Two permanent secretaries and a former government minister, now functioning as a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who were active on the campaign trail for the PPP/C, have been sent home by their respective superiors.
Collin Croal and Nigel Dharamlall, who were permanent secretaries in the ministries of local government and Amerindian affairs respectively, had both resigned from their positions when they became candidates for the PPP/C.
Speaking to Stabroek News, Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan said Croal was asked to proceed on accumulated leave last week but subsequently resigned from his position. He would have attempted to withdraw the resignation he had issued when he joined the campaign trail after the May 11 polls and then president Donald Ramotar would have allowed him back on the job.
In the case of Dharamlall, Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs Sydney Allicock told this newspaper that he had sent him a letter last Thursday indicating that since he had resigned his position he remained off the job. Allicock explained that the former permanent secretary would have attempted to have his resignation rescinded on May 15 and Ramotar would have purportedly allowed him back on the job but he pointed out that by then there would have been a new government. He said that on advice and based on President David Granger’s declaration that those who resigned to join the campaign trail should remain resigned, he basically sent Dharamlall a letter to that effect. He said the permanent secretary was also not on the payroll for May month.
Minister Bulkan also confirmed that former minister of education and CEO of the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) Shaik Baksh was sent on accumulated leave by Chairman of the corporation’s board Ramesh Dookoo. While he said Dookoo had “valid consideration” to take this action, Bulkan said he would not want to elaborate.
The PPP/C in a recent release condemned the sending home of the permanent secretaries and others saying it was tantamount to “political and racial witch-hunting.” But Bulkan said the new administration is trying to correct lawless executive action by the former government. He pointed out that persons were placed all around the country for political purposes and the action by the coalition government must be seen in this light adding that “these are not extraneous considerations.”
Stabroek News understands that in addition to the three a number of persons were also sent home from the Ministry of the Presidency. These persons, who were on the payroll of the National Communica-tion Network (NCN), were said to be a part of what was called the “rapid response unit.” What this unit did was basically monitor and respond to internet and other social media comments criticizing the past administration. Sources also said an investigation is being done into how the Government Information Agency (GINA) could owe the Guyana Chronicle some $70 million in advertisement fees. The PPP/C also owes the newspaper $10 million for political advertisements.
Meantime, Minister of Tourism Cathy Hughes in a press release yesterday said that her ministry has not targeted any staff member and in keeping with expressed position of the new government will deal with all staff members in professional and legal manner. The release explained that a vehicle which was being driven by a driver assigned to former minister Irfaan Ali was scheduled for major repairs and is currently in the workshop. The repairs will take two weeks and Permanent Secretary Derrick Cummings confirmed that a decision was taken to ask the driver to proceed on leave for the period, an action that does not compromise his employment, and was not taken on the basis of the employee’s ethnicity.
Meanwhile, the PPP/C said in a release on Saturday that the constitution guarantees every citizen protection against any form of discrimination, more particularly, discrimination on the ground of race and political affiliation.
“We are aware that these persons have family to maintain and some of them have loans to pay. Not only is their livelihood in jeopardy but some may lose their homes. We wish to assure the victims of this political and ethnic onslaught, that we will do everything within our power to ensure that justice is meted out to them,” the release said.
