Hamilton Green on his pension…“My wife suffered most in the last 25 years”

May 02, 2017 News

More than a month after the National Assembly passed legislation to allow him a livable pension, former Prime Minister, Hamilton Green, says that his wife, Jennifer Basdeo-Green was the one who suffered the most over the last

Former PM, Hamilton Green

two decades.
Green, a former Mayor of Georgetown until last year, in a statement yesterday, said the new arrangements is due to the wisdom and sense of justice of President David Granger, coupled with members of the National Assembly. It would have brought to an end a period of drought for himself and his family of almost 25 years, Green said yesterday.
The National Assembly capped the former PM’s pension at 7/8 of the current Prime Minister’s salary. Government had defended the passage of the legislation as fitting for someone who is 82 years old.
As at January, Green was receiving just over $160,000 monthly. When his party, the People’s National Congress, left office in 1992, his pension was $21,114.
Green said that during the last 25 years “fortunately, I was able to rely on my wife, children and many kind friends to keep me buoyant. I am deeply grateful and thank them all. However, it was my wife Jennifer who suffered and endured the most.”
Green cited an example where after his party lost the 1992 General Elections, his wife Jennifer Basdeo-Green was “crudely” removed from office because the ‘Minister’ was not comfortable with the wife of the former Prime Minister being in the Ministry of Health head office.
At that time, Dr. Basdeo-Green was preparing to do a specialist course in Public Health.
“Later she was dismissed with no benefits after years of service. After legal action was initiated, the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan promised to correct this injustice. Nothing happened.”
Green claimed that former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, undertook to have this matter revisited.
“As a result, the then Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy collected the relevant documents, later he claimed that the papers were destroyed in the Ministry of Health fire in Brickdam.”
Green said that despite having to deal with a life-threatening medical condition, at this period, it is necessary for him to publicly state throughout all this, that his remained focused on family, “and she stood stoically by my side”.
He said that the end of his drought also means that he can now better provide for his wife and family.
Green served as Prime Minister between 1985 and 1992.

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