- The Gambia ‘missing millions’ after Jammeh flies into exile
- As PDP tells Amaechi, Peterside: Use your offices to attract development to Rivers
More details of the peaceful battle to restore democracy in The Gambia became known yesterday.
After days of stand-off, former President Yahya Jammeh suddenly agreed to quit office, yielding to last-minute pressure from Guinean President Alpha Conde and his Mauritanian counterpart Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz, who were with him between Friday and Saturday.
After agreeing to leave and save The Gambia from a major crisis, Jammeh was confronted by big challenge – how to fly out.
The leaders, The Nation learnt, reached out to All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who authorised his private aircraft to be used to fly Jammeh out of Banjul, sources said.
Jammeh’s exit paved the way for the return of President Adama Barrow to take office after he was sworn in on Thursday in Dakar, Senegal.
Tinubu’s VP-CBT Falcon Jet had been with President Conde, who is a close friend of the leading politician.
It was not until late on Saturday night that Jammeh agreed to go. Sources said Tinubu was contacted to allow the use of his jet to fly Jammeh out of Banjul.
He reportedly gave a condition: it should only be used “if it will facilitate the quick exit of Jammeh and lead to the restoration of peace and democracy in The Gambia”.
The plane eventually flew out with Jammeh, his wife, mother and President Conde on board.
Senegal, it was learnt, insisted on knowing those on board before allowing it to overfly its airspace. This wish was granted. Jammeh was flown to Equitorial Guinea where he will be on exile
Jammeh arrived at the airport amid a large convoy of vehicles and throngs of cheering supporters.
He stood on a small platform to hear ceremonial music performed by a military band and then walked down a long red carpet, surrounded by dignitaries.
He climbed the steps to the plane, turned and kissed and waved a Qur’an at those assembled.
It was an emotional farewell. Many soldiers, supporters and dignitaries were crying. Others in The Gambia were glad to see the end of a 22-year dictatorship which had little respect for human rights and freedom of speech.
In the meantime, more than $11m (£8.8m) is missing from The Gambia’s state coffers following the departure of long-time leader Yahya Jammeh, an adviser to President Adama Barrow has said.
Mai Ahmad Fatty said financial experts were trying to evaluate the exact loss.
Luxury cars and other items were seen being loaded on to a Chadian cargo plane on the night Mr Jammeh left the country.
Mr Jammeh flew into exile on Saturday, ending his 22 years in power.
He had refused to accept election results but finally left after mediation by regional leaders and the threat of military intervention.
President Barrow remains in neighbouring Senegal and it is not clear when he will return.
However, West African troops have entered the Gambian capital, Banjul, on Sunday to prepare for his arrival.
Cheering crowds gathered outside the State House to watch soldiers secure the building.
The Senegalese general leading the joint force from five African nations said they were controlling “strategic points to ensure the safety of the population and facilitate… Mr Barrow’s assumption of his role”.
Mr Fatty told reporters in the Senegalese capital Dakar that The Gambia was in financial distress.
“The coffers are virtually empty,” he said. “It has been confirmed by technicians in the ministry of finance and the Central Bank of the Gambia.”
He said Mr Jammeh had made off with more than $11m in the past two weeks alone. The BBC is unable to independently verify the claims.
Mr Fatty said officials at The Gambia’s main airport had been told not to let any of Mr Jammeh’s belongings leave the country.
Reports said some of the former leader’s goods were in Guinea where Mr Jammeh had stopped on his journey into exile.
Mr Jammeh is reported to now be in Equatorial Guinea, although authorities there have not confirmed it.
The former leader had initially accepted Mr Barrow’s election win on 1 December, but later alleged “irregularities” and called for a fresh vote.
The move was internationally condemned and the UN-backed Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) issued an ultimatum for him to quit or be removed by force.
In another development, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called on the Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi and the Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr Dakuku Peterside, to use their offices to attract development to Rivers State.
But in a swift reaction, All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, said unlike the PDP, Amaechi and Peterside were already delivering on their mandates, saying, “For Rivers PDP, the dividend of democracy is looting and sharing the commonwealth of the people amongst PDP cabal.”
Rivers State PDP, through its Chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah, in a statement, yesterday, claimed that since Amaechi and Peterside assumed offices at the national level they had not attracted any meaningful development to the state, alleging that they had only been involved in trying to create crisis in the state.
According to the statement through Obuah’s Media Aide, Jerry Needam: “Since their appointments, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Director-General of NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside, who are from the state, have also not been able to initiate any project or empowerment scheme in the state. Rather than serve as a blessing to the people of Rivers State the appointment of the APC leaders from the state had become source of woes and anguish, as they have only used such positions to cause crisis and division, doing everything to blackmail the government in the state in their quest to force themselves on the people undemocratically.
Stop the noise and desist from causing problems in Rivers State, deliver meaningful projects and empowerment schemes to the people. “Regrettably, Rivers State today is one of the few states that has not been accorded its right place by the APC government as a result of continued and deliberate denial and suppressive actions by even those who have benefitted a lot from the state’s treasures. It is on the strength of this that we charge the duo of Amaechi and Peterside to have a rethink, by stopping the fight of attrition against the government and people of the state and join hands to develop it and to influence federal projects into the state as their lawful responsibility.”
But the state APC in a statement, through its spokesman, Chris Finebone, said: “On the other hand, it appears beyond the comprehension of PDP that appointees in President Muhammadu Buhari’s government are committed people serving selflessly, diligently and incorruptibly. They are there to serve Nigerians and when they serve Nigerians well, Rivers people will get their fair share of democratic dividend.
Very importantly, Felix Obuah and the PDP must understand that Rivers State has produced a Minister of Transport in the past who is a top member of the PDP. He was indicted and shamefully booted out by former President Olusegun Obasanjo for corruption.
“However, under Mr. Amaechi, the quantum leap in the modernisation of the railway transportation system in Nigeria is unprecedented and its benefits to all Nigerians including Rivers people will be monumental. The jobs the Trans Niger Delta Railway will create and the effects its operation will have for the Niger Delta will shame the PDP and their former leader who was President for six years.
“Dr. Peterside is aware that all previous heads of NIMASA ended up either in prison or being charged to court on corruption charges. So, he is committed to doing his job as the DG, NIMASA so that when he leaves, he will be doing so without blemish or tar. Well-meaning Rivers people know that the appointments of Amaechi and Peterside will bring them the right kind of benefits and not the type of benefits PDP appointees in the past brought to their members in the State.”
Nation with additional report from BBC and Vanguard
