President Jammeh sacks Energy Minister, Sira Wally Ndow, appoints Dr. Tangara Foreign Minister  

By Ebrima G. Sankareh, Editor-In-Chief

Unassailable sources nestled within the corridors of power in Banjul; say Gambian dictator, Yahya Jammeh, has sacked his Energy Minister, Mrs. Sira Wally Ndow-Njie, late this afternoon. she was appointed on Tuesday, December, 22, 2009 and spent barely five months in Cabinet before her old friend, gave her the ferrocious boot. According to our most competent sources, she is replaced by Mr. Ousman Jammeh who until this afternoon was Foreign Minister of the drug-ridden, poverty-stricken West African mini-state where only today, cocaine worth $1bn was seized by Gambian and British drug enforcement agents.

Dr. Tangara, Ousamn Jammeh and Yahya  Jammeh 

President Jammeh also appointed Higher Education Minister, Dr. Momodou Tangara, to replace Ousman Jammeh as the new Foreign Minister of The Gambia. President Jammeh has however brought the Ministry of Higher Education under his office which is consistent with his routine sacking and hiring and running of ministries.

According to highly placed sources, President Jammeh is very nervous these days and will be sacking numerous ministers, permanent secretaries and directors in the coming days, especially given the volatile political climate and the potentially explosive nature of the recent drug burst, a sequel to withering allegations of banditry and drug trafficking among Jammeh’s most loyal lieutenants, like Ebrima Bun Sanneh and former IGP, Ensa Jesus Badjie.

Aja Sira Wally and Alhaji Chachai in white robes in 2006- photo source State House website

As we went to press, speculations are now rife that our  good friend, Dr. Momodou Tangara, a hitherto unknown political quantity, has now emerged as the most powerful political operative in the Jammeh regime. According to Kissy Kissy Mansa, many political observers in Banjul are of the view that Tangara or Njogou Bah may eventually replace Yahya Jammeh as President because the duo are both power conscious and have for the past years, been preparing the ground to peacefully replace  Jammeh. Those of us who were very close to Tangara both before and after the  July 22, 1994 coup, retain vivid memories of his close ties with Deyda Hydara, his mentor, protege and beloved uncle. How Tangara has successfully lobbied his way to the pinnacle of political power is not a surprise to some of us aufait with the complex web of Gambian politics and sooner rather than later, Gambians will come to see. I for one will be pleased to have a President, Professor Dr. Momodou Tangara, than the idiot we have at State House. 

Njogou Bah would have been a good presidential material given his tempered demenor had he studied and earned his claimed doctoral degree but given his dubious credentials, he may be worse than Yahya Jammeh if the Atlanta mission of ultimately becoming a leader comes to fruition.

For now though, The Gambia Echo will continue to monitor the political tempertures as the trio Professors (real or imagined) navigate the dense waters of Gambian politics.