Disgraceful dismissal

WILL the Prime Minister or whoever is responsible tell us what sin or what wrong did Mr Hubert Alleyne commit for him to be so ignominiously dismissed as Chairman of the Unit Trust Corporation? We are totally flabbergasted by the Government’s treatment of Mr Alleyne whose appointment was summarily revoked without giving him any reason whatever, particularly at a time when the UTC is enjoying perhaps the best year of its existence.

Mr Alleyne, who has had a prominent and respected career in the financial sector, was made to suffer the humiliation of hearing over the electronic media last Friday that he had been fired as UTC chairman. It was a crude act that smacked of apparent vindictiveness, made all the more odious because it offered Mr Alleyne no explanation for his sudden removal. The order revoking his appointment was signed by Acting President Linda Baboolal on Thursday October 9 and delivered to the Unit Trust office in Port-of-Spain between 2 and 3 pm the following day. The fact is that Mr Alleyne is not an executive chairman and, as such, is not involved in the day-to-day operations of the organisation and, therefore, he has no reason to be present at the UTC office every day. He goes there to attend meetings of the Board and other decision-making sessions. Mr Alleyne was not at the office when the revocation order was delivered. And he was due to attend the next board meeting to be held today. But if not protocol, surely common decencey would require that such a notice, dismissing the chairman of a major corporation, be delivered to him personally. The action becomes more distasteful for the fact that when Mr Alleyne was appointed to head the UTC the notification was delivered to his home at Federation Park. Why was the revocation order not taken to his home also; why was it sent to the UTC office as an ordinary piece of correspondence?

As far as the reason for removing Mr Alleyne is concerned, the only official explanation has come from Mr Conrad Enill, Minister in the Ministry of Finance, who, in an interview with the media, accused the UTC chairman of failing to follow or carry out government policy. We find this reason quite curious since, as far as we are aware,  the UTC chairman, appointed by the President, is under no obligation, requirement, duty or compulsion, explicit or implicit, to follow government policy. Indeed, where does government policy fit into the independent operations of the UTC? Mr Alleyne’s duties were essentially to seek the interest of the Trust’s 400,000 unit holders and the record would show that he has been doing an exceptionally good job. Because of the UTC’s invitation to Caroni’s VSEP workers, the Trust’s assets grew by $500 million in one single month. We understand that one critical view of Cabinet saw Mr Alleyne as “stirring up” the public on what was merely an idea and expressing a view “hostile” to the Government. The UTC chairman was even condemned for making public statements that could affect the financial stability of an institution. We find this criticism of Mr Alleyne not only false but bordering on mischief. The fact is that the UTC-FCB merger was something thrown out for public comment and did not represent government policy. No one in the ministry had the courtesy to discuss this merger with the UTC chairman or its Board and, when questioned by the media about it, Mr Alleyne simply expressed his honest opinion, that it was not feasible under the present law and that he was not in favour of it because he saw no benefits accruing to the corporation.

That his comments could be interpreted as “stirring up” the public is quite absurd. That consternation had already been achieved by the Prime Minister’s ill-conceived gambit which spontaneously provoked widespread outrage among unit holders and ordinary citizens. Indeed, Mr Alleyne’s view served more to conciliate public anger and preserve public confidence in the UTC than to affect the country’s financial stability which, ironically, was the threat posed by the silly merger idea.  Mr Alleyne’s record of service speaks for itself. That he should be so shabbily treated by the Government is a crying shame and disgrace to our country. A competent, honest, dedicated and candid chairman has bitten the dust.