Golding: Keep a close watch on staff changes in public bodies
Published:Saturday | April 2, 2022 | 12:07 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
LEADER OF the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) Mark Golding says that he is very suspicious of changes being made within the civil service, particularly in the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), an executive agency, describing the move as an attempt at politicising the agency.
“I just want to tell Jamaica that this is a very serious issue, in the information age that we are living in, the information that is fed to the population through these agencies of Government, about what the Government is doing, and the policies and programmes is very important, and is supposed to be done professionally, and it is not supposed to be motivated by party politics,” Golding declared.
Golding’s statement came against the background of news that Chief Executive Officer of the JIS Donna-Marie Rowe is to be replaced as her contract, which expired at the end of last month, has not been renewed.
“These are Government agencies funded by taxpayers, and we are very concerned about the way in which these moves are being made, because we do not see them as being fully transparent, and we are very suspicious actually of what the motivations are in making these changes,” Golding maintained.
He said that the Opposition will be watching the moves very closely and issued an appeal for the general public and civil society to keep a close watch on the issue of the changes being made.
Meanwhile, minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Robert Morgan, has subsequently issued a statement on the matter, saying that Rowe was not fired but is being replaced because her contract had expired.
Golding made the comments while speaking with journalists during a meet-and-greet tour of Hanover.
His itinerary involved stops in Great River, Hopewell, Sandy Bay, Montpelier, Lucea, Kingsvale, Cauldwell, Green Island, Logwood, March Town and Orange Bay.