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FM
Former Member

JACKARSE!!!!

 

 

Sooba best suited for Town Clerk, ‘full stop’- Ganga Persaud

DECEMBER 7, 2013 | BY  | FILED UNDER NEWS 

 

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Ganga Persaud, is unworried even as controversy surrounds the appointment of Carol Sooba as Town Clerk. She was deemed to be unqualified for the position.
During a press conference yesterday, a defensive Persaud argued that the Ministry is satisfied that Sooba is the best suited candidate for the Town Clerk position, with all things being equal “full stop”.

Ganga Persaud

Ganga Persaud

Even with media operatives pressing to find out Sooba’s qualifications and the criteria for the appointment, Persaud remained aggressive and determined not to divulge the relevant information.
The Minister seemingly believed that his diversion strategy was working but it only opened room for more questions and vindication for the Mayor and City Councillors that something grave is amiss with her appointment.
Earlier this week, Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon announced that Sooba was appointed Town Clerk. She had been acting in that capacity for the past 16 months. And, the Council is adamant that the move to appoint an “unqualified” Sooba to such a pertinent position is an insult to academically qualified persons and those seeking higher education.
Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Greene had said that Sooba’s appointment “comes as a great surprise to a member of the panel that sat to do interviews for the position of Town Clerk and Treasurer.”
“At our interview the requirements for the position of Town Clerk were a Degree in Law, Economics, Urban Planning and Public Management amongst others.” Greene said there were four candidates, two of whom were in line with the requirements.
Mr. Paul Clarke and the Council’s current Public Relations Officer Mr. Royston King were shortlisted, while Mr. Darren Khan and Sooba, “being the least qualified” did not fit the bill.
According to Chase-Greene, with Clarke being the most qualified of the lot, the interview panel recommended that Clarke was the fittest for the post.
However, Minister Persaud was offended with “assumptions” that Sooba is unqualified for the position. He questioned the source that deemed Sooba unqualified and contended that it is improper to say someone is unqualified without providing the evidence.
Nonetheless, he could not have provided evidence of her qualifications and said it is his business, though she would be executing her tasks as a public officer.

Carol Sooba

Carol Sooba

As a requirement for the position the candidate must have academic qualifications and Sooba is not without that, he added.
Contradicting his comments, a reporter shuffled his memory that Junior Minister of Local Government Norman Whittaker at an earlier press conference had said that Sooba was unqualified for the position.
Apparently, this is not the first time the Ministry has advertised to fill the position of Town Clerk.
It was noted that when the vacancy was first advertised Sooba along with other candidates had applied. But, Whittaker had said none of the candidates were qualified to fill the positions.
Whittaker who was present at the press conference opted to remain silent while Persaud raved that the only thing that changed is that the position ran long enough and the Ministry believes that Sooba is the best suited candidate for the position.

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MORE ABUSE FROM THE OLD FOWL TIEF!!!

 

 

It is appalling to note that firstly Minister Ganga Persaud, a man who allegedly has a questionable character, from this PPP/C Government, gave instructions for the arbitrary transfer of the overseers.

The reality of the situation is that this Government takes pride in instituting hardships for our people. In many cases these overseers have to travel to another NDC to do the work which they were doing in the NDC they originally came from.

 

  • Is this a PPP gimmick, Mr. Ganga Persaud?
  • Is it a ploy to inflict more hardship on the people of Guyana?
  • Is it a plan for you to facilitate jiggery pokery at the next local government elections?
  • Is this bare faced political thuggery from the PPP/C?
  • Why has this Minister set out to hamper those little people who are trying to earn an honest living?

The Overseers out of fear had to give life to the transfers against their will. It is for reasons like these that a great chunk of the electorate turned their backs against the PPP/C. Mr. Ganga Persaud and the PPP must stop using their powers to inflict harm on our people. The Guyanese people deserve a better life.

During the ninth Parliament many local government Bills were discussed by a Special Select Committee of the National Assembly. There were issues which were not resolved and agreed by the Committees. We must bring them back, re-open the discussions on those issues and have them resolved.

There can be no Local Government Elections without the completion of the Local Government Reform proposed by the Local Government Task Force. The PPP/C must understand that local government elections without the reforms will be a recipe for disaster. The people of Guyana are awake and have sent the strong message that they want good governance.

Let us, therefore, not succumb to Mr. Ganga Persaud and the PPP/C thuggery. Let us stop the high handed approach by the PPP/C. The ordinary people in the NDC’s are capable of making decisions. Let the PPP/C “democracy” of which they often speak be put where the monkeys put the nuts.

FM

Chief Justice orders Minister to explain Carol Sooba’s appointment
December 14, 2013 | By KNews | Filed Under News

Local Government Minister Ganga Persuad will have to show cause why Chief Justice Ian Chang should not set aside the controversial confirmation of Carol Sooba to the post of Town Clerk. The Chief Justice granted an Order Nisi yesterday which would be served on the Minister for him to disclose to the court the basis under which the confirmed Town Clerk was chosen. The matter was taken to the Supreme Court by Royston King, City Hall’s Public Relations Officer and one of the applicants that took part in the interview sessions. King has applied to have Sooba’s appointment quashed. He is represented by Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes.

King in his affidavit  explained his position and disclosed all necessary information about himself regarding this matter. His challenge to Sooba’s appointment has three principal bases; that he (King) had a legitimate expectation, that after abiding by the rules and requirements of the Ministry-convened interview panel, that a legitimate decision would be made in relation to the criteria set. King contended that the Minister would have established the interview panel; setting out a criterion to identify a most suitable candidate; that that panel would have made certain requests that the applicants would have had to satisfy. It was further contended that the decision of the minister deviated from that set criteria when Sooba was appointed Town Clerk. King is stating that when the Minister chose Sooba for the post by the powers vested in him, he did not take into consideration the criteria that the interview panel would have set, that the viable applicants would have satisfied rules and regulations and that the recommendations of the interview panel was ignored.

The matter will be back in court on December 23.

The Local Government Ministry, about a month ago, had set up an interview panel to select a suitable person for the post of Town Clerk. Four persons applied including one Paul Clarke, Royston King and the current Town Clerk Carol Sooba. The panel included Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, Local Government Permanent Secretary Collin Croal and Guyana Local Government Officers Union (GLGOU) President Dale Beresford among others. The union President and the Deputy Mayor have stated continuously that the panel unanimously recommended Paul Clarke for the post while King was the second most suitable person.
The two were however by passed and Sooba appointed. The Local Government Minister said that Clarke failed to make certain disclosures about a passed job and declared that Sooba was the second most suitable for the post.

King decided to challenge the decision. “I believe the time has come when professionals must be respected and such, matters should be tested in a court of law. It has to do with organizational ethics, legitimate expectations, professional pride and integrity.” Most city Councilors are against Sooba’s appointment claiming that her presence at City Hall is to stifle their work, progress and responsibility to the city; and that she is acting accordingly. They say she disregards their decisions.

Mitwah

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