Skip to main content

ECOWAS Issues Last Warning To President


Gambia’s president, Yahya Jammeh, has until
midnight of Wednesday, January 18 to leave office
for the swearing-in of his successor, AdamaBarrow. This is the final verdict of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), according to a report.               byThisday which further
said the organisation has perfected plans to
ensure Barrow becomes the new president of the
country on Thursday, y 19.
This new challenge for Jammeh came same day the country’s Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle, refused to hear an application by his party, the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), to halt the swearing-in of Barrow. Jammeh’s plot to remain in office beyond his legally mandated period was also punctured on Monday, January 16 with the resignation of the country’s foreign minister, Neneh MacDouall-Gaye.
The minister is to be followed by her
counterparts, the minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Addou kolley; the minister of Trade, Industry and Employment, Abdou Jobe; and the minister of Environment, Ousman Jarju.
Last week, Sheriff Bolang, the country’s information minister resigned and fled over the refusal of Jammeh to step down after his defeat in the December, 2016 poll.
A source reported that Mrs MacDouall-Gaye said her resignation was because of the prevailing circumstances, adding in her letter: “This letter serves as a formal notice of my resignation as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of The Gambia.
“After due deliberation, I am of the conviction that under the prevailing circumstances I cannot
effectively serve as foreign minister.”
Thanking Jammeh for the opportunity given her to serve, MacDouall-Gaye, who had been one of Jammeh’s most trusted allies, prayed that the
political tension in the state is calmed and the issue between him and Barrow resolved.
According to a reports, there are indications the minister fled Gambia after resigning as it is
believed Jammeh is increasingly being dumped.
Jammeh had initially congratulated Barrow after the latter was declared winner of the election but
suddenly back-tracked and rejected the result of the poll.
The African Union and the ECOWAS have made efforts to prevail on him to step down from office
with fears that it could result in civil war.
On Monday, there were unverified photographs of Gambian citizens leaving the country amid tension.
Thisday also quoted a staff of the country’s foreign ministry as saying: “From what I gathered, they are extending the olive branch till midnight of January 18th. If he does not (handover power) by
19th, the troops will take-over.”
The source said he had no idea of the troops but that they would come from ECOWAS. When contacted, the report quoted the director of
Army public relations, Brig-Gen Sani Usman, as saying that he was not aware of any plans to
bring the military into the country as the issue falls into the purview of the foreign affairs
ministry. “We are not at the forefront of solving the
political problem in The Gambia; we are soldiers,”
he said. Source ; This Day news

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

INEC declares APC winner of Bayelsa governorship election

The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, David Lyon, winner of the November 16 Bayelsa governorship election.Returning Officer, Prof. Faraday Orumwense, Vice-chancellor, University of Benin, announced at the INEC Collation Centre in Yenagoa, that the APC polled 352,552 votes while the PDP scored 143,17 votes. The total number of registered voters was announced as 922, 562 and the number of accredited voters was put at 517,883.PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how Mr Lyon won in 6 of the 8 local governments in the state.In the results announced for Ekeremo local government, the number of registered voters was announced as 125,189 while accredited voters were 41,423. In the local government, the APC won by polling 21,489 votes while the PDP polled 18,344 votes.In Southern Ijaw local government, the APC candidate polled 124,803 votes to defeat his closest rival in PDP who polled 4,898 votes. The APC candidate hails from...
Post a Comment
Read more

Police Arrest Six Suspects Over Murder Of Kogi PDP Woman Leader

Six suspects have been arrested over the murder of Woman Leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the Wada/Aro campaign council in Kogi state, Mrs. Achejuh Abuh.This is coming barely 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari ordered security agencies to carry out a thorough expeditious investigation into the incident.Mrs. Abuh was burnt alive in her home by suspected political thugs after the Governorship election in the state.According to the Command Police Public Relations Officer, DSP William Ayah, who spoke to Channels Television, the six suspects were arrested on Friday in Ochadamu while carrying out a robbery operation.He added that during interrogation, investigation revealed that one of the suspects was a principal actor in the killing of the women leader.According to Mr. Ayah, the suspects will be interrogated to ascertain the level of their involvement in the crime.The police spokesman said the outcome of the investigation will be made public upon conclusion.
Post a Comment
Read more

Nine-Year-Old Belgian Prodigy Set For University Degree In Electrical Engineering

Belgian student Laurent Simons, 9 years old, poses during a photo session at his home on November 21, 2019 in Amsterdam. Laurent Simons is studying electrical engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology and is on course to finish his degree in December.Like many other nine-year-olds, Laurent Simons likes TV and his pet dog. But he also wants to make artificial organs and is about to get the qualifications to set him on his way.The Belgian boy will in December receive a degree in electrical engineering from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, which will make him one of the world’s youngest graduates.Far from being fazed by his achievements, which also saw him complete the course in just nine months instead of the usual three years, Laurent says it’s “normal” — although he adds too that it’s “cool.”“I’m currently studying electrical engineering. It’s about designing circuits and things like that. So chips, actually,” the mop-haired youngster told AFP in t...
Post a Comment
Read more