Former Education
Minister Augustine John has lost his job at the Ministry of
Works. Informed sources told GRENADA TODAY that John's contract
as a Grievance Officer was not renewed by the ruling New National
Party (NNP) government of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell.
According
to a well-placed source, the decision was influenced by mounting
pressure from the main opposition National Democratic Congress
(NDC) against the use of the Line 340 from the Votes assigned
to government ministries.
The Congress
party has been accusing the Mitchell government of wasting public
funds through the hiring of a number of political activists
and paying their salaries from the 340 budget. John is believed
to be among four former government ministers given government
jobs after the 2003 general elections and paid under 340.
The others
are believed to be ex-Foreign Minister Mark Isaac, former Social
Services Minister, Laurina Waldron and former Co-operatives
Minister, O'Brian Mc Queen. The Grenada Trades Union Council
(GTUC) has also been calling on government to streamline its
usage of the 340 budget.
John shot
into the limelight in the 1999 general election when he upset
then Prime Minister George Brizan of the Congress party to capture
the St. George North-east seat as part of NNP's 15-0 drubbing
of the opposition. However, he failed to hold onto the seat
four years later in a battle that he lost to NDC's Nazim Burke,
a barrister-at-law by profession. Speculation is rife that the
ex-minister has decided to bow out from frontline politics.
John has
also been criticised for getting paid and not often being seen
on the job. According to sources, a number of the tasks assigned
to John were allegedly handled by other senior personnel in
the Works Ministry.
The NNP
has been showcasing its General Secretary, Kenny roberts and
attorney-at-law, Dwight Horsford as potential replacements for
John in the North-east seat.
