By Fatou Sillah
A staff member of the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) has made allegations against the Minister of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure, Ebrima Sillah, amid ongoing tensions surrounding the proposed transfer of workers from GPA to Alport.
The aggrieved employees on Tuesday submitted a petition to port management, outlining their concerns about the arrangement and expressing dissatisfaction with how the process is being handled.
Speaking to journalists after the petition was delivered, Sanna Marong, a GPA employee and National People’s Party (NPP) youth coordinator for the North Bank Region, rejected claims attributed to the minister suggesting that the protesting workers are politically motivated or aligned with the opposition.
“We have a lot of people here who are supporting President Adama Barrow. This is our livelihood. You cannot call us the opposition because we are fighting for our rights. We are not going to accept that,” Marong stated.
He further accused both Minister Sillah and the GPA Managing Director, Jobarteh, of acting in self-interest in their handling of the matter.
“What Ebrima Sillah and Jobarteh are doing is not right. Jobarteh is working for his family, and Ebrima Sillah is working for his. If Ebrima Sillah was working and was not paid a salary or given a diplomatic passport, and he had no benefits, he would have resigned by now,” he alleged.
Marong also expressed concern that affected staff are being sidelined in the transition process and raised frustration over their working conditions, arguing that the workers’ livelihoods are at stake.
“This is where we get our livelihood, and you brought ‘Narrs’ who are not paying us a salary, and you want us to be quiet. That is not going to happen,” he said.
He further criticized what he described as a pattern of political labeling against workers who speak out, claiming that employees raising concerns are often accused of opposition affiliations.
“If you come out to fight for your rights, he will associate you with the opposition,” he added.
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