The five members of the Police Service Commission took the oath of service on Thursday and businessman Dennis Morgan Mudlier was once again appointed as its Chairman.
The others members of the commission sworn in by President Bharrat Jagdeo at the Office of the President were Harold Martin, Franchot Duncan-Clarke, Ganga Persaud and Alvin Smith.
The life of the last commission expired in October last year.
Speaking to reporters following the brief swearing-in ceremony, Mudlier said the commission’s immediate agenda is to resolve pending matters and to address new matters that may have been taken before it. The matters would have to prioritised, he said.
As to promotions within the police force he explained that he was not sure if there are recommendations before the commission but noted that if this is so there are procedures that need to be followed. He pointed out that the standard procedures could take some time. “It can take days, it can take weeks, depending on what needs to be done,” he added.
Mudlier also disclosed that during the life of the last commission, disciplinary action was taken against members of the police force and there were also a number of appeals. While he admitted that a few officers were also dismissed, he said he did not think it would be “ethical” for him to say how many policemen and women were let go.
Most of the members have sat on the commission for over a decade and Mudlier described the commission as one that is “well-balanced,” while adding that its decisions would be “fair.” He said, “I must say that all the members of the commission are very knowledgeable people because they have all been serving members of the Guyana Police Force before they retired and they held senior positions…. As such, they have wide knowledge in the operations of the force and then they sat on the commission [before].”
Meanwhile, newly appointed Chief Education Officer (CEO) Olato Sam was sworn in as a member of the Teaching Service Com-mission by President Jagdeo on Thursday.
Sam, who is the technical advisor within the Ministry of Education, was late last year appointed in the CEO position, five years after the post was made vacant. Genevieve Whyte-Nedd acted in the position until her retirement but was never appointed.
A release from the ministry had said that Sam had been serving as the technical advisor to Minister of Education since 2007. It said that Sam was also Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cyril Potter College of Education and was instrumental in introducing a number of education initiatives, including designing, implementing and coordinating the Teacher Education Improvement Project being funded by the World Bank.
Whyte-Nedd served as acting CEO since September 2005 up until her retirement last year. Although the Education Ministry advertised for the position in March 2006 and again in October 2006, and Whyte-Nedd applied for the post, she was never appointed. The Public Service Commission (PSC), which is empowered under article 120 of the Constitution to make the appointment, had said that the failure to appoint Whyte-Nedd was because the commission was in the midst of a restructuring exercise.
Last July, Whyte-Nedd filed a motion in the High Court calling on the PSC to show cause why the decision not to appoint a CEO should not be set aside. The motion was granted by Justice Franklin Holder. She charged that the current PSC, which was established in 2007, failed to fill the vacant post but considered and filled several other vacancies, including that of Assistant Chief Education Officer (Primary).
The PSC has since requested leave to file an affidavit in answer. The matter is to be called on January 17.
