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DRudolph Holligan |
Guyanese national Rudolph Holligan together with his wife and three year old son returned to their homeland last week Saturday in the wake of a move by the Keith Mitchell-led government in St. George's to expel the construction worker from the island.
Holligan, who came to the island to work in the construction industry following the passage of Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 was labeled as an "undesirable" person by government officials in Grenada.
The Guyanese construction worker was issued a one-year work permit in October 2005.
However, seven months later the Ministry of Labour revoked the work permit with immediate effect without giving the Guyanese national an explanation or reason for the action.
Attorneys-at-law, Ruggles Ferguson and Peter David who were retained by Holligan called on government to clear the air on this deportation matter.
The lawyers are asking the Mitchell government to disclose the rationale for labeling the Guyanese an "undesirable" element since their client had done nothing wrong to the best of their knowledge that warrants that kind of action.
"All Mr Holligan is asking is...why you revoked my work permit?", said the Guyanese who also attended the press conference.
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| Attourneys David & Ferguson |
During the briefing, David and Ferguson described the affair as "a very serious issue" and vowed to pursue it until they get some answers from the authorities.
Holligan told local reporters that Grenada was the first country he visited outside of Guyana and that at no time was he involved in any criminal and illegal activities.
The Guyanese has been living in the Spice Isle for just over one year with his wife and son.
Despite of being labelled an "undesirable", Holligan said that he has not lost the love and passion developed for Grenada and its people.
He was delighted to have assisted many Grenadians after the passage of Hurricane Ivan by rebuilding roofs and houses.
Earlier this month Minister of National Security, Senator Einstein Louison, addressing the deportation issue, said that Holligan's deportation was not taken on the basis that his work permit had expired without giving specific details.
Special Advisor to Cabinet, Jamaican Hugh Wildman told the local media that government sought to deport Holligan on the grounds that he was deemed an undesirable person in the country.
Both Ferguson and David indicated that Holligan's character is now at stake and they want Grenadians and Guyanese to be mindful that being deported does not make Holligan a criminal since he was not convicted of any illegal acts while rendering his service as a construction worker in Grenada.
The Holligan matter came up for hearing two weeks ago before the Court of Appeal at a sitting in St Vincent & The Grenadines.
The defense lawyers were successful in getting the court to order the Grenada government to withdraw the deportation order and for the Guyanese to leave the country at his own free will.
Ferguson recalled that it was Guyanese who came to Grenada's rescue following Hurricane Ivan and this was done despite of severe problems existing in the South American country.
He noted that Holligan was a CARICOM citizen and in light of the coming on stream of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME), "no minister ought to get away with that situation".
"...We feel Rudolph Holligan ought to be made an example and a symbol of what ought not to be done when you have Executive powers, how not to abuse and misuse your power cause if you do so you should pay for it", he added.
According to David, a sitting Member of Parliament, he finds it reprehensible that at a time when the Mitchell government itself speaks about CARICOM integration that an innocent CARICOM national is not even given an explanation as to why his work permit had been revoked and deported on the grounds that he was considered an "undesirable".
The Holligan issue has sparked concern among the local Grenada-Guyana Friendship Society.
In a press release issued last week Friday, the group urged the NNP regime in the spirit of Caribbean unity to conduct a full investigation into the circumstances which resulted in the Deportation Order being served on the young Guyanese.
The society said that the Guyanese community in Grenada remains committed to making a responsible contribution to the rebuilding and national life of Grenada.
