By Landing Ceesay
The Staff Welfare Association of the University of Applied Science, Engineering, and Technology (USET) held a press conference on Wednesday, accusing the university’s management of owing them D1,766,836.00 in unpaid arrears.
In July 2019, President Adama Barrow’s cabinet approved a proposal from the Ministry of Higher Education to transform the Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) into USET. The goal of this transformation was to address the skills gap in the Gambian workforce by expanding technical education opportunities.
However, USET staff have expressed growing dissatisfaction with their working conditions, citing several irregularities in the institution’s operations. Since September 30, 2024, staff members have been on a sit-down strike over these unresolved issues.
According to the staff, USET management owes them D262,800.00 in monthly contributions and an additional D1,432,036.00 through their Credit Union. Moreover, they claim management has failed to pay their performance allowances for the past six months, totaling D72,000.00. These sums amount to a total of D1,766,836.00 in arrears.
At the press conference, Mr. Samuel Mendy, Public Relations Officer for the Staff Welfare Association, highlighted these financial grievances. He noted that, despite deductions for monthly contributions and income tax, the money has not been allocated for its intended purposes.
“I will precisely hit the nail on the head by presenting the distressful and painful financial issues that linger on silently within this institution. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, these financial liabilities have trapped USET staff, especially the subordinates, in shackles of impoverishment, financial oppression and stagnation, as well as social disempowerment. The main financial issues causing disgruntlement are: Failure of settling arrears of the Staff Welfare monthly Contributions and discontinuing depositing this fund to our Staff Welfare account despite its deductions. This lapse started in March 2023, up till date. This money amounts to D262.800.00
“Another major issue is the incomplete payment of arrears owed to our Credit Union and the default in depositing the monthly deductions to the members of the Credit Union even though the deductions are continuing. Precisely, the USET owed the Credit Union an amount of D1, 432,036. This situation has rendered our GTTI Credit Union insolvent, making it virtually impossible for members to withdraw their own savings. In addition, another financial discrepancy is defaulting in paying staff income tax to the Gambia Revenue Authority. Our payslips indicate deductions, but it has been discovered that USET has not been paying the staff income tax since August 2023. It’s affecting the motorist and thereby causing harassment to our staff from the police as well as denying government revenue for development,” Mr. Mendy told the media.
Mr. Mendy also claimed that pension contributions have not been paid to the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation since September 2023. Furthermore, he highlighted discrimination in salary increments, with only a select few benefiting from the new USET pay scale, while the majority of staff continue to operate under the outdated GTTI scale.
“The contracted lecturers in the Ordinary National Diploma- Construction have not been paid up till the completion of the Semester. It is now six months from the commencement to completion of the program, yet no payment has been made to these lecturers. The money owed to these lecturers for the four months semester program sums up to D72, 000.00. Additionally, teaching staff have not been paid their performance allowance for the past six months.
“Again, the staff gratuity saving at the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation has not been paid from September 2023 up till this last month of September 2024. This, ladies and gentlemen, is worrisome because staff expect this pension money upon retirement. The segregation of setting up a new USET paying scale for a selected few staff whilst majority of staff wallows in the outdated former GTTI pay scale is too painful to staff. It proves the lack of concern, commitment to motivate staff, and condescending attitude of the USET Leadership. Monthly delay in the payment of salaries, this is becoming a norm in the institution,” he said.
Mr. Mendy disclosed that while the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology (MoHERST) has engaged them in dialogue, none of the promises made during these meetings have been fulfilled.
He also mentioned other financial discrepancies, including the refusal to pay in-country training allowances, which the Personnel Management Office has set at D4,000.00 per day for week-long training sessions. At USET, staff are only paid D500 per day and, in some cases, receive no payment at all.
“It may interest the public that we have made several strides to have these anomalies settled through dialogues with the Ministry of Higher Education on a number of occasions and separately with the USET Leadership, but nothing impressive has been achieved. On the 26th of July, 2024 MOHERST invited the SWA-USET Executives to a meeting over the SWA-USET decision to suspend Semester exams if financial issues are not settled. At this meeting, SWA-USET updated the ministry about the financial liabilities in the institute.
“On the 28th July, 2024, MOHERST invited SWA-USET together with the USET Leadership and the USET Governing Council to discuss the issues causing disgruntlement to staff. In this meeting, the USET Leadership acknowledges authenticity of the allegations made by SWA-USET Executives. Solutions were discussed, directives were given and paying modalities and promises were given but to our dismay, these promises were not honored. And to make matters worse, the USET Leadership failed to either communicate to the staff or the SWA-USET Executives by writing or dialogue, the reasons for failing to settle the debts as promised,” he said.Mr. Mendy mentioned that on September 8, 2024, the Ministry once again called them for a meeting. During this session, the Honorable Minister of MOHERST requested them to identify potential causes of a financial crisis within the institution and submit a position paper on the matter. He confirmed that this task was completed, and a detailed list of possible causes for the financial crisis was submitted to the Ministry in the form of a position paper.
He further explained that on September 26, 2024, after they had issued their ultimatum letter, the Permanent Secretary of MOHERST invited them for a discussion. During this meeting, the Permanent Secretary asked about their concerns, and they provided him with an update.
“We made it clear to the PS and his team that we would use every necessary avenue to make our voices heard. Ladies and gentlemen, media personalities and the USET staff, as well as the entire Gambian populace, these are the basis for this press conference,” he said.
Mr. Mendy emphasized that the ongoing financial crisis is not the result of any embezzlement. Instead, it stems from several key factors: the non-payment of MoHERST scholarship students, the non-payment of MoBSE HTC-sponsored students, delayed or non-payment for pre-financed activities under MoHERST, and the expansion of USET satellite campuses, among others.
The transformation of GTTI into a university represented a significant milestone for TVET education, providing opportunities for Gambians and non-Gambians alike to pursue bachelor’s degrees in Civil, Electrical, Electronic, and Mechanical Engineering. However, nearly four years after this transformation, USET is now facing a crisis. Staff members are striking due to four months of unpaid performance allowances, outstanding income taxes owed to the Gambia Revenue Authority, and unpaid contributions to Social Security, among other pressing concerns.