NEWLY appointed Regional Executive Officer of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Dr. Verasammy Ramayya says his position will now allow him to better serve the constituency in Berbice.
He is also demanding that a forensic audit be done into the operations of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), which has been dominated by the PPP/C over the years. Ramayya, a former Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament, had recently made the headlines with reports that he had resigned from the Coalition.
He told the Guyana Chronicle he had actually never sent the AFC a letter of resignation. He, however, confessed that initially, after being offered a job, he resigned, as the job was not what he wanted. “I want to go into the fields; have a look at drainage and irrigation; the playgrounds; empower youths; and to deal with issues which are affecting the people,” Ramayya, a key member of the AFC’s Berbice constituency said.
“So, that was what I wanted. I got a bit fed up; I was not quite satisfied, as my potentials were underutilised,” Ramayya pointed out, noting that his three years as parliamentarian would have helped him prepare for the new post.
He also said that he was instrumental in reducing the PPP/C to a minority government at the 2011 elections, which resulted in the Donald Ramotar Administration imploding, and ultimately being defeated at the May 11 polls.
“I was the architect of that,” he said. “Berbice delivered in 2011, resulting in a minority government. But it did not just start then; in 1994, the ROAR party, which I was affiliated with, procured over 6000 votes at the local government election in Region Six, and which allowed us to gain six seats at the Regional Democratic Council…” Despite varying political challenges, Ramayya said he is pleased with his new portfolio, which would be used to ensure accountability and that mandatory inspections are carried out on governmental projects.

AUDIT
However, he is a bit uncertain as to whether he will commence his duty today. “I am not certain whether I will be in that office today. The Permanent Secretary (Ministry of Communities) is expected to be here. I would prefer a forensic audit before I take over; I was informed that several contracts were signed on Wednesday, although the former REO was given notice of his impending leave,” Ramayya said.
Meanwhile, responding to those critics who say he is not qualified for the job, Ramayya wants them to know that he has an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts, and that he pursued his studies at the City University of New York Hunter College, where he created history by simultaneously obtaining two Bachelor’s Degrees in Sociology and Political Science, whilst minoring in Economics and Psychology, all prerequisites to studying Law.
Subsequently, he applied to the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus in Barbados to purse Law education, but, as a Guyanese, that campus was being subsidised by the then Guyana Government and to be awarded a placement, he had to enlist in the National Service for two years, and do a one-year study at the University of Guyana, which, to him, was a waste of time. Thereafter, having attended the School of Social Research in New York, he graduated with a Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies Degree in 1986. But he was not finished. He obtained his Doctorate Degree in Psychology from Pacific Western University, and subsequently a Doctorate Degree in Sociology.

The opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) last week criticised the appointment, saying that Ramayya was unprofessional and unqualified to fill the position as Regional Executive Officer.

By Jeune Vankeric