More than a score of jubilant staff at the Corinthia Atlantic Atlantic Hotel have welcomed a persona non grata declared on disgraced Sylvian Chauvet, a Frenchman, who was the general manager of the hotel.

Our reporter who was at the hotel last week Thursday afternoon shortly before the departure of Mr Chauvet, observed that staff booed and humiliated the embattled Frenchman as he drove out of the hotel to the airport. “They were holding placards some of which which read: Monkey Go Home!”, our reporter explained.

They accused Mr Chauvet of “barbaric” treatment of staff at the hotel and praised the government for the timely intervention.

Some of the staff who spoke to the Daily Observer on condition of anonymity, said Mr Chauvet was the most “unreasonable and heartless” manager in the history of the hotel.

According to Kebba Demba, a senior butler who has been working at the hotel for  32 years, he has never met a “wicked manager” like Mr Chauvet. Mr Demba told the Daily Observer that the first thing the French did since he took charge of the hotel was the sacking of most experienced and dedicated permanent staff of 60 and 150 seasonal staff. He said this harsh action was followed with numerous suspension of staff, whom he accused of theft.  

Salifu Jammeh, a driver who has been working at the hotel for at least 24 years, said he was humiliated and demoted to a porter, after he had refused to be the ex-manager’s informant. He said Mr Chauvet used to subject them to routine threats and abuses. He said the Frenchman also deprived them their right to perform religious prayers.
 
Sulayman Jawo, a restaurant manager, thanked President Jammeh and his government for relieving them of the cruelty and mistreatment in the iron hands of the ex-manager. Mr Jawo alleged that the axed GM has no regard for the authorities and they have lodged several complains at the office of the Ombudsman, the Labour Union, Tourism Development Area (TDA), th Department of State for Tourism and Culture, Gambia Worker’s Confederation and the National Assembly. He said all these efforts proved nothing until when they wrote to the Office of the President, which ended the inhumanity.

The hotel staff appealed to the authorities to always investigate their complains and act fairly.

This reporter tried to get the reaction of Mr Chauvet, while leaving the hotel premises, but the Frenchman retorted: “I have no time to respond to any question as the time is running out for me to leave the country.”