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FACT Vs. FICTION
Recently, NIDCO’s operations, transactions and Senior Management have been subjected to a malicious smear campaign launched by persons in the media, opposition politicians and disgruntled former employees and contractors, calculated to do nothing but to publicly vilify the company and its Senior Management. NIDCO unreservedly refutes the numerous false allegations made and in particular those made in a series of telecasts by CCN TV6 during the period 11th to 15th May 2009. NIDCO has previously published Part 1 of its response to these allegations and now, as promised, publishes Part 2.
TV6 Allegation – “Over forty senior managers have resigned, been fired or had their contracts terminated at NIDCO in the past year and a half.”
Answer: During the past year and a half, fifteen (15) persons resigned from NIDCO and among these only three (3) held senior positions; the services of another seven (7) persons were terminated during the same period, giving a total of twenty-two (22). The allegation by CCN TV6 that over forty senior managers have resigned, been fired or had their contracts terminated was grossly inaccurate and was intended merely to sensationalise. Further, one of the persons named by CCN TV6 as having resigned is still in the employ of NIDCO.
TV 6 Allegation: “Insiders at the Company say this (referring to the resignations, terminations or contracts not renewed) is because they raised concerns over the company’s financial and general operations especially since it was operating without a legally constituted board of directors for over a year.”
Answer: In no case was any of NIDCO’s employees’ contract terminated by NIDCO due to concerns raised over NIDCO’s financial and/or general operations, or because of concerns having to do with NIDCO’s Board. NIDCO has always had a legally constituted Board.
None of the NIDCO employees who resigned, nor any of the ones dismissed, ever raised with the Company concerns about NIDCO’s financial and/or general operations, or matters relating to NIDCO’s Board.
NIDCO’s records show that the reasons given for the majority of resignations related to better job opportunities, emigration and personal reasons; a few opted to resign rather than face dismissal for poor performance, ineptitude and questionable conduct. During 2008 seven (7) employees’ contracts were not renewed for various reasons, including poor performance, unsatisfactory probation and redundancy.
TV 6 Allegation: “Last year the majority of Directors of the NIDCO Board were not re-appointed including the then Chairman, David Brash.”
Answer: This allegation is untrue. NIDCO’s former Chairman, Mr. David Brash, resigned from the Board on 18 December 2007. Between January and December 2008, save for one member who remained on the Board the remaining members resigned; the member who stayed on was not re-appointed at the end of his term.
Contrary to the allegation made by CCN TV6 none of the following persons:
Devanand Maharaj, Eugene Atwell, Esther Du Barry, Marise Johncilla, Gaytree Ramkarran (mistakenly referred to as Gaytree Rajkumar) or Dennison Harricharan has ever been a member of the Board of NIDCO.
TV 6 Allegation: “The Board of a Company is legally empowered with approving decisions for its major projects. But in the year that NIDCO was operating without a Board, the approvals were given directly by the Ministry of Works and Transport and one top official at the company.”
Answer: It is not true that for one year NIDCO was operating without a Board, nor is it true that approvals for major projects were made by one person at NIDCO or by the Ministry of Works and Transport.
TV 6 Allegation: “Three of these workers are now suing the company for wrongful dismissal.”
Answer: This allegation is false. There are no Court proceedings against NIDCO by any of its former employees whether for wrongful dismissal or otherwise; one former employee is however in negotiations with NIDCO.
TV 6 Allegation: “…within one month the salaries of two (2) senior workers were increased by thousands of dollars even though normal procedures state that the Board of Directors is supposed to approve such large increases in salary after consulting with the Ministry of Works.”
Answer: In the normal course of things certain staff members were promoted with consequential salary increases in accordance with the Board’s approved ranges of salaries; on this question, consultation with the Ministry of Works is not required.
TV 6 Allegation: “…the company has been paying high cell phone bills of a senior official, like a $34,000.00 bill per month.”
Answer: The cell phone bill of $34,000.00 referred to was the bill in respect of the President’s cell phone for the month of August 2008 when the President was on vacation abroad but nevertheless had to be in constant touch with the office as a number of large important transactions in connection with the Water Taxi Service had to be dealt with; she also had to interrupt her vacation and travel to Turkey in connection with these transactions. This cell phone bill reflected in the main to roaming charges incurred on company business during this month of August 2008.
It is not true that the President’s cell phone bill averaged $34,000.00 per month as CCN TV6 sought to make out by using this bill which related solely to the month of August 2008. This was a deliberate attempt intended by CCN TV6 to mislead the public and to smear the reputation of the President.
Unfortunately, this false and defamatory statement on the part of CCN TV6 was repeated in Parliament. The cell phone in question was provided by the company to be used, and was used, solely on company business.
TV 6 Allegation: “…one contractor complains that they were relieved of the contract for the Water Taxi Docks in March without ever being told why.”
Answer: This allegation is not true. NIDCO has not terminated any contract relating to “Water Taxi Docks”.
TV 6 Allegation: “The contractor notes that this could compromise the safety of members of the public using the facility during the hurricane season.”
Answer: This was a false and an outrageous allegation on the part of CCN TV6, and one which must have caused great fear in users of the Water Taxi Service for their personal safety. As stated before, NIDCO terminated no such contract. NIDCO, on the advice of its experts and consultants, has taken all necessary and prudent measures to ensure the safety of its Water Taxi facilities. There is no risk to the public in using the service whether during the hurricane season or at any other time.
TV 6 Allegation: “…the non-payment of some consultants who did work for NIDCO and the sudden termination of contractors originally hired for various projects.”
Answer: Funds are not made available to NIDCO to disburse as it thinks fit. The procedure is that payments to Contractors/Consultants for work and/or services provided to NIDCO must be certified by NIDCO as having been justifiably and properly incurred; and a report to this effect has to be made by NIDCO to the Ministry of Works and Transport. The Ministry then scrutinizes the documentation provided by NIDCO, and upon being satisfied that the amounts were properly incurred, would make available the necessary funds for disbursal by NIDCO. NIDCO is accountable to the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Ministry of Finance for every cent of taxpayers’ money it spends.
There have been occasions when in NIDCO’s opinion certain Consultants/Contractors have attempted to hoodwink NIDCO into paying large sums of taxpayers’ money for works/services not actually done/provided; in such cases NIDCO refuses to recommend payments and/or full payment. Naturally, these are the ones who complain.
NIDCO is currently working on many different and varied infrastructural and transportation projects. One such project, due to commence shortly, is the construction of an overpass at the Aranguez junction. This overpass is intended to do away with the traffic light signals at both the Aranguez and El Socorro junctions, thereby allowing for a free flow of traffic from Port of Spain to San Fernando.
NIDCO remains committed to the highest levels of accountability, reliability and transparency and will continue to be a vehicle for growth and development, and undertakes to continue to deliver infrastructural projects that are of benefit to the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
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