Another Case Of Double Standards

Jul 02, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

I wish to refer to Kaieteur Newspapers article dated July 1, 2020 “Top Cop, Deputy should have gone; still on the job”.
I would also like to reference an article in the Guyana Chronicle dated July 23, 2015, titled “Public servants annual leave – ‘use it or lose it’ in which public servants were being urged to take their annual leave when it is due or it will be forfeited. This was the message from the then Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who was quoted to have said “We are saying, as a general statement, as from 2015 going forward, that when you are entitled to your leave, you have to take it in the year. If you don’t use it, you are going to lose it”.
The then Minister further went on to state that the Government was facing significant challenges with regard to public servants and their leave, particularly as it relates to senior officers who have accumulated hundreds of days leave.
Given the above statement from the then Minister, and if what is stated in the Kaieteur Newspapers article referenced above is true, where it pointed out that the Commissioner of Police has 306 days annual leave and his retirement date is May 5, 2021, why hasn’t the Commissioner of police proceeded on his pre retirement leave?
More so, why was the Commissioner allowed to accumulate such a large amount of leave and not be advised to utilize same in keeping with the Government’s principle on this issue?
These are the inconsistencies which have become evident within this caretaker Government.
Further, only recently it was widely reported in the media, including the Guyana Chronicle in its June 30, 2020 edition that the Caretaker President who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has granted approval to Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Patrick West, to proceed on accumulated leave which will also take him into retirement.
Why then wasn’t Commissioner James also granted the same approval to proceed on his pre retirement leave?
The records would also show that the previous Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud who also had accumulated annual leave was sent off on his leave prior to his retirement, so what’s the reason for the APNU+AFC regime wanting to keep Leslie James as Commissioner when in fact he should be enjoying his pre retirement leave at home. I’m sure the Guyana Police Force has other capable officers any of whom can take up the mantle of Commissioner until a suitable replacement is appointed.
This is another example of the Caretaker Government’s double standards. It would seem if something doesn’t suit their agenda they find ways to get rid of it.

Regards,
Ronley Kendall

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