The
staff of Food Safety and Quality Authority of The Gambia (FSQA) have accused
their director general, Zainab Jallow, of corruption, mismanagement and
nepotism.
The
allegations were made at a press conference held on Wednesday as 32 of 53 staff
signed a petition demanding better working conditions.
Speaking
at the press briefing, Alhagie Sowe, food inspector, FSQA, said the petition
came as a result of the ‘abuse of office’ by the director general of FSQA. He clarified that their petition was not to
ask for any salary increment or promotions. “As staff of the FSQA, we are
concerned about the bad leadership of the current director general and thus
wish to bring forward the constant difficulties we face working under an
extreme toxic work environment,” he pointed out.
According
to Mr. Sowe, the petition filed against Madam Jallow was not the first
petition, stating that the first petition against her was in 2018. “A simple
complaint against her bad leadership and mismanagement means you are a bad
employee, hence you are sidelined, outcast, frustrated and forced to resign or
she waits for you to commit an error to be fired,” he stated.
He
highlighted their grievances such as lack of regular staff meetings, lack of
collaboration with stakeholders, which he said, has rendered the institution to
only operate at the Points of Entry, isolating provincial Gambia.
“Lack
of commitment on the part of our director general is daunting hence she claimed
lack of funds but she travels frequently, even when some trips are meant for
junior staffs only to collect per diem. In some cases, she travels nothing less
than twice a month,” he divulged.
According
to Sowe, promotions in the office were based on personal relationships and
affiliation rather than productive efficiency and education.
“Preferential
treatment is given to companies based on their closeness to the director even
when their practices are in clear violation of the Food Safety and Quality Act
2011. One clear example is; the Best Water Factory was closed and then released
without laboratory results of samples that were sent to Germany.”
He
highlighted some challenges in the office such as office space allocation to
staff posted to the regions, lack of computers, proper accommodation and other
materials needed at the seaport unit such as computers for report writing,
others.
“An
internal memo dated 9th January 2019 from the director general of FSQA and
signed by the director of Scientific Affairs Mr. Bai Dodou Jallow was issued to
some of the petitioners (22 members), who signed the petition against the DG on
the 7 October , 2019. To our dismay, the memo informed the recipients to go on
administrative leave without pay with immediate effect while the outcome of the
investigation is still pending,” he said.
He
added that they continue to lose staff under the leadership of the current DG
due to the many reasons highlighted in the petition. “The most recent is losing
our director of Finance who resigned a week ago leaving our finance Directorate
and Human Resource units without heads.”
The
affected staff, however, recommended for the outcomes of the investigation be
known to them for transparency, also sending staff on administrative leave
without pay be revoked among a host of others.
Reacting
to these allegations, Director General Zainab Jallow said it was junior staff
of the Food Safety and Quality Authority that “were sent on administrative
leave for refusing to go to work and comply with due directions from management
in line with the Service Rules and Civil Service General Orders, unlawfully
used the premises of the Authority to hold an unsanctioned press conference
contrary to General Orders of the Government for Civil Servants and FSQA rules
and regulations.”
“It
is regretful that these staff took the decision to publicize their personal
grievances and litany of false allegations and slander, that has been part of
their Petition to the Office of the Vice President and that have been fully
investigated and found to be false, but they persist in contravention of all
norms of good governance and the Law.”
The
Authority is an agency of the Government
of The Gambia and under the Office of The Vice President and all matters with
regard to errant and unacceptable conduct of these junior staff will be dealt
with according to the GO and Service Rules.”
