Rickford Vieira has been fired from the post of Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) but he says he wishes the government no ill will and hopes it gives the agency the support it needs to become modernised and autonomous.
“I wish the government the best and I hope they give the support that is needed to the agency. It’s their loss not mine,” Vieira told Stabroek News yesterday.
He told this publication that while he has not yet collected the actual letter of dismissal, he is currently deciding on his future employment prospects. “There is no ill will wishes here… but I hope that whoever they replace me with can modernise the agency, it needs that and to be able to work as the semi-autonomous agency it is. I hope the person continues and gets implemented the programmes we started in 2012,” he added.
A brief statement from the Ministry of Natural Resources confirmed the termination of Vieira’s services yesterday afternoon.
“After careful consideration and advice, the Ministry of Natural Resources has decided to act on the recommendation of the Board of the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC) and terminate the services of Rickford Vieira as Commissioner of the Commission,” the statement read.
The Ministry said that it felt the decision was best.
“The Ministry believes that this is the best approach at this time with a new Board of Directors of the Commission soon to be inducted. The new Board members have the confidence of the Ministry to charter a new course for the Commission which for years has been dogged by corruption allegations and a beleaguered public image,” the statement also said.
There had been ongoing strife at the GGMC, with outgoing Chairman Clinton Williams, coming in for strong public criticism as he was seen as the driver behind the board’s advancing of a no-confidence motion against Vieira. It was exacerbated when details of Williams’ spending as Chairman were made public, coupled with other alleged transgressions.
Vieira was among four senior GGMC officials who were facing dismissal via the board and Williams had said some decisions were being contemplated following internal inquiries and a systems review.
The then board proposed that recommendations be forwarded to the government, which included having the Manager of the Mines Division transferred to the Guyana Mining School and Training Centre to serve as a teacher as it was believed that he did not understand his current duties or what was expected of him.
A recommendation was also made for the Manager of the Geological Services Division to be sent to teach at the Mining School as he had been operating in a capacity “above his competence and expertise.”
As for Vieira, some members of the board said he should be fired immediately and acting Commissioner Newell Dennison should replace him.
Their charge against Vieira was that he acted in dereliction of his duties as regards mines safety concerns and the provision of support to officers in the field. He was also accused of bringing the board into disrepute by disagreeing with and disassociating himself from the board and its decisions in a public place.
Stabroek News understands that the disagreement related to Vieira objecting to the controversial pre-election plan to transfer over $3 billion in funds from the autonomous agency to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) last year.
The scheme by the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic government was declared ultra vires and null and void by acting Chief Justice Ian Chang last May after a legal challenge was mounted by the WPA’s Desmond Trotman.
Sources say from then on relations between Williams and Vieira took a turn for the worse.
Vieira, who holds a Master’s Degree in Mining Engineering from the University of British Columbia, had worked from 2004 to 2011 for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Guianas as the Regional Coordinator, with responsibility for the organisation in Guyana Suriname and French Guiana.
The Ministry wished Vieira well in his future endeavours. It said that in the interim Dennison will continue to act as GGMC Commissioner.
