By YusuphaJobe
Information reaching The Voice has indicated that the Ministry of Health has decided to withdraw its letter tagged ‘extremely urgent’ dated 20th April, 2020 and addressed to the Africell Company Limited following a meeting had with the Management of the company on Thursday, 23rd April, 2020.
According to an official source the Ministry admitted been guilt over the letter titled “Listing of Health Sector Staff Without Authorization” signed by Muhamadou Lamin Jaiteh, Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Health for the company to uphold disbursement of funds to COVID-19 health frontline response team.
The official source went on his information that in spite of whatever people might think about Africell, the company still remains the only GSM Company helping Gambia’s people and Gambians in all sectors. Adding that last year the company donated millions to sport, first in this country.
However, 15th April Africell donated D12 million (Twelve Million Dalasi) to the Gambia government’s efforts to contain and defeat the Covid-19 pandemic.
According the company the funds will be distributed over the next three months directly via Afrimoney to frontline health workers, whose courage and hard work in difficult circumstances is helping to keep Gambians healthy and safe.
The biggest GSM Company pointed out that the payments will supplement the normal wages of these frontline workers, giving them the financial security needed to support themselves and their families at a time of significantly increased risk.
“All eligible Doctors will receive D2,000 per month while Nurses and all other frontline staff will receive D1,000 per month. The scheme is currently scheduled to last for three months, “the company announced on 15th April.
Commenting on the donation, CEO of Africell Gambia, Alieu Badara Mbye said: “For Africell, contributing to the campaign against Covid-19 is a duty, not an option. We are stronger together. Africell is committed to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the government and the people of Gambia as we take on this challenge. Our donation to Gambia’s heroic front-line health workers is a token of our admiration and gratitude to front-line health workers for the risks they take and the hard work they put into keeping the rest of us safe”.
Meanwhile, the country’s leading GSM Company Africell have was ordered by the Ministry of Health in its letter to halt its activity of listing health workers as intended for disbursement of funds to COVID-19 health response team without any formal engagement of the Ministry.
Meanwhile the said letter from the Ministry of Health notes through the public media, a symbolic presentation of a cheque for D12,000,000 by the company earmarked as donation to the Ministry of Health towards the national COVID-19 response efforts.
“However, while expecting to be formally engaged by the company’s management on the modalities of disbursing the funds, the Ministry of Health learnt with great concern and dismay, information that your company has started engaging hospitals directly and listing their staff to pay through mobile money services.
“This development is worrying to the Ministry’s administration as until this time the office of the Permanent Secretary has neither received any formal letter of engagement nor has the administration been approached for its authorization for the conduct of disbursement of funds to the health workers.
“It is this Ministry’s stern position that the uncoordinated approached taken by the company has the potential of causing serious negative accountability and sector management implications which the ministry is not prepared to condone.
“On the basis of this concern, the Ministry is hereby asking your good office to immediately stop whatever activity it is doing in this regard until you engage the Ministry administration in writing in accordance with the due process.”