Chairman of the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) Board of Directors Nigel Hinds on Thursday tendered his resignation, while saying that he could not perform in the best interest of the company as a “rubber stamp.”
His resignation, effective from October 26, 2016, follows ongoing issues with the corporation’s Chief Executive Officer Dr Richard Van West-Charles.
In the October 6, 2016 resignation letter, which was sent to Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan and seen by Stabroek News, Hinds said he was resigning with regret.
West Charles
“The faith and confidence you have placed in me to perform the duties of Chairman is greatly appreciated and I have endeavoured over the last year to carry out the functions of the Board Chairman to the best of my ability,” he wrote.
“However, I cannot perform in the best interest of GWI, GWI staff, GWI shareholders and other stakeholders of GWI – as a rubber stamp Chairman of GWI. Thus, my resignation,” he added.
Stabroek News had been told that Hinds had wanted a motion to be moved by the board to recommend to Bulkan that the CEO be sent on administrative leave, pending an investigation into complaints made against him by senior staff. The motion was later amended to having the affected senior staff be given a hearing before any decision is taken.
This newspaper was told that the board, which had reportedly launched an investigation into the CEO’s actions, was unable to take any disciplinary action against him and even if it were, there are some members who would be against such a course of action.
Stabroek News was told that the matter had reached the level of Cabinet and that a sub-committee was set up to meet with the board chair and the CEO. This would have been after a number of complaints would have been handed over to Minister Bulkan and others from senior managers at GWI.
‘Counterproductive’
One senior manager had complained bitterly about being called “unwilling, deaf and cantankerous” whenever she disagreed with the CEO in meetings and she described the name calling as “highly offensive, [and] completely unprofessional.”
“I no longer feel free to express my opinions and contribute to the discussions,” she had written in a letter of complaint.
Stabroek News has seen another complaint by another senior officer, who said she was told by the CEO that she had “mental issues” and that she should seek professional counselling following a Facebook post she would have made and which was later removed.
“It is insulting, demotivating, intimidating, aggravating and to say the least, slanderous,” the officer said, while charging that the CEO’s behaviour is “counterproductive to a professional work environment.”
The officer also said that it was not the first personal attack on her character by the CEO as he had previously called her integrity into question and accused her of being incompetent. She said that she was seeking legal advice on the latest attack.
Reports are that senior staff members of GWI have tirelessly complained about the actions of the CEO, including him purportedly superseding the authority of various department heads and in one case even renaming a department without informing the person who was in charge of it.
“There is the issue of abuse of authority and it still continues… [The] majority of GWI senior staff members have made some very serious complaints against the CEO,” Hinds had told this newspaper last week when contacted.
He had also confirmed that he and the CEO were expected to have a meeting with a Cabinet sub-committee.
At the meeting, this newspaper understands, it was suggested that differences be swept under the carpet and Hinds and Van West-Charles work together for the good of the corporation.
From reports reaching this newspaper, the government is not in favour of sacking the CEO, which some believe would further embolden him and make the working environment for the senior staff difficult.
The hiring of Van West-Charles had raised some concerns since the position was not advertised. According to new information reaching this newspaper, he was recommended by Cabinet for the position and this was ratified by the Board of Directors.
The Board recently was forced to terminate the employment of Debt Recovery Manager Lear Goring, who was not qualified for that position. Goring, who is a convicted drug felon, is a friend of the CEO and was hired without the position being advertised.
Apart from Goring, James King, another close friend of Van West-Charles, was employed as deputy security officer without the post being advertised. It is also understood that King’s position was not even in the established structure of GWI. Sources had expressed disquiet after King was employed shortly after he had accompanied Van West-Charles on an outreach to Berbice and was introduced as the friend of the CEO.
