The Ministry of Agricul-ture is moving to terminate the tenured employment contracts of service of employees of the Crops and Livestock department of the ministry. These employees are currently covered by the Public Service Rules, since they are employed through the Public Service Ministry.
The new proposed arrangement seeks to make Extension and other Officers month to month contracted employees of the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI). The government has not yet notified the affected persons about the reasons for the move or for that matter, the arrangements to be made with respect to their benefits upon severance.
Extension Officers have enjoyed duty free concession for the purchase of motor cars for the execution of their duties as travelling officers. This will be removed. The simple excuse being that, employees could be let go at any time with one month’s notice. The duty free concession is rooted in the understanding that there is security of tenure and this in turn translates into guaranteed long term service. The concession is tied to service.
In the mad rush to implement this unwise decision, the usual power play and muscle flexing is emerging. NARI’s Director Oudho Homenauth by letter dated 18th March, 2010, issued some instructions to the Chief Crops and Livestock Officer (CCLO) with respect to giving effect to a Ministerial order.
Organisationally, the Permanent Secretary is responsible for the overall administration of the Ministry. The CCLO reports to and takes instructions from the PS. NARI is a body set up by the NARI Act and has no functional relationship with the Crops and Livestock department. How, therefore can the Minister allow Homenauth to exercise or even attempt to exercise authority over the CCLO Mr. Brian Sears? That this has been allowed to happen is ridiculous!
Worse than that, however, is that at paragraph two of the letter (a copy of which I have attached) Homenauth issues instructions to “the personnel listed below”. These personnel listed below in the letter include: Mr. George Jervis – DPS Administration and Ms. Prema Ramanah-Roopnarine – DPS Finance.
The recall of this offensive letter by Mr. Homenauth is overdue! This type of power play affects the professional management of key sectors all across Guyana and has been entertained for too long. It must stop now! Who gave this type of power to Homenauth? What is Mr. Brian Sears doing about this assault on his professionalism? Are the two Deputy Permanent Secretaries comfortable with being directed by a person with no administrative authority over them? Is this the manner in which the Minister of Agriculture intends to operate? This confounded nonsense must stop!
Yours faithfully,
Mervyn Williams, MP
