Unilateral dismissal of Kwakwani hostel supervisor invokes Regional Chairman’s wrath

May 07, 2019 News

The unilateral dismissal of workers will not be tolerated within Region Ten, said Regional Chairman, Mr. Renis Morian. At a recent meeting, he did not conceal his annoyance when he learnt that just such an incident had occurred in his Region.

DREO and Clerk of Council for the recent meeting, Ms. Maylene Stephens, responding to questions from the Council. Seated next to her is Regional Education Officer (REdO), Rabindra Singh.

The dismissal in question was that of Ms. Rockell Bailey, the supervisor of the Kwakwani Hostel.
Based on reports Bailey was sent packing although due process was not followed. She was not allowed the right to a hearing.
The state of affairs was brought to the fore at the Region’s most recent Regional Democratic Council (RDC’)s statutory meeting by Regional Councillor Mavis Lewis who revealed that Bailey’ service was terminated by the acting Regional Education Officer, Ms. Sonia Fraser.
It was revealed at the meeting that Fraser simply told Bailey that her services were no longer needed as the supervisor of the hostel. The terminated woman it is alleged was immediately replaced after a day’s notice was issued to her.
But Morian made it pellucid that “I want to say that the placement of staff should not be news to this Council. I want to sound it clear to administration and education. This Council here oversees everything that happens and when Council is out of session, the Regional Chairman fits in for Councillors and

updates Councillors.”
“Staff moving and going and coming must not be news to this Council. I must not come here and hear that a staffer was sent home; a staff had to go and this Council didn’t hear

Regional Councillor Mavis Lewis who brought the dismissal issue to the attention of the Council.

of it, so I am asking that this practise stop from today. This council manages the affairs of this region,” said the incensed Regional Chairman.
He went on to remind the Heads of Departments attending the RDC meeting that his administration will not tolerate such inefficiencies any longer.
“When the budget is being prepared Council sits and puts together the budget so if we are going here and there it can’t be willy nilly. When we go out there and the residents see us, it’s not the REdO or Admin; it’s the councillors whom they ask questions and then we are getting the information second hand.”
Responding to the Regional Chairman’s concerns, the Deputy Regional Executive Officer [DREO], Ms. Maylene Stephens, who was sitting in as Clerk of Council for Regional Executive Officer [REO], Mr. Orrin Gordon, said that she only became aware that the previous supervisor was fired and a new one was hired after the deed 000was done.
She confirmed that the acting REdO took an application for a new supervisor to the Personnel Department and it was

Regional Chairman Renis Morian [right] and his deputy, Mr. Elroy Adolph

decided there and then to fire the supervisor and employ a replacement immediately.
She disclosed that the Personnel Department sought advice from the Public Service Commission and was given the green light to proceed with the employment of the new supervisor who is from Kwakwani.
But Regional Chairman Morian quickly retorted, “…This has nothing to do with the Public Service. We have a Council here…the acting REdO is trying to fill a need but the Regional Chairman doesn’t know that she sent somebody there.
“if this Council wants to be mischievous we can upturn right now what the Public Service and all other services said because it seems as though we are stepchildren to the process.”
Even as Morian continued by demanding answers regarding the unilateral termination, the DREO disclosed that the very matter was brought to the attention of the subject Minster and her Permanent Secretary who immediately informed that the matter was unfairly and unprofessionally dealt with.
She said, too, that the Permanent Secretary has since instructed the administration to meet with Bailey so as to inform her formally and offer her one month’s notice.
As he continued to express disgust at the “disturbing” situation, the Regional Chairman bemoaned the fact that while the region is seeking to have a number of vacancies filled there are persons who are being dismissed without due process.
“We have persons taking on powers that are not theirs because you are the head of the administration and are therefore responsible for staff…The fact is that neither the Chairman nor the Council was not consulted or made aware,” Morian chided.
He, moreover, added, “let me say this now, find a job immediately for Ms Bailey because she was unfairly dismissed because the Council will take up her case and will be coming after the people at education and those at administration.”
“We have done this woman a great injustice and this government don’t work like that because we are not a cowboy administration where you just knock off someone because you feel like.
And let me say this, I am going to write about this because education has certainly acted outside of their remit.
“You still have to take some licks because you are, at the end of the day, responsible for staff in this region and even if you saw the letter after, you should have intervened,” he told the DREO.
Morian also questioned if officers within the region are aware of the education Regulations and Act.
He pointed out that there is a process that must be followed when seeking to terminate the services of anyone. As such, the Regional Chairman demanded that the “anomaly” be corrected. “Correct this now because if it is not this Council will make some decisions which will hurt some people. This Council just don’t dismiss someone summarily regardless of religion, party, race or personal views. We just don’t knock off people like that because it’s wrong. So find a job for this woman,” he instructed the DREO.
According to Morian, the action meted out to the supervisor is in fact tantamount to slavery days when persons hadn’t a voice irrespective of the situation.
“Did this woman have a trial? Was there a hearing? Did anyone bring evidence against her so that she can defend herself? Even if a man shoots and kills someone in front of us he is allowed to plead not guilty until the court finds him otherwise and that is the democratic process.”

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