Just days after he was elected as Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Yog Mahadeo today tendered his resignation, the latest shock connected to a shake-up at GT&T which also saw him quitting his post there as Chief Executive Officer last Friday.
Mahadeo was elected on June 28, 2012 to the post of Chairman and that same evening he tendered his resignation from the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company after being presented with the findings of an internal report which showed lapses in financial controls. Three staffers were also sacked including the Chief Financial Officer.
Yog Mahadeo
Under the circumstances, his continuing in the post of the Chairman of the umbrella private sector body did not seem tenable.
This afternoon, Mahadeo released the following letter sent today to the PSC:
“It is with considerable regret that I have decided to submit my resignation as Chairman of the Private Sector Commission.
“At the time of my unanimous election to the Chairmanship of the PSC, I was, as is public knowledge, Chief Executive Officer of GT&T and would have been representing GT&T on the Commission as Chairman in that capacity. I can of course, no longer do so.
“I have already publicly stated that my decision to resign from GT&T was purely voluntary, was not at the request of GT&T and was made as a matter of personal principle on my part.
“As the Commission is aware, I continue to be associated with GT&T, remain in good standing with the Company and continue to enjoy the support and respect of the management.
“Indeed, the Commission, through Mr. Peter deGroot as Chairman of the Corporate Group of the Commission, was written to by the Board of Directors of GT&T agreeing that I continue to represent the Company on the Commission and that the Board will continue to support my
representation of the Company until further notice, not withstanding my resignation.
“I have, however, decided that after the most careful consideration of my resignation as CEO of GT&T, it is in the best interest of the Commission that I no longer serve the Commission as Chairman.
Please convey to the members of the Commission my appreciation and thanks for the confidence placed in me in electing me as their Chairman. Please be assured that I will continue to support the Commission and serve it in any way I can to the best of my ability.”
The upheaval at GT&T has also had repercussions at state broadcaster, NCN. Money paid by GT&T to NCN for services during the 10/10 cricket tournament ended up in the bank account of NCN programme manager Martin Goolsarran. The subsequent internal probe at NCN led to the resignation of NCN’s CEO Mohammed `Fuzzy’ Sattaur and the suspension of Goolsarran for eight weeks.
A great example of what is expected from leaders in both the Public and Private Sectors when things go awry under their command. Perhaps there is still hope for Guyana if only politicians of all stripes but more particularly the corrupt cabal at Freedom House, can sit up and take notice.
