By Halal Abdallah
Staff of Alport Gambia have rallied behind Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Salih Levent Kaçar following a petition submitted by the company’s Staff Association, with employees submitting a counter-petition calling for the allegations against the CEO to be dismissed.
The counter-petition was submitted on Tuesday at Alport Gambia’s premises in Banjul and has been circulated to relevant authorities.
In the petition, signed by a number of employees, the staff rejected allegations contained in the Staff Association’s complaint against Salih, arguing that his leadership had resulted in improvements in the company’s operations.
The employees said some of the changes introduced under Salih’s leadership had faced resistance, but argued that disagreements over management decisions should not be personalised or used to pursue individual interests.
“We feel that many individuals signed the association’s petition without understanding the implications,” the employees said in their letter.
They called on management to intervene and discourage actions they believe could undermine workplace harmony and the operations of the port.
The staff further claimed that most welfare-related demands had been satisfactorily addressed under Salih’s tenure.
In their concluding appeal, the employees called for the petition against the CEO to be dismissed and urged all parties to resolve their differences through dialogue.
They stressed that the stability and operations of the port, as well as the national interest, should not be compromised by what they described as the motives of a few individuals.
“Mr. Salih is staying and going nowhere,” the employees declared.
Senior staff member Babucarr Gibba, who said he has worked at the Gambia Ports Authority for 15 years, also expressed support for the CEO, citing what he described as significant developments at the port since Salih assumed office.
Gibba highlighted the recent establishment of a foundation in Sanyang, which he said forms part of efforts to expand Alport’s operations and strengthen its position amid increasing competition from Senegal.
He expressed concern that Salih’s departure could create significant financial challenges for the port.
The dispute comes as calls grow for a resolution that would preserve stability, employee relations and the continued development of Alport Gambia.
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