Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has blasted the coalition government for creating new high-paying jobs for former ministers, who were forced to resign due to their dual citizenship status.
“So we had new Members of Parliament appointed to replace those who were dual citizens. We have a new set of Ministers, and what happened to the four Ministers? Now they have cushy high-paying jobs in the Government again, if this is not an incestuous, corrupt cabal nothing is, no one is,” he told reporters Thursday.
According to Jagdeo, he initially supported the retention of former Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, in that Ministry for the purpose of ensuring continuity on the border matter that involves Guyana and Venezuela. However, Jagdeo says his role exceeds what was expected.
“(The border issue) is a matter that we do not treat in a political fashion, that it is not partisan, we have a national position on but he has become the Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign with responsibility for the Department of Frontiers and Territorial Integrity and the Department of Trade and Economic Cooperation.
“So what is the portfolio of the Minister? And even the choice of the word Foreign Secretary, in the United Kingdom, the Foreign Secretary is the Ministry, that is the choice of the word,” he explained.
The Opposition Leader pointed out that in the case of former Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, his appointment to Director of Manufacturing and Marketing within that Ministry is not warranted as his skills are lacking for such a position.
“As far as I know, he has absolutely no technical qualification there, this should be a technical position. So, a politician for convenience has replaced, without any competitive process, a technical staff and he has no competence in the area. It is a sinecure position to support this.”
The Opposition Leader added that even the retention of services of former Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine as Director of Public Service Training is not a wise move and is just another added burden to taxpayers.
