Students denied airfare to return home – Region 1 Chairman

…says REO made unilateral decision

Residents of Region One (Barima-Waini), who would have signed contracts to further their studies in Georgetown, have been denied airfare to return to their communities, even though such is mandated in their agreement.

Regional Chairman Brentnol Ashley told Guyana Times on Thursday that students desirous of studying on the coastland would take the opportunity of pursuing courses in the capital city and then return to serve their community for two years.
It is a framework that was established to provide tertiary education since these services are non-existent in the region.
“We would have established a scholarship programme. It would have been in existence for years in which persons who are employed with the RDC would apply because there is no access to tertiary education. They would apply to attend University of Guyana, the Guyana School of Agriculture and other agencies and the region would allow them to continue studying and upon completion, they are obligated by way of those conditions to return and serve the region for a period of two years,” he told this publication.
During their scholarships, transportation is provided two times annually to visit their relatives; in the 2019 budget, adequate resources were allocated for such to be done. However, the Regional Executive Officer (REO) has reportedly denied the travel allowance, maintaining that such is not prescribed in the contracts.
Ashley explained, “The region would have put together a contract which is in keeping with the contract that they normally sign with the Department of Public Service. In that regional contract would have guided with conditions that they will be paid their salaries and providing an air ticket for two times a year so that they can be with their families. Now, even though we would have budgeted for that to happen and the resources are provided, the REO has stopped that, saying that this contact does not speak about providing transportation or their air ticket”.
Presently, a large number of persons are stranded in Georgetown, since transportation to Region One is costly. Students are now contemplating if they should return, a move which would affect the human resource capacity in their villages significantly.
Ashely told this publication that this decision was taken unilaterally by the REO without consulting with the constituted council.
“I was informed by many of these persons and others would have attested to the fact the REO in the region would have stopped the region from paying for these persons to come home, which is not a good sign for us. Because of these things, many persons don’t want to come back to serve the region and it is bringing hardships to families and persons who are training currently,” the Chairman explained.
He added, “This is the hinterland. It is not the coastland where you can easily get into a bus or taxi to get to where you need to go and it is costly. It is a clear indication that the REO isn’t respecting the decision of the RDC. He is making unilateral decisions without consulting the legally elected council”.