St Vincent Opposition leader Ralph Gonsalves has expressed deep concern regarding what he characterizes as wrongful dismissals and legal harassment of civil servants following the NDP’s transition into government.
Gonsalves on Monday cited specific instances where long-standing employees were fired and where the legal system was allegedly misused to target workers.
Gonsalves provided a detailed account of Ania Christopher, a senior housing assessor, whom he describes as a victim of “clear bad governance” and a denial of rights. He said that Christopher was falsely imprisoned after being taken to a police station on a Friday and held until 11:00 PM without food.
The former prime minister alleged that her detention was triggered by a report from an NDP politician regarding the distribution of housing materials. Gonsalves argues this was a breach of protocol because the Permanent Secretary (PS)—who is the legal accounting officer—had authorized the distribution.
He lambasted the decision to involve the police directly rather than speaking with the Minister or the PS, noting that even after the PS informed the police that the distribution was authorized, the detention continued. He believes the government will eventually have to pay damages for this incident.
Beyond individual cases, Gonsalves reports a broader trend of dismissals within the Ministry of Housing saying that the government has fired workers who had been with the housing department for as long as 20 years. He claims the new administration has closed down the housing project itself, leading to these layoffs.
Gonsalves mentions reports of officials attempting to seize building materials from the yards of private citizens. He argues these materials were given legitimately by the state under the previous administration and advises citizens and police to avoid involvement in these “business” matters to avoid being sued.
Gonsalves also describes an incident involving BRAGSA (the Bridges, Roads and General Services Global Authority), where an NDP politician allegedly demanded that a river cleaning project stop because he had not personally authorized it. Gonsalves said he had used this to illustrate a lack of structured, organized government, arguing that politicians should not interfere with the internal operations of state agencies or statutory bodies.
The former prime minister categorized the current atmosphere as one where “the place is at a standstill” and individuals are being targeted due to a lack of power or a misunderstanding of how legal authority and the chain of command function.