It slipped under the news radar in the pre new year’s rush, but on Wednesday, the Board of Directors of NICH, the National Institute of Culture and History sent out a press release saying that it had fired its own President Dianne Haylock. The reason for the firing was Haylock’s unilateral decision to sign a contract with David Gegg of Cruise Solutions to build a restaurant and concession facility at the Cave’s Branch Archaeological Reserve.
Well the Board says it was kept in the dark about the contract and only found out about it in December, four months after Haylock had signed it. And, so empowered by the hard-line position of the Minister of Culture, whose release called the contract illegal and invalid, the NICH Board met on Tuesday December twenty-third with the Minister present. The press release issued on Wednesday explained the resolution coming out of that meeting is to tell Gegg to stop construction.
Board member from Orange Walk Osiris Rodriguez came to our newsroom this morning volunteering to explain and defend the Board’s bigger decision – which was to terminate President Haylock.
Osiris Rodriguez, NICH Board Member
“We regret to inform due to her actions, Miss Diane Haylock was terminated under clause 11 of her employment contract. She was terminated with entitlement of three months salary in lieu of notice.”
Jules Vasquez,
Is that the position of the Board or is that the decision of the Minister who
was in that meeting?
Osiris Rodriguez,
“In her contract it says that she is entitled to answer to the employer and her employer is the NICH Board.”
Jules Vasquez,
Now the Board has voted to terminate the Chairman. What’s up with that?
Osiris Rodriguez,
“It is like this: if you have an employee and you don’t trust that employee, the best action would be to terminate.”
Jules Vasquez,
But the Chairman isn’t an employee, the Chairman is the boss; the President is the boss.
Osiris Rodriguez,
“I’m sorry but the Chairman works under the Board; any action she is to take, she needs to consult the board. She is to run NICH on a day to day basis with paychecks, pay bills, and pay any utilities. When it comes to any contract or any event that is to affect NICH directly, she needs to consult the board.”
Jules Vasquez,
But this isn’t a decision taken lightly, this is a mutiny; when you get rid of the captain that is a mutiny. This is what this is sir.
Osiris Rodriguez,
“If we continue to work with her, how can we expect that she won’t continue doing the same thing.”
Jules Vasquez,
When did you find out about this contract?
Osiris Rodriguez,
“Well as a whole, the Board members we all confirm that we were informed of the contract on the 19th of December on our special meeting.”
Jules Vasquez,
She told you?
Osiris Rodriguez,
“Yes it was mentioned.”
Jules Vasquez,
And did anyone raise objections at that point, any consternation, any eyebrows raised?
Osiris Rodriguez,
“It was raised in a way that the contract was already signed.”
Jules Vasquez,
If it is so objectionable, why didn’t you raise the objections then? I am saying you did not raise it then because the board acting as an instrument and with encouragement from the Minister, acted with such great objection only after the Minister came and said, ‘its okay, go ahead and fire Ms. Haylock.’
Osiris Rodriguez,
“But if I may, in order to fire cannot come from the Minister.”
Jules Vasquez,
He appointed you all, you are a supporter of Marcel Cardona.
Osiris Rodriguez,
“Actually we were appointed to our various knowledge and capabilities. As a supporter of Marcel Cardona, that is of no proof.”
Jules Vasquez,
You do support Marcel Cardona.
Osiris Rodriguez,
“I cannot say…I cannot….”
Jules Vasquez,
There is no chance that John Briceno would have been on the board if they had to pick someone from Orange Walk because he doesn’t support the Minister. You are on the board because you support the Minister; that is what board are, there is no prejudice to you.
Osiris Rodriguez,
“What I am trying to say is that once we enter the board, our feelings do not count. We have to base ourselves on the facts.”
Jules Vasquez,
Sir I know a little about politics, how politics work, it seems to me, from what I know, that there is no way a board can surmount a mutiny on a Chairman, can fire a Chairman, without some sort of political nod, without some politician saying do what you have to do. Marcel Cardona was in that meeting, he must have indicated to you all to terminate with extreme prejudice.
Osiris Rodriguez,
“My opinion is that NICH is not a institute that is supported politically, NICH is Belize and any decision we make, we make on behalf of Belizeans.”
Well, things have changed very significantly since we did that interview this morning and the news tonight is that Haylock has been un-terminated. The Prime Minister has instructed the Minister of Culture, Marcel Cardona to inform that NICH Board that its termination of Dianne Haylock is null and void.
That’s contained in a press release issued later this afternoon from the Prime Minister’s Office – which gives the NICH Board and the Minister quite a scolding. It says that, quote “the office of the Prime Minister is dismayed that the NICH Board could have purported to terminate ms. Haylock...without even hearing form her.” It continues: “this is...offensive to the principle of due process that the government is sworn to uphold.”
The release goes unto explain that the PM does not have to ask the Board to rescind its resolution to fire Haylock, because it turns out that it was invalid anyway. According to the release, the PM has been advised that Haylock’s employment agreement is invalid and not properly entered into by NICH. The upshot of all that is that – in the view of the highest office in the land – the NICH Board cannot fire its President, only the Minister of Culture can do that, because he appointed her. And the release makes it clear, he is obliged to give Haylock a chance to present her position before he does that and to consult with Cabinet.
Now, is the Prime Minister just taking up for his friend and personal ally, Dianne Haylock? That’s one theory, but it’s clear that Haylock is still basically on her own as regards the contract and not even her friend the Prime Minister will defend it. In fact the release from his office clearly refers to, “Haylock’s unauthorized signing of the NICH concession agreement.”
So, for Haylock, there’s no easy recover form what at best was a sever lapse of judgment in signing a contract with a controversial figure at a prime destination – without consulting her board or her Minister. Haylock returns on Sunday and is expected to meet with the Prime Minister on Monday. Cabinet will discuss it on Tuesday.
And while that lies ahead, as of tonight Haylock’s position as NICH President is secure, confirmed by no less than the Prime Minister. It is left to be seen if those NICH Board Members who’ve had their vote to remove her nullified will now resign in protest. In the middle of it all is Culture Minister Cardona who attended that meeting with a clear directive from Cabinet – which, we are told, did not include firing Haylock.
