..as Public Communications Consultant distances self from NPS
The Board of Directors of Smart City Solutions Inc (SCSI) on Thursday announced the immediate dismissal of controversial personnel Ifagbamila Kamau Cush from his position as a Director of the company, which spearheaded the parking meter
Former SCS Director Ifagbamila Kamau Cush
project in the city.
The announcement of the dismissal came a few hours before a third planned protest for the complete revocation of the parking meter project by the Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM).
According to SCSI, the decision to send Cush packing resulted from statements he made on his Facebook page on Thursday, February 9, 2017, when he made comments suggesting that Guyanese have the “mentality of slaves and indentured servants”.
The company said it has found the posts to be “completely unacceptable” and condemned as disgraceful Cush making the statements without any reference to or the authority of Smart City Solutions Inc.
Cush had stirred up controversy and came in for much blistering following his social media rants last week. He had also been the centre of attention when reports surfaced that he faced jail time back in 2002, serving four months in a US jail.
According to court documents, Cush had pleaded guilty to grand larceny in the third degree in a County Court of Nassau County, Long Island, New York back in March 2002. He was sentenced to four months’ incarceration and five years’ probation, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of US$7981.50. The document said Cush did not appeal and was released from custody on May 5, 2002.
The same document showed that on November 20, 2006, Cush was charged with violating the terms of his probation. The County Court signed a Declaration of Delinquency and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Cush was returned on the warrant in November 2006 and released on his own recognisance the following month. He was then returned again on the warrant on August 30, 2011.
On May 9, 2012, after numerous delays and a motion by the defendant to dismiss the charge, the court found that Cush had violated the terms of his probation, and sentenced him to one to three years’ imprisonment.
Meanwhile, Smart City’s Public Communications Consultant Kit Nascimento on Thursday distanced himself and the company from the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) and the National Parking Systems (NPS).
He said his company, Public Communications Consultants Limited, was engaged as Public Communications Consultant to SCSI and not to the M&CC and NPS.
“I wish to make it clear, therefore, that I am in no position to comment on any contract entered into or relationship, which existed between the Mayor & City Council and National Parking Systems.”
Nascimento was at the time responding to statements made by Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Green in sections of the media, while fielding questions about the “proper due diligence” work, which was done on NPS.
According to reports, when asked specifically about the due diligence work done on the contractors, Chase Green said she could not recall. She then said, “I cannot comment on that. I don’t know what you are talking about. Direct all questions to our PR, Kit Nascimento. See if he knows about it. “
