From http://www.observer.gm News Samba Bah replaces SMC By Modika M Bah May 5, 2004, 14:59 The secretary of state for the Interior and Religious Affairs, Sulayman Masanneh Ceesay, has been relieved of his duties with effect from Tuesday, May 4. Mr Ceesay who replaced Ousman Badjie held the portfolio for about eight months. No explanation was given for his removal in the terse two-sentence press release issued by the Office of the President yesterday. Meanwhile, the Office of the President yesterday announced the appointment of Samba Bah, a former deputy director-general of the National Security Service (NSS) and director-general of the NIA, to take over the portfolio of Interior and Religious Affairs. The press release from the Office of President reads: In exercise of the powers conferred on him under sections 71(1) and 71(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia, His Excellency, the President, Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh appointed Mr Samba Bah as the secretary of state for the Interior and Religious Affairs. Mr Bah assumes the portfolio from Mr Sulayman Masanneh-Ceesay who has been relieved of his appointment in accordance with sections 71 (4) (b) and 71 (5) of the Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia with effect from today.” Contacted for comment yesterday, Mr Bah said: “I feel honoured for being appointed. I will lay more emphasis on strengthening security.” Mr Bah served in the police force and intelligence services from 1969 to 1998 before being appointed consular and head of chancery to the Gambian Embassy in Saudi Arabia. He retired from active civil service in 2000. Mr Sulayman MaSanneh Ceesay served in the civil service for over 30 years. He held different senior civil service positions including the position of commissioner. He also served as permanent secretary at the Ministry for the Interior for 10 years before retiring from active public service in 1994 to become chairman, Public Service Commission. He is married to Fatoumata Jahumpa-Ceesay, the deputy Speaker of the Ecowas Parliament. © Copyright 2003 by Observer Company > ____________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" your friends today! Download Messenger Now http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/download/index.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~