Joe Singh appointed chairman of oil fund board

Apr 21, 2022 News --- Kaieteur News Online --- https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...n-of-oil-fund-board/

…UK MP, David Lammy, Carolyn Rodrigues also appointed by President

Kaieteur News – President Irfaan Ali has appointed Major General (ret’d) Joseph Singh as chairman of the Natural Resources Fund Board, the Office of the President said in a statement Wednesday.

Major General (Rtd), Joseph Singh

He also picked UK Member of Parliament David Lammy and former Foreign Affairs Minister and now Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Carolyn Rodrigues. They will now join Dunstan Barrow and Mr. Ramesh Dookoo as the other Board of Directors, the OP statement added.

In the statement OP said the directors will be invited to take their Oaths of Office shortly. Lammy who is of Guyanese parentage appointment has made a few trips to this country in recent times. The Government Information Agency reported him visiting Foreign Affairs Minister, Hugh Todd back in December last year. Lammy was born in Tottenham, London, attended public schools there, and furthered his studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies and Harvard. Lammy held various posts in the Labour Government rising to that of a Minister of Higher Education.

Meanwhile, the OP statement stated that Section 3 (1) of the Natural Resources Fund Act 2021, Act No. 19 of 2021, assented to by His Excellency, President Ali on the 30th day of December 2021, established the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) to manage the natural resource wealth of Guyana for the present and future benefit of the people in an effective and efficient manner, and in accordance with the principles of good governance, transparency, accountability, and international best practices, including, the Santiago Principles.

UK Member of Parliament, David Lammy

Section 5 (1) of the said Act provides for a Board of Directors of the Fund comprising of not less than three (3) and not more than five (5) members, who shall be appointed by the President, inclusive of a chairperson. In accordance with Section 5 (2), these Directors are selected from persons who have wide experience in legal, financial, business or administrative matters, one of whom shall be nominated by the National Assembly and one of whom shall be a representative of the private sector.

In pursuance thereof, at the 46th Sitting of the National Assembly of the 12th Parliament of Guyana, held on the 13th day of April 2022, a Motion was unanimously passed approving Mr. Dunstan Barrow, nominated by the Standing Committee on Appointments of the National Assembly, as a Director of the Board of Directors, of the Fund. After consulting with the various organisations representing the private sector, Mr. Ramesh Dookoo was selected as a representative of the private sector.

Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Carolyn Rodrigues

President Ali’s appointment of the chairman and other directors of the NRF Board comes even after the main Opposition coalition, A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), has challenged the passage of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act.

The lawsuit, which was drafted by the APNU+AFC Shadow Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Roysdale Forde, SC, and attorney-at-law, Selwyn A. Pieters, highlights ‘deficiencies’ of the procedure undertaken to pass the new law. Kaieteur News had reported that the court document, which names the Opposition’s Chip Whip Christopher Jones and Union Rep. Norris Witter as the applicants, and the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir among the respondents, specifically highlights the absence of the Speaker’s original Mace – the ceremonial instrument used in the process of passing legislations—during the passage of the NRF Bill.

As such, the Opposition is seeking several declaratory orders of the High Court that the conduct and/or proceedings of the National Assembly, during the passage of the NRF Bill on December 29, 2021 in the absence of the Mace, constitute a breach of the Constitution, Common Law, and the Standing Orders of the National Assembly. Further, the Opposition is asking the Court to declare the holding and or continuation of proceedings of the National Assembly on December 29, 2021 with the use of a replacement mace without any approved motion to do so as ultra vires [beyond the powers] of the Constitution and the event null and void.

Mr. Ramesh Dookoo.

Besides, challenging the legality of the NRF based on the procedure undertaken in the National Assembly, the APNU+AFC is also contending that the NRF Act constitutes a breach of fundamental human rights of Witter, who is the second named applicant in the matter.

According to the Coalition, Witter is entitled, as part of his fundamental human right, to take part in the conduct of public affairs of Guyana. This right, the party contends, is guaranteed by Article 154 A of the Constitution and Article 25 of the Covenant of Civil and Political Rights.

However, according to the party, Witter’s rights were trampled upon when the Executive [Government] failed to hold a public consultation on the most vital piece of legislation with its citizenry, of which, Witter is a part. The Opposition Party continued that “in accordance with Article 154 A of the Constitution, which mandates that human rights enshrined in International Conventions set out in the Fourth Schedule to the Constitution, the National Assembly, as the Legislature of Guyana in legislating a NRF Bill for Guyana, is required and obligated by the Constitution and Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to engage in consultation with the stakeholders and citizenry of Guyana.”

Dunstan Barrow

Further the Coalition said, “…The Executive in designing and formulating a NRF policy for Guyana is required and obligated by the Constitution and Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to engage in consultation with the stakeholders and citizenry of Guyana.”

Consequently, it noted that the Parliament of Guyana in enacting a NRF Act for Guyana is required and obligated by the Constitution and Covenant on civil and political rights to engage in consultation with stakeholders and citizenry.
Moreover, the party is seeking a declaration that the Government failed to engage in any or sufficient consultation with the citizenry and stakeholders as required and mandated by the Constitution in the design of the NRF policy.

Perhaps Mr. Joe Singh will bring transparency and accountability. The NRF is new. He has to look out for the  political appointments of cronies to "assist" him.