By: News Desk
The sacked staffs of Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices (Gamcotrap) who alleged that the women rights organisation owes them salaries arrears of one year and seven months said the Gambian Vice President who is also founder of Gamcotrap, Dr. Isatou Touray masterminded their sack.
The sacked staffs namely, Fama Barry, field officer, Fatou Bojang, field coordinator, Lamin Ceesay chief driver and Omar Touray who resigned walked in to the office of The Voice on Saturday to express their disappointment over a woman Gambians considered her work for the promotion and protection of Gambian women.
The staffs allegedly revealed that the Gambian vice President oversees the Gamcotrap office with staffs’ rights violation from her handpicked executive director Princess A. Munahot. The staffs further allegedly revealed that despite the founder being the vice president of the country she has visited the office about five times and attended meeting with staffs.
“If I want, I can closedown this office and when you are coming to attend meeting with me off your phone, no recording or taking picture VP Touray told staffs,” Fama Barry said.
According to Barry in his explanation she said Gamcotrap board headed by Chairman Yaya Jarjusey stated in their (sacked staffs) termination letter that the organisation cannot longer pay salary due to the Covid-19. Also, that, the organization was directed by its funding partner Save the Children International in Dakar, Senegal to cut down staff.
Barry, who spoke to The Voice on behalf of her colleagues, said they were told that the organisation has financial challenges and therefore board decisions have been made regarding these challenges to cut down staff.
“My position was field officer. I totally disagreed, because the reason of my termination is because I was not happy with what was going on in the office”, she said.
Barry revealed that the executive director (Princess) introduced divide and rule, also not acting in according with human rights regulation and the organisation work for promotion and protection of human rights.
“I went to report the matter to Imam Baba Leigh, a board member and explained to him what Princess is doing in the office. I also went to Ousman Yabou, director of TANGO and informed him to make him understand what was going on in the office and what the staffs was going through in the hand of the executive director Princess A. Munahot. Princess appointed her biological daughter and her friend while uses them to intimidate us,” she disclosed.
She went on explained that Baba Leigh came to the office to settle the matter between staffs and Princess, but to no avail “and few days later Princess started ignoring some of us in the office by not involving us in any official work.”
Fama Barry narrated further that “Princess closed the conference room and Library where we use for praying. We felt is violation of our rights as we have rights to pray as Muslim.”
She went on that when she (Fama Barry) resumed back to the office from her annual leave on 28th April, 2020, Princess served her a letter of termination in the presence of Imam Baba Leigh one of the board members of Gamcotrap.
According to her, after reading her termination letter, she responded back by asking for her salary arrears and all her dues including her notice of termination.
“I wrote letters and sent it to the Chairman of the board Yaya Jarjusey and copied all board members including the vice President Dr. Isatou Touray. My disappointment was as an adviser (Dr Touray) to the board and founder of Gamcotrap such decision was made in her presence and did not advice accordingly.
“My termination is not a problem I only need my one year and seven months’ salary arrears including my dues,” she narrated.
She went on to express her dismay that since she sent the letters to the board members “no respond from the board and I went to the tribunal court for justice. I am going to court with the organisation,” Barry pointed out.
She revealed that others staff, namely; Fatou Mballow, Omar Touray, Ben Okini and Fatou Badjie resigned because they were unhappy with what was going on in the office.
Barry who spoke on behalf of her colleagues stated that they were terminated according to the Gamcotrap management that because of lack of money for the organisation to pay staff salaries, but to their surprised Gamcotrap appointed new staff to fill their position.
“We expressed our dissatisfaction that those newly appointed staff were paid four month salaries while the organisation owes us one year seven months salaries and we were not pay,” she stressed.
She described executive director Princess A. Munahot as everything in the office as she is acting unlawfully and violating every staff rights.
According to her “She (executive director) slapped one of the staff namely Omar Touray and also disregard Gambian culture. When you call her name or greet her in the office she does not answer and she feel too big to talk to Gambians working in the office.
“The Vice President and board adviser to Gamcotrap, Dr. Isatou Touray does not consult any staff for first-hand information and she only listens to Princess and her team,” Barry alleged.
She added: “Some board members are not a party to these decisions. Dr. Touary comes to office for meeting with Princess and staff, but only Princess spoke without no other staff was allow to say a word.”
However, she disclosed that they were not expecting such act because they have served the organisation in their interest leading to arrears of one year seven months salaries, and “this is coming from our own Gambian woman who is at a higher position claiming to be fighting for the rights of women, we are not happy with this,” she lamented.
According to her the sacked staff had received reliable information from Save the Children International, that they never asked Gamcotrap to terminate any staff appointment. She revealed that the executive director Princess A. Munahot told the organisation in Dakar, Senegal that staffs resigned voluntarily describing it as a “lie.”
“The working environment is not favourable for us, Princess and her team Fatou Saho and Nanet told Omar Touray and others not to associate with us in the office,” she said.
“Princess A. Munahot is not a leader as she’s acting like a boss. We are not ready to dance to her tune. She is hiding everything from us as field workers. Princess ordered Omar Touray, the accountant not to talk to us or visit our office,” Barry told The Voice.
“We seek and call on the National Human Rights Commission, Female Lawyers Association–Gambia, Legal Aid and Access to Justice in The ‘New Gambia’ and NGOs to help us for justice,” Barry and her colleagues pleaded.