By: Kebba Ansu Manneh
The office of the Ombudsman has called on the management of the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to immediately rescind the promotions of Ansumana Jammeh, former Senior AVSEC officer, Grade E, to the position of AVSEC Coordinator, Grade D, and Isatou Jarju, former Aviation Security (AVSEC) Guard, Grade G, to the position of Senior AVSEC officer, Grade E.
The Authority also recommends that the GCAA promote Bakary Sanneh and Kebba Y. Jammeh to the positions of Aviation Security Coordinator and Senior Security Officer, respectively, according to the GCAA service rules and scheme of service, as recommended by the Authority’s Human Resources Department.
This development follows a petition filed by Bakary Sanneh, Senior AVSEC Administration officer, Grade E, and Kebba Y. Jammeh, AVSEC Administration officer, Grade F, to the office of the Ombudsman, lodging complaints of unfair treatment regarding recent promotions effected at the GCAA.
The recommendations were contained in a letter addressed to the Director General dated 7 July 2024. The Ombudsman Office called on the management and Board of GCAA to immediately rescind the promotions of Ansumana Jammeh and Isatou Jarjue, noting that GCAA has unfairly treated and failed to approve the promotions of Bakary Sanneh and Kebba Y. Jammeh even though the duo have met all the requirements and qualifications for promotion.
The Ombudsman Office also highlighted in the letter that Ansumana Jammeh, who has been newly appointed to the position of AVSEC Coordinator, lacks the qualifications for such a post that requires a Bachelor’s degree holder, revealing that the highest qualification for Isatou Jarjue, who has also been promoted Senior AVSEC Administration officer is secondary school certificate, and that is also below the diploma holder’s requirement.
According to the report, on 29 September 2022, the Director of Airport Operations, Mr. Abdoulie Colley, canceled the recommendations for Bakary Sanneh, Kebba Y. Jammeh, and Isatou Jarju’s promotions without advancing any reason for the cancellation.
The Ombudsman Office also uncovered that the personal files of both Ansumana Jammeh and Isatou Jarju revealed that they lack the academic qualifications to be appointed to the positions of AVSEC Coordinator and Senior AVSEC Administration officer, saying their personal files have not shown acquisition of any higher or professional certificate or a satisfactory appraisal that matches the prerequisite qualifications for the position of AVSEC Coordinator and Senior AVSEC officer as outlined the Authority’s Scheme of Service (SoS).
“Apart from the on-the-job training on Aviation-related courses, Ansumana Jammeh’s personal file has not shown the level of education that he attained. Istaou Jarju’s personal file shows that her highest level of education attained is Secondary School, as seen in a testimonial from Fatima Senior Secondary School dated 18 June 1999,” Ombudsman investigations revealed.
It added: “Investigations further discovered that the Complainants had on numerous occasions sought redress to their complaints as in reference to the internal memo dated 24 October 2022. The failure of the management to respond to the complainants’ petition contravenes section 12, rule 1201 of the GCAA’s service rules.”
Therefore, the Ombudsman Office called on the GCAA management to immediately rescind the promotions of Ansumana Jammeh and Isatou Jarju while calling for the promotion of Bakary Sanneh and Kebba Y. Jammeh, who the GCAA authorities have unfairly treated.
The Alkamba Times contacted Lamin Bojang, Chairman of the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority’s Board of Directors numerous times to shed light on the development; however, he failed to comment on the matter.
