…Henry to act as Education Minister as Roopnaraine moves to MOTP

MINISTER Nicolette Henry will now act as the Minister of Education after Dr Rupert Roopnaraine was reassigned to the Ministry of the Presidency, where he will be responsible for the Public Service.

The decision came following an agreement between President David Granger and Dr Roopnaraine, on Monday. His appointment at the Ministry of the Presidency will take effect from June 15, 2017. Dr Roopnaraine has been unwell for some time now and the Guyana Chronicle was told that the administration had been actively considering an adjustment to his portfolio. Dr Roopnaraine has been represented by his junior Minister, Nicolette Henry at several events.

Official announcement of the transfer was made by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, on Tuesday during Cabinet’s lunch break. “The President, this morning, briefed Cabinet that he had a discussion with Dr. Roopnaraine yesterday [Monday] and after that discussion, it was agreed that Dr. Roopnaraine will be reassigned from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of the Presidency with specific responsibility for the Public Service,” Minster Harmon. Harmon currently holds responsibility for public service.

Harmon explained that these changes are geared at ensuring that better educational and public services are provided to the Guyanese people in a smooth and efficient manner. He added too that the Head-of-State has full confidence in Dr Roopnaraine’s abilities to fulfil the new responsibilities to which he will be assigned. “He continues to have full confidence in Dr. Roopnaraine as a valued member of Cabinet, as well as a valued member of the National Assembly and it is felt that overseeing the Public Service would add to the quality of service, which is provided to the people of Guyana,” Minister Harmon said on behalf of the President. Despite his transfer, Dr Roopnaraine will continue to be a member of Cabinet and a Member of the National Assembly.

“In the meantime, Minister within the Ministry of Education, Minister Nicolette Henry, will continue to perform the functions of the office of the Minister until further notice,” Minister Harmon announced.

He said too that the President also informed Cabinet that a Department will be created under the Ministry of the Presidency to oversee “innovation and reform” in the education sector. This Department will be under the portfolio of the President.

Since assuming office in 2015, this is the third adjustment President Granger had made to his Cabinet. In 2016, Minister Catherine Hughes was appointed Minister of Public Telecommunications, while the Ministry of Governance and the Protection of the National Patrimony were delinked and the latter renamed the Ministry of Natural Resources and assigned to Minister Raphael Trotman. The functions of the Ministry of Governance were then added to the portfolio of Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, while Minister Simona Broomes was shifted from the Ministry of Social Protection to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Minister Keith Scott was then moved to the Ministry of Social Protection from the Ministry of Communities and was tasked with responsibility for Labour. To facilitate Scott’s move from Ministry of Communities, President Granger appointed Valerie Sharpe-Patterson as the Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing.

In January of this year, the President made some additional changes to his Cabinet, reassigning Minister Volda Lawrence from the Ministry of Social Protection to the Ministry of Public Health. She was replaced by Minister Amna Ally, who was moved from the Ministry of Social Cohesion and replaced by Dr. George Norton, who had moved from Public Health.