Commissioner Trotman against ‘Local Government’ rescinding M&CC Solid Waste Manager’s suspension

Local Government Commissioner Nicola Trotman, appearing on the popular social media show ‘In The Ring’ with host Sherod Duncan, said she was against the frenzy in which the Local Government Commission (LGC) is proceeding to rescind a two-week suspension decision it handed down to Georgetown’s Mayor and City Council’s (M&CC) Solid Waste Director Walter Narine.

“Mr. Narine was not sent on leave; he was suspended for blatantly disregarding and disobeying directives that were given to him by first the M&CC and then by the Commission. He admitted this to the Commission when he was brought in and questioned on the issue that was brought before us….at that point, the Commission decided that it was unacceptable.”

Commissioner Trotman said the Commission abandoned a hurriedly put-together meeting last Friday and instead tried to round-robin the rescinding of the decision to suspend Narine. Trotman said she insisted to the Chairman of the LGC, “It is not legal for you to round robin a decision that was taken at a statutory meeting and executed.” Trotman said that is in breach of how decisions taken by commissions and boards are executed and rescinded.

Commissioner Trotman said the Chairman, Julius Faber, was a part of the vote taken by the Commission to suspend Narine and the decision was a unanimous vote. “He said that new information had come to light. I said, if new information has come to light that can change the decision that the full Commission voted on and agreed to, then you have to call the full Commission back,” Commissioner Trotman explained. She stated that the Chairman did not let on what the “new information” was.

“Something is not sitting right. We are being moved around like chess pieces on a board or trying to be moved around like chess pieces on a board. Maybe instructions were passed down, and you are now trying to facilitate the instructions that were passed down. I mean this is Guyana,” Commissioner Trotman stated. The Local Government Commission is is slated to meet today on the issue.