By Mariam Williams
Thirty-two staff of the Food Safety and Quality Authority (FSQA) have petitioned their Director General, Madam Zainab Jallow, over allegations of “corruption, nepotism, and abuse of office.”
A food safety inspector told a press conference on Wednesday they are not demanding for better pay, instead, they are worried about the “bad leadership” practices at the Authority.
“Our petition was not to ask for any salary increments, promotions or any other benefits. As staff of the FSQA, we are concerned about the bad leadership of the current director general and thus wish to bring forward the constant difficulties we face working under an extreme toxic work environment,” Alhagie Sowe, Food Inspector at FSQA, said on January 15 at the FSQA head office in Kotu.
Sowe said they are motivated by the “reluctance” of the board of directors of FSQA to communicate and address the situation at hand and the “series of letters of threats” received from the director general.
Sowe also accused the FSQA director of frustrating and pushing out staff who complain against his leadership style.
“A simple complaint against her ‘bad leadership and mismanagement’ means you are a ‘bad employee’, hence you are sidelined, frustrated and force to resign. Or she waits for you to commit an error to be fired,” he said.
He said the authority hardly conduct staff meetings because the director general does not accept an exchange of ideas or suggestions from others.
He said the last staff meeting was held on 3rd June, 2019, and that a lack of collaboration with stakeholders means the Authority only operates in point of entries, while provincial Gambia is isolated due to lack of offices and food safety officers.
“She claims lack of funds but she travels frequently, even when some trips are meant for junior staff, only to collect per diem. In some cases, she travels nothing less than twice a month,” Sowe alleges. “FSQA is run like a family business. The director only appoints her own people to key posts so that she would have the chance to continue the mismanagement of the institution.”
The staff of FSQA first petitioned their director general on 7th October, 2019 through the Office of the Vice President.
“Unfortunately, the whole issue has been frustrated,” Saidina Alieu Jarju, Admin and Human Resources Officer at FSQA, said. From a total staff of 53 staff, 32 have signed the petition, Jarju said.
The FSQA staff also accused the director general of “mismanaging 400 thousand dalasi”, and that the staff does not have laptops or computers in order to do their work effectively.
Mansa Banko Online will contact Madam Zainab Jallow, Director General of the Food Safety and Quality Authority (FSQA) over the allegations of “corruption, nepotism, and abuse of office.”
