The Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has sacked its staff Ebrima L. Dampha, Human Resources Officer over a personal Facebook opinion expressed on the controversial $ 20 physical cash collected from travelers using the Banjul International Airport.
In a letter seen by The Alkamba Times, indicates that “The Board of Directors of its meeting of 21st December 2021 unanimously agreed for you to be dismissed from the service of the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority with immediate effect.”
The letter adds that the sacking decision was “premised on your violation of the provisions of SSR(0713) which states that no employee should contribute to any publication of any matter that reasonably can be regarded as relating to the functions and activities of the Authority.”
Reacting to his dismissal news, Ebrima L. Dampha on his personal Facebook handle wrote: “Yes, I am dismissed because of a Facebook post which unveiled perpetual wrongdoing. Understanding the unfortunate realities in our public sector, I am not surprised about this dismissal at all.”
He expressed that as a Gambian and user of the Banjul Airport he reserves the right to call out any form of wrongdoing orchestrated by any leadership including GCAA. He also frowns upon the ‘physical collection’ of cash from embarking and disembarking passengers on the pretext of ‘security fee’, arguing that such charges are levied on the passenger air ticket.
He accused the Director-General of GCAA Fansu Bojang of spearheading his service termination, saying that he presented a Board paper to the Board of Directors in the absence of ex-officio members and subsequently manipulated the process and eventually got them to agree to trigger his dismissal.
