Dear Editor,
As a member of the Guyana Public Service Cooperative Credit Union (GPSCCU), I observed with horror the disingenuous swaying of the wider membership of the GPSCCU by its otherwise politicized leadership, which began under the Chair-manship of Trevor Llewellyn Benn, installed together with the Interim Management Committee (IMC) on 25th May 2018 by the APNU+AFC Minister, Keith Scott. This was to recover amounts previously meant for an Audit and Supervision Fund, waived by Minister Dr. Nanda Kishore Gopaul, a former PPP/C Minister, in keeping with Section 55 of the Cooperatives Societies Act, Chapter 88:01, in order to allow the institutional Strengthening of the GPSCCU. This noble act by one Government was then destroyed by another and sums in excess of $100M retained for the benefit of education and other development of the GPSCCU were transferred from the Credit Union under the IMC Chairmanship of Trevor Llewellyn Benn, whose political affiliation is no secret.
Trevor Llewellyn Benn became Chairman of the Committee of Management of GPSCCU in 2021 under a questionable election process, mingled with “online voting” that was allowed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the planning of the online process there were no disclosures of systemic controls to render the voting platform transparent, but the wider membership heard that Benn and his chosen team was granted victory by a landslide. The restoration of normalcy through Government’s withdrawal of the COVID-19 Guidelines and requirements means that voting on October 24, 2022 must conform to Section 21 of the Cooperative Societies Regulations and the Rules of the Society.
Not to be deterred, Trevor Llewellyn Benn and committee subsequently made questionable decisions that currently threaten the stability of the Credit Union, and a fallout and split among committee members. They rolled out mortgage and car loans, alongside the traditional membership stabilizing loans that were offered by the GPSCCU, without bringing a sound investment plan to the wider membership for approval. At a recent meeting at Critchlow Labour College, a certified accountant aligned to Benn was proud to announce the depleting liquidity of the GPSCCU, within the first ten months of the mortgage and car loans rollout. According to him, almost one billion dollars ($1B) of the Credit Union cash balances was loaned out for mortgages, etc., with nearly a similar amount remaining. The reality is that in another few months there would be some difficulty to meet its operational commitments and loan requirements for the wider membership.
History reveals that the GPSCCU was birthed out of the struggles of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) for a better life for Public Service workers, which consecutive Governments failed to properly bestow upon them. The employed poor were to thereafter have access to loans they otherwise could not obtain from banks at affordable interest rates.
GPSCCU must not be allowed into political hands. It must remain to function effectively for the benefit of its members. The hijacking of the Credit Union by the overtly political operative of the APNU+AFC, Trevor Llewellyn Benn and his discarded nine surrogates, et anor, was doomed to failure when Benn unveiled his plan to Putin-like consolidate his power within the GPSCCU. His disclosed intent to become Chief Executive Officer, while holding the Chairmanship of GPSCCU immediately shattered the stranglehold he had on his team mates, who ostracized him and voted in consonance with the Society’s rules to remove him from the Chairmanship. Not to be outdone, he put his political training into action and whipped up support to remove the Committee, with the singular intent of regaining Chairmanship. Armed with new servants, he summoned the infamous Critchlow meeting, following a judicial ruling that resulted in new elections.
At that meeting, there was clear intent that the now estranged teammates of Trevor Llewellyn Benn that are currently being led by Mrs. Karen Vansluytman-Corbin were to be smothered and not be allowed to ever run for office again. These were his chosen team mates, but they were discarded since he could not get his way. He has since armed himself with new servants to rally the membership and to banish them into oblivion.
My fellow Members of the GPSCCU, be forewarned by the three positive colloquial sayings of our time that relates to the matter at hand. Firstly, “There is more in the mortar, than on the pestle”. Meaning that there is a lot more to the power struggles at GPSCCU. Secondly, “When elephants fight, the grass gets trampled”, meaning that in the battle for control between Benn’s chosen team and opposing forces, only the membership would suffer. Lastly, “Don’t take fire stick in the night to see the things you can see in broad daylight.” In this case the machinations of Benn’s chosen team and the deposed team has been clearly exposed, together with consequences, such as, the purchase of property for approximately $154M without the required approval of the general membership and the rolling out of long-term loans, without tabling for membership’s approval of a long-term investment plan.
I remembered the days when a more conservative Committee of Management was managing the affairs of the Credit Union, sticking to policies that largely served the needs of the membership and enabled the growth that is the fundamental crux of the current battle for control. This Committee of Management was vanquished by the stroke of the APNU+AFC pen, that foisted Trevor Llewellyn Benn upon the GPSCCU. He then chose the team, which he currently spurns and now invites the membership to install another of his choices. Could you trust in the leadership of this man? I call upon the membership to choose wisely, finding persons of diverse skills from among themselves. Our future does not include the Bennites.
Our future is based on how we prepare today, but another adage comes into play if you fail to heed my warning. “As you make your bed, so must you lie on it.” In short, you would bear the consequences of your fallacious decisions.
Yours sincerely,
Indira Thakurdin
Member
Guyana Public Service Cooperative
Union