Dear Editor,

THE Regional Executive Officer (REO),  Region Two, Mr. Rupert Hopkinson, has been continuously and publicly demonstrating that he lacks a clear knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the duties, responsibilities and expectations attached to his office,a public office.

In his recent attempt to mislead the public regarding misuse of the vehicle assigned to me, he has displayed an inadequacy of knowledge of the legislation, regulations, policies and practices attached to the functions of the Regional Democratic Council and its clerk, the regional executive officer.

The regional chairman is an elected official, accountable to all of the people in the administrative region through which he has been elected and for which he has responsibility; and the regional chairman is on call/ duty 24 hours a day. Consequentially, it is imperative that the regional chairman is able to access communication and transportation 24 hours per day.

It is not for the REO to determine when, where and how the regional chairman must use the vehicle assigned to him. Albeit the REO may draw to the regional chairman/RDC’s attention, abuse of the vehicle or other fixed assets assigned to the Office of the regional chairman.
If the REO had wanted to use the vehicle assigned to me for ministerial or other outreaches,  a simple telephone contact could have been made as was previously done.

In fact, REO Hopkinson ought to recall that I willingly allowed the use of the vehicle during outreaches by H.E. President Granger and our First Lady on separate occasions.

Any abuse of the RDC’s vehicles is done openly by the REO himself, since as an accounting officer he does not maintain a log book for the vehicle assigned to him. Indeed, if a verification of vehicle log books — such an important record — is done, it will show that his trip to  a  rumshop where he had a brawl with a leading PNC activist was not recorded

My advice to the clerk of the RDC of Region Two is that he stops using his bullying tactics in a region that is known for peace and continued progress. Delaying and at times refusing to sign requests for fuel by the clerk of the RDC for the vehicles of the regional chairman and regional vice-chair is a pure reflection of his actions to undermine their work.

The REO must stop blaming others for his obvious shortcomings and develop a democratic approach. Team work is what is required. The regional chairman  as head of the RDC remains committed to working with Hopkinson as Clerk of the RDC in the interest of development for all our peoples.

Devanand Ramdatt,
Regional Chairman,
Region Two