The long-awaited cabinet appointments have been done. The changes are far reaching. The former vice president was Dr Isatou Touray, but now it is Mr Alieu Badara Joof.
The only people who are retained are:
Dawda Jallow Attorney General and Minister of Justice; Mamadou Tangara, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Seedy Keita who now becomes Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs instead of Minister of Trade; Hamat NK Bah Minister of Tourism & Culture; Ebrima Sillah who is now Minister of Transport Works & Infrastructure instead of information and communication infrastructure; Dr Ahmad Lamin Samateh Minister of Health; Claudiana Cole Minister of Basic & Sec Education; Fatou Kinteh Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare; Musa S. Drammeh who is now Minister of Fisheries and Water Resources instead of Lands and Regional Government; Bakary Badgie Minister of Youth and Sports; Seedy Keita is overseeing the Trade Ministry; Ministry of Communication & Digital Economy will be overseen by Ebrima Sillah.
However the portfolio of the following have changed:
Seedy Keita has replaced Mambury Njie as Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs; Serign Modou Njie has replaced Minister of Defence; Seyaka Sonko has replaced Yankuba Sonko as Minister of the Interior; Abba Sanyang is now Minister of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs; Demba Sabally replaces Aminata as Minister of Agriculture; Abdoulie Jobe replaces Fafa Sanyang as Minister of Petroleum and Energy; Prof Pierre Gomez is now Minister of Higher Education and Research; Rohey John Manjang replaces Lamin Dibba as Minister of Environment & Climate Change, Baboucarr Ousman Joof becomes Minister of the new Ministry of Public Service, Administrative Reforms, Policy Coordination and Delivery; Lamin Queen Jammeh Minister Information; Ministry of Communication & Digital Economy is a new ministry not yet occupied.
Similarly, Salimatta E. Touray is the new Secretary General and Head of Civil Service to take charge of the personnel management office while Modou K. Ceesay is the new Chief of Staff, a new position at the office of the president.
Section 168 of the constitution states:
“(1) The President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Public Service Commission, shall
appoint a person holding an office in the public service on permanent terms to be the Head of the
Civil Service. The Head of the Civil Service shall be the competent authority for the Civil Service.
(2) The Head of the Civil Service shall not hold any other office of profit or emolument in the service of The Gambia.
Foroyaa will follow developments on the functioning of the new cabinet and the civil service architecture to determine their performance viz a viz the expectation of the people.
