Over
a dozen of sacked staff of Food Safety and Quality Authority (FSQA) were
Tuesday arrested by police in defiant of their sacking, The Point has been reliably
informed. They were taken to Kairab Police Station.
The
arrest followed the sacking of multiple staff early this year after they had
filed a petition against Director General Zainab Jallow and organised a press
conference in January, which authorities say was illegal. However, a source who
is familiar with the matter told The Point on Tuesday that the arrested staffs
have since been coming to the office in defiance of their sacking on the
grounds that it was “illegal.”
“These
staff felt that their sacking was illegal because the due process was not
followed,” our source said.
The
firing of the staff followed a press conference organised in January this year
by the staff who demanded better working conditions.
Recall:
Last year, a greater percentage of the authority’s staff filed a petitioned to
their board against Zainab but the board through their independent panel said
they had limited powers over DG Zainab Jallow.
Staff
members requested the findings made by the independent panel, but it proved
futile.
The
Food Safety and Quality Authority of The Gambia was established by Food and
Safety Act 2011. It is the sole authority with powers to control food and feed
in the country.
