The
Industrial Tribunal in Kanifing on Monday 16 April 2012 resumed its sittings
with the continuation of the defendant’s witness, Alfusainou Jallow, a gateman
at the Scan Aid Senior School.
It would be recalled that Scan Aid Senior Secondary School had been dragged to the Industrial Tribunal by their former employee, Adejimi Adenipekuin, claiming over one million dalasi for wrongful termination of his services, among others.
Testifying before chairman Ngube, the witness told the court he is a gateman at Scan Aid School and that he knew the plaintiff, as a teacher in the school.
He revealed that he was aware that the plaintiff had taken their employee to court.
“One of the reasons for the plaintiff’s termination was because he had a confrontation with the school principal,” counsel asked and the witness replied in the positive, adding that he was present as well.
The gateman told the tribunal he was at the gate till 9am when the plaintiff came late and found some students at the gate who were also late.
He testified that when two visiting white ladies came, the principal opened the gate for them to enter.
He noted that the plaintiff later opened the school gate to enter; as a result, all the students who came late also got in.
The witness further told the tribunal that when the principal asked the plaintiff why he did so, the plaintiff then quarreled with the principal.
“I did not hear what they were saying because they were speaking English,” said the gateman, adding: ‘But what the plaintiff was saying were not good words.’
The witness indicated that he starts work at 7am and the school door is always closed after 9am, adding that any student that comes after 9am is kept outside.
“I cannot remember exactly when the plaintiff came, but it was after 9am,” Jallow told the tribunal.
Asked about the number of students that were late, the witness said they were more than twenty.
Asked when he started working with the defendant, the witness noted that he commenced his job in 2008 and that he had never heard such incident between a teacher and the principal.
He stated that the plaintiff used to come on time to school and sometimes late.
“Apart from my role as a gatekeeper, I do some work at the school as well,” he said, denying further that the plaintiff claimed the principal shouted at him.
He revealed that he had never had a problem with the plaintiff.
Hearing was adjourned till 14 May 2012.
