Long-awaited Credit Union AGM And Elections Slated for Sunday

THOUSANDS OF MEMBERS OF GUYANA PUBLIC SERVICE CO-OPERATIVE
CREDIT UNION LTD are expected to vote Sunday to elect its dozen Management Committee
members to lead the body a target of government interference in the past.
The A Partnership for Nation Unity, Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition government
in 2018 imposed an Interim Management Committee (IMC) on the Credit Union over a tiff
involving money.
One of the candidates for Sunday’s elections, 1 st Vice President of GPSU, Ms. Dawn Gardener
explained the Credit Union had approached the then Minister of Labour under the Peoples
Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) coalition in 2013, Dr. Nanda Gopaul, to have the audit and
supervision fees used by the Union for education and other development work instead of
remitting it to the government.
Minister Gopal agreed.
When the APNU+AFC triumphed at the 2015 polls, Minister Keith Scott, who held the Labour
portfolio in the Ministry of Social Protection, demanded the $49M he claimed as outstanding
payments owed to the new administration.
“Minister Scott had demanded audit and supervision fees claiming that they were owed since
2002 and was $49M. This was inaccurate as we had already paid all these fees prior to 2013 but
had sought the permission in 2013 for waivers, which was granted. Dr. Gopaul had even written
the senior Minister, Ms. Amna Ally informing her that he had granted the waivers and had met
with us,” Gardener explained.

When Scott instituted the IMC, Credit Union members interpreted the decision as payback for
refusing to submit to his $49M demands.
They were also incensed that several of Scott’s 12-member IMC team were not members, such
as the Chairman, Mr. Trevor Benn, and/or in default.
Then in 2018, Chief Cooperatives Development Officer (CCDO) Ms. Paulina Gifth in a letter
informed them that the entire executive will be disbanded because of irregularities which to this
day were never identified or explained and replaced by an IMC.
“An IMC was instituted but yet we were never told of the irregularities that the then Minister and
Gifth had spoken about. We are approaching three years now and only now the IMC is holding
its AGM and we are anxiously awaiting it,” Gardner said.
She accused current Labour Minister, Mr. Joseph Hamilton of secretly backing Benn and his
team for tomorrow’s polls.
“This team I want you to know has been put forward by the Minister of Labour, so no longer
now the members have control of the Credit Union, the present Minister of Labour seems to
(want to) take control of the Credit Union. This team headed by Trevor Benn is the Minister's
team,” Gardener claims.
She wants Benn removed because he is currently under criminal investigations for land sales
while he was Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission
(GLSC). Police charged him with misconduct in public office.
“Members came to us with their concerns that Trevor Benn is the Chairman and being on the
slate. The Minister is supporting him returning as the Chair. We wrote the Chief Cooperative
Development Officer (CCDO) and we copied it to the Minister and I signed that letter. We got a
foolish reply from the Ministry and the response confirms our reports that the Minister supports
Benn and his team,’ Gardner complained about the double standard embraced by Hamilton.

In the Guyanese Public Service, when someone is charged for any criminal offense s/he is
interdicted from duty. As such, Hamilton ought to remove Benn from contesting Sunday’s Credit
Union polls.
But Benn hasn’t been convicted of any offense, a point Gardner ignores.
When reached Saturday, Hamilton rubbished allegations that he has a personal interest in the
outcome of Sunday’s Credit Union polls.
“I have no horse in the race,” Hamilton quipped.
He assured that whoever comes out as the winner his ministry will work along with them.
The Labour Minister argued that under current Credit Union regulations, Benn is authorised to
preside over Sunday’s eagerly awaited meeting (last held in 2013) and the elections since “he is
the sitting Chair”.
Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) tried to litigate the matter Friday, but the Judge Fidela
Corbin-Lincoln tossed it.
Mr. (Patrick) Yarde (GPSU President) and his crew are attempting to have Mr. Hamilton
become their hatchet man to put Trevor Benn aside. My only two interests are
accountability and transparency. Whoever is elected, if they don’t run the Credit Union
accountably and transparently, I will take it over and I have said it already,” the Labour
Minister reminded.