The move by embattled Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne)
Region Six REO Veerasammy Ramayya
Veerasammy Ramayya to proceed on annual leave, without informing officials of the regional administration has been labelled irresponsible and disrespectful by Vice Chairman Dennis De Roop.
Ramayya, who has had several clashes with the administration since taking up the post, has reportedly taken a two-week vacation leave and has travelled to the United States of America (USA), but did not inform his superiors or colleagues at the regional office.
Speaking to Guyana Times on Tuesday, De Roop said he was only informed of Ramayya’s leave Tuesday after seeing a notice from the Communities Ministry that the REO was granted two weeks’ vacation leave. He said the situation was abhorrent, since no proper system has been put in place to carry out the unfinished and unattended work of the REO.
De Roop said over the last two weeks, Ramayya had been going to the office and spending just about over an hour each day without communicating with anyone.
“He left a lot of things unattended,” the Regional Vice Chairman said. At a press conference on Monday, De Roop had told reporters in Berbice that the awarding of contracts was among the issues the REO’s absence has left unresolved. “Further, the 2016 budget is limping. We are in the seventh month and we have only achieved 40 to 45 per cent of programmes proposed. There are salary issues, some of the sweeper/cleaners of the schools are yet to be paid for June month. They work for the minimum wage and are dependent on their monies. There is not much we can do, as the REO did not sign their contracts on time. Hopefully, it can be resolved at the end of the week.
“I must apologise on behalf of the regional administration. In addition, several contracts were not signed for nurses, so they, too, will not be receiving salaries, because if the contracts are not renewed, salaries cannot be processed,” he stated.
The Vice Chairman added that machine operators’ monies were received from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) after they protested last month over the non-payment of salaries and wages.
But they, too, cannot be paid, as their contracts were not prepared nor signed by the REO.
In addition, De Roop said close to 300 cheques were returned on account of their ‘stale’ date. “This is gross negligence. Some were issued to small suppliers of dietary essentials while some were awarded to small contractors. The cheques were not signed, and were sitting at the sub-treasury exceeding the stipulated period, and had to be returned.”
He said he met with the two Deputy REOs, Claude Henry and Badassie Poonai, and they are working to have the issues resolved.
Meanwhile, a statement from the Communities Ministry on Tuesday afternoon stated that Ramayya “did not, in any way, abandon his post or walk off the job. He proceeded on leave, having applied for and received the requisite approval.”
