Chief Justice Abdou Karim Savage has been sacked, according to a press release from State House broadcast on the Gambia Radio and Television Services at 6 pm local time on Monday.
According to the release, Chief Justice has been relieved of his post in accordance with the power vested on the president Yahya Jammeh under the constitution of the Gambia.
The release further disclosed that the Nigerian born justice, Emmanuel Agim has been appointed as the country's new chief justice.
Mr. Savage was the first Gambian to serve the country as chief justice since independence, all former chief justices were non Gambians. He was appointed in 2005 as chief
justice after serving in various posts for many years at the ministry of justice.
The new Chief Justice was a Nigerian technical assistant to the Gambia from 2001 to 2008, and after his tour of duties ended last year, he returned home. He was last week appointed by the government of the Gambia as president and judge of the court of appeals.
More heads to roll
The Gambia’s President, Yahya Jammeh, has said in an interview monitored on Gambia Radio and Television Services this evening Monday evening that his government would embark on a 'big sweep at government officials.
The president said the exercise would be a major government shakeup and will not be limited to the cabinet, but the entire government machinery.
“From ministers coming down, heads are going to roll. If anyone is not performing just resign before I come, because I know those who are not performing,” he emphasised.
The promised shake-up, the president said, is as sure as the fact that there is going to be more sacking. He noted that he recently effected some changes, but things are still not working as he had hoped.
The Gambian leader pointed out that many government officials are only interested in attending conferences and travels so as to get per-diems.
President Jammeh further alleged that his ministers do collaborate with airline operators to give them lon
g routes for higher per-diem.
“Because people know that there is no room for kick-backs, they will sit back and fold their hands,” he revealed. “In certain projects I had to give a dead line for the project to finish or [their heads] will roll.
President Jammeh said he has tasked every minister to have a five-year development plan for his or her ministry and to prioritize which areas to implement each year.
He stated that most ministers could neither submit their five-year development plan nor their priority development areas.
“People do not want to work, some only work whenever I am around. I know of a minister who closes at 2: pm when I am out of the country. I know people who tell you that they are at a meeting whilst they are somewhere else drinking ‘attaya (green tea)’, he disclosed.
The Gambian leader raised alarm that he would be going worse than the year 1994, as he vowed not to accept any form of ‘languidness, corruption and dubious attitudes’.