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May 09, 2018 Letters
DEAR EDITOR,
One of the most learned individuals, still alive and kicking today, is none other than Mr. Earl Brandis John. An elderly statesman, Mr. E. B. John is an avid reader and prolific writer. His penchant for prudence is second to none and he is, indeed, a product of his environment.
Mr. John has had a long and bittersweet relationship with GuySuCo and he can often be heard reminiscing the glory days of Sugar when the Company was run by Bookers/Jessels and through Nationalization, as State Owned. He served several stints thereafter, as recent as from January 2016-March 2018 in the capacity of Human Resources Director before finally calling it a day. A learned individual, Mr. John tends to focus more on the academic approach to practical matters.
I read with much interest his penned Letter to the Editor, SN edition, dated 04/04/2018 and must say that it is well articulated and certainly interesting, to say the least.
I note that a number of questions he put forward, speak to the legality of governance as it relates to GuySuCo and the current role of the SPU, NICIL. It also speaks of dissent amongst the Coalition Government as it relates to the above. Very provocative thinking that is not without merit. As I said before, Mr. John is a very learned individual.
Mr. John served as a Director when the Interim Management Committee and the then Board was in effect, and was very much aware/involved with what transpired during most of their tenure. He had to, since he sat on all of the Board Meetings and was instrumental in advising them and the IMC on dealing with all Human Resource-related matters.
His bark being worse than his bite, it hurt him tremendously when he compares the Sugar Industry of yesteryear with that of today. He is fondly reminiscent of the glory days of Sugar and may come across to many as a pseudo-colonial thinker. His admiration of Harold Davis Snr., former Executive Chariman of GuySuCo as a man of substance, is evident and articulated passionately, should one tap into his thinking as regards Leadership.
A drinking man, the professional façade erodes during libation and once the subject matter is artfully elucidated, the humane Mr. John surfaces, for he would forcibly state his disappointment about the collapse of the Industry and wreak havoc on the Management of the Company, of which he appeared impotent to curtail. One gets the succinct impression that in his more formidable years, he would have taken to arms.
The loss of jobs for thousands of employees with the closure of the four Sugar Estates, rocked him to the core. This was not the way it was supposed to be and it affected his performance, since to bear such burden as a very Senior Executive member of staff, was just too much. An era was gone and subsequently, so too was Mr. John.
I have the greatest respect for this Elderly Statesman, but must ask this question of him: Who was responsible for this dastardly state of affairs and why is it that a Commission of Inquiry has not been established to investigate the G$32B of the taxpayers’ monies spent, the failure to generate over G$52B in revenue during the fiscal period 2016-2017 and the failure of the then Board and IMC to hand over to NICIL, estates that could be readily privatized on or around their potential value?
Such a COI should also examine the Leadership of the Company in its entirety. But even before then, His Excellency, President David Granger may want to set matters right by invoking his Presidential Authority and call a spade a spade.
Since the then Board and the IMC failed miserably under the Minister of Agriculture and whose collected failure has impacted negatively on the growth of the economy, then from a practical perspective, it is only fitting that the Company be wrested from their clutches and placed in competent hands.
If this means under another Ministry and hence Minister, and once His Excellency is pleased with the tidings of New Management, so be it. Since it is a State Owned entity, then it is only fitting that the Minister of State take charge to stem its hemorrhaging. The Minister of Agriculture cannot allow pride to prejudice progress and so he should gracefully step aside and make way for good governance.
There is nothing academic about the Future of the Nation. We must make way for new, effective and efficient thinking. For to conceptualize, analyze, organize and successfully execute a project of such magnitude in today’s World amidst the largely self-inflicted fiscal woes of GuySuCo, requires shedding the pseudo-colonial thought process and adopting a more practical approach to the business.
Let loose the young, gifted and vibrant professionals and let them grow to the benefit of all and sundry for a nation and country. It is, after all, the dawn of a new era
Mike Persaud Sr.
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