PPP Candidate challenges appointment of Youth Director

Jun 09, 2015 News

…Says selection “illegal”
Even while the Ministry of Education continues to deny that AFC member Trevor Williams is the new Director of Youth, a PPP/C Candidate has moved to the High Court to block Williams’ appointment.

AFC Member
Trevor Williams

It was mere hours before the motion was filed that Minister within the Ministry of Education Nicolette Henry maintained that Williams was simply being considered for the job.
The motion, filed before Chief Justice Ian Chang, was brought against Williams by Saleesha Gafoor, 26, who is reportedly an Executive Member of the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO). Gafoor was also a candidate on the PPP’s list of candidates for the recently concluded General and Regional Elections.
In the motion, Gafoor challenged Williams’ appointment, stating that the constitution was defied by Williams not being appointed to the position by the Public Service Commission (PSC).
Gafoor also indicated that the Office of the Director of Youth was a public, pensionable office and was an establishment of the PSC.
Additionally, Gafoor stated that though a vacancy was advertised for the position and the PSC subsequently commenced interviews of “suitably qualified applicants”, Williams was not one of these persons. Instead, she said, Williams neither applied nor was interviewed by the PSC.
According to Gafoor the job requires at least a Master’s Degree in Social Work from a recognised University along with a minimum of five years in social work with at least two of which must be involved in youth work. Another minimum qualification was a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from a recognised University along with a minimum of seven years in social work with at least 3 of which must be involved in youth work. Knowledge of and experience in using social research methods was also noted as valuable.
Gafoor maintained that Williams was not qualified for the said office based on the job description issued by the PSC.
According to Williams’ profile on the APNU+AFC website, “a secondary education eluded him for reasons beyond his control” but he later graduated from the Critchlow Labour College before graduating from the University of Guyana with a Degree in International Relations.
“As a national youth leader, my interest and mandate is to ensure that youth welfare and the interest of young people receive paramount consideration by the State…Indeed, I consider it my national duty to ensure that those representatives who, and the democratic organs which, exercise the sovereignty of Guyana on my behalf act in due compliance with the said Constitution and the law in the discharge of their public functions and constitutional duties,” Gafoor wrote.
The Ministry of Education has categorically denied that Williams had been appointed the Director of Youth. According to Henry, “Mr. Trevor Williams has not been appointed; he doesn’t even have a letter of appointment.” She said too that interviews are currently being conducted and she understood that Williams was simply one of a number of interviewees.
Gafoor is being represented by former Attorney General Anil Nandlall along with attorneys Euclin Gomes and Manoj Narayan.
The matter will be heard on June 17 before Justice Chang.