," said a local staffer at the Gambian Mission at the UN.

According to the official, Jallow's fear was that he might be tried or killed if he returns home adding that he refused to return home when he was earlier recalled in 2005 while Serving as High Commissioner in the UK. Jallow had been an illegal immigrant during the period in question when he had been working without proper documentation. Thus, he had to fall victim of underpayment by his clandestine employers at a security firm. In order to escape public scrutiny especially from the Gambian community in the UK, Jallow would often hide when he spotted people coming towards the store he was assigned to guard. There was a certain Gambian who even threatened to report him to the British authorities for working illigally in the country causing a visually panic-stricken Jallow to plead with the phraise, "Sutu rama" meaning "keep my secret".

Jallow has throughout the rule of the Jammeh dictatorship, been a major player in entrenching it. He was first head of the pro-government militia, July 22nd Movement, that caused untold mayhem on perceived government opponents in the country.

Jallow was on the process of applying for asylum during his first sacking while in the UK, only to change his mind. The Government of The Gambia for some reasons decided to rehire him. He briefly worked as a security guard at a local store in the UK, before assuming the position of High Commissioner.

For the case of Lower River Region Commisioner, Momodou Soma Jobe, the Freedom Newspaper has been reliably informed that his sacking has to do with a certain story that appeared on this paper recently commenting about his elder brother, jailed former Majority Leader Baba Jobe's involvement in the Siera Leone blood diamond deal. Our sources indicate that, out of paranioa, shortly after a writer claiming to be a brother of Baba Jobe reacted to that particular story defending the belligerent former ruling party strongman, the president ordered for the sacking of Momodou Soma.

Meanwhile, the office of The President in a terse statement ordered all sacked public officials to surrender their diplomatic passports not later than Monday October 8^TH 2007. Failure of which, might result to the subsequent arrest and prosecution of defaulting officials. The statement issued on behalf of the Secretary General and Head of The Civil Service by the Director of Press Ebrima JT Kujabi urges sacked officials to comply with the said directive. The affected parties were urged to surrender their passports to the office of the Inspector General of Police.