It was certainly surprising that after all that ended up being cited for ‘ignorance’, and his constant ‘coverup’ and refusal to at least admonish the Deputy Governor, Lyndel Sympson for her actions. He would in the end take the action where he, “asked for a full report on it how it happened and the lessons learned recommendation… so I’ve briefed my successor because it obviously shouldn’t be handled by the Deputy Governor herself, that wouldn’t be right for her to review her own situation in that way…”
Having listened to the rambling he gave in defending or minimising the matter, (just as he has done in other situations), saying it was, “…an unfortunate mistake, not major sums of money involved at all…there is no scurrilous plan – trying to pay somebody under the door…”
Why he called for a review was still confusing since he had also gone to great lengths to show that in the end it was his oversight, noting the matter should not have reached his desk as it did. What that showed of course was the disfunction of his and his DG support office. Did it, therefore, require an inquiry, review, and investigation to know who began the “mistake” which must have begun in his, the DG’s office coming from the top?
When the overpayment being made was leaked early in 2021, soon after she received her new contract and the whispers reached ZJB radio loud enough for them to inquire, why did the Governor react as reported?
He was simply strengthening the disgraceful behaviour that he was either willfully being irresponsible, or ignorant in carrying out his responsibilities.
We recall his first major exhibition of irresponsibility when we cited his ‘ignorance’, in 2019; and we will add that may have well been some measure of dishonesty involved. He could not have honestly, if at all he did, reported that the action he took then was sanctioned by the Secretary of State at the FCO, in the DG’s, gross misconduct to a senior member of her staff. Consider the ‘Public Service Code of Conduct, under which the CSA President charged and asked the Governor to act. Consider Andrew Mitchell resigning following allegations he called police ‘plebs’. We will provide other examples in time
The Governor was on the job already for over three years, but in retrospect, Governor Pearce, like Miss Carriere we found out later, came unprepared for a job for which he said he was recruited after: “…I have served as Head of Security for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and as Charge D’Affaires in Vilnius in Lithuania.”
There are any number of circumstances beginning with our very first interaction with Governor Pearce that we should have discerned that he would not be a Governor who would be as he had promised at his swearing-in. “I will do my utmost to fulfill my responsibilities to the Government and people of Montserrat…And most importantly, to do my part in making things better for the Montserratian community.”
Governor Carriere although she came clearly with a mandate to reform the public service which led her to the Empowering Excellence program, also revealed to be not ready to carry out her responsibility. It was surprising though she would somehow empower the terrible acts that only grew worse for her and under her watch. These led to her own failure.
In fact, in researching to substantiate this argument, we found the weakness and danger in her statements surrounding her decision to appoint the Deputy Governor in a probatory status. Our report then said, “Her Excellency informed she learned very well what, a Deputy Governor does…But I also learned first-hand how things work in the public service – what works well and what needs fixing.”
That also “provided me with an excellent in-depth appreciation of the need for HR transformation…,” she said.
For now, we conclude here that these and much more poor disgraceful activities of Governorship exuding down through the DG’s performance over her five years and continuing, were further encouraged by the ignorance and understanding of the rest of the Government who to this day do not recognise their powers, duty, and responsibilities.
