PHOTO: Prez Yahya Jammeh's 22-Year-Old Ghanaian Wife Unveiled

THERE WAS massive police presence at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Kumasi when the Gambian President, Alhaji Sheikh Prof. Dr. Yahaya Abdul Aziz Jamus Junkung Jammeh tied the knot with his 22-year-old Ghanaian wife, Nora Jammeh last weekend.

The wedding ceremony was held in secret, reportedly at the instance of the Gambian president, to prevent the media, both in Ghana and the Gambia, from making so much noise about the event.

But pictures of the festive event which was attended by some government officials, had found their way into the public domain, once again due to the investigative acumen of Omanhene Yaw Adu Boakye of Kessben FM in Kumasi.

DAILY GUIDE learnt that important dignitaries like Samuel Sarpong, the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Yaffa Mohammed, Gambian Counselor in Accra and the Ashanti Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Abdul Mumin were among the top officials invited for the event.

Pictures of the wedding, in possession of DAILY GUIDE, revealed a happy-looking Mrs Nora Jammeh, dressed in a white wedding gown decorated with golden colours, but with a veil covering her head, according to Islamic culture.

The bride, in one of the pictures, was seen swamped by policemen who were said to be present at the occasion in their large numbers to provide security and deal with any eventuality.

Mrs Jammeh was also seen in another picture looking charming, with His Excellency Huseini Yaba, the Gambian Ambassador to Nigeria, who has oversight responsibilities in Ghana, the representative of President Jammeh at the ceremony.

Sources disclosed that though the wedding was held in a low key fashion to avoid media attention, the massive police presence at the venue alone gave an indication that an important ceremony was taking place at the Golden Tulip Hotel.

DAILY GUIDE had been able to get hold of an invitation for the wedding which was decorated in gold colours with the inscription, ‘Forever Love’ at the back.

The inscriptions in the invitation card to the programme read “In the name of Allah, The Most Merciful, the entire family of Alhaji Yahya Amadu in collaboration with the Islamic Mission Secretariat has the pleasure to invite the company of ……… to the Waleema of the Marriage ceremony between their daughter Nora Muniratu Yahya and Alhaji Yahya. Date: Sunday 26th August 2012, Venue: Golden Tulip (City Hotel), Time 12:00-4:00pm.”

The invitation catalogued the names of the important dignitaries for the show as Alhaji Abdul Mumin, Ashanti Regional Chief Imam; Alhaji Yakubu Manu, National Chairman, IMS; Sheikh Ibrahim Twene, National Chief Imam, IMS; and Sheikh Harun Appau, National Co-ordinator, IMS.

The other dignitaries were Sheikh Ishaak Nuama, Secretary General, IMS; Sheikh Zakaria Mensah, Financial Secretary, IMS; Mallam Ishaak Konadi, father; Hajia Aisha Adam, mother; Mr. Sarpong, KMA boss; Hon. Yaffa Mohammed, Gambian Counselor, Accra; and Sheikh Osman Gyimadu, National Youth President, IMS.

Organizers of the wedding succeeded in shielding the event from the public for almost 48 hours until Omanhene made the issue public when he posed as a former teacher of Mrs. Nora Jammeh, a graduate of Sunyani Polytechnic.

In a telephone chat with Omanhene, Mrs. Nora Jammeh confirmed the wedding, indicating that plans were far afoot for her to travel to The Gambia last Wednesday to stay with her husband.

The latest marriage was the fourth for the Gambian leader who recently executed nine people on death row in his country. The Gambian leader first got married to Tuti Faal Jammeh, but his marital relationship with her ended prematurely.

After the departure of Tuti Faal, Jammeh married a Moroccan lady, Zeinab Suma, who is now the first lady, and later adding Alima Sallah, the daughter of the country’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Source: I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi