The board chairman of directors of Food Safety and Quality Authority has said firing of eight staff of his institution is management’s decision and not his board decision.
However, affected staff of the institution have described the termination as witch-hunting and vowed to dishonor their sacking.
Dr. Badara Loum, who spoke in a voice interview said: “the decision by Food Safety and Quality Authority (FSQA) management to fire eight of its staff plus twenty six others whose salaries have been withhold by the management has generated public debate and discourse among Gambians over how the whole issue has been handled by the management.”
“I want to make it clear and if you want you can quote me, the decision to dismiss these staff is not our decision (Board of Directors) but rather the decision of the management. The crisis predates the time of our appointment, however, since we come in August we instituted a panel of investigators who has already submitted their report and we were on the verge of coming up with our own recommendation when we get the news that these staff were been fired,” Dr. Badara Loum added.
He confirmed that the Board of Directors of FSQA were not aware of the suspension and dismissal of the affect staff as management did not consult them on the decision to suspend or dismiss any staff, adding that this may be due to the fact that the Board took office when the brouhaha already started at the authority.
He said: “I would urge you to contact the management to shed light on any other issue related to this issue but I can tell you that we have not been consulted on the decision to suspend or dismiss anyone at the FSQA.”
The Food Safety and Quality Authority have been under the limelight since October, when thirty-two staff of the institution filed a petition against Zainab Jallow, Director General of the Authority on the allegations of official corruption, nepotism, unfair treatment of staff among other issues that they said the Authority is to address.
However, leak investigation reports suggested that none of the petitioners should be victimized, suspended or sacked for any reason contrary to the current happenings at the authority.