Town Clerk fires back at Deputy Mayor

“Chase-Green is out my league” – Carol Sooba

Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba has taken umbrage at comments made by Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green that she is not qualified for the post, noting that she would not be too bothered by the remarks as it is coming from someone who should have been a nurse.

Sooba told Guyana Times International on Saturday that Chase-Green is out of her league to pronounce on her competence, and from all appearances, has joined the group to frustrate her from executing her duties.
The acting town clerk said she would not go down to the deputy major’s standards, stating that last week during a meeting in the mayor’s office, Chase-Green “front up to her” as though she wanted to inflict a beating on her.
Sooba related that during the entire episode, she remained sober, noting that it is not her mandate to fight with officers at City Hall but to fight for the restoration of the city.
Sooba is urging the top city officials to work collectively to improve the image of City Hall, noting that with the support of the city managers, including Chase-Green, City Hall can once again nurse Georgetown into a healthy Garden City, one which all Guyanese will be proud off.
On this note, Sooba urged the “bad group” at City Hall to stop castigating her and assassinating her character as these vile antics would not do the city any good.
She also accused City Hall’s Public Relations Officer Royston King of being in the bad cabal, noting that instead of him correcting the distortions in the media, he is deafeningly silent.
Sooba is warning the “bad group” not to get her “mad” as she is prepared to spill the corruption files of City Hall, stating explicitly that she is a very straight forward person.
Patricia Chase-Green last Friday told this publication that Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud has insulted the council and the nation by appointing a town clerk who is not qualified for the post.
“The qualifications… for the town clerk is a degree in management in public administration and eight years experience at a senior administrative level, or a diploma in public administration plus 10 years experience at a senior administrative level. Those are the qualifications recently from the commission of inquiry,” Chase-Green explained.
She also stated that the town clerk ought to be a practising lawyer, and Sooba is not. The deputy mayor was passionate when she stated that it was an insult to the nation’s children who are trying to qualify themselves for which ever field they want to be in, that the minister would appoint someone that was not even qualified to be in an acting position.
She further stated that it was even an insult to the Implementation Committee Chairman Keith Burrowes, who has served the municipality.
She pointed out that both the commission of inquiry and the council made recommendations for persons who would have been qualified to be in the various positions, but the recommendations were bypassed.
Chase-Green lamented that this is something that the government has always done to the council, citing the investigation of the council that is ongoing. She explained that an engineer was sent on 42 days leave, which was extended, without informing the mayor, and by extension the council.
This approach, Chase-Green said must stop, as she would not stand idly by and allow it to continue.