Latest update November 17th, 2024 1:00 AM
Latest News
- Guyana received US$5.4B in royalty, profits from 500M barrels pumped to date
- Final audit report of Exxon’s US$7.3B expenses sent to company, to be made public next week – Minister Bharrat
- Israeli air raid on Gaza City school turned shelter kills 10 people
- Baby dies, toddler severely burnt in Sophia fire
- Venezuelan- orchestrated cyber operations targeting Guyana – National Defence Institute
UG terminates Freddie Kissoon’s contract
Frederick Kissoon, who served as a University of Guyana lecturer for 26 years, yesterday had his
Frederick Kissoon
University of Guyana contract terminated with immediate effect. Kissoon claims that he has been barred from any further employment there.
Kissoon, 61, said that he was informed of the termination of his contract by the Dean of the Social Science Faculty, O’Neil Grace. He received a letter to this effect later in the day. The letter, signed by Acting Registrar Theodosius Velloza, informed Kissoon that he, Kissoon, would be paid “subject to satisfactory completion of last pay certificate.” He said he does not know what that means.
Kissoon said that he was informed that the decision was taken at a meeting of the University Council last Wednesday. Kissoon sits on the University Council as a representative of the University workers, but he said that he did not know a meeting was called.
Kissoon told Kaieteur News that those who pushed for the decision were Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira; Parliamentarians for the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic Bibi Shadick and Indra Chandarpal; Pro-Chancellor and Head of the President’s Public Information Office Dr Prem Misir, and Finance Secretary Neermal Rekha.
Four members of the university council, including Vice Chancellor Lawrence Carrington, were not in favour of the decision, Kissoon stated.
A senior source however said that there was no vote, therefore the question of a case of stated disagreements did not arise.
Kissoon was on a three-year contract with the University. That contract expires in August 2012.
Some of the Council’s members reportedly argued for Kissoon to stay on until his contract expires in August. He said the decision to terminate his contract immediately reflects the “barefacedness” of the government members of the council.
Kissoon has since contacted his lawyers for their advice, given that he held a binding contract.
The lecturer believes that the termination of his contract has to do with the fact that he has been a fierce critic of the government and has had to suffer as a result.
However, one of the persons at the meeting said that the contract had specific clauses for termination. Once Kissoon received a letter the clause would have been specific.
One of the persons who attended the meeting said that one stipulated condition was that Kissoon boost his academic profile. For his part, Kissoon said that he always did research, but the University Council member said that nothing ever came of Kissoon’s research.
The staff said that in keeping with the contract, Kissoon was given three months’ notice of termination. The University also took pains to ensure that the termination did not come in the midst of the semester.
Kissoon said that in a new era where for the first time in Guyana’s history the government no longer has control of the Parliament, the opposition must prove that they can act against not only this issue, but other cases of authoritarian-styled governance.
Kissoon said that the government seems to have an obsession with him and this was demonstrated in several instances such as when feces was thrown on him, when the trench in front of him was left out of a cleaning exercise, and when he was jailed for a minor traffic offence that a jail sentence is not attached to.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The PPP is in the grip of the bourgeoisie
…Peeping Tom Kaieteur news- The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) stands at a crossroads. Once the vanguard... more
Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – There is an alarming surge in gun-related violence, particularly among younger... more
Weekend Cartoon
