Caption: Kamla Persad-Bissessar. AZP News/Prior Beharry
By Alicia Chamely
PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is shutting down speculation that acting CEO of the Water and Sewage Authority Jeevan Joseph was sent on administrative leave. She said Joseph resigned on his own accord.
Speaking during Prime Minister Questions at Tuesday’s sitting of Parliament, Persad-Bissessar was responding to Member of Parliament for Arouca/ Lopinot Marvin Gonzales.
Gonzales submitted the following questions:
Q1: Can the Prime Minister state the reason/s for the former CEO of WASA being sent on administrative leave?
Q2: Can the Prime Minister provide the names of the person who was appointed Ag Chief Executive Officer of the Water Sewage Authority?
Responding to the first question, Persad-Bissessar said, “The last acting CEO of WASA was never sent on administrative leave. So, the premise of this question is a false premise.”
She said, “Therefore, the question does not arise. That person (Joseph) tendered his resignation citing personal reasons.”
Answering the second question, the Prime Minister stated, “The person who is appointed to act as CEO of WASA is a person who is, or was, or still is an employee of WASA, and his name is Mr Dain Maharaj.”
Joseph, under the United National Congress (UNC) administration, was appointed Acting CEO of WASA on June 25, replacing former CEO Keithroy Halliday, a St Kitts-born professional, who had been credited for the revitalization of the Barbados Water Authority (BWA).
Halliday, along with nine senior executives, appointed under the People’s National Movement administration, were terminated just weeks after the UNC assumed office.
Joseph, who had worked at WASA since 2000, was appointed Acting CEO, only to tender his resignation five months later.
His appointment was heavily criticised, with former Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales commenting shortly after Joseph’s appointment, “A new CEO or acting CEO who was a low-level manager, non-performer in WASA was elevated to the position of CEO within the organisation. Absolutely no executive experience, no experience whatsoever, no recruitment process put in place. Persons filling senior executive positions in that authority without any recruitment criteria.”
Joseph’s replacement Dain Maharaj served as Acting Director of Corporate Services at WASA and had been appointed Chairman of the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP).
