His removal comes in the wake of the removal from office and detention of many officials of the Ministry of Agriculture following the decision by President Jammeh to jog the ministry into action for the realisation of food self-sufficiency in The Gambia by 2016.
Yesterday, the Latrikunda Sabiji-based Mr Houma could not be reached by The Standard for a comment on the matter.
However, a source close to his family told The Standard: “Contrary to reports he has not been sacked, but his services have been terminated. As a Muslim, he has taken the whole thing in his stride; seeing it as the decree of Allah. He has served the Ministry of Agriculture and the country for over two decades with dedication and patriotism”.
While addressing a ruling party meeting at State House on Thursday 12 June 2014, President Jammeh pledged a more spirited fight against graft singling out the agriculture sector.
“We have to change attitudes; a typical example of how horribly things can go wrong is the agriculture sector. We have spent so many millions of dollars into projects; one project after the other and you can see how people can cripple a lofty ideal and scuttle a dream that would have lifted this country out of a lot of things”.
President Jammeh futher recalled that D11 million was claimed by some officials of the Agriculture ministry to clear a canal at Jahally Pacharr rice field which he said was discovered to have been fixed for just D150,000.
“So that D11 million was for what? The ultimate objective of the party is to make this country an ultra-modern city-state, so we will not condone corruption of whatever form. We will not condone drugs, murderers and rapists in this country. The ultimate objective of the party and the government is to make sure that even if you drop one million dalasi on the way; somebody would pick it and drop it at the police station. Honesty and the fear of God would be inculcated in the minds of Gambians and would be enforced by legislation,” he declared.
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