Dear Editor,
Someone mentioned to me that one person who was approached to be on the managing board of GEBE refused because he did not want to be part of the dynasty. That I did not react to but in the paper of Thursday October 8, I read "GEBE is the only government-owned company that over the years has not conducted a proper recruitment procedure for selection of the members of the managing board". And then I said to myself , “Who promised what to whom and who are going to profit from this?” I found myself obliged to react because I could not believe that I just read some lame explanation from the chairman of the supervisory board of GEBE which I would be ashamed to think that I could convince the people with that junk.
If I were Bienvenido Richardson, I would never have accepted to be the fall guy to tell the people of Sint Maarten, and for that matter, wherever this paper is read, that GEBE is getting rid of the only board that made a profit for the government-owned company, which continuously bails out the government. And listen to the kicker.
"Because they were not selected according to correct procedures". So, my question is: Is GEBE going to give back (refuse) that profit because it was generated by people who were illegally employed? Was that profit illegally obtained? Since all of this seems to be dubious, can I also assume that it is because whoever wants to get on the managing board of G.E.B.E (the government's cash cow), wants to be able to manipulate business there for themselves and their cahoots?
I believe that these are all reasonable questions. Not only reasonable, but because of transparency of government, legal questions. And there should also be more extensive questions to Minister Doran because his name is constantly mentioned. The people have to know. If government is telling us that because of COVID-19, money is scarce and we are not sure how or from where we are going to get more, why are we permitting, according to how I perceive it, irresponsible people to mess with the good that is happening by GEBE?
If I were perceived to be living above my means that would be considered suspicious. GEBE is steadily making a profit, and the managing board, which is responsible for this, committed a cardinal sin because they were approved by the government, but not selected according to procedures.
Wow! Who is responsible? Who all are turning a blind eye? Who are the ostriches? What I would bet on is that the Dutch are seeing this and I can bet that when the time is right, there will be another investigation. And I hope that when that time comes, and the members of the present board cooperate, they are not looked at in the wrong way.
We already have a big problem generating funds with the road tax, are we going to let the management of GEBE end up in the wrong hands also? I know that a whole lot of people in government read my published letters to you. I also know that they read them before their official correspondence. I also know that there are some who cut them out and save them, so I am urging the Council of Ministers to find out from minister Doran what is really going on with the replacement of the managing board of GEBE. If they are doing anything illegal or anything different, than the other branches of GEBE are doing which are not policy, let us know. I believe that we all have to know. If anyone claims that Russell is writing what he does not know about, they are so right. Neither me nor the majority of the country. Where is the transparency? Do not we have enough proof of wrongdoing by our people in government or government entities? Are we really that callous?
Russell A. Simmons
