There are still problems with the plan to move workers from the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) to Alport. A GPA staff member has accused Ebrima Sillah, the Minister of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure, of wrongdoing.
On Tuesday, the unhappy workers gave a petition to port management that listed their concerns about the deal and their dissatisfaction with how the process is being handled.
After the petition was delivered, Sanna Marong, a GPA employee and National People’s Party (NPP) youth coordinator for the North Bank Region, told reporters that the minister’s claims that the protesting workers are politically motivated or aligned with the opposition were not true.
“We have a lot of people here who are backing President Adama Barrow. This is how we make a living. You can’t call us the opposition because we’re fighting for our rights. Marong said, “We are not going to accept that.”
He also said that Minister Sillah and the GPA Managing Director, Jobarteh, were acting in their own best interests when they dealt with the issue.
Ebrima Sillah and Jobarteh are not doing the right thing. Jobarteh is working to support his family, and Ebrima Sillah is doing the same for his. He said, “If Ebrima Sillah was working and not getting paid or given a diplomatic passport, and he had no benefits, he would have quit by now.”
Marong also said that affected staff are being left out of the transition process and complained about their working conditions, saying that the workers’ livelihoods are at stake.
“This is how we make a living, and you brought ‘Narrs’ who aren’t paying us and want us to be quiet. He said, “That won’t happen.”
He went on to criticize what he called a pattern of political labeling against workers who speak out, saying that employees who voice their concerns are often accused of being affiliated with the opposition.
He said, “If you come out to fight for your rights, he will link you to the opposition.”
