The last holdover Regional Executive Officer (REO) from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) era has been removed as Government has opted against renewing the contract of long-time Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) REO, Peter Ramotar.
![The last holdover Regional Executive Officer (REO) from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) era has been removed as Government has opted against renewing the contract of long-time Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) REO, Peter Ramotar. Guyana Times learnt that the former REO of Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Roderick Edinboro was transferred to Region Seven earlier this month replacing Ramotar. When this newspaper contacted Ramotar on Saturday, he confirmed that he was ushered out of his post, pointing out that his was the final REO from the time of the former administration: “Bulkan made it quite clear that all the REOs would go except me…[Region Seven] was always a PNC-controlled region and they felt once they kept me, there was very little room for me to do outside of the norm.” Ramotar, brother of former President Donald Ramotar explained that an official reason for the non-renewal was not given. “They didn’t agree to renewal. They didn’t give a reason. I did ask if it had to do with the quality of my work and I was told no....when they came into power they send off all [the] other fellows, they gave me a contract for a year, when the time came for renewal, I applied and they wrote saying that it would not be renewed,” Ramotar noted. “I had a year-to-year contract and I do not think there was any necessity to give a reason,” he noted. The ex-official also opined that he executed his duties with professionalism and left on good terms with his now former colleagues in the region. Ramotar suggested that government perhaps did not have full confidence in his performance: “I guess they probably have people who they have more confidence in doing what they want done…I [tried] to be professional as far as possible, I had a very good working relationship with all the team players –the Regional Chairman and all the councillors; nobody in anyway showed me any disrespect,” he noted When asked about his future now that he is unemployed, the former REO indicated that he is currently in a “job-seeking mode”. Ramotar served as Region Seven’s REO from January 2007 up until the July 7, 2016 date when his contract expired. Before then he served as Region’s Eight REO from 2000-2007. Since the coalition’s assumption to Office in May 2015, several PPP/C REOs have been axed by government, causing the Party to accuse the administration of political witch-hunting. Nigel Fisher – Region One (Barima-Waini); Ashford Ambedkar – Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); Paul Ramrattan – Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Yolanda Hiliman – Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), were served with letters of termination. Additionally, government had terminated the services of REOs for Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) Donald Gagraj; Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Deolall Rooplall; Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) Ronald Harsaywack and Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) Claire Singh. Government had sought to defend this action by claiming that it needed more qualified persons to fill the posts, “given the complexity of managing five sectors within the region.” Time and time again, the PPP/C has been condemning the current government for its indiscriminate dismissal of Guyanese professionals on the basis of their “race and political affiliation.” More than any other thing, the PPP/C has objected to the manner in which the dismissals were effected, pointing out that the employees were not afforded due process. (Shemuel Fanfair)](https://www.guyana-times.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/PETER-183x300.jpg)
Guyana Times learnt that the former REO of Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Roderick Edinboro was transferred to Region Seven earlier this month replacing Ramotar. When this newspaper contacted Ramotar on Saturday, he confirmed that he was ushered out of his post, pointing out that his was the final REO from the time of the former administration:
“Bulkan made it quite clear that all the REOs would go except me…[Region Seven] was always a PNC-controlled region and they felt once they kept me, there was very little room for me to do outside of the norm.”
Ramotar, brother of former President Donald Ramotar explained that an official reason for the non-renewal was not given.
“They didn’t agree to renewal. They didn’t give a reason. I did ask if it had to do with the quality of my work and I was told no….when they came into power they send off all [the] other fellows, they gave me a contract for a year, when the time came for renewal, I applied and they wrote saying that it would not be renewed,” Ramotar noted.
“I had a year-to-year contract and I do not think there was any necessity to give a reason,” he noted.
The ex-official also opined that he executed his duties with professionalism and left on good terms with his now former colleagues in the region. Ramotar suggested that government perhaps did not have full confidence in his performance: “I guess they probably have people who they have more confidence in doing what they want done…I [tried] to be professional as far as possible, I had a very good working relationship with all the team players –the Regional Chairman and all the councillors; nobody in anyway showed me any disrespect,” he noted
When asked about his future now that he is unemployed, the former REO indicated that he is currently in a “job-seeking mode”.
Ramotar served as Region Seven’s REO from January 2007 up until the July 7, 2016 date when his contract expired. Before then he served as Region’s Eight REO from 2000-2007.
Since the coalition’s assumption to Office in May 2015, several PPP/C REOs have been axed by government, causing the Party to accuse the administration of political witch-hunting.
Nigel Fisher – Region One (Barima-Waini); Ashford Ambedkar – Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); Paul Ramrattan – Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Yolanda Hiliman – Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), were served with letters of termination.
Additionally, government had terminated the services of REOs for Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) Donald Gagraj; Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Deolall Rooplall; Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) Ronald Harsaywack and Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) Claire Singh.
Government had sought to defend this action by claiming that it needed more qualified persons to fill the posts, “given the complexity of managing five sectors within the region.”
Time and time again, the PPP/C has been condemning the current government for its indiscriminate dismissal of Guyanese professionals on the basis of their “race and political affiliation.” More than any other thing, the PPP/C has objected to the manner in which the dismissals were effected, pointing out that the employees were not afforded due process. (Shemuel Fanfair)
