Mind Boggling Cabinet Reshuffle Again Who are the advisers of the President? 
 
Readers would recall that the editor of Today Newspaper was taken to court and asked to apologise for writing earlier that Mrs Marie Saine Firdaus and Mr Ismaila Sambou were removed from President Jammeh’s Cabinet. Now the two people mentioned are both out of the Cabinet. In addition to them, Mr Antouman Saho, Mr. Lamin Bojang, Ms Nancy Njie, Mr Abdou Kolley and Mr Baboucarr S.M. Jallow are also replaced.
 
Initially, the President was criticized for holding the portfolio of Defence, Petroleum, Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Communication, Information and Information Technology, Agriculture and Religious Affairs. Hence, when the President appointed new Ministers to fill the post of Communication and Higher Education, the assumption was that the other portfolios would soon be filled for a full Cabinet to operate. Interestingly enough, the President still maintains the Ministries of Agriculture, Works, Petroleum, and Defence. He has started to appoint Deputy Ministers to some of these Ministries like Agriculture and Works. In fact, the Head of the Civil Service was replaced and appointed as Deputy Minister of Works. He was sworn in on Thursday as Deputy Minister and the next day he was appointed as Minister of Trade and Employment. 
 
We in Foroyaa are concerned. Why? Well Gambians should know what to expect from the President. This is why we are constantly making reference to the Constitution. Those who do not want knowledge to be a property of the people do not want that. Those who want to be sovereign citizens should know the basis to judge the prudence of the decision of those who govern them. 
 
Section 72 of the Constitution is very clear. It states that "The Vice President and the Ministers shall be responsible for the Ministries or other business of the Government as the President may assign to them. In making such assignments, the President shall have regard to the desirability of ensuring that such responsibilities are entrusted to competent persons with relevant qualifications or experience." The frequent appointments and removals make us wonder whether the President is adhering to the dictates of section 72. This is one concern.
 
Secondly, if one studies the budget appropriation report for 2010 one would discover that 18 Ministries were identified for budgetary appropriation. The Appropriation Act has put it into Law that funds generated by the Consolidated Fund should be allocated to the 18 Ministries, namely; Ministry of Defence; Ministry of The Interior; Ministry of Tourism and Culture; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs; Ministry for Local Government and Lands; Ministry of Agriculture; Ministry of Works Communication and Infrastructure; Ministry of Trade, Industry and Employment; Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education; Ministry of Youth and Sports; Ministry of Forestry and the Environment; Ministry of Communication , Information and Information Technology; Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources; Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology; Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Petroleum.
Interestingly enough, after the approval of the budget, the designation of Ministries have started changing. For example, the Ministry of Finance is no longer linked to Economic Affairs. Trade is no longer linked to Industry. What has been done is to create another Ministry of Economy, National Planning and Industry. We are not aware of any supplementary appropriation bill being introduced to provide for the budget of such a Ministry. This is another concern.
 
Thirdly, the portfolios of Defence, Agriculture, Works and Petroleum are still with the President and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service is supposed to be filled through the advice of the Public Service Commission. What is responsible for the frequent change of the head of the Civil Service? Foroyaa will make more enquiries on this matter which should now be a matter of National Concern.





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