Victor Ashby

Former principal of the Grenada Boys Secondary School (GBSS), Victor Ashby is tipped to take over as head of the National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA).

Ashby was asked early Tuesday by GRENADA TODAY to confirm reports that the Keith Mitchell-led New National Party (NNP) government had made approaches to him for the job."I was asked if I have an interest in it (the job)", he confirmed to this newspaper.

However, Ashby declined to state who specifically made the approaches to him for the NaDMA job that is currently done by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Sylvan Mc Intyre. The former school principal was cautious in indicating whether he had already accepted the job at the agency."As far as I know that (appointment) would have a process. It's premature still", he said.

Sylvan Mc Intyre

Ashby nonetheless dropped hints that he might be prepared to accept the job to mann the island's national disaster agency.
He said: "I have been a servant of the people through national development, through teaching so I see it (the NaDMA job) as a further process of nation building".

The job offer comes less than a month after Ashby was forced to resign as principal of the island''s oldest secondary school for boys after he attained the mandatory retirement age of 60.

He was also forced to step down as Supervisor of Elections, a post that is reserved for an active civil servant. A source who spoke on condition that he was not named indicated that preparations are already being made at NaDMA's office at Richmond Hill, St. George's to prepare an office for Ashby's expected arrival.

It is not clear whether Mc Intyre would be sent back to do regular duties with the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF).

Mc Intyre came under severe fire for the poor handling of Grenada's preparation for Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 in which nearly half of the island's housing stock and agricultural crops were destroyed.