| …staff members reiterate call for testing of top officialsLow level staff members of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) are angry and fearful that they are next to be “arbitrarily” dismissed after taking the controversial lie detector test. As a result, staffers continue to ‘spill their guts’ over grave irregularities allegedly occurring at the agency.Between Thursday and Friday last, at least seven low level GEA staffers were fired because they allegedly failed polygraph tests. Although they were not shown their test results,NFL Jerseys China, staffers said that the Head of the Energy Agency, informed them that they were being fired because they failed their lie detector tests.The staffers thus called for a thorough investigation of GEA and its hierarchy,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, “because you will see that up there,NFL Jerseys Outlet, all is not well,” a staff expressed. “They are firing us, the small man, but the corruption is at their level,” a terminated male staff who requested anonymity said.“Tell me,” he continued, “they firing us, but when (a named senior staff’s) brother was caught with duty free fuel in his Essequibo gas station this year,Jerseys NFL Wholesale China, why was he not prosecuted? Instead, two of the officers on the team that clamped down on the gas station are among those fired because of lie detector tests.”That same senior officer, Kaieteur News was told, was never polygraphed and although top brass officials know about the duty free fuel that the Essequibo businessman was not authorized to have, “they did nothing about it.”Staffers added that the management of GEA is in such disarray that employees are to some extent inefficient and agency business suffers. They said the fleet of vehicles owned by the GEA has been in existence for the past eight to 10 years. Poor administrative management has contributed to them being used for political ‘run-around’ while the Inspectors are forced to utilize taxis to carry out their duties.This alone costs the agency approximately $20,000 per team depending on where they are dispatched to. “The administrative personnel also instruct the Inspectors to conduct their work in a vehicle which was used to transport the fuel marker. This, of course, leads to some level of contamination and may result in varying tests results conducted by the Inspectors.”Workers alleged that “there are even instances where the lives of Inspectors and Marking Officers were put to risk because of poorly maintained vehicles.”“Contracts for maintenance and repair to some vehicles are awarded to friends of the Head of the Administration department and all above factors definitely lead to a high cost of vehicular maintenance,Wholesale Jerseys,” the staff said as they continued to point fingers.“Contracts for building maintenance, purchasing of equipment and such, are often approved after the work would have already been completed by the contractor. This is due to the ‘strong relationship’ the administration Head has with the Ministry official, the inside source informed.In a release to this newspaper earlier this month on fuel smuggling allegations, the source said, “The meeting that the GEA Head spoke of was held in April 2012 at the Cara Lodge Hotel,Dwight Howard Hawks Jersey, Quamina Street. But it was a mere presentation, by the staff, on how to curb fuel smuggling. To date another meeting has not been held despite staffers pleading for one to air real concerns.”Earlier this month, when the GEA said that fuel smuggling had been reduced from some 34 per cent to a mere one per cent, staffers asked, “Did the CEO and his managers do this or is it because of the said staff who he now claims are incompetent and even referred to the marking officers as thieves?”The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) told Kaieteur News yesterday that it was actively pursuing the new developments. Patrick Yarde said that his staff had been informed about the GEA dismissals after staffers called to express their dissatisfaction and disgust.Hollyann France, Nksi Dalgetty, Hillon Chester, Jenelle Noble and Nikeshia Gordon said they were summoned by the GEA head to a meeting which centered on their dismissal. The staff said that they are stunned by their abrupt termination.GPSU has however vowed to continue the investigations into the dismissals as only recently other GEA staffers were fired as a result of polygraph testing. The newly expelled staffers are however expected to present their termination letters and write statements while a meeting is scheduled for next week with the union.They further highlighted the poor work conditions and, “poor management of the agency.” |
