By Akaleke, our Banjul Correspondent


It appears that ALLGAMBIAN online Newspaper recent lead story
captioned"FIVE PROMINENT GAMBIANS DECLINED TO ACCEPT JAMMEH'S MINISTERIAL
POST OFFER,  AS  INFORMATION MINISTRY PORTFOLIO REMAINS VACANT" angered
Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh,  who wasted no time by embarking on a
sudden  cabinet reshuffle, this time naming Neneh Macdowll Gaye as the
country's new Information Minister.

According to a  press release  issued yesterday October 24Th,  2005 by the
office of the President, a cabinet reshuffle was initiated by President
Yahya Jammeh, which prompted the recalling of Gambia's Saudi Ambassador
Lamin Kaba Bajo.  "In exercise of the powers conferred on him by section
71 (1) and 71 (3) of the 1997 constitution of the republic of the Gambia,
the president Dr Yaya Jammeh has with immediate effect  appointed Mr.
Lamin Kaba Bajo as the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs”.

The release went on to add that former Foreign Affairs Minister Musa Balla
Gaye  has been redeployed to the Trade Ministry, which was headed by Neneh
Macdwoll Gaye.  Consequently  the release continued, the President also
appointed Neneh Macdowll Gaye as the new Information Minister, a portfolio
which was vacant for some time.  Minister Balla Gaye suffered series of
deployments in a span of one year and most observers believed that Jammeh
is on the verge of discarding him away, as he is said to be not meeting
the expectations of the President.

Highly placed state house sources said the President was angered by  The
ALLGAMBIAN lead story,  which exposes his government's inability to find a
replacement for sacked Information Minister, Dr.Amadou Scattered Janneh,
who was accused of espionage activities by the state.  State House sources
say,  Jammeh in a swift reaction decided to recall Lamin Kaba Bajo,
Gambia's ambassador to Saudi Arabia.  While Jammeh was unable to get a new
fresh appointee to replace Dr.Janneh,  sources said the President was
concerned about filling the vacant position, which  five prominent
Gambians turned down ministerial offer given them by The Gambian leader.
The President is yet to  name a new ambassador for Saudi Arabia.

Lamin Kaba Bajo,  a former minister of Interior under the then military
junta has bounced back again. It would be recalled that Lamin Kaba Bajo
was also a one time Local government minister under Jammeh's rule.  He was
fired from the Lands Ministry following reports that he was engaged in an
alleged land graping scandal.  Kaba was alleged to have sold a government
reserve land situated around the Independence Stadium in Bakau to Mustapha
Njie,  proprietor of  Taf Construction. The site called "Sinchiu Yahii was
reportedly sold for millions of dalasis to the Taf construction, which is
engaged in estate construction in The Gambia.  The land deal was later
voided as it was discovered that the sacked minister sold the land with
the sole aim of expecting kick backs from Taf.

Mr.Njie who is in the good books of President  Jammeh,  was compensated
with plots of land in Brufut and Yundum, around the airport vicinity.  The
Brufut land sale triggered a war of words between the Manneh family and
Mr.Njie's real estate company.  Local residents occupying the said hectors
of land were evicted in broad day light as, Land ministry officials led a
team who went on a demolition exercise.  Prior to the demolition, the
Manneh family were threatened by the President, who inaugurated the Taf
housing project in  Yundum some years ago.  The President was said to have
threatened to send villagers who refused to vacate the said housing area
to prison.

Most of the hecters  of  land allocated to this business entity were not
advertised or subjected to tender board. Despite public outcry for the
President to reconsider his decision and allow the Manneh family to have
possession of their rightful landed properties,  he went ahead to allocate
the said Land to Taf Construction.

In view of his past records, many observers say they are sceptical about
Bajo's credibility as a minister.  They argued that Bajo is not in the
position to sell the image of our country to the outside world, as the man
lacked  competence to man such a diplomatic position.

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