By: Sekou Hydara
Jainaba Jallow, director of Food Safety and Quality Authority (FSQA), has admitted ordering the arrest and detention of Hakim Jawara former Scientific Officer for Risk Assessment who resigned from his position last month but refused to hand over his office and office documents.
“When someone quits job, it’s natural that he/she do a formal handing over but Mr. Jawara’s refused to do so and maintained on staying at office. This warrants me to demand the police to intervene,” she said.
“Jawara was arrested for illegally occupying the office of the Authority even though his one month notice has elapsed,” she pointed out.
Police at Kairaba station last week arrested and detained Hakim Jawara, who tended his resignation mid-August on a ground of unfavorable working conditions.
Meanwhile, Jawara’s arrest was not received well and this led to the resignation of Aabisatou Manneh, former Admin and Human Resource Manageress.
Director denied any wrongdoing in the arrest and detention of Jawara.
She further revealed that Jawara submitted his resignation letter to the office on August19, 2019 resigning his position.
According to her, Jawara should have served one month notice as indicated in his letter of appointment which he failed to do.
She further said Jawara was brought to the office by ex-President Yahya Jammeh, stressing Jammehé conditioned her office to forcefully employed Hakim as the Scientific Officer for Risk Assessment at the Authority.
Jallow, noted that she has no personal problem with Hakim Jawara despite his appointment was approved by ex-President Jammeh.
She also confirmed the resignation of Aabisatou Manneh revealing that she secured a new job that may have been the reason for her resignation.
In his reaction, Hakim Jawara said he resigned and was willing to serve the two month notice but surprisingly on the 19th September 2019, few minute to closing time he was asked not to return for work the next day.
“I replied that I have already wrote to serve a two month notice which is at my own discretion but to my surprise when I turned for work on Friday one police officer from Kotu Police Station arrested and detained me,” Jawara revealed.
Jawara protested over the manner in which he was arrested and handled by the Kotu Police for matters relative to his official duty.
He added, he was insulted and molested by the arresting officer whom he regarded as a friend to the Director of Food Safety and Quality Authority
“I was really surprised in the manner in which I was arrested and detained, I feel that this is not a Police matter but an issue of the Food Safety that has a Board of Directors to handle any complex administrative matter.
He added that the officer who arrested him is familiar to me because each time a staff had an issue with the director, the same officer will surface to effect arrest on that particular staff,” he noted.
He pointed out that his resignation was out of frustration couple with harsh and disrespected condition for work, revealing that it was due to similar conditions that force many others at the Authority to resigned.