By Buba Gagigo
In a fervent plea for compensation, 280 drivers employed during the recent OIC summit in the Gambia rallied at the OIC conference center in Bijilo on Wednesday, demanding remuneration for their services.
According to Samba Sowe, president of the drivers, the group had been anticipating compensation on the last day of their contract. However, their hopes were dashed when they were met with disappointment instead. Despite facing numerous challenges throughout their tenure, including some drivers not being provided with vehicles despite being trained, they had persevered in their duties for the nation’s sake.
“We were the OIC drivers during the summit, and today is the last day as far as our contract is concerned. They called us here with the hope we would get our money today, but instead, we got very disappointed. We carried out our duties very well but since we started the job we experienced a lot of challenges, but we continued because we were doing it for our country. I can tell you even the drivers who were trained, some (More than 100 drivers) were not given vehicles, they brought their own people and gave them vehicles,” Samba Sowe, the president of the drivers told Kerr Fatou.
Mr. Sowe alleged a lack of transparency regarding their compensation, citing a lack of clarity on the amount each driver would receive. Furthermore, they disclosed that during their training, they were only provided with a nominal daily stipend.
“All that happened, but we didn’t complain. Now the summit has ended, they should give us our money. And I can tell you we have been following them to know the amount they will pay us since at the beginning, but they refused to tell us. We don’t even know how much they are going to give us each. Even during our three days of training, they only gave us D500 per day,” he said.
Sowe also said that a meeting with OIC officials did little to assuage their concerns, with only a fraction of the drivers given the opportunity to voice their grievances. Additionally, claims arose that even OIC staff, such as Mr. Kalifa Ceesay, had not been compensated.
“We just finished having a meeting with them, but we are not happy with the way it was conducted. Only three of us (Drivers) spoke, and they told four of us will speak. Myself, the president, didn’t speak during the meeting. When we further engaged them, one Mr Kalifa Ceesay told us that he himself was not paid. He asked us to go to the CEO and we cannot access him. We don’t even know what’s next because they told us to home until further notice. It is completely not fair because I spent four days outside without seeing my family, and there was a day that I slept inside my car in Bakau and this happened to almost all the drivers here. We are 280 drivers altogether, but they added some drivers (11 drivers),” he said.
Abou Njie, echoing the sentiments of his colleagues, articulated the disappointment felt by the drivers, emphasizing the financial strain caused by the delay in payment, especially for those who had borrowed money.
“We are very disappointed because we have carried out our duties and today is the last day and by tomorrow all of us should report back to our departments. We were expecting to receive our salary today as today is the last day, but they didn’t tell us anything apart from ‘Albaraka’. We are very disappointed because all of us fulfilled our duties, but they were paid and we are not. They also paid the drivers they brought through the Back-way, I didn’t know why they didn’t pay us. Some of us here borrowed money, and we need to pay it back. If they are telling us to go home without a reason, it simply means they are not ready to pay us.”
Pa Lamin Sanneh emphasized the drivers’ discontent, asserting that they had not assembled for prayers but for their rightful compensation. He underscored the sacrifices made by drivers who had traveled long distances and left behind families, only to be met with empty promises.
“We are not here to receive prayers because prayers go with something. If they gave us a promise to work for them, after the work they should give us something. Some of us come from a long distance, how will that person go home empty-handed? Especially with someone who left a family at home. We came and received prayers instead of the money we came to receive. We are not here for prayers.”