Region 10 TV station Board still to elect Chairman

The Board of the Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Broadcasting Incorporated (RBI) was unsuccessful in its recent move to elect a chairman and secretary, owing to the absence of relevant documentation.

The newly-constituted Board, which is expected to make progress towards the return of the Linden Television Station to the community, met on Friday last. Member of Parliament Jermaine Figuiera, who was present at the meeting, has, however, deemed it an unsuccessful one, noting that its original purpose had not been fulfilled. He explained that Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Sharma Solomon did not follow through with furnishing the relevant documentation necessary for moving forward.

“We did not go ahead, because Sharma had committed to providing all the Directors with copies of articles of association of the Board. So, we thought it not fitting to go ahead with an election and we’re not previewed to the information on the articles of association. We can’t make an important decision of that magnitude without any information,” the MP said.

He added that the document would give guidance on how the Directors must operate, and Solomon had been mandated to make it available.

“So, we believe it would not have been prudent for us to make important decisions with respect to us electing a chairman and company secretary without prior knowledge of what the article of association speaks to…The Directors believed it would not have been prudent for us to proceed,” Figuiera said.

He noted that while there had been several meetings with regard to the Linden Television Station, at a meeting with Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo at the Office of the President last week, Solomon was asked to provide the document. He noted that Solomon, who was expected to do so at Friday’s meeting, arrived late, and without the document and also did not provide any plausible answers when the question was raised as to why the document was not presented.

“He provided excuses that we didn’t find satisfactory,” Figuiera said.

He further noted that another meeting would be held when the documentation was provided.

The concept of a community-owned and operated television station formed part of an agreement, which was signed between the Region 10 Administration and the previous Government in 2012.