Govt to engage former EPA Director professionally – President

The Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government will still be engaging former Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Vincent Adams, at a professional level. This is according to President Dr Irfaan Ali.

Dr Vincent Adams, former Head of the Environmental Protection Agency, was sent on 126 days’ leave after the PPP/C Administration assumed office. Dr Adams was asked to hand over to Sharifa Razack, who is currently the Permit Review and Authorisation Manager at the EPA.
President Ali explained that the EPA is an agency with a wide scope of institutional capacity, hence Dr Adams being sent off will not affect the EPA’s ability in the decision-making process.
Further, President Ali pointed out that Dr Adams’s qualifications are not directly in the environmental field, but are rather in oil and gas.
“So, somebody is holding there now who has 20 years’ experience in EPA, so I don’t see the work of the EPA being affected in any way. We have just also appointed a new board. We have to place people where their skill sets are best suited,” Ali said.
The Head of State also pointed to some actions of Dr Adams which the current administration has taken note of.
“While (Dr) Vincent Adams is a professional, and we will be engaging him, he also had a political role. Sometimes we knowingly forget that some of these persons were actually on the campaign trail and were on the stage; that is why I said that we need to have a professional pool in our country that work in a professional manner, and when you cross into the political realm, you have to understand that there are consequences.”
Dr Adams is an Energy Expert and Scientist who has a PhD in Environmental Engineering, and is a PhD Candidate in Petroleum and Geological Engineering, among other oil-related qualifications. (G4)