Ancil Dennis claims victimisation by THA Executive Council

Former THA chief secretary and political leader of the People’s National Movement Tobago Council Ancil Dennis says he is being victimised by the Farley Augustine-led THA Executive Council.

Dennis said while he is aware that many public servants have had to wait unnecessarily long for gratuity and other benefits, his wait for his gratuity is not the typical delays of public bureaucracy.

He said he was first elected to the THA on January 21, 2013, and served until December 9, 2021, and was legally entitled to a pension at age 55, and gratuity immediately upon leaving office.

“After an almost two-year wait, I was contacted by Assembly Legislature to sign a document relating to my gratuity. I was subsequently advised on or around August 19, 2023, that an Executive Council note was submitted to the Farley-led Executive Council requesting approval for the payment of my gratuity.”

He said matters going before the Council are usually approved or rejected at one weekly meeting, and confirmed if previously approved, at the following meeting one week later.

“This means that the confirmation of this decision should have been executed one week after August 19, and placed back into the hands of the public servants for further processing and eventual payment. I was informed this week that although my gratuity was approved since August 2023, to date the confirmation of this approval, which should have been transmitted to Assembly Legislature in the form of an Executive Council minute, has not returned from the Executive Council. It simply disappeared.”

He said he was advised that numerous follow-ups by Assembly Legislature has been met with no response from this executive.