Political controversy over mosquito nets...APNU questions sidelining of Region Eight chairman

Political controversy over mosquito nets…APNU questions sidelining of Region Eight chairman

Jan 29, 2013 News

By Romila Boodram
Government and the Opposition are at loggerheads over the recent distribution of 5000 insecticide treated mosquito nets to Region Eight, Regional Executive Officer (REO), Ronald Harsawack.

Ronald Bulkhan

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Parliamentarian, Ronald Bulkhan, on Friday questioned the Minister of Health, Bheri Ramsaran as to why the nets were handed over to a government official instead of the Regional Chairman.
Government has lost Region Eight and the Opposition is accusing the ruling party of not trying to develop that Region.
Last July, the Region Eight Democratic Council (RDC) had taken a vote of no confidence against its executive officer, accusing him of committing breaches in the course of his duties.
However, the Minister of Health, after beating around the bushes several times said that Harsawack who is a public servant is the accounting officer of that region and as such there is nothing wrong with the decision.
The Minister also added that Region Eight’s Executive Officer was in Georgetown at the time of the presentation; hence the nets were presented to him.
He also explained that his Ministry made similar donations to several other regions and the accounting officer was the one who received the distribution.
“…Those nets were sent to the accounting officer for the Regions and in this case, the REO is the accounting officer and he was in town,” Dr Ramsaran said.
The Minister continued talking about the distribution his Ministry made but the Opposition interrupted him saying, “We did not ask for all of that.” This however angered the Minister who claimed that they were behaving like “malarious mosquitoes.”