By Mariama Marong
The Staff Association of the University of The Gambia (UTG) on Wednesday, September 26, 2024, held its ordinary congress at the UTG’s administrative building in Kanifing, to discuss pertinent issues affecting the membership of the association.
The Staff Association which was formed in 2016, derives its mandate from the University Act and has more than six hundred members.
The President of the Staff Association, Dr. Ensa Touray, highlighted that it is a legally registered body mandated to protect and promote its members’ welfare and to also look after their security.
According to Dr. Touray, the Association is an instrument to pursue the welfare of its members.
“We want a well-structured University, but the problem between us and the University management is all about structuring the institute to which they are not forthcoming,” he said.
He said the UTG management has made a 90% increment in their housing allowance and making a mere increment of 25% for lecturers, even those with PHDs. This he said is unjust.
“How can a University management increase their housing allowance to 90% and give lecturers a mere 25% increment for housing? This is totally unexpected of the University Management,” Dr Touray said.
He said the staff association has been very instrumental in shaping the University and helping the management acquire their unpaid debts of over 100 million Dalasi from the Government on students’ sponsorships through the Ministry of Higher Education.
According to Dr. Touray, they are not enemies of the University management but want the best for the welfare and security of their members.
“We were informed that Vice Chancellor Robinson failed to recognize the staff association because he was told not to deal with us. This is unfair,” Dr. Touray said.
He said they have all the rights to hold the management of the UTG accountable because they produce knowledge and shape the lives of future generations to make critical decisions.
Also speaking at the congress was Yerro Njie, Secretary General of the Staff Association who said that the congress is a constitutional requirement for the association. He said the UTG’s disciplinary committee acted against two members of staff discriminatorily and unjustly.
“There is a non-Gambian lecturer who stole students’ assignments and made a publication out of it. This is unethical and we reported the matter to the Vice Chancellor who failed to respond to the issue and did not discipline him. But because these two individuals are very critical and admired by all, they set up a committee against them. We will fight against any matter relating to this issue in the court when the committee’s report is released and we notice abnormalities because we cannot allow our members to be violated for nothing,’’ Njie said.
He said they do not even need recognition from the Vice Chancellor because as members of the association, they are contributing and influencing the UTG with lots of positive changes.
