Pres. Ali defends shutting out opposition nominee from NRF board

Mar 07, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – President Irfaan Ali on Sunday defended his government bypassing the opposition picks for the Natural Resources Fund Board and selecting former PNC MP, Dunstan Barrow.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic used its one seat majority in the Committee of Appointments in the National Assembly last week to pick Barrow, ignoring Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram and oil and gas expert, Dr Vincent Adams.

Head of State, Irfaan Ali

The President was asked to comment on the Opposition being denied a seat on the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Board, especially since the Coalition parties the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) represents a significant portion of the Guyanese population. To this end, Ali explained to reporters, “The Parliamentary process is that the committee selects someone of standing in a country and in a society. That process brings out a name. It is not that the PPP supported the name that is a Minister or a member of the PPP. This is a former MP or member of the PNC”. Barrow according to PNCR sources is not active in the party. “I am not even sure if he is still a member, so for them holding put that he was a former MP for the PNC means nothing. Joe Hamilton who is now a PPP minister was a former PNC MP as well,” a senior PNC source commented.
President Ali went on to say that the names submitted by his government, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) demonstrates its interest in its ‘One Guyana’ mantra. After concluding his statement on the matter, the President asked cameramen to reset their equipment so he could tell the country that the Opposition is duplicitous. He reasoned, “Look at the duplicity of the people we are dealing with…when we had the nomination for the Chair of GECOM, remember what they said? Look at one name, Christopher Ram was not fit and proper. Remember that? And now, the same very people saying Mr. Christopher Ram is fit and proper. That is why I am telling you, agenda, agenda, agenda”.
In addition to Barrow, the government side had also submitted the names of former Deputy Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Clement Sealey and former Guyana High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Hamley Case for considerations.
In reacting to Barrow’s selection, the People National Congress Reform (PNCR) said it was another demonstration of the PPP’s bad faith and politics of exclusion. “This case involves the PPP’s use of its majority parliamentary power to reject the nominees of the opposition parties for the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) board and the Oversight Committee, despite the fact that those nominees have the best qualifications for the positions. Our nominees included Professor Clive Thomas, Dr. Vincent Adams, Christopher Ram and Elson Low. Both Adams and Ram were nominated separately by the PNCR and the AFC. Dr. Adams has over 40 years of extensive experience in both the public and private sectors in the oil and gas industry. Christopher Ram has won the admiration and praise of the Guyanese public for his vast expertise in law, finance and the oil sector, as well as a relentless advocate for transparency and accountability in government.”
According to the PNCR it should surprise no one that the PPP used its majority to reject these highly qualified and suitable candidates and advance its list of less qualified persons. “We ask the public not to be fooled by the PPP describing its selectee, Mr. Dunstan Barrow, as a former PNC MP. What should matter are the qualifications and expertise of the nominees and not their political or other affiliations. By these actions, the PPP has shown again its total lack of interest in transparency, accountability and inclusivity. It continues to strive for political dominance and control. The people of Guyana will ensure it does not succeed. The PNCR will continue to expose these examples of bad PPP/C governance to inform the Guyanese public, the international diplomatic community and other stakeholders,” the statement concluded.
Observers believe that Barrow being a former member of Parliament aligned to the PNCR further erodes the credibility of the board, which has been designed to give the government full advantage.
Last week, Leader of the PNCR, Mr. Aubrey Norton said that it was imperative for the opposition to be able to scrutinize the allocations of the revenue from the oil sector, in the interest of good governance. The Shadow Oil and Gas Minister, David Patterson was however confident all along that the government would use its one-seat majority in the National Assembly to have its own candidate selected.
The full members of the appointments committee are government ministers: Gail Teixeira, Dr. Vindhya Persaud; Kwame McCoy, PPP/C Members of Parliament Alister Charlie and Yvonne Pearson-Fredericks. For the coalition the members are: Khemraj Ramjattan; Nicolette Henry; Tabitha Sarabo-Halley and Annette Ferguson.
Under the recently passed NRF Act, the National Assembly has been the prerogative to select a member to sit on the NRF Board which is tasked with the overall management of the oil fund.
As part of the governance structure for the NRF, a Board of Directors was established which shall comprise of not less than three and not more than five persons who shall be appointed by the President, and one of whom shall be appointed Chairperson by the President. The directors, according to the Act shall be selected from among persons who have wide experience and ability in legal, financial, business or administrative matters. It was noted that one of the Board members shall be nominated by the National Assembly along with one from the private sector.