The last time I worked with a government entity was way back in October 1992. As I recalled last week, I held the position of Editor-in-Chief at the Guyana Chronicle. I had come through the Public Service Commission.
But before that, I was recognized by the Teaching Service Commission because I was a trained teacher. I was seconded to the Public Service when I was employed by the Chronicle. I was not a political appointee.
Back then, there was lateral movement in the service so I was seconded to the Ministry of National Development. While there I became editor of the political organ of the People’s National Congress. I lasted six years in that position until I reverted to the Guyana Chronicle.
Was I a political appointee when I returned to the employ of the Chronicle? The records would not suggest that, but when the People’s Progressive Party came to power in 1992 and I was still employed with the Guyana Chronicle the party decided that I was a political appointee.
Why else would the Minister responsible for Information seek my resignation? I was stupid enough to resign with the hope that the government would keep its word and pay me my entitlements.
Ulric Captain was the General Manager at the same time. He, too, was a public service appointee. He managed to last about three years longer than me but such was the nature of the beast that many party leaders sought the help of Ulric Captain’s friends to get him to demit office.
In the end Captain did and collected $4 million in gratuity and a pension of $80,000 per month.
I remember these things because I see a mad rush by the new government to have people demit office. Many of these people might have been appointed under political circumstances but equally, many were public servants. Most of them had contracts.
I remember when David Granger came to office, he met with workers and promised to keep them in his employ regardless of their political persuasion. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs there was a pensioner named Bibi Bacchus. She is still there.
As a matter of fact she was, until recently, the Confidential Secretary to the Foreign Minister, Karen Cummings. Bacchus was an activist in the PPP; she participated in bottom house meetings hosted and featuring Bharrat Jagdeo.
This woman was privy to even Cabinet documents that passed through the Foreign Ministry and by extension the PPP had identical access.
Bacchus is still employed within the Foreign Ministry although Dr Karen Cummings has since gone home. When Bacchus’s contract expired last November, Dr Cummings caused its renewal. And it was not that Dr. Cummings was unaware of Bacchus’s political affiliation.
I am convinced that Guyana’s political situation would always lead to divisions in the society. David Granger entered office with the belief that every Guyanese in the labour market and in the public sector could not be a supporter of his party, or even his government.
This government, despite the mouthing of Irfaan Ali, is a different kettle of fish. I could understand asking the Ministers who occupied Government property to vacate. To give them 36 hours was draconian. Simona Broomes was one of those Ministers.
The PPP must have been embarrassed when it found out that Ms. Broomes did not rent a government building. In fact, she told me that the ceiling that the government paid was $240,000 per month. The tenant had to pay the difference if the rent was higher.
I smiled when I noticed that instead of four, Gail Teixeira only identified three ministers later. And it was not because of the goodness of her heart, but the comments by David Granger and those on social media that caused her to grant them a month.
Take the sacking of Dr. Richard Van West Charles. It could not be that he underperformed in his capacity as Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Water Inc. He had a contract that extends until October next year. But the PPP terminated his contract. The only reason could be that he is not a supporter of the PPP.
The PPP has terminated a number of other contracts for no other reason than these people are not PPP supporters. If this is the trend then woe betide Guyana.
Imagine serving Permanent Secretaries are inviting people to resign. It matters not whether these people are public servants. And to think that these new people have brought back crooks and scamps and have placed them in government offices.
And just over a week of Irfaan Ali’s swearing in the largest shipment of cocaine from Guyana landed in Hamburg, Germany. It was all of 1.5 tons—nearly 3,500 pounds of cocaine worth about US$350 million.
