President says running of State entities is not “power play”

NCN saga

In light of the recent suspension of a Sport Editor and the removal of a journalist from anchoring duties because of her pregnancy at the National Communications Network (NCN), President David Granger is reminding that the administration of State-run entities is not a power play:
“We are running an administration for the benefit of all Guyanese people, it mustn’t become a platform for one person to exercise absolute power. There must be rules,” the Head of State told reporters on the weekly televised programme – The Public Interest – which aired on Friday.
The President was at the time speaking on the recent one-month suspension of NCN’s Sport Editor, Jocelle Archibald-Hawke, and the removal of journalist Natasha Smith, from anchoring because of her pregnancy. He criticised the actions of the state broadcasting

network, calling the recent decisions, which have caused much public outrage, inhumane.
Even though Smith has since been apologised to by Human Resources Manager, Tishika Da Costa, and told that she can return to the TV set, President Granger noted that he is concerned about the treatment of pregnant women in the workplace.
His concerns come one year after three City Constables were dismissed by Chief Constabulary Officer Andrew Foo after they were found to be pregnant before the end of their two-year probation. According to President Granger, following that incident in August last year, his administration proposed to the City Council to apply the same policy that the Guyana Defence Force and Guyana Police Force employ. He added that in light of this recent case at NCN, it was since recommended that there be a generalised government policy on pregnant women within the public sector:
“We did promulgate a policy but it was mainly for persons in uniform; but now, apparently it’s for everybody in public employ. That is the direction we are moving in… We didn’t think it would have come to this because, as far as I’m concerned, NCN was quite out of place, out of order to have the person removed from the job that she was doing (because of her pregnancy).”
The Head of State went on to underline that there should be no obstruction to women being allowed to perform their duties because of their pregnancy: “That is the State policy, that there should be no obstacle, no obstruction and certainly people should not be punished by being removed from their jobs.”
Meanwhile as it relates to Archibald-Hawke, the Sport Editor who was suspended one-month without pay for making a facebook comment

about another staff who a few weeks ago asked the President about popular reality game – Pokémon Go – on the same Public Interest programme, despite NCN management maintaining that their decision against the single mother of two was justified, President Granger felt it was unreasonable:
“I think it is inhumane to deprive an employee of her salary without due process. She hasn’t committed a crime, it’s not as though she is a murderer. I think that it was inhumane to take away her salary or to suspend her from her job. I don’t know she has committed a crime at all,” the Head of State posited.
In light of the recent issues at NCN, calls have been mounting for the removal of Chief Executive Officer, Lennox Cornette. However, when asked whether any actions will be taken against the CEO, the Head of State declined to say, noting that such a decision falls under the portfolio of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who is in charge of the State media:
“I can’t say that something is going to happen to him but I hoped that he or the persons responsible for those two incidents would operate in a more prudent and compassionate manner.”
Nevertheless, President Granger posited that going forward, he hopes there is a more compassionate and reasonable form of administration at the state-broadcasting network.
These issues have caused much public outrage, especially within the media fraternity and particularly the Guyana Press Association (GPA), which had a meeting with NCN management on Tuesday last.
However, later that day Prime Minister Nagamootoo issued a statement condemning the act against the pregnant Smith. He also ordered that an apology be issued to her and her anchoring duties be reinstated.