Public Service Minister Dr Jennifer Westford said she is not aware of any instance where a decision was taken to dismiss any public servant because they chose to wear the colour “green” during the just-concluded election season.
Dr Westford was responding to a claim made by the chairman of the opposition coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) David Granger. He had alleged, in one of the dailies, that APNU had received reports from affected persons which suggested that their services were terminated because of their decision to clad themselves in the party colour green while at work.
Public Service Minister Dr Jennifer Westford
“I do not know of any such instance and I am hoping that there were never such instances in the public service,” Minister Westford stated. She said that she was “perturbed” and “taken back” by the allegations.
The recently-reappointed public service minister called on APNU and any public servant who claims that they were dismissed based on their political and public affiliation to come forward and present the necessary evidence. “We will investigate it immediately,” she assured. “We don’t condone victimisation of any sort in the public service,” Dr Westford stressed, as she declared that she would find it very hard to believe that any manager or head of department would take such measures against staff members.
She did recall, however, instances where some public servants were asked to resign their posts because they were engaged in electioneering for various political parties, while at the same time holding various public offices. This, she advised, was a conflict of interest and was against the policies and laws governing the public service. “They were simply asked to resign, and I can tell you that this has no link with respect to their political affiliation, but rather was a matter of policy and principle,” the minister added.
Westford said among those who were asked to resign were Dr Roger Luncheon and several permanent secretaries.
Westford made reference to a senior public servant in Region Four and a teacher as some of the persons who were affected by the move because their names were discovered on the candidates’ lists of various contesting political parties.
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