OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC , HE ADAMA BARROW FROM SSHFC STAFF
We the staff of the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation most especially those that are signatories to the petition of “Vote of No Confidence” against our managing Director, Mr. Mohammed Manjang, are hereby expressing our total disappointment and shock over the president of the Republic of The Gambia, H.E Adama Barrow’s decision to terminate the services of our democratically and constitutionally elected staff rep on the board, The Right Hon. Momodou Camara. This was contained in a press statement conveyed on the official website of the state House of The Gambia on Friday, the 9th November, 2018. The statement further went on to indicate further disciplinary measures to be taken against those staff that are part of the saga. There are also reports in the grapevine that there are some staff whose services will be terminated and those that are to be demoted and this, we think must be reversed to maintain the peace that this institution has been known for.
First and foremost Mr. President, let us remind you that the Right Hon. Mr. Camara is only our staff rep on the board and our mouthpiece for that matter. He has never represented any act of misdeed and unethical conduct before and during the course of this saga. He was not even present on the day the office premises were locked as he started serving his suspension in earnest. Mr. President, please know that the Right Hon. Camara is a man of impeccable character and highest moral standing. Victimizing him and other staff form only exposing their leader’s corruption and other serious administrative malpractices that were proven beyond reasonable doubt is not only unfair to us but tantamount gross injustice against the staff of this noble institution. We the staff are never resistant to any change or reform but only exposed what is not right in our corporate governance structure. We have worked diligently and honestly to the best of our ability over the years and served this institution and this great country with all honesty.
We further wish to remind you Mr. President that it was Manjang who was culpable and found guilty after findings and investigations as further reaffirmed and attested to by the office of the Ombudsman, the body established by an act of Parliament to ascertain facts in these kinds of industrial disputes. Manjang was found guilty of basically all damning and compelling evidence of corruption, blatant theft in terms of the per diem and office AC, nepotism, favoritism and gross institutional injustice of the highest scale. These traits are totally against the prescribed tenets of the corporate governance practices and this New Gambia must not be seen to be encouraging such travesties. Mr. President, could you be reminded that leaving Manjang go scot free is setting a very bad precedent in our democratization process and in our efforts to curb institutional corruption and injustice some of the very reasons why we voted for this change. Are you now telling the populace especially public officials that it is legit to be corrupt and unjust in our institutions? What signal are you sending Sir?
Mr. President, it is worth noting that there were series of protests and demonstrations that had happened in this country in the past and some even went to the extent of causing fatalities of grand scale like in the Kanilai protest, Doctors’ strike and the Faraba Banta sand mining debacle. No action whatsoever was taken against the Doctors neither was the Kanilai and Faraba Banta reports which caused the lost of precious lives acted upon. One wonders why a special and swift attention was drawn to the staff of the SSHFC. Was this purely political Sir as many are saying? Remember, we are the ones that voted for this change and indeed voted you into power and dispensing what is just is what is required of you to us the citizens.
Sir, it is common knowledge that Manjang has disproportionately tarnished our image beyond repair by leveling so many unsubstantiated allegations against us a staff of this great institution. He has also reduced us to nothing by virtually labeling us as thieves and incompetent people in the eyes of the public and one would wonder how that kind of leader can work in the midst of those employees. It certainly cannot be. Also, Manjang’s unsubstantiated claim of making an operating profit of D82 million has now come down to D21 million as per the ongoing audit report and by the time the report is finalized, the figure might further go down.
In light of these gross illicit acts committed by Manjang as the MD, we are hereby expressing our total unwillingness to work under him as we lost total trust and confidence in him as our leader and in this vein, we as a staff are hereby commencing our sit down strike as of today the 14th November, 2018 and we will be hoping that you will be guided by wisdom to reconsider your stance in order to come up with a balanced and fair judgment in this case that will be in the best interest of this nation. Thank you Sir and Long Live The Republic of The Gambia.
The post GAMBIA: BREAKING NEWS: STRIKING SSHFC WORKERS TOLD PRES. BARROW THAT THEY WILL NOT RESUME WORK UNLESS MD MANJANG IS REMOVED! appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.