A Government Minister oversteps his bounds

Jan 18, 2009 Features / Columnists, My Column

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Toward the end of the past week something strange happened, giving rise to the belief that there is indeed a breakdown in law and order in the country. And if there was not a breakdown in law and order then there was definitely the usurpation of authority.

A Minister of Government sacked two senior public servants and sent shockwaves rippling through the Transport and Harbours Department. There were tears of sadness and frustration but most of all, there was shock.

The people are not contract employees. Minister of Works and Transport, Robeson Benn, the individual who did the sacking, said that for too long there was this rejection of basic economic practices by people high up in the Transport and Harbours administration. He claimed that there was ignoring of financial procedures and an abuse of public funds.

I was not privy to all that happened within the Transport and Harbours Department nor was I able to speak with the people whom the Minister sent home but I do know that at some point the rehabilitation of the Transport Sports Club was involved.

That sports club has been in existence for as long as I have been on this earth. I remember the building as a schoolboy attending Queen’s College in Thomas Lands. If my bones are beginning to stiffen I can only imagine the wear and tear on that building.

At one point the Guyana Fire Service brought an end to the building being used for public functions. People were actually helping the sports club by renting the building for parties to the extent that Transport Sports Club became the place to be.

It had to be repaired and repairs are not cheap these days. It might have been better to tear the old structure down and even cheaper to rebuild but the people who use the club needed something, so the next best thing would be the rehabilitation and this was what was being undertaken.

When I spoke with Minister Benn on Friday he was reluctant to go into details of his action of sending home Ivor English and Karen Bowen. He simply said that he would not comment on the matter. He then said that he would call in the auditors.

I asked him whether he suspected fraud and he said that he had no such suspicion. I then asked him about his action which I suspected was beyond his scope and he said that the matter was now in the hands of others.

I knew that there were his colleagues who were stunned by his action and who were trying their utmost to have the two people reinstated, if they ever were removed. I am not sure what is happening even as I write but I do know that the Minister was wrong.

He is reported to have said that he approved $15 million for the rehabilitation of the building but that the people spent $47 million. I have seen even more expenditure on much smaller structures and structures that the government was undertaking.

To make matters even worse, the Minister installed replacements for Ivor English and Karen Bowen. Kevin Trim is placed to head Transport and Harbours and Claudette Rogers to head Maritime Administration. I wonder whether such actions are not precipitate.

At this point I must look at the political scene. Politicians generally do not like to embarrass their colleagues so whether that colleague does something wrong is not taken into the equation. I would expect to see the two people reinstalled and I intend to speak with them in the coming days.

I also intend to speak with the decision makers because I suspect that once the Ministerial decision is allowed to stand then any Minister, on a whim, could sack a public servant. The President, with his executive power can, but I doubt that a politician can and should be allowed to.

Was there any intervention from Prime Minister Sam Hinds who is performing the duties of president? I do not care whether the officers were wrong. There are procedures. Minister Benn should have sought the intervention of the Public Service Commission. He is my friend and I suspect that he is going to be angry at my position in this article but I suppose losing a friend in the interest of what is right is no problem.

Minister Benn himself had problems with the PNC administration when he served as a public servant and at no time did a Minister take it upon him self to try to terminate the services of Minister Benn.

And we now come to Mr English and Ms Bowen. As senior public servants they had to know their right. They are not like the Customs officers who have been sent home. And in any case they have been sent on leave. They are paid their salaries.

I suppose that Mr English and Ms Bowen would be paid and if indeed they remain dismissed then there would be a lot of questions to be answered and I propose to be in the forefront seeking answers.
I insist Minister Benn overstepped his bounds and this should not be allowed to continue.

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