(Trinidad Guardian) The board of Caribbean Airlines (CAL) met with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Thursday morning to express their dissatisfaction at the way chairman George Nicholas is running the state-owned airline. The board members also expressed their concern to Works and Transport Minister, Jack Warner. The CAL board, the Guardian understands, want Nicholas to step down. Warner has confirmed that there are “rumblings” within the board which he intends to investigate but said no decision will be taken without consultation with the Prime Minister or Attorney General Anand Ramlogan.
Warner expects the issue to be raised when he meets with all the state boards under his Ministry’s portfolio next Tuesday. In response, Nicholas neither confirmed nor denied the report. He told the Guardian that the board “remains with a common purpose and is focused on serving the people.” It was only three months ago that the board and Warner were at loggerheads over their decision to fire former chief executive, Captain Ian Brunton.
Warner had called on the then three-week-old board to do the ethical thing and resign but the board remained steadfast and in support of Nicholas. Warner and Nicholas subsequently mended bridges. But the Guardian understands there is brewing discontent among board members about unilateral decisions being taken by Nicholas. The other board member include vice chairman, Mohan Jaikaran, Allan Clovis, Gizelle Russell, Susan Smith, Avedanand Persad and Venosh Sagewan-Maraj.
