President David Granger yesterday defended his decision to retain former Housing Minister Valarie Adams-Yearwood in a ministerial capacity and explained that her appointment as the Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture with responsibility for Rural Affairs was in the public interest.
“She has not been convicted of any crime and I feel that her services could be used in supporting the Ministry of Agriculture with responsibility for Rural Affairs,” Granger told the media shortly after swearing in new ministers who were appointed to the posts left vacant after the resignation of four dual citizen parliamentarians.
Adams-Yearwood was not in attendance and no reason was given for her absence.
When asked about her reassignment, Granger acknowledged that there were certain allegations and added that he felt that it would in the public interest for her to go to another ministry.
The president noted that following the allegations against Adams-Yearwood, about whom concerns about possible conflict of interest has been raised, he met her. “She clarified the allegations. At this point, I am satisfied that she has not committed any criminal offence and that she is a fit and proper person to continue to serve in the Department of Rural Affairs in the Ministry of Agriculture,” he added.
Adams-Yearwood’s husband, Godfrey Yearwood, has been granted contracts from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), which fell under her authority. At least one of the contracts was issued after Yearwood married the Minister in August of 2017.
In response to questions on the issue, Adams-Yearwood said she had no hand in the award of the contracts to her husband and that she only became aware of them when he informed her.
In a statement released through the Department of Public Information (DPI), the minister explained that her husband, Godfrey Yearwood, who is a well-known contractor of over 33 years, was contracted by the CH&PA to construct a duplex unit, two single elevated units and two units for the differently-abled. The three contracts were all signed in 2017, with the final one signed in December, 2017.
Prior to that, she said he was contracted in early 2017 along with another contractor to do rehabilitation works at the Linden office and both were highly commended publicly by CH&PA Chief Executive Officer Lelon Saul.
“I had no input whatsoever, with regard to the award of these contracts. I became knowledgeable of same when Mr. Yearwood informed me directly,” she insisted.
According to Adams-Yearwood, like all other contractors, her husband received every contract through the official bidding process. “Every contract that was/is engaged in was awarded by the competent authority – the Board of Directors of CHPA, of which I am not a member. Like all other contractors, Mr. Yearwood is subject to the same rules and regulations, without exception,” she added.
The minister also sought to debunk claims that she collected money on her husband’s behalf. “There is absolutely no truth to the unfounded allegation that I collected any monies on behalf of my husband. I have never collected any cash or cheque(s) on behalf of Yearwood Contracting & Consultancy Company. It is a total falsehood. During my travels for medical reasons, Mr. Yearwood authorised Mr. Delroy Anthony to sign for cheques that became payable during Mr. Yearwood’s absence,” she said.
Further, she stressed that she did not and is not presiding over any aspect of the contract award process. “The selection of contractors, the awarding of and/or the termination of contracts are outside my remit as Minister. I had no involvement in the (pre or post) award of the contracts to my husband or any other contractor,” she said.
Adams-Yearwood explained that in 2017, as part of the effort to promote the Housing Solutions 2017 and Beyond Project, she was present at the symbolic signing ceremony for contractors that had been pre-qualified to build houses for the Housing Expo. She said two of the contractors signed their documents that day but stopped short of saying if her husband was one of these persons.
Meanwhile, during a post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday, Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency Joseph Harmon was asked if Cabinet received any report on the allegations made against the minister.
In response, he said that there were some reports in the public space and the media but “I cannot say that Cabinet received a specific report on that matter but certainly His Excellency gives credence to reports that are out there in the public domain because we believe that we have to government this country with the public view and the public interest in mind at all times.”
He added that in the interest of the country, public good and public interest, the president will make decisions that are required to be made. “So His Excellency decided that there is going to be some reassignment of ministers and that is what he actually did. I cannot say whether in fact there was a specific report because I do not recall a specific report made to the Cabinet or deliberated on at the Cabinet that would have said that there is something wrong about what a minister might or might not have done,” he added.
Following the announcement of her reassignment last week, Adams-Yearwood described it as a promotion.
