Bombshell:SOS Fatim Badjie Out!!!!

….Minister Crispin Grey Johnson Also Get The Sack

……As Jammeh Fires Information Secretary Fatim Badjie,Grispin Grey Johnson,SOS for High Education Science and Technology

By Staff Writer Landing Badjie, Banjul

Information Minister Fatim Badjie must start looking for a new job, if she really wants to survive the challenging economic downturn befalling the impoverished tiny West African country. Fatim Badjie, Gambia’s youngest Minister, has been fired with immediate effect, according to a statement issued by the President’s office today. Ms.Badjie an honored communication student from a Tennessee University here in the US, was sacked along side with Crispin Grey Johnson, Secretary of State For Higher Education.

Both officials received their marching orders this evening. No replacement has been made yet for the fired officials. The President office is overseeing both positions, pending the appointment of new ministers, said our competent sources.

Minister Fatim Badjie was said to have been fired for incompetency and lack of experience in the public service. Well placed sources said even though the President wants to encourage young women into his Government, Fatim’s productivity was of utmost concern to the Presidency. For example, said our sources the Minister had been engaged in bureaucratic red tape by failing to act on pressing communication projects. Reports have it that Fatim’s failure to dispose of GAMCEL to private investors, coupled with other internal issues affecting her Department, cost her job.

Sources also hinted that the Minister was not ready for the job, in view of her lack of maturity. The President according our sources availed Fatim with all the opportunities to prove her self but to no avail. Fatim said our sources, failed to live up to expectations.

Fatim’s rapport with local Information staff was said to be at an ebb level. She was not a team player at all. She comes here humiliating old guards who can father her. I think the President has done the right thing by firing  her, said an official of the Information Ministry.

                      Scratch Card Scam 

Few days ago, we authored a lead story, in which the Freedom Newspaper exposes a major corruption scam at the Information Ministry. Expired scratch cards were being sold out to the public. It has been gathered that several thousands of dalasis worth of expired cards were sold to the public by GAMCEL, the main GSM provider in the country. GAMCEL is part and parcel of the Information Ministry, as Government owned the establishment. Reports have it that Fatim Badjie reached a bogus phone card contract with a dubious company in the sub-region. According to sources, the Information Ministry has not been functioning since the departure of Dr. Janneh, a seasoned intellectual.

           Freedom Newspaper Blockage

GAMTEL sources said Fatim was very instrumental in ensuring that the Freedom Newspaper's main IP address was blocked.  According to Ministry sources, the sacked Minister teamed up with other GAMTEL staff to block the Freedom Newspaper in The Gambia. As we file this story, the Freedom Newspaper is not accessible in The Gambia.

Meanwhile, reports reaching this paper say some new crop of Ministers are being lined up to replace the sacked officials. Sources say similar sacking might be extended to other Departments of state in days to come. There is an environment of uncertainty here, as anxiety and worry to grip Ministers.