Stabroek News, Messrs Gordon Moseley, Thomas Singh and Gerhard Ramsaroop

Jan 31, 2012 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

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In the dissemination of information on the instant termination of my contract, the Stabroek News and Gordon Moseley zeroed in on a valuable aspect of the situation that is worth repeating. On a radio programme, Moseley said that as far as he knows the dismissal was brewing since last year and the UG community had known about it.
Stabroek News explained it in depth in its Sunday (Jan 29) editorial. It quoted from a press release from the UGWU in October last year in which the union warned about the representatives of the Government of Guyana on the Council demanding the termination of the contracts of a number of lecturers. I was among the lot. Let me return to the month of October and my column on that Council meeting. I did several pieces on the meeting one of which is titled; “I sat eight feet from Gail Teixeira.”
A special meeting was requested of the Council by the reps from the Government. The item was the termination of the contracts of a number of lecturers because the Vice-Chancellor had no right to issue contracts because only the UG Council can do so. The plot was to get at me. Those making the demand were the following; the son of Dr. Nanda Gopaul, Gancham Singh; PS of Education, Pulandar Kandhai; Gail Texieira, Bibi Shadick, Nirmal Rehka. The Vice-Chancellor was asked to terminate the contracts. He refused to do so and that was that. There was no other meeting of the Council for 2011.
On Wednesday, January 18, the Council went through the same process, only this time the University was asked not to invite me. One of my lawyers sees this as a strong point in any future court case. The rest is now history.
From October last year to January18 this year, no one from the entire community of the University wrote to the Council even a single line of complaint about me. Enter Dr. Thomas Singh, economist at UG.
He is quoted in the Stabroek News as saying that there is nothing in the statutes of UG that allows for instant dismissal. He explained to Stabroek News the stages. The lecturer is informed of the complaint then he/she requests a hearing. Singh went further to describe his role in the Evan Persaud hearing since he was a member of the inquiry into Persaud’s conduct.
Persaud was accused of sexual misconduct in his class, and other improprieties. According to Singh, the Council facilitated Persaud a hearing in keeping with the statutes and pronounced that I was entitled to the same policy. The only difference in my case is there is no complaint to answer.
To date, no one has informed me why my contract was terminated one week before classes resume. My Dean, O’Neil Greaves, informed Stabroek News that the Council said it was for not performing. Who told the Council I was not performing has to be someone from one of the outer planets of the universe or from the phantom squads. No one at UG told the Council I was not performing.
Enter Gerhard Ramsaroop. Mr Ramsaroop of the AFC leadership is a personal friend. He is a member of the tripartite talks. I have indicated to Gerhard that I look forward to him being involved in the discussion when APNU and the AFC raise my dismissal with the Government. What I also told Gerhard is that I will become annoyed if APNU and the AFC accept any explanation from the PPP monarchs that differs from the facts. Here are the facts
The contracts of four lecturers were terminated and three were allowed to have part time employment. Only one lecturer was fired with specific instruction to UG administrators not to employ me in any capacity at UG. Eleven persons were present. Four asked that the contract be allowed to proceed till it ends in August. They were Duane Edwards (students); Dr. McKenzie (PNC rep); O’Neil Greaves (my Dean); and the Vice-Chancellor. Mr. Calvin Everseley (rep, Academic Board) and Chancellor Compton Bourne did not speak to the issue.
This is the picture for APNU and the AFC. I know that President Ramotar, Ms. Texieira and other PPP leaders, caught in this post-Jagdeo autocratic mess, have told persons (in this small society) and it has got back to me that a majority of persons at the meeting voted against me. There was no vote. The Chancellor said that based on the statements made on the issue, there were more voices for termination.
AFC and APNU, I would think, will refuse to be manipulated.

 

Publisher’s note:  The publisher is not sure what message Mr Kissoon was sending to the nation in his Sunday issue. If it is that he is saying that he writes for free in Kaieteur News then he would be misleading the nation. He is paid handsomely.
Even when the newspaper reduced the number of columns he must write each week, it never cut his pay. He has never written a line without adequate compensation.
 Although I am out of the country people have been calling me to enqire about Mr Kissoon’s paucity. His being poor is far from the truth. I have repeatedly warned him about using his column to mislead the public.
He is placing this newspaper in an embarrassing position.

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