The Gambian leader President Adama Barrow has told journalists at the Banjul International Airport that his recent cabinet reshuffle was not triggered by allege corrupt practices of some top officials as rumoured in the social media.
Barrow surprised a lot of Gambian political analysts and observers last week after he sent his vice president Fatoumatta Jallow Tambajang home with three other ministers.
Barrow gave no reason for the sacking and since the decision was public rumours did the round on social media that the top officials may have been involved in corrupt practices.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with corruption. The Gambian people have given me a mandate to make sure we deliver. To do this, there are Gambians who we need in particular places at particular times. So we can make changes. These are constitutional powers that I have so I make the changes in the main interest of this country,” Barrow said.
Barrow has landed at the Banjul International Airport on Tuesday noon from attending the African Union summit in Mauritania.
“A well-attended and represented summit. One thing is very important: Africa is speaking the same voice on how we deal with corruption. A lot of resources has been wasted in Africa, it is now time that Africa come together and fight corruption if we mean development for Africa. I think we were serious about this, and we want to build our institutions and make them stronger, so that they will help us to eliminate corruption. Even if we cannot eliminate corruption 100 percent, at least, we can minimize it in the interest of our continent,’’ Barrow said.
Barrow also informed journalists of his meeting with the president of Equatorial Guinea Theodore Obiang.
“We held a closed-door meetings and most of our discussions centered on African integration. The President of Equatorial Guinea is a Senior Statesman,’’ Barrow added.