Dear Editor,
It is with a sense of hopelessness that I write this letter to vent my frustration over the ‘Good Life’ Coalition Government’s failure to date to pay off the Regional Executive Officers (REOs) who were arbitrarily dismissed from the Public Service last year.
The last batch of REOs were fired on September 7, 2015 due to the perception that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government appointed them.
Seven months have passed and no payment is forthcoming to those dismissed REOs and every time an enquiry is made with the Ministry of Communities you are nicely told, it is with Cabinet for approval. Well, it sounds somewhat strange, that the Cabinet – council of ministers, after dismissals of these REOs, still has to approve such basic remuneration as annualized vacation leave, gratuities and vacation allowances, all being direct entitlements and not benefits. One is left to wonder if the dismissed REOs outstanding payments have to go through a forensic audit before they are finally paid.
At this juncture of hopelessness, I do hope that the Minister of Communities at his next Cabinet meeting, would kindly request of the President to have the Cabinet approval of all outstanding payments for the previous REOs since they all have families to feed, children in school, mortgages and other loans to service.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address supplied)
