MSJ leader: Dillon revocation unusual

David Abdulah
David Abdulah

UPDATE:

MSJ political leader David Abdulah has described the revocation of Edmund Dillon’s appointment as Minister of National Security as a “very unusual development,” as it took place less than a week after Parliament voted for a former national security minister to be appointed commissioner of police.

Abdulah said while no reasons had been given for Dillion’s revocation, speculation was rife that the former major general did not approve of Gary Griffith’s appointment as police commissioner.
“The Cabinet reshuffle seems to have come like a shot out of the blue,” he said, “because there have been calls for Mr Dillon to go for the last year, when there has been a continuing increase in the number of people who have been murdered.
“The question would arise, what is the difference now? One could speculate that the decision to appoint Gary Griffith did not sit well with Mr Dillon, because Mr Dillon would have been a senior officer to Gary Griffith in the defence force.”

On Sunday, the Office of the Prime Minister announced that President Paula-Mae Weekes had been advised to revoke Dillon’s appointment and instead appoint him Minister of Housing and Urban Development.
The OPM also said Young had been appointed Minister of National Security in addition to Minister of Communications and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister.
In a telephone interview yesterday, Abdulah said violent crime had been increasing over the past year, but calls for Dillon’s removal had fallen on deaf ears.
“The numbers are increasing all the time and violent crime is generally out of control, and the government’s policy seems not to be working, and the minister did not seem to have a grip on the matter.”

Abdulah said in the absence of an explanation from the Prime Minister, speculation would “run wild” about Dillon’s removal.

He also questioned whether Young possessed the competence not only to lead the National Security Ministry but also to preside over the rebranding of CNMG to TTT and continuing to be a part of this country’s negotiations team with Venezuela over natural gas.
“The other thing is, Stuart Young has three portfolios. The minister of national security ought to be a stand-alone appointment. He has oversight of Immigration, defence force, prisons – so it’s a very large portfolio, and now as Minister of Communications he now has to deal with the rollout or rebranding of CNMG to TTT, and then in the Prime Minister’s Office with matters that really should be the purview of the Ministry of Energy, for exampe the negotiations involving the Dragon gas field between TT and Venezuela.

“The decision seems to be without any major planning, it seems to be a knee-jerk reaction – unless it is a conflict between Mr Dillon and Mr Griffith.”

ORIGINAL STORY:

MSJ political leader David Abdulah has described the revocation of Edmund Dillon’s appointment as Minister of National Security as a “very unusual development,” as it took place less than a week after Parliament voted for a former national security minister to be appointed commissioner of police.

Abdulah said while no reasons had been given for Dillion’s revocation, speculation was rife that the former major general did not approve of Gary Griffith's appointment.

“The Cabinet reshuffle seems to have come like a shot out of the blue," he said, "because there have been calls for Mr Dillon to go for the last year, when there has been a continuing increase in the number of people who have been murdered.

"The question would arise, what is the difference now? One could speculate that the decision to appoint Gary Griffith did not sit well with Mr Dillon, because Mr Dillon would have been a senior officer to Gary Griffith in the defence force.”

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