Mahipaul UNBOTHERED by Jagdeo’s ‘three jobs claims’

OPPOSITION LEGISLATURE GANESH MAHIPAUL IS UNBOTHERED.
He refuses to lose sleep over Vice President, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo’s claims that he once earned
three salaries per month as a government representative from as many state agencies.
While Mahipaul was a serving member of the Board of Directors of the Guyana National
Newspapers Limited (GNNL), printers and publishers of the ‘Chronicle’, a state-owned
newspaper, he was unexpectedly catapulted to General Manager (ag) when the then GM, Ms.
Donna Todd was sent on administrative leave to facilitate an internal probe into alleged
irregularities.
Mahipaul’s was officially employed under the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For
Change (APNU+AFC) coalition government as Community Development Officer (CDO) in
Essequibo Islands/West Demerara (Region Three). During this employment there, his supervisor,
Mr. Dennis Jaikarran, the Regional Executive Officer (REO), sanctioned his appointment at the
Lenora Technical and Vocational Training Centre.
These responsibilities however, Mahipaul explained, did not all have salaries attached to them as
Jagdeo wants the nation to believe.
What the VP told reporters “is totally untrue,” MP Mahipaul told www.aroundtheregions.com in
an exclusive.
“I was serving as a Board member of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited and when the
Board did an investigation, they realised that there were certain discrepancies in the manner that
the then General Manager was operating so she was sent on administrative leave to facilitate an
investigation. The Board followed the documents that guides them on how they operate and it
says that a member of the Board can perform the duties of General Manager so what the Board
did was to appoint me to perform the duties of General Manager for one month, which was the
period that they were going to conduct the investigation.”

He continued: “So they appointed me for one month and they also approved a stipend for the
duties that I will be performing which was a very small portion of what the General Manager
would usually be entitled to. So, at no time did I receive a salary.”
“WHEN INVESTIGATORS COMPLETED THEIR PROBE AND PRESENTED THEIR
FINDINGS, she was reverted to her substantive position as Administrative Manager, “and the
board requested that I continue (as acting GM) for an additional month (to facilitate) advertising
for a new General Manager,” Mahipaul explained.
He said electoral controversies forced his remaining at the helm of the state-owned daily since it
was reasoned that “people may not want to apply now so it was suggested that they wait until
after the election and it so happen that August 2 nd came and the government changed and I stayed
to facilitate the incoming administration.”
HE RECALLED A SMOOTH AND INCIDENT FREE HANDING-OVER PROCESS to
Mr. Kwame Mc Koy, Minister Within the Office of the Prime Minister and veteran journalist
and consultant, Mr. Kit Nascimento and others.
“I could have stopped going to the Chronicle since the 2 nd of August because I was never
appointed the General Manager and was never paid a General Manager’s salary but given a
stipend,” Mahipaul explained.
He said that he received $15,000.00 as a member of the Chronicle’s Board of Directors and a
little over $100,000 for acting as the GM. He also received $8,000 per month per meeting at the
Leonora TECHVOC centre
“I must tell you that the General Manager (of the GNNL) gets $800,000 plus a month,” Mahipaul
revealed.
“The VP’s comments are unfounded and inaccurate,” Mahipaul said.