By: Kebba Ansu Manneh
Some employees at the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), who wish to remain anonymous to avoid potential repercussions from management, have requested the Gambia Government’s intervention to address various issues, including alleged injustices faced by staff at the Banjul International Airport.
The concerned employees claim that the GCAA’s Management and Board of Directors (BoD) have not fulfilled their duties with proper diligence and adherence to ethical standards.
They assert that there have been failures in areas such as staff promotions, loan distributions, and adherence to the government-imposed travel restrictions for civil servants, particularly regarding the Managing Director’s frequent travels.
“The Office of the Ombudsman recently completed an investigation in response to complaints from two junior officers. This investigation strongly criticized the GCAA management and board, who have not implemented the recommendations provided by the Ombudsman,” one concerned staff member revealed to TAT.
He added, “These two junior officers exhausted all internal channels to voice their concerns before approaching the Office of the Ombudsman for resolution. The reasons behind the Director General (DG) Fansu Bojang’s actions, his management team (if he consults them), and the board’s stance appear to be a lack of commitment to ensuring justice and fairness within the GCAA.”
According to the concerned staff members, there has been a disregard for the established rules and regulations of the GCAA. They claim that the Managing Director and Board of Directors have opted to promote and appoint individuals who are subservient to them, irrespective of their records and qualifications. He highlighted that Alasana Abdoulie Sonko, the current staff representative on the board, has been promoted to manager, while his junior, Lamin Fadera, holds a master’s degree and has not been considered for promotion.
The staff member further alleged that Alasana Abdoulie Sonko, who holds a diploma, was sent to study a degree program at a prestigious university in the UK but has yet to return with any documents confirming his success. Meanwhile, Lamin Fadera, despite being more qualified, has been overlooked for promotion.
GCAA staff members have raised concerns regarding the management and Board of Directors’ handling of employee loan disbursements. According to some staff, there have been instances where the established guidelines for loan disbursement were not followed. Specifically, they claim that loans intended to be serviced over five years have been granted to employees on the verge of retirement or already retired.
A source with knowledge of the issues said this year, the highest amount of loans was disbursed at GCAA, with some soon-to-be-retired employees receiving loans. Others with long service records have been denied the same opportunity.
Allegations were made that the Director General, in coordination with the Board of Directors, approved loans for certain officers, including the Company Secretary and Internal Audit Manager, while other senior staff members, such as the Human Resources and Administration Officer, were included. The affected staff members, seeking redress, protested and filed formal complaints to the Director General and the GCAA Board of Directors.
According to TAT Investigations, these issues underscore the growing discontent among employees and their call for government intervention to ensure fairness and accountability within the GCAA.
The staff raised concerns regarding the disbursement of the D300,000 50/50 loans at the GCAA. These loans are meant for Grade D-level staff and will be repaid over five years.
They claim these loans have been given to individuals who are either retired or nearing retirement rather than those qualified to benefit from them. They mentioned that Sarjo Sonko, Alasana, Ansumana Marong, Abdoulie Sonko, and Alasana Bah, who are either retired or about to retire, received these loans. Meanwhile, other employees like Lamin Dibba, Sulayman Jammeh, and Yorro Jallow, who had already benefited from the loan program in 2017/18, were given loans again.
The group argues that this has resulted in employees like Sharon Davies and several others, who have never received any loan from GCAA, being denied the opportunity.
An insider has raised concerns regarding the Managing Director’s frequent travels. The insider told TAT that the MD of the GCAA travels more frequently than any other Gambian government civil servant despite the government’s travel embargo on civil servants.
According to the insider, the GCAA Board of Directors has yet to take steps to limit the MD’s frequent travel abroad, which the Civil Aviation Authority often funds.
The insider pointed out that the MD’s travels, sometimes accompanied by his minister, are perceived to be excessive.
” While some of the trips are related to GCAA business, many are believed to be for personal reasons,” a source told TAT, challenging the MD to disclose the funding sources for his trips, alleging that although GCAA partners cover some travel expenses, the MD still collects funds from the Authority for these travels.
Further concerns were raised about the corporate governance within GCAA, with the insider mentioning that some employees have chosen to distance themselves from the DG’s leadership style to avoid potential conflicts. They called for a “reset button” to improve governance and ensure that the Authority operates in The Gambia’s and its people’s best interest.
The concerned staff at the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) have called for a government investigation into the conduct of the Managing Director, Fanso Bojang, and the Board of Directors, citing ongoing issues that impact staff welfare.
Attempts to reach Managing Director Bojang for comment were unsuccessful, as he is reportedly out of town. Similarly, inquiries made to Lamin Bojang, Chairman of the Board of Directors, have not received a response.
TAT intends to publish any forthcoming responses from the Managing Director and the Chairman regarding these allegations in the interest of transparency and public awareness.
