GGMC is at risk of slowly fading into irrelevance and chaos

Oct 31, 2019 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,

As a Guyanese and as someone who has been a part of the mining industry for over 20 years, I am deeply saddened by the present state of affairs at the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission. Long gone are the glory days where the Commission was well run by stalwarts such as former commissioner Woolford, Kampta Persaud, Derrick Babb, etc. Visionary leaders who always put the health of the Commission first, generated revenue and championed the causes of workers creating a safe and adequate work environment.
Based on all reports, at present there is an ineffective leadership structure sometimes border lining on the incompetent and ridiculous. Most staff members have lost all confidence in management’s ability to make the right decisions to the point where nothing really comes as much of a surprise anymore. This is the present state of affairs that is being allowed to flourish at one of our most important national institutions.
At the very top, the Commissioner seems very reactive in leadership style. There is always a delayed response to every issue presented and no attempt at taking the bull by the horns. As a result of this, the Commissioner is always preoccupied with putting out fires only to have another sprout in a different location. As if this isn’t bad enough, the Commissioner is also a graduate of the Neville Chamberlain School of Appeasement. This can be an effective strategy when used correctly but in this case, it just results in the creation of insubordinate rogue managers and constant internal conflicts.
According to reports, a certain named technical officer is totally ineffective in just about every area and it is said that most staff and customers will attest to this. It is said that this individual goes about business with the sort of indifference one wouldn’t associate with such an office. The officer is well known for slothfulness and it is public knowledge that this contributed to a previous demotion from a managerial position. There have been many complaints from stakeholders about the time this technical officer’s office takes to get work done. It is said that some senior officials are simply incapable of guiding the commission into the future.
The issues seem to be getting worst. Recently, a senior manager was removed from office and replaced by two subordinates. The many transgressions are well known and were previously chronicled, these will not be revisited here. This action was badly needed and the Board should be commended for making a difficult decision in an effort to save the Commission from imploding.
On the other hand, this action is simply not enough. There is dire need for much more if the boat is to be steadied. From the looks of things, it appears as though arrogance, pettiness and poor communication skills are the prerequisites to become a manager in today’s GGMC. A person’s ability to lead and mental fortitude should always be taken into account. It puzzles the mind as to why the geo services manager would be removed but the acting mines manager is allowed to hold office.
There may have been more formal complaints against the deposed leader but the current mines management reigns in terror. Staffers are simply afraid to speak out for fear of reprisals, this particular individual’s arrogance also makes him unapproachable not only to staff but customers as well.
The recent “bust up” at Quartz Stone, Cuyuni-Mazaruni where efforts were made to forcibly dismantle shops and burnt the shopkeeper’s property can only be regarded as a disgrace. The debacle at Quartz Stone, Cuyuni-Mazaruni points to an ill-conceived and poorly planned operation. The laws of Guyana must be upheld but care and compassion for our fellow human beings must also be at the forefront. There are also procedures and protocols for such activities, which also preserves the rights afforded to all by the constitution. There is nothing in the mining regulations that permits the burning of private property, this borders on the criminal to do such. These hardworking Guyanese who had their property incinerated should be compensated or seek legal representation. The Ministry of natural resources indicated that they were not involved and condemnation by key stakeholders is welcomed but the government needs to go further.
Those involved should have refused any order to carry out the directions and face the consequences. There should be no effort to scapegoat these officers, instead blame should be laid square on those who issued the instructions.
Such an infraction cannot go unpunished; this would send the wrong message to citizens. The government through the ministry must take control to avoid another embarrassing and politically damaging episode during an election year.
It is being alleged that the mines management executes a policy of favouritism and routinely makes bad decisions which affects the entire industry. One example is the frequent unjust “benching” of mining engineers. A visit to the commission will show that mining engineers have not been going into the field in a regular basis to execute the jobs, which they were hired to do. Some engineers rarely ever engage in fieldwork. These are all activities, which would have been budgeted for at the start of the year.
Why is this important?
The importance of this point is hammered home when one considers the ripple effects. In less than two years, there have been no less than 21 deaths from pit collapses, this is unprecedented. We may not be able to predict the future but it is logical to ascertain that having the engineers in the field more often providing technical assistance and directive could have helped maybe even resulted in less fatalities. It therefore is an absolute absurdity to argue a case for these unofficial “benchings”. This is a clear case of poor decision-making and personal influences, resulting in the inefficient use of resources hampering the commission’s mandate. In the past, mines management was changed for far less.
Other departments are reportedly suffering the same fate as well. Indications are that the division’s mineral unit has been totally sidelined largely due to micromanagement and interference of ego. There is even a high tech laboratory and testing facility at Linden that is rarely used. This facility would have cost the Commission hundreds of millions of dollars and is presently being used as a glorified storage area. This shows ineptness and wanton waste. These many transgressions and more would simply not be tolerated in any well run democratic society.
The fabric of the Commission has been decaying for years culminating in an environment that has allowed the maturity of bullies and incompetence to take hold in the management structure. This is a volatile cocktail that the administration must take action to neutralise. If this is delayed, there’s the risk of financial ruin and further decomposition of one of our treasured national institutions. The Commission will eventually slowly fade into irrelevance and chaos.

Leslie Belle

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