And while swine flu stole today’s headline in the north, all the talk is about the ouster of Carlos Magana. Yesterday the news of Cane Farmers Association CEO Carlos Magana’s termination rippled across the north like a seismic event – the single most powerful individual in the sugar industry had been toppled with a single three paragraph letter. The man who signed it was Eric Ek (Eck), the Chairman of the Committee of Management. On last night’s news, Magana alleged that Eck had acted against the wishes of the 18 member board of directors of the Sugar Industry Control Board and that he was instead following a political directive from Belmopan.
Well today we spoke to Ek at the office of the Cane Farmers Association in Corozal. He stressed that up until he had not seen Magana’s two year contract until last week Wednesday July first. That’s the day after it expired on June thirtieth. On Thursday the four-person committee of management which Ek chairs met to consider a renewal – but Ek says when they saw what was inside the contract, they had second thoughts.
Eric Ek, Chairman – Committee of Management
“So Mr. Magana told me to sign his contract and I told him yes we will sign your contract. But I cannot do that because I hadn’t seen his contract. So we sat down with the Committee of Management that same day, we got a copy of his contract, and we discussed and we saw that there were too much benefits for Mr. Magana and I can state here that Mr. Magana had a contract of $60,000 plus $7,000 family insurance, plus $12,000 of rent plus the 2-% gratuity. That comes out to about $91,000 plus he had a vehicle with fuel and telephone. Adding all that up, that comes up to over $100,000.”
Jules Vasquez,
But maybe he was worth it.
Eric Ek,
“Well besides that we were reviewing his contract and we saw his terms
of reference and we saw that many of his terms were not met.”
Jules Vasquez,
So he had failed to fulfil his duties, responsibilities, objectives as the CEO?
Eric Ek,
“Exactly because even though Mr. Magana is a hard working person, he gives all of his effort towards the association, but there were points whereby he was stated in contract that he didn’t met.”
Jules Vasquez,
Specifically.
Eric Ek,
“I can state two points that I can remember whereby his contract read that by end of year two he will get low interest credit for farmers and nothing has happened. He should have moved the association with a 100% debt. That was something very difficult I know but at least we should have started to negotiate that the association could be a step ahead now.”
Jules Vasquez,
He said a) you acted on your own, that he had been given assurances of the board that his contract will be re-negotiated; it was a just a matter of time, continue to work. Second thing he allege is that your decision was not expressed in minutes and it did not have the consensus approval of the board. How would you answer those charges?
Eric Ek,
“Well I must say here that I never acted on my own because my committee, everybody is informed and this was a decision of the committee of management. He well knows that we saw down in a meeting with him on Thursday and we were willing to negotiate with him whereby he walked out of that meeting. We have minutes of that. After that meeting I informed all the directors, the 18 directors what was happening and he came in again in that meeting and he said I would not present his contract, he will present his contract. It is something that I see very strange because we as the employers should present him his contract. He brought in a next contract whereby he just turned the numbers around. He brought a contract of $65,000, $5,000 medical insurance, 20% gratuity, and that was net of taxes, we are going to pay the taxes, plus still we had to give him the vehicle and fuel and telephone.
Actually today I had a meeting with the 18 directors informing them officially that Mr. Magana is no longer the CEO of the BSCFA.”
Jules Vasquez,
Did you have consensus support?
Eric Ek,
“Yes I had no objections. Nobody objected to the decision which we had today.”
Jules Vasquez,
He has also alleged that you are in fact acting on a political directive, that you all went to Belmopan and politicians there told you all what to do. That was his implication and that you all are doing this as a political manoeuvre. Your response?
Eric Ek,
“I don’t have to do nothing to reply on that because if that is his mentality then he can stay on that.”
Jules Vasquez,
But is he speaking the truth?
Eric Ek,
“Well I don’t know because we are acting on what our report card says. If you did not meet what you were asked, we simply cannot work anymore. Nothing politically has been involved.”
And while both sides have spoken, this one still has some legs, as Ek this evening told us that Magana has still not returned the association’s truck and keys as he was instructed to do in yesterday’s letter of termination. Ek was uncertain what action will be taken to get the truck back.
