Dear Editor,
Please refer to letter which appeared in your Stabroek News of Thursday, December 25: ‘City councillors took no decision to employ the nurses.’ Honestly, we were befuddled by the attempt of Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Mr Norman Whittaker to intervene in this issue in the first place. He has no locus standi in matters at the Mayor and City Council, particularly in the daily administration of the Georgetown municipality. His unnecessary and unwanted intervention in this matter is really a microcosm of the government’s disdain and disrespect for local democracy in general, and for the people of Georgetown in particular.
Mr Whittaker’s perusal of council’s minutes is inconsequential to a decision of the council. The council is a local government authority with its own constitution, laws, rules and regulations. No one has the authority to change a council decision even if that person were the Minister of Local Government. Only the council can change its decisions.
However, in the interest of truth and justice, we wish to put the issue in its proper perspective. According to our records the council took a decision to employ nurses at its Municipal Maternal and Child Welfare Section.
Minutes of August 25, 2014, page 901: “The Personnel Officer reported that she had employed the persons in keeping with a decision of council. She said that Statutory Meeting held on July 14, 2014 when the report was discussed, council had made a decision to employ the nurses immediately and the Town Clerk (ag) was sitting as Secretary of the council had not objected to the decision made by the council and based on that decision she as the Personnel Officer employed the nurses.” In that same report, Councillor Oscar Clarke, Chairman of the Personnel and Training Committee said: he was not present when the interviews for the nurses were held but he was aware of it when he attended Statutory Meeting on July 14, 2014 only to hear that the matter of employment of the nurses was not settled since council don’t have the decision, it meant that something happened and it’s his opinion that the Personnel Officer acted correctly.” Again, in those minutes: “The Deputy Mayor interjected saying that she attended the last Statutory Meeting late and had brought it to the attention of the Mayor that the decision on the employment of the nurses was not recorded and the Personnel Officer should be lauded for acting promptly as she heard the Town Clerk (ag) said she was not employing some of the nurses which were identified for employment.”
What has been happening is that, spurred by the support of the Minister and government, Ms Carol Ryan Sooba – government imposed unqualified Town Clerk (ag) – has been manipulating the minutes. On several occasions councillors brought this unethical and clearly unbecoming practice of Ms Sooba to council but to no avail. The employment of the nurses is just one example of her manipulation of the minutes of council, there are more. October 13, 2014, Council agreed that the nurses who were issued appointment letters as a result of a decision taken by Council be paid (Statutory Agenda of October 27, 2014).
On October 27, 2014, Council took a decision that the nurses be paid. A motion was moved by Councillor Clarke and seconded by Councillor Shepherd that the nurses be paid by October 31, 2014. It was put to the vote and seventeen councillors voted in agreement. One councillor abstained (Minutes of Statutory Meeting of October 27, 2014, page 9).
On November 24, 2014, at the Statutory Meeting, Councillor Oscar Clarke asked for an update as it relates to the payment of nurses and after deliberations by the Council, the Town Clerk (ag) advised Council that the matter was still with Minister Whittaker. A motion was moved by Councillor Clarke and seconded by Councillor George that the nurses be paid before Christmas (Minutes and Agenda of Statutory Meeting of November 24, 2014, p. 1212 and 14 respectively).
Again, at its Statutory Meeting of Monday, December 8, 2014, under announcements the Mayor said: “The Council should demand that the City Treasurer and Town Clerk (ag) give some explanation as it relates to … why the nurses… were not paid in excess of five months.” At the last Statutory Meeting held on December 23, 2014, The Mayor and Councillors requested an update on the situation with the nurses as it relates to their payment. However, Ms Sooba refused to answer related questions. At that point councillors could no longer tolerate her reticence and rudeness; the meeting was adjourned.
We wish to make two final points here:
First, it is not our fault if the incompetent Ms Carol Ryan Sooba, imposed on this council by the Minister misinformed him; we have nothing to do with that. We always knew and still know that, Ms Sooba has no idea about management. She is inept and incapable of running the city council. She has and will continue to fail: she is incompetent. This is our final testimony in relation to her.
Second, we are very sad at the heartless and inhumane display by Ms Sooba and her supporters towards two nurses, who have been serving mothers and their babies in all of our clinics in Georgetown. Those two nurses have not been paid for more than five months. Yet they remain on the job. Their decision to stay on the job could only be described as great loyalty and commitment to the Georgetown municipality. We thank them most sincerely for their selfless service. We truly thank them.
Yours faithfully,
Patricia Chase-Green
Deputy Mayor of Georgetown
