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WednesdayJune 1, 2022

IRFAAN ALI SWEARS IN INTEGRITY COMMISSION, POLICE SERVICE COMMISSION

HOME CONSTRUCTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME LAUNCHED

SHUN THE HOOKAH, VAPING AND SMOKING—SAYS HEALTH MINISTER

THE GPSU CREDIT UNION BROUHAHA

Wednesday June 01, 2022

BRAZILIAN STATE WANTS TO BE INTEGRATED INTO CARICOM’S FOOD SECURITY VISION —PRESIDENT ALI

From the left: Mark Conway, Ernesto Choo-a-Fat, Bishop Patrick Findlay , President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Attorney General Anil Nandlall and Min. Gail Teixeira

President Mohamed Irfaan Ali today appointed members of the Police Service Commission(PSC) and the Integrity Commission.

The appointment was made under the powers of article 2-10-

1C of the laws of Guyana, which deals with the appointment of members of the board, the nomination of the national assembly and consultation with several bodies.

Three members of the PSC took the oath

of office. One nominee was absent, while fivepersons also took the oath of office under the powers section 3 of the integrity commission act chapter 26-01.

Those who took the oath were Bishop Patrick Findlay, who will serve

as chair of the fourmember Police Service Commission that also includes Mark Conway, Hakeem Mohamed and Ernesto Choo-a-Fat. Mohamed, who was not present today, is expected to take his oath at a later date.

Mrs Chandra Gajraj has been elected as chair of the five-member Integrity Commission.

The team includes Dr Jocelin Kim KyteThomas, former Magistrate; Mohamed Ispahani Haniff, former Engineer; Hardesh Tewari, an Accountant; and Wayne Bowman, former National Chairman of the Associate of the church.

They were sworn in

by Chief Magistrate (ag) Judy Latchman.

The lives of both commissions are set to expire three years from today’s date.

Speaking on the heels of the appointments, President Ali labelled the group as outstanding by way of their many years served.

He said that he had done all that is required

in the constitution and through parliamentary approval in which the Government hold a majority.

President, Ali said that this represents the cratering of one Guyana, the best is chosen to serve.

“In charting this course of one Guyana we will seek out from among us those who have the credentials and are willing and ready to serve at every level in moving our country forward.

“It cannot and would not be based on any other principle but that of fairness justice, integrity and most of all confidence.”

The President said that he had the confidence in the team and that they will do well with their experience and character

HOME CONSTRUCTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME LAUNCHED

The Ministry of Housing & Water – Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) on Monday opened applications for the Home Construction Assistance Programme at its Head Office on Brickdam Street, Georgetown.

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues,

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and Chief Executive Officer of CHPA, Mr. Sherwyn Greaves were present at the launching.

The programme is the brainchild of President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali. It seeks to accelerate the Government’s housing drive, while also addressing challenges faced by Guyanese families who have acquired

lands but are unable to build their homes, due to inaccessibility of financing and issues with contractors.

“We promised 50,000 house lots, which we have been ensuring that we make available to the citizens but we have been adamant that our primary focus is homeownership [and] ensuring that Guyanese move from

being renters to becoming homeowners,” Minister Rodrigues stated.

The Minister added, “What we found is that in some cases there is a disconnect and there is more help that is needed especially for our lowincome earners”.

Through the Home Construction Assistance Programme, CHPA and the banking institutions

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will now be under one roof at CHPA’s Head Office.

So far, the New Building Society and Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited are on board. Applicants will be assisted with the process of bank financing to meet the cost of construction. CHPA will also be constructing the homes for the applicants, who can choose from

three pre-designed units ($7 million, $9 million and $12 million).

Chief Executive Officer of the CHPA, Mr. Sherwyn Greaves, stated that the programme will also stir economic activity.

“Our housing drive is synonymous with the creation of employment.

This will not only help the landowners, it will at the same time provide employment for our citizens across the country,” Greaves said.

He added that the agency will soon be inviting individuals, groups and companies to express their interests in providing various skills and services for the initiative.

Already, the programme is being expanded to cover other administrative regions and is expected to be rolled out in Region Ten before the end of the week.

Wednesday June 01, 2022

SHUN THE HOOKAH, VAPING AND SMOKING—SAYS HEALTH MINISTER others, according to the Minister of Health, are not followed and this is something that should be looked into

more problems for smokers.

“So, it is something that smokers should bear in mind, that they would

Additionally, Minister Anthony said that smokers should also seek methods of protecting themselves, especially at a time of the COVID-19 pandemic since the risk of getting more ill or dying faster remains a big factor.

“Coronavirus when it infects, goes through the upper airways and eventually makes it down to the lower airways and disseminate to other organs of the body.

“So, given how its transmitted and gets into the body one can see the linkages between coronavirus disease and the person who smokes. If you have an underlying condition obviously it can create

be at increased risk based on their underling illnesses and their high risk of smoking already.”

Minister Anthony added that given the conditions more and more risks of several illnesses will pop up.

