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NCN sacks Berbice head as shakeup continues
By Leonard Gildarie
Head of the Berbice operations of the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN), Faizal Jafarally, yesterday had his services terminated with immediate effect, as the shakeup in that entity continues under the new Government.
Dismissed: Faizal Jafarally
Officials, including Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Molly Hassan, and Mark Archer, Communications Director in the Ministry of the Presidency, along with auditors, were yesterday in New Amsterdam, Berbice, meeting with staffers.
Jafarally, the Station Coordinator, confirmed that he has been sent packing.
He had been with the entity since 2003 and was a candidate for the former ruling party, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, for the May 11th elections.
He also was a Member of Parliament during the 10th Parliament for the PPP/C and had been a main face in the lead-up to the elections.
Jafarally said that he was summoned to a meeting yesterday with the CEO where he was told that NCN was being restructured.
“I was told that there was no place for me and I should resign or be dismissed. I informed them that I had done nothing wrong and will not resign. So they exercised that option of dismissal.”
Jafarally said he did not receive any warning letters nor was he told he was underperforming.
However, Hassan made it clear there were no options. “Their services were terminated full stop.”
She said that NCN was not satisfied with the performance of Jafarally during his probationary period.
Jafarally was appointed as Coordinator of the Berbice operations last year.
According to Hassan, the Berbice operations have not been profitable for a long time.
“We have a clear mandate from Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo to make NCN a sustainable entity. We must therefore have the skills available…competent personnel.”
Jafarally’s termination would come one day after two editors from the Georgetown headquarters, were handed letters sending them home following an internal investigation into what management deemed as a misappropriation of funds.
The incident was one which occurred during the elections campaign and it is suspected that the editors produced fake receipts for hotel accommodation.
Those fired are Senior Editor, Edward Layne and Radio Editor, Adele Rampersaud.
Kaieteur News was informed that NCN management became suspicious of some receipts that were presented for accommodation in Bartica for the news team that covered a PPP/C rally. Once the investigation started, the company’s auditors travelled to Bartica and made checks at the hotel.
Kaieteur News understands that a hotel staffer “revealed” that Layne only paid for two double-bed rooms, but requested receipts for eight single rooms.
The coalition Government which won a close race in the May 11th General and Regional Elections has vowed to clean up NCN, the Government Information Agency (GINA) and the Guyana Chronicle- all state-owned- after claiming that there was widespread abuse of resources and mismanagement at those entities.
Already, the Head of GINA, Neaz Subhan, has resigned.
A special audit report following a fraud a few years ago, saw NCN”s former CEO, Mohamed “Fuzzy” Sattaur, resigning and Programme Director, Martin Goolsarran, being suspended.
The report had recommended widespread changes. The David Granger administration has vowed to make state institutions more professional, removing political influence in sweeping reforms.
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