By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
THE WATER and Sewerage Management Union yesterday denied the characterization of low staff morale at the corporation and expressed support for the government’s mandate and its executive management.
WSMU president Ednel Rolle sent out an urgent press release on Friday seeking to “clarify certain statements” published in the press about low morale. The WSMU press release read: “The corporation is bigger than any one person or small group of persons; our members are ready to ensure that the affairs of the organization continue to be properly executed during this transition period; we respect the government’s mandate for this organization and its minister, executive chairman and board of directors.”
Mr Laville was fired on Wednesday and accused by WSC Chairman Adrian Gibson of mismanaging the affairs of the corporation.
Mr Gibson maintained the staff morale was heightened as a result of the Ernst and Young (EY) audit tabled in the House of Assembly last week.
However, Bahamas Utilities Service and Allied Workers president Dwayne Woods suggested that employee morale was low, adding that workers just wanted operations to return to normal when WSC was not under public scrutiny.
The EY report was tabled in parliament on Wednesday, and painted a damning picture of WSC, portraying a corporation awash with irregularities.
In particular, the debacle of the Gladstone Road Waste Water Treatment Plant (GRWWTP) was exposed. Despite a budget overrun of more than 80 per cent, not since September 2016 has work been performed on the incomplete project, which was expected to receive and treat waste water from Baha Mar and return it for irrigation purposes.
The plant, initially budgeted at $9.6m with a completion date of 2014, has cost taxpayers at least $17m so far, EY said.
Mr Gibson has said the EY report would be sent to police.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 8 months ago
"going to be interesting over the next couple of weeks,” he told Tribune Business. “Financial indications are that we’re [the Corporation] on the up and up. Operationally, we’re doing some stuff.
“Everything looked like it was going in a positive direction. The issue is: Will this cause a bump in the road, or are we going to continue moving forward? Time will tell, and that depends on how this matter is going to be handled going forward.”
Mr Rolle expressed disquiet over the decision to publish the EY report’s findings before addressing them internally within the Corporation, disclosing that the union only received a copy this week.
He added that persons named in the report had “no way to defend themselves” before publication, and said: “The reality is when you do it to people it will come back to you."
What's going on?
TalRussell 6 years, 8 months ago
Did Comrade Adrian just move on and away tend other things from sunkin' barge off Long island which poses a serious environmental threat... but isn't that so-typical in why this Imperial red shirts regime does operate - movin' on from one uncompleted 'lock em up' two steps song and dance thing to another.... first you publicly parade them before the media and then you promise lock em up. Like PM do, so does Long Island's MP does. Really, is this who Long Islander's replaced Milo B's Loretta for?
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