Dear Editor,
We are not at all amused by accusations of racism levelled against the Mayor and Councillors, by Ms Carol Sooba, and the allegation of gender bias on the part of the Mayor by the WPO, as reported in some sections of the local media. These are very serious issues, which if not addressed, could affect the relationship between the council and its employees and consequently, the general operation of the municipality. In any case, such accusations against the council could not be taken lightly or go unanswered by the Mayor and Councillors, who were elected to represent the interests of all the residents and their local communities, in the city of Georgetown. They were elected to serve the entire city and if there is one thread of truth in a charge of racism, then it would affect their ability to carry out their collective mandate.
However, the records of this council will show that the Georgetown municipality has been in existence for more than one hundred years. During that time, 1837-2014, the Mayoral Chair and the Mayoral Mace were graced with the presence of Mayors whose ethnicity spread across the racial spectrum in Guyana. From John Croal – 1837, to G A Forshaw- 1887, to Rahaman B Gajraj- 1952, to Lionel A Luckhoo, to B E Simon- 1974, to Mavis Benn- 1981, to Compton Young- 1990, to Hamilton Green- 1994; 1996 to present. They and all the other Mayors of Georgetown presided over this beloved city of ours with strength and courage.
Equally so, our departments, sections and divisions benefited and continue to benefit from officers and workers of different ethnicities.
However, this is the first time any official of this council has made a charge of racism against it; not only is it unprecedented but it is also untrue.
It is true that the council has had incidents of industrial relations challenges but it has always demonstrated a culture of care for its workers and more particularly a deliberate respect for ethnic and cultural diversity among its employees and other stakeholders.
Available information about our employment policies and practices at city council reveals that historically successive councils concerned themselves with the requirements for a position – education, training, aptitude, skills, qualifications and competencies – they were never distracted by race.
However, within recent times, those policies and practices have been, not covertly, abandoned for things that are more politically expedient. This has allowed individuals who do not qualify for specific jobs or positions to be appointed to them. For example, the basic requirement for the position of town clerk is a degree in Public Administration or Management. However, the current holder of that position, Ms Carol Sooba does not meet those requirements. In fact, she does not have any degree in any field of study. Yet, she was appointed to that post. It was necessary for us to mention that because it is the real source of contention at the council. This leads to the wider point of the breach of certain fundamental principles of fairness, justice and respect for the democratically elected Mayor and City Councillors. This is what is causing the problem at City Hall, not ethnicity or gender.
More than that, Ms Sooba has been granted extraordinary liberties, to say and do things that even permanent secretaries working with ministers of government could not get away with; a level of lawlessness that knows no match in Guyana or the Caribbean.
Add to that the fact that Ms Sooba as a public servant can utter anything and everything publicly against the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors, at statutory and other meetings of the council. Since when could a public servant can actually tell off elected officials in full view of the public? Since when could a public servant employed by the Mayor and Council of any city tell the Mayor, who is the Chair of the Council, as reported in the media, that he is tired and needs to bow out gracefully? It is unheard of in any municipality. But it is the reality at City Hall.
If ethnicity and gender were the real problems at City Hall, how would we account for the dismissal of two previous town clerks, both women and of African ancestry – Beulah Williams and Yonette Pluck? They were qualified for the post, and the transgressions for which they were dismissed, pale in the light of all the current happenings in that office. They too endured much hardship at the Mayor and City Council but we heard not a word from the WPO in their defence.
We recall that the Chief City Engineer, Cephas James, City Treasurers, Roderick Edinboro and Andrew Meredith, and Hubert Urling, Solid Waste Director, all of African ancestry, highly qualified, were dismissed from this council.
Again, the applicants who secured the two top places for the post of Town Clerk at an interview held over a year ago at the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, were of African ancestry; neither one was appointed to the post of Town Clerk of Georgetown; Ms Sooba was appointed to the position of Town Clerk. No, it’s not race at all.
Ms Sooba is permitted to publicly disrespect the elders (city councillors) of a particular ethnic community but cries racism when they react. These are individuals who have been holding the fort at City Hall since 1994. It is not their fault that they are still at the council. In fact, they should be applauded for giving up so much of their time and energy to keep the Georgetown municipality going. Many of them remain here at great personal sacrifice. Still, they are treated with little or no respect by Ms Sooba. It is nonsense and is affecting the very culture of this municipality and the development of the city of Georgetown.
Also, the decisions of council are just not implemented and systems to provide vital municipal services have almost collapsed. Apart from the works carried out in the city by central Government nothing else is happening for us.
Therefore, the council has taken a principled position, that it will do all things practicable to fulfil its mandate to represent the interest of the people of Georgetown. It has no other option.
Yours faithfully,
Royston King
