Angelo Laurence,
Contributor
A brouhaha is brewing in the Manchester Chamber of Commerce (MCC) as the president Barry Bonito's has been attracting a firestorm of criticism from high-ranking members of the organisation about his leadership style.
Mr. Bonito's detractors charge that the MCC has been in what some members call 'a mummified state' since early last year. The once vibrant chamber is 'just about dead', according to former president and vice president, Jean Anderson who told The Gleaner she was not satisfied with the current status of the chamber.
She said there had been no annual general meeting (AGM) in the last two years as stipulated in the organisation's constitution. Mrs. Anderson is dismayed at the leadership style and the direction taken by the president .
When contacted, Mr. Bonito expressed surprise at the alleged level of discontent within the organisation.
"There's nothing like that going on, there will be an AGM meeting in August, where I will be stepping down. There are no problems in the chamber, all is well. The main reason we have not had an AGM in the last two years is that every time we plan an AGM, most members can't make it. We planned one in April and that was postponed; but now we're having one no matter what number shows up this time," Mr. Bonito said.
The MCC is also being taken to task for not moving on
the proposed aerodrome for Mandeville, a plan which has been on the drawing board since the early 1990s. Several million dollars has been spent to conduct feasibility studies on the 400 acres of land offered by Alpart to construct an aerodrome.
"We're working on plans for the aerodrome, there will be some announcements made soon, we have been working with the Mayor," Mr. Bonito explained.
Former President of the Chamber, Mr. Stafford Haughton, told The Gleaner that he too was unhappy with the way the affairs of the Chamber were being administered. As a former president and one of many original members, he was "not aware of what is taking place within the organisation as information from the president is hard to come by."
A vice president of the MCC, Mrs. Beverly Henry, pointed out that decisions had been taken on critical issues without consultation by the president and one such action led to her having to write an apology to the affected party.
The position taken by the MCC to support the recent Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) lockdown to highlight the effects of crime in the country, was done so without the knowledge or consultation with the members of the organisation," Mrs. Henry said.