“Giving the fact that smokers will have a lot of underlying issues, they are more at high risk for cancer more at high risk for cardiovascular diseases, more at higher risk for the chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and so forth.”, The Minister emphasized that while smoking is bad for the health of people, it remains a process to end what has been a been a world issue for decades.

Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony

Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony is urging people to not try alternative methods of smoking such as Hookah, Vape and so on since they all contain nicotine, a substance which remains harmful to the body.

Minister Anthony

during its COVID-19 Update and on the heels of the World No Tobacco Day, under the theme, Protect the Environment, explained that the said alternatives still are harmful and should not be used.

“One of the things that people are trying to

market is to use other forms of getting nicotine into the body. Nicotine is very addictive, Nicotine will cause psychological and eventually physical addition, or physical dependence.

“Therefore whether you are vaping a hookah or one of the

other methods that are being popularized, the fact is that you are still consuming substances that are dangerous to your health,” Minister Anthony said.

The Minister said that over the years, like tobacco, the dangers of smoking using these alternative methods are documented.

Under the laws of Guyana in the tobacco legislation, provision is provided for such alternation smoking and should be applied.

With 12% of adults being smokers in Guyana, smoking in a public space, the labelling of the product, among other regulations were put place to have some regulation of the industry.

Those laws and

THE GPSU CREDIT UNION BROUHAHA

Editor, The following relate to the current imbroglio info@guyanapostonline.com

at the Guyana Public Service Cooperative Credit Union (GPSCCU) Ltd. The requirement to hold annual general meeting (AGM) of members is addressed by Regulation 14 of Chapter 88:01 of the Laws of Guyana.

The holding of the 2022 AGM has been stoutly resisted by the majority of nine in the committee of management, from the time the issue was raised during the latter part of 2021.

Regulation 14 states that the AGM

of members SHALL be convened by the committee as soon as the report on the audit of the accounts of the

registered society (in this case the GPSCCU Ltd) by the Commissioner (or Chief Cooperative Development Officer [CCDO]) or person authorized by him (her) is received by the committee.

Please note that once the committee receives the report from the auditors the committee shall give no less than eight days’ notice before any such meeting can be held.

Chairman Trevor L. Benn insisted that it was legally mandated by way of Reg 12 which vests the supreme authority in a registered society in

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the general meeting of the members. However, several delaying tactics were tried to push the AGM into April 2023, including but not limited to (i) attempting to have the funds for the meeting removed from the budget; and (ii) seeking ministerial intervention on March 30, 2022, to influence the CCDO to postpone the meeting.

These were rebuffed by the Chairman (who cited the regulations), and the subject Minister who refused to be sucked into that issue.

The issue which was given to the public via the media as the reason

for the motion of no confidence against the chairman namely that he wanted to be both chair and chief executive officer occurred as follows.

It was I who moved the motion for the duality of roles to reside in one person. This was seconded by Ms. Leslyn Noble. I provided reasons for the desirability of introducing such a management structure and there were no contending arguments except a blanket refusal to entertain the idea.

I never heard Benn prior to, during, or at any Con’t on Pg 4

Wednesday June 01, 2022

from on Pg 3

time after that meeting, express a personal desire to hold the two positions.

The matter was among those that the Minister raised at the March 30 meeting.

This suggests that he had been deliberately misinformed, since that matter was a non-issue, and advertisements for the position of CEO had been approved.

The purchase of the upper Hadfield Street property saw the Chairman recusing himself from involvement in the search for a building or land to construct a new office for the GPSCCU on the grounds that a member of the board had made an indecent and immoral proposal.

That proposal was to the effect that a property owner was offering an inducement of three million dollars if the credit union purchased a property on Durban Street.

The search was left in the hands of a subcommittee which finally identified the upper Hadfield Street property with an asking price of $178 million. At the insistence of Benn the sub-committee was able to negotiate the price downwards by $24

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million.

The committee approved the purchase of the property by a majority vote of nine in favour with one abstention. One member subsequently withdrew support for the decision.

The recruitment and appointment of the CEO was an acrimonious issue. The interviewing panel comprised members of the Admin and HR sub-committee at the April 9, 2022 statutory meeting.

That meeting recommended a candidate as the suitable person to fill the position. The chairman requested the subcommittee to submit a report supporting the recommendation to such a senior post.

This was refused on the grounds that the Chairman was questioning the integrity of the panel despite his protestations to the contrary; A motion to accept the recommendation was moved by a member and seconded. I who had been left to chair the meeting after the Chairman had excused himself, allowed a vote on the motion.

I supported the motion because I am aware that

under Roberts Rules governing meetings, I had the prerogative to ask for a review of a decision which I had supported, and which could not be possible if I had voted against it.

I exercised that prerogative by inviting the committee to an emergency meeting to resolve the matter.

Amidst heckling and the display of placards with the slogans like “Majority Rules”, I was able to identify the points which the report should cover and adjourned the meeting. The report was never submitted.

I continue to hold the view that the panel was singularly unprepared, unable and unwilling to prepare the type of report required in the appointment of someone to such a senior level.

The meeting at which Mr. Trevor L. Benn was deposed was called ostensibly to deal with “allegations against the credit union.” I am still unaware of what those allegations against the credit union are.

