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I was not demoted – Valerie Patterson-Yearwood
Valerie Patterson-Yearwood has been transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture
Minister Valerie Patterson-Yearwood has been transferred by President David Granger, from her post as Minister of Housing, to the Ministry of Agriculture, with responsibility for Rural Affairs.
As Minister of Housing, Patterson-Yearwood was accused of having a conflict of interest, since her husband was contracted for work by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), a body over which she presided.
An investigation was reportedly launched last year, on the order of a top level government official, to ascertain whether there was a conflict of interest. Even so, the issue was found to have other layers.
Godfrey Yearwood refused to pay his subcontractor for that project. The Minister responded in a bid to clear her husband’s name, that the sub-contractor did shoddy work. Hence, she had stated, her husband had to correct the defects at a cost, so the sub-contractor was not paid.
Then, it was discovered that the situation at the Housing Ministry was even wore incestuous than previously thought. Kaieteur News found that Godfrey Yearwood used staffers of CH&PA to sign as witnesses to his private contract with the sub-contractor. One of them, Troy Marks, was found to be his nephew.
All of this created a perception that the President transferred her as a punishment for this matter that placed her under intense public scrutiny.
However, Patterson-Yearwood has expressed no discontentment with her transfer.
“Let me say I’m excited about my new position,” she told journalists yesterday.
“One of the reasons why I am [excited] is that it’s a new area I’m going into. It’s well focused, mainly on empowering youths in the agriculture sector.”
She said that besides the budding oil and gas sector, “Agriculture is the other way to go.”
The Minister added that it’s important at this time to get young people into farming so that they can capitalize on numerous opportunities in the sector.
“So I’m not going to be involved with sugar and rice. My main focus is the young people and I’m excited about that because I will draw from them and feel younger,” she told the press.
Asked whether she thinks her transfer is a demotion or a punishment for her recent conflict of interest scandal, she responded “No, it’s not.”
“It isn’t [a demotion]. What is the demotion? My salary is not affected, [nor are] my allowances – nothing is affected.”
She said that she sees the transfer as a promotion because she is going into “new and exciting areas”.
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