COMMENTARY – Minister Manickchand And CEO Dr Hutson Must unmuzzle themselves

EDUCATION MINISTER PRIYA MANICKCHAND AND HER CHIEF EDUCATION
OFFICER (CEO) Dr Marcel Hutson have gagged themselves over the storm surrounding the
sudden controversial transfer of seven Education Officers from Essequibo Islands/west
Demerara).

Neither of the two top Ministry of Education officials has uttered a word since Hutson’s
controversial telephone calls to the six women and male educators informing them that
Manickchand has ordered their relocation to take effect in a little over a week.

THE AFFECTED EDUCATION OFFICIALS HAVE FAMILIES and the sudden movement to
another part of the country has dire implications as some are reliving past anxieties linked to
work-related transfers. Some have admitted their marriages are still frazzled over transfers which have separated family members.

Regional Education Officer (REdO) Ms. Annesta Douglas is in turmoil over Hutson’s telephone call. For her, CEO Hutson has handled the delicate matter, involving six women, very
insensitively. Insensitively, because some of them are single parents.

Insensitively, because others must find ways to protect their marriage via remote strategies if Manickchand’s diktat holds’.

Douglas worries that another sudden disruption might irreversibly shatter her already delicate
family situation trying to recover from the past five years of victimisation under the coalition A
Partnership for National Unity, Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government.

HER HUSBAND, SHE SAID, LOST HIS JOB BECAUSE OF HER PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR
THE PEOPLES PROGRESSIVE PARTY CIVIC (PPP/C) COALITION which now forms the
government since August 2020.

Hutson and Manickchand’s prolonged silence is bewildering and vexing.

The aggrieved officers are demanding justice and an official explanation from the Minister-in-
hiding and her suddenly-mute CEO.
CALLS BY THIS MEDIA HOUSE TO MANICKCHAND AND HUTSON ARE PROVING
FUTILE. A female, identifying herself as the CEO’s Secretary, has promised to get Hutson to
return a call.
That hasn’t happened. Yet.
Douglas wrote Regional Executive Officer (REO) Mr. Jagnarine Somwar late last month
detailing her disapproval of the government’s clumsy handling of the matter through the CEO.
“On February 5, 2021 seven officers were summoned to your office at 10.00hrs. You related to
us that approval was granted for us to be temporary seconded to other Education
Districts/Ministry of Education with effect from March 8, 2021,” Douglas wrote in part to
Somwar outlining how disruptive the transfer will be on their families also struggling to come to
grips with the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
She told the REO that contrary to the Ministry’s operational procedures, there was no official
letter from the MOE about the Minister’s decision. Hutson’s telephone call cannot be the legal
basis on which the seven officers are relocated.
“Annesta, by now you should have been in receipt of your letter to move…” is what Hutson
reportedly communicated to Douglas during the now-infamous phone call.
At the time of writing, the seven employees were still awaiting the official correspondence from
the Ministry of Education (MOE).

“Our contributions to the education sector are significant and to see that despite all that we have
been doing in pushing the learning sector forward in Region Three to be treated this way is
shameful, ridiculous and downright wicked,” a representative of the aggrieved seven said.
“We have made valuable contributions and in being treated this way hurts us severely taking into
account how we are being treated. If the Minister of Education genuinely cares about this
Education sector, she will sit down with us and have this and other issues addressed. What do
they (the Education Ministry) expect us do with our families during this time when it has become
increasingly difficult?” the spokesperson queried.
MEANWHILE, ULANDA BENJAMIN IS NOT COMPLAINING. She is the luckiest in the
group and welcomes her transfer.
She is returning home to Region 5 (Mahaica/Berbice).
It is bitter-sweet for her, nevertheless.
While she is understandably happy, her joy is tinged because of the emotional injuries her six
other colleagues are suffering.
MINISTER MANICKCHAND AND HER CEO, MR. HUTSON, MUST UNMUZZLE
THEMSELVES.
Now.