However, I am advised that two members present at that meeting cautioned against that intemperate and irrational move.

Benn was not notified of any allegation(s)/

charge(s) against him.

He was not made aware of: (i) the time, place and nature of any hearing; (ii) the legal authority/rule under which the hearing was to be held; (iii) statement(s) of specific charge(s)/ grounds and proposed action(s)/grounds which he was to meet.

Furthermore, he was denied the right of notice and as such was prevented from having sufficient information and material to enable him to put up an effective defence. Thus he was denied his rights including the right to (i) know the evidence against him; (ii) hear the presentation of the case and evidence; and (iii) rebut the adverse evidence.

Editor, at the very least, any procedure involving a fair hearing and due process ought to have been a hearing where: (i) The relevant evidence would have been submitted by his accuser(s); (ii) members of the committee would have been made aware of the evidence submitted; (iii) witnesses would have been examined; (iv) evidence, comments and arguments would have been heard on the matter; (v) Benn would

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have been given the opportunity to provide a written explanation(s) after receiving all material from his accuser(s); and (vi) he could have exercised his prerogative to use the assistance of a lawyer or other representative.

None of the foregoing happened. Mr. Benn’s inalienable rights were violated by an arbitrary and immoral noconfidence motion which flies in the face of his reasonable expectation of natural justice.

He ought to have been given an opportunity to know what were the accusations/allegations levelled against him.

He ought to have been given an opportunity to respond, and to be heard before the Committee.

These basic tenets of natural justice were never applied.

The petition by members of the credit union pursuant to Regulation 16 of the Cooperative Societies Regulations demanded inter alia called for a special general meeting of the GPSCCU to be convened within 14 days of receipt of the demand as stipulated by the said regulation.

On Friday May 13, 2022, the petition

was delivered to the registered address of the society addressed to the Secretary of the committee of management and a copy left for me in my capacity as acting Chairman at the time.

I convened an emergency meeting stating that the purpose was to discuss the petition.

The only committee member in attendance apart from me was Mr. Benn. I wrote the Secretary advising her that in light of the petition, arrangements must be commenced to hold the meeting.

The CEO was instructed by copy to start the process.

To date nothing has been done according to my instructions.

I was thus forced to carry out my duty as Chair in compliance with the mandate of Regulation 16, to cause to be published a notice convening a special general members meeting for June 25, 2022.

Editor I have taken up enough of your space and leave the public to arrive at their conclusions.

Yours faithfully!

Patrick E. Mentore Committee of Management GPSCCU Ltd.

Tuesday May 24, 2022

GOVERNMENT SIDE A NO-SHOW AT PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE

DEAR EDITOR On Wednesday, April 13, 2022, a motion was passed in the National Assembly of Guyana changing the quorum of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Before the passage of this motion, a quorum was any three members of the committee and this existed since 1963. A quorum now

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requires five members, two representing the Government, two representing the Opposition and the Chairperson.

During the debates the Opposition argued against the motion pointing out that the motion is an attempt by Government to dismantle the guardrails of our democracy, decide

when Public Accounts Committe should meet and at what pace the PAC should be working.

The Government vehemently disagreed with the Opposition’s position and in a nutshell indicated that it will never seek to stymie the work of the Public Accounts Committee.

The statutory day for PAC is every Monday

at 10am. On Monday, May 23, 2022, the Government side was a no-show at PAC. The Clerk of PAC informed the Opposition Members who were all present (Hon. Jermaine Figueira and Hon. David Patterson virtual and Hon. Ganesh Mahipaul and Hon. Juretha Fernandes physical) that the Government side has asked to be excused due to the flood situation in Region Nine. Noticeably present for the meeting were the Finance Secretary, Accountant General and the Auditor General representative.

Also present were the agencies to be examined (Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and Region Nine).

Editor, this action of the Government side to not attend PAC confirms and authenticates the Opposition’s position as articulated in the debates on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, that it is the Government’s attempt to

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dismantle the guardrails of our democracy, decide when PAC should meet and at what pace the PAC should be working.

G o v e r n m e n t members, Hon. Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo, Hon. Dharamkumar Seeraj and Hon. Sanjeev Datadin, are not staff members of the Civil Defence Commission nor are they Ministers of Government.

The Civil Defence Commission is responsible for the assessment of the flood situation in Region Nine and it is the CDC that recommends to the Prime Minister and Cabinet for Government’s intervention.

So the attempt by the Government PAC members to hoodwink us did not work.

We must see this act by the Government for what it is and that is the Government wants to slow down the work of the PAC so that the PAC will not be able to examine the accounts of

2020 and 2021.

The public perception about the Government’s spending of taxpayers’ dollars in 2020 after the passage of the budget in September 2020 and 2021 is shocking, marred with corruption and flies in the face of transparency and accountability.

Only the Public Accounts Committee can dispel that perception. One would have thought that this Government which sings about transparency and accountability would have wanted to clear the air, but clearly they don’t.

My next missive will focus on some of the findings of the Auditor General for 2020 and prove my point that the PPP Government is a corrupt regime.

Hon. Ganesh Mahipaul, M.P. Opposition PAC Member.

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