Latest update November 5th, 2024 1:00 AM
The quicker we speak up, the more we are likely to save this country
In my February 14, 2018 column, ‘How can the UG Vice-Chancellor argue so unscholarly?’, I took the following stance; “Twice I remarked in these
Freddie Kissoon
pages that it has to be an anomaly that the head of Transparency Institute – Guyana is a lecturer at UG, yet both unions at UG have made public statements carried in all the newspapers that there needs to be more transparency in UG’s governance. But that same gentleman voices an opinion on the need for transparent transaction in many institutions but never on UG.”
The head of Transparency Institute, Dr. Troy Thomas replied to the article three days after (February 17) in this newspaper, via letter, under the title, “Mindful of serving UGSSA and TIGI.”
In his missive, Thomas explained why he had not spoken out at what takes place at UG. I quote him; “What I believe is overlooked or otherwise considered irrelevant in the argument for my going to the public through the press or television is that there is a conflict of interest into which I risked dragging TIGI…I recently indicated to the unions that especially given the conflict of interest position in which I find myself, the unions should, if they so desire, send TIGI a letter based on which organisation can determine what it might do to address matters at the University. Should the unions follow my suggestion, I will recuse myself from relevant discussions at and actions on the part of TIGI.”
If I can put my interpretation to Dr. Thomas’s position, though it may not be the correct analysis, he is saying that as head of TIGI and an employee of UG, there could be a charge of conflict of interest, and it could be said that he is using TIGI to bring its weight to bear on disputes at UG.
I published my reply to Dr. Thomas the next day (February 18), and this is what I wrote; “I have nothing negative to say about Dr. Thomas’s activism, but just hope that TIGI will at some time investigate questionable governance at UG, and I say to Dr. Thomas, the complaints I get are from credible, patriotic staff members of long standing. They are simply worrying.”
Well, Dr. Thomas has at last decided to speak out on controversial things taking place at UG. It has been a long wait – February 2018 to May 2019. On Monday, May 20, Dr. Thomas shared a television panel with another UG lecturer, Patrick Ketwaru, from the chemistry department.
Dr. Thomas’s adumbration was critical on the nature of governance at UG. He agreed with the decision that the Vice Chancellor (VC) should take his leave and not be paid in lieu of it. He felt the Council’s decision to let him go on leave, then, through a round-robin process, changed it, was not proper procedure.
Dr. Thomas’s presentation was informative, pointed and factual. The one area I was literally stunned and shocked at, was when he revealed something that directly impacts on the work Dr. Thomas does – transparency. He told viewers that when the new VC offered to rent the large building at the junction of Lamaha and Camp Streets for a downtown campus for UG, two of the floors UG would sublet to a commercial bank. Dr. Thomas revealed that investigation couldn’t find details on the bank.
That was three years ago. Thomas was TIGI president then. Whether he worked at UG or not, he had a moral obligation to speak about the opaque nature of the bank. But better late than never.
Here now is the value of that television presentation by Dr. Thomas. Days after, the UG council had a special meeting to decide on leave without pay for the VC and to deliberate on the VC’s contract renewal.
The Council agreed the VC must take his leave and his contract renewal will be determined by an evaluation of his three-year tenure that just ended. The question is; was it possible that Dr. Thomas, the well-known TIGI personality in Guyana, may have influenced the council’s attitude based on his elaborations and critiques on that television panel?
We can’t answer that, but it also could be possible. My point is, when people with prominence like Dr. Thomas publicly denounce wrongdoing, it has a bearing on what policy-makers do. Organisations like TIGI, the Bar Association, the unions, the NGOs, civil society, could get authorities to rescind their autocratic decisions though exposures.
I don’t know why it took Dr. Thomas so long to delineate what he outlined on television on Monday, May 20, but he should be admired and respected for his courage. I salute him!
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