Fact-Check Story
On Tuesday 23rd January, a Facebook post from the Capital Times Newspaper reads “Heartbreaking for Airport Workers (staff) as they received termination”
Fact-Checkers Comments
Airports Authority Staff terminated but all will be incorporated by Summa Group of Companies for one year pending appraisal. “The former Staff of the Sierra Leone Airports will be transferred to Summa Group and all their benefits will fully be paid,” said Transport Minister, Kabineh Kallon
By Tamba Tengbeh
On Tuesday 23rd January a Facebook post from the Capital Times Newspaper reads “ Heart-breaking for Airport Workers (staff) as they received termination ,”
Journalist Sheku Putka wrote “ Earlier, there have been certain letters of terminations from some staff of SLAA, with a proposition that they’d be unemployed. The transport minister however said that for former SLAA staff to continue to work for Summa after one year of transfer, they should be able to leave up to expectations and match the group’s aspirations.”
The Minister of Transport and Aviation ,Kabineh Kallon told workers that no staff will lose his or her job at the airport, because of Summa taking over the airport management.
“ The former Staff of the Sierra Leone Airports will be transferred to Summa Group and all their benefits will fully be paid , “Minister Kallon noted.
During the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Cooperation (SLBC) ‘Morning Coffee ‘ program on , General Manager of the Sierra Leone Airports Authority (SLAA) Jack Massaquoi said that the news making rounds on social media that the authority has terminated the contracts of their staff ,is misrepresentation of the facts .
“ The company will employ most of the staff at Airport , since part of the agreement is to transfer knowledge and skills to the staff for effective service delivery. The Airports Authority is going to work with the Summa Group of companies to enhance a swift transition,” he added.
The Sierra Leone Airports Authority was established by an Act of Parliament in 1998 to operate and manage the Freetown International Airport and Hastings Airfield, with the broad mandate “to provide a safe, secure, and user-friendly Airport system; operate a sustainable Airport with minimal impairment to the environment; maintain Airport facilities to international standards by utilizing optimum human and material resources; and provide services to the community.