President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions (Fitun) Joseph Remy says it is time for all ministers to be relieved of their portfolios. Asked whom he would like to see moved in the upcoming Cabinet reshuffle, Remy joked, “If you want to put this in the media, I will like to see everybody moved.” Asked to be specific, Remy started with Attorney General Anand Ramlogan.
“One of the biggest mistakes the Prime Minister made was the selection of the Attorney General. I know it going to be a difficult call for her,” he added. He was speaking with reporters after yesterday’s accreditation ceremony of the Cipriani College of Labour and Corporate Services (CCLCS) of which he is the chairman of the board of governors. Remy said Ramlogan had not performed during his tenure.
“He has not brought any semblance of justice to the entire nation and brought a difference to how justice is carried out,” he added. That statement led Remy to indicate sarcastically that he had no idea who the Minister of Justice was. When reminded, he said: “I forget her name because of the insignificant contribution she has made since she has been in office.” Christlyn Moore was appointed Justice Minister in September 2012.
Remy also called out Minister of Education Dr Tim Gopeesingh for what he claimed was his inability to have schools adequately repaired and maintained. He said every year there was an issue with schools not opening on time. Monday was the first day of school for the new school year and about 11 schools remained closed because refurbishment works were not completed during the July/August vacation.
Remy said: “Something has to be fundamentally wrong and we are condoning failures. We are encouraging incompetence.” He said there was no development or progress in agriculture and he did not know what some ministries were doing. “Then we have the minister of food-card distribution, I would say food-card distribution because his only significant contribution is the distribution of food cards and it has now turned around against him,” he added.
Remy was referring to an investigation into allegations of a food card racket in Glenn Ramadharsingh’s Ministry of the People and Social Development. Remy said the minister spent all his time touring the country, distributing food cards, instead of showing up where he was needed most.