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City Engineer claims personal reasons behind attempts to fire him
Kaieteur News- City Engineer, Colvern Venture, has alleged what he believes is a personal ploy by members of the council to have him ousted from his position.
In a statement to the press, Venture who faced previous threats of termination from the council outlined the most recent attempt to have him removed. In his statement, the City Engineer outlined that “the motion for the termination of my service from the Council, which was scheduled for discussion on December 20, 2021, but has been put for deliberations at a later date is personal rather than to deal with the work of the Council.
Among other reason for his conclusion Venture pointed to the fact that since the installment of the new Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors in 2019, he has been targeted and singled out for special attention by the Mayor and a few of his Councillors.
City Engineer, Colvern Venture.
He noted that “public statements made by the Mayor have caused me to write to the then Town Clerk (ag), Ms. Sherry Jerrick and the Local Government Commission (LGC) on things that were found to be untrue, and to bring to their attention my concerns of utterances being made by the Mayor at meetings and in the public sphere.”
The City Engineer noted too that while some councillors complain constantly of works not being executed by his department, the tasks or work are dependent on the timely acquisition of tools, materials, parts or components by the Finance Department of the Council.
As such, he explained, “I cannot deliver… in a timely manner. This being the case, many times, the Mayor and a few of his Councillors, including the ones that table the motion, continue to cast blame on me for not getting the work done.”
The City Engineer has been the subject of threats of termination by the council and Mayor Ubraj Narine openly blasted Venture and threatened to fire him for embarrassing the council. The matter led to court action being taken by the engineer who later secured an order of the High Court, which essentially bars the council from removing him unless sanctioned by the LGC.
However, this has not stopped the council from moving another motion to consider the removal of the City Engineer. That motion is yet to be deliberated on. Venture has since reminded the Council via a lawyer’s letter that there has been no approval or permission from the LGC for the matter the Council intends to consider.
The letter that was sent by attorney for Venture, Ronald Burch-Smith, notes that the motion purporting to terminate Mr. Venture will therefore be contempt of court.
The letter states, “If this motion is considered or passed, every member of the Council and especially the Town Clerk and His Worship, the Mayor who was a party to the proceedings and the Deputy Mayor who attended Court, risks being subject to contempt of Court.”
G/T Mayor Ubraj Narine.
It continues: “Please be advised that under the Contempt of Court Act. No. 25 of 2010 a person who is found to be in contempt of Court can be subject to a fine and imprisonment for up to three months. I would urge you to bring the contents of this letter to the attention of the members of the Council.”
According to the letter, the motion collides violently with the order made by Chief Justice (ag.) Roxane George-Wiltshire on 13th May 2021. That order states, An “Order of Prohibition” is hereby issued directed to the Town Clerk of The City Of Georgetown and the Mayor And Councillors of the City of Georgetown restraining, prohibiting and preventing them personally or acting through their servants or agents, from exercising any disciplinary functions or imposing any disciplinary sanction against the venture, City Engineer of the City of Georgetown, or from terminating or purporting to terminate the employment of the said City Engineer without the approval or permission of the LGC.
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