Minister of Local Government Ganga Persaud will stand behind Region Four’s Regional Executive Officer Deolall Rooplall and will not approve his dismissal by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC).
Persaud said the various accusations of failure to carry out duties made against Rooplall by Regional Chairman Clement Corlette were flawed. “The accusations made are not in his portfolio, and the motion is not rested on statement of facts.”
Persaud said there was a fundamental miscommunication in the RDC’s decision and when he speaks with Corlette this will be addressed. During a press conference at the ministry yesterday, Persaud said the RDC chairman was effectively asking him to act on the basis of the Municipal and District Councils Act, which does not directly apply to the RDC. Persaud said the citation from the act used by the RDC in challenging the REO’s role was not applicable.
Persaud said Corlette was misguided when he cited Chapter 28:01 of the Act that defines the roles of a council, which Corlette claimed was inclusive of a RDC. The RDC in a motion dated May 23 stated that Chapter 28:01 also governed the role of the clerk and his or her responsibility to the RDC, which Rooplall was. However, Persaud said many of the issues mentioned as failures on the part of Rooplall did not fall under his purview and as a result the RDC could not dismiss the REO and the ministry would not support the decision.
Persaud countered many of the transgressions that were noted by Corlette. He said the REO was being dismissed on the ground that he failed to submit plans and acquire furniture for school; however the region expended $4.2 million in 2012 under the education plan.
Persaud said while the RDC was contending the Rooplall may have misappropriated funds, he in fact saved the RDC $126 million having completed all of the projects that were laid out. Persaud pointed out that Rooplall was responsible for the execution of dam maintenance at Nabaclis. The minister said that although the RDC had issue with the purchase of a vehicle by the REO it was within his portfolio to purchase vehicles and the RDC may need to reacquaint itself with what the actual roles of REOs are.
The RDC dismissed the REO on Thursday of last week after a meeting was held on May 23 to discuss the results of a three-month probation. It was during the meeting that the RDC representative including Corlette came to a decision to dismiss Rooplall owing to his “failure” to adhere to his various obligations.
A letter seeking confirmation of the dismissal was subsequently sent to the minister.
Contacted, Corlette told Stabroek News that the minister has not formally responded to the letter. He said the RDC will wait for Persaud to communicate and they will hopefully discuss the issue further. Corlette did state that the RDC was frustrated with the intrusive manner in with the REO handled himself and his position. “There were many times that directives were not followed and the RDC had to do something to ensure that we were functioning like we should,” the regional chairman said.
Corlette had previously told Stabroek News he was anticipating that the minister “will respect the RDC’s autonomy and we expect him to uphold our decision.”
Among some of the issues the RDC has with Rooplall the overextension of his responsibility which infringes on the RDC’s functions. In Corlette’s missive to the minister on Friday, he stated that Rooplall had refused to account for $126 million in savings approved for the 2012 Work Plan. Rooplall was also the clerk in charge when over $700,000 in fuel was uplifted from a GuyOil station in December.
