Bala Garba Jahumpa

Bala Garba Jahumpa (born 20 July 1958 in Banjul[1]) is a Gambian politician and diplomat.

Early life and education

Bala is the son of I.M. Garba-Jahumpa. He attended two high schools in Gambia from 1970 to 1975, then Suffield Academy and Vassar College in the U.S. from 1975 to 1980. He graduated from Vassar with a bachelor's degree in International Relations and Political Science. Later, from 1987 to 1989, Jahumpa attended Birmingham University in the United Kingdom, where he received his master's degree in Development Administration.[1]

Political career

Jahumpa served as Minister of Finance of the Gambia from 1994 to 1995. On 20 March 1995 he was named Minister of Trade, Industry and Employment, but on 5 July 1995 he was again appointed as Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, serving in that position until 1997. He was then Deputy High Commissioner of the Gambia in the United Kingdom from July 1997 to May 1999 and was Acting High Commissioner there from May 1999 to June 2001. After serving for a time as Ambassador to Cuba, he became Secretary of State for Works, Construction and Infrastructure in October 2003.[1] On 26 October 2006, President Yahya Jammeh revoked Maba Jobe's appointment as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and appointed Jahumpa in his place, with effect from the previous day.[2] Jahumpa himself was replaced in this position by Crispin Grey-Johnson in mid-September 2007.[3]

Jahumpa was subsequently designated as Ambassador to Venezuela. On October 3, he was brought in for questioning regarding a passport scam, along with several other officials at the Foreign Affairs Department.[4] Although arrested, he was soon exonerated by the police.[5] After his mandate as Ambassador of the Gambia to Venezuela and Spain he was appointed in November 2012 as Minister of Health in the Gambia

References

  1. ^ a b c CV Archived 2007-09-12 at the Wayback Machine (as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs) on Gambian government website.
  2. ^ "Maba Jobe’s Appointment Revoked" Archived 2006-11-23 at the Wayback Machine, The Point (Gambia), October 26, 2006.
  3. ^ "Reshuffle Brings Four New Secretaries of State; Two Serving ones Re-deployed" Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine, The Point (Gambia), September 17, 2007.
  4. ^ Abba AS Gibba, "Bala Garba Jahumpa, Batata Juwara, Bai Ousman Secka and Tijan Bah in Police Net" Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine, The Point (Gambia), October 5, 2007.
  5. ^ Alhagie Mbye, "Police Clear Bala Garba Jahumpa of Wrongdoing" Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine, The Point (Gambia), October 12, 2007.
Preceded by Foreign Minister of Gambia
2006-2007 		Succeeded by