Hon Sheriff Abba Sanyang, the NAM for Foni Kansala, has denounced the laxity at the Gambia International Airline (GIA), under the management of GS Aviation. Honourable Sanyang described the unbearable loss of D84 million in a year as disgraceful.

The Foni Kansala NAM made these remarks, on Tuesday, during the adjournment debate of the National Assembly. According to him, the country must not accept such losses anymore. He suggested that the government engage GS Aviation on the management contract, signed last year. He said the contract between the government and GS Aviation aims at making the institution more vibrant. But he expressed shock that the GS Aviation only yielded poor results to the surprise of the Gambian people.

"I believe if we are all urged to find out the salary of this white manager of GIA, it will be unbearable, because the amount he is paid is more than that of any civil servant in this country," he stated.

"They invested nothing in the country after one year," Hon Sanyang charged, expressing a need for urgent action, as there are so many untold stories.

The Foni Kansala NAM noted that he was part of the Public Accounts Committee that looked into the accounts of GIA last year, which indicated huge profits. He suggested that even if they were making D1,000 profit monthly, it would have been better than having people come up with their own system to the detriment of the country.

"Because he is a white man, we believed he can do a better job than Gambians. But that's for the GIA. We are coming to Gamtel/Gamcel and a lot more," he stated.

Hon Sanyang noted that unless and until Gambians desist from believing in white men as a saviours and believe in themselves, "we cannot make progress". He concluded that the reviewing of the contract should not end there, but the authorities should mount an investigation into the matter.

On Monday, Lamin Bojang, the secretary of state for Works, Construction and Infrastructure, disclosed that the GS Aviation had not yielded the expected result. He told the National Assembly that the aviation company has not made any investment in GIA, during the first year of its management, which according to him, is contrary to the terms agreed upon.

SoS Bojang was responding to a question posed to him by the NAM for Foni Kansala, Hon Sheriff Abba Sanyang, about the state of affairs at the GIA.

According to the Works, Construction and Infrastructure SoS, during the period 1st June, 2007 to 30th April, 2008, GIA registered a turnover of D157 million, while total operating expenses amounted to D241 million.

"This is, therefore, a pre-tax loss of D84 million for the period under review, of which D66 million was incurred as a result of the 2007 to 2008 operation," he told the National Assembly.

SoS revealed that the GIA contracted and paid for 600 block hours from the Euro Atlantic Airways, when it needed only 210 block hours. He added that the company could not find a buyer for the remaining 390 block hours.

Given this very poor performance under the management of GS Aviation, SOS Bojang said his department is currently reviewing the contract with GS Aviation with the objective of formulating a new management to improve the performance of the enterprise.