By MUHAMMED S. BAH
Banjul 19 January 2017 – Banjul the capital city of The Gambia as at now is very quiet with no movement of people in the streets on the day President-Elect Adama Barrow is expected to be sworn in.
There are no commercial vehicles plying the city and few official and security personnel vehicles are seen plying.
None of the offices are open, the main Banjul market is not operating and all big and small shops are closed, even street vendors who normally sell in the streets are not seen.
Armed security personnel of the republican guards are seen at their normal security check point along Box Bar Road and at the Banjul-Serrekunda Highway.
Only one Ferry Kanilai which is said to be the first ferry went to Barra but for hours it didn’t return to Banjul.
The ferry according to people at the Terminal carried just few people and the vehicles that could not be ferried yesterday.
Banjulians who have not fled, are all indoors, fearing the consequence of an ECOWAS warning of intervention to outgoing President Yahya Jammeh if he fails to step down and hand over power to incoming President Adama Barrow by today. Mr Yahya Jammeh, who at first conceded defeat to Mr Barrow at the 1 December 2016 presidential election, later changed his mind and cried foul. He has filed an election petition and has vowed to hang on to power till the Supreme Court determines the matter in May or November. He went further to declare a state of public emergency and got the National Assembly to extend his term of office till 11 July 2017. The office of the president elect relies on the constitutional provision that he should assume office on 19 January 2016.
