Alexander leaving Min. of Education
Mr. Vincent Alexander
Mr. Vincent Alexander

…to join Roopnaraine at Public Service

TECHNICAL Facilitator/Advisor to the Minister of Education, Vincent Alexander, is considering a request by newly appointed Minister of the Public Service, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, to work as advisor within the Public Service Department within the Ministry of the Presidency.
Alexander was employed by the Ministry as Technical Facilitator to Minister Roopnaraine. He expressed the view that given the nature of his appointment, it follows that with the minister being sent to another ministry, he should at minimum offer his resignation.
In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle at his office on Thursday, Alexander said Dr. Roopnaraine has asked him, among others, to accept appointments in the Department of the Public Service, Ministry of the Presidency. He also indicated that it was told to him that Minister Henry was comfortable with Minister Roopnaraine`s desire to have his staff, including him (Alexander) relocated.
“As a matter of principle I would consider it correctly for me to tender my resignation, since my appointment as technical facilitator was an appointment to a particular minister. Advisors are appointed on two criteria: one, if the person is professionally competent and two, when the person is considered to be someone in whom the minister has confidence and trust. It’s a relational matter. Therefore, in those circumstances, particularly on the relational note, the best thing to do is to allow a new minister the leverage to determine who he or she would wish to be his or her advisor. So that is the principle that I am following,” Alexander told the Guyana Chronicle.

He is now considering the proposal by Roopnaraine to take up the appointment within the Ministry of the Presidency, but has not yet tendered his resignation as technical facilitator. “I will do it as soon as I am able to finalise how much leave I have because that will influence my date. Right now I am in transition out…the context is now that the minister who is leaving has asked me to take up appointment with him at his new place. That is being considered by me. So I will not be continuing with education given that and I am considering whether I will take up the position with the minister who has gone to the Ministry of the Presidency,” he stated.
When asked if Minister Henry had indicated an interest in him staying on as her technical facilitator, Alexander answered in the negative. He referred to his status as one of transitioning out. “He left from the 15th of this month, so for all intents and purposes there is nothing that I should be doing that has his initiation after the 15th. I really have no responsibilities, I might just be wrapping up things that I was doing, but I have no ongoing responsibility.”

Alexander retired in December 2014 as Registrar at the University of Guyana. He has since been appointed Chairman of the National Accreditation Council and Chairman of the Georgetown Technical Institute (GTI). He said his appointments with those organisations were not in any way connected to him being technical facilitator to Minister Roopnaraine and he will continue in those positions.
“Those appointments were unrelated to my appointment as technical facilitator. I became the Chairman of the National Accreditation Council before I came to this ministry. I became Chairman of GTI before I came to this ministry. It is not by virtue of being here that I am in those positions, which I assumed after retiring from UG, bearing in mind that those are not full-time or paid [positions].” Alexander told the Guyana Chronicle.

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