Three staffs of the Gola Forest programme have been dismissed, nineteen others have been suspended for one month without pay and thirteen staffs were given final written warning.
Briefing the press at the Gola Forest office along Dama road in Kenema city on Monday afternoon 14th September 2009. The Director of Agriculture Forestry and Food Security (MAFFS) Sheku Mansaray revealed that the partners of the Gola Forest Programme, namely the Forestry Division (FD) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food
Security, Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) are fully committed to the successful implementation of the Gola Forest Programme.
The Director further stated that on the 3rd August 2009 the staffs went on illegal strike action and on the 20th August 2009 the Gola Forest Partners delivered a statement to the Gola programme staff that all Junior and International staff will be suspended for three weeks but retained on full pay to allow for an internal assessment and review of the current strike situation.
He says a six man committee was set up including civil society representative, Amnesty International representative, Forestry Division representative, Senior lecturer at the Eastern Polytechnic, and a representative from Gold Sierra Leone among others.
He disclosed that the assessment and review has been completed and the Gola
Partners have consulted a wide range of stakeholders. He says the investigation committee revealed that all allegations related to appointments, promotions and demotions are without basis and are rejected. All appointments, promotions and demotions of project staff are guided by policies set by the Gola Partners and are implemented by the Gola Management. Such issues are not the concern of Junior or intermediate staff.
All allegations of racism and dictatorial behaviour of the project leader and allegations against other senior staff, are entirely unfounded and are rejected. The Gola partners, having analysed and consulted widely on the Gola Programme salary and allowance structure, have found that they are competitive with the structures at this time. Should additional funding become available the situation may be reviewed. The project
does have provision for an annual increment. However, any increment will be based on individual staff performance.
All staff contracts will become annual contracts with immediate effect are renewable on 31st March each year. Staffs are required to have their status as a local community member endorsed by their paramount chiefs in order to validate their contracts. The project functions within the laws and statutes of Sierra Leone and within the policies and procedures of the Gola Partners and donor.
The Gola Programme is a long term commitment to the Gola National Park and to staff careers. End of Service benefits are therefore not envisaged. However, should any staff contracts be ended, the laws of Sierra Leone with regards to end of service benefits will apply.
A grievance committee comprising management and two staff representatives will be established to facilitate staff access to the grievance process.
The suspension of nineteen staffs without pay for a period of one month takes effect from 14th September 2009. Three of the staffs who were dismissed, were to receive their dismissal letters from the Director of Forestry in Freetown.
Director Mansaray called on all Sierra Leoneans to take the project as theirs and to use the money that will benefit the people of the nation there by attracting further funding that will please the two heads of states.
By Saffa Moriba in Kenema
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