( L - R ) Grange, Medley
The following is a statement issued yesterday by Huntley Medley, the former chief executive officer of the Jamaica Information Service.
Despite my genuine desire to avoid a protracted debate on the matter, I am compelled to refute the suggestion, attributed by The Gleaner Power 106 News Centre to the Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Hon. Olivia Grange, that my contract as Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica Information Service was terminated because of "difficulty by Mr Medley in working with an advisory board set up by the Ministry".
Powers
At the only meeting of the 10-member board successfully convened to date and to which I was invited, I tried to discourage the advisory board from arrogating unto itself powers that it does not legally have. In that meeting on July 22, I reminded the board members of the provisions of the Executive Agencies Act, 2002, and that I was bound as CEO to abide by the provisions of the Act.
I made it clear that I remained receptive to receiving the advice of the board, constituted as it is, to provide the CEO with advice, especially in the area of corporate planning. In response to a question from one board member how I would deal with directives from that body, I was polite but firm in my response that I could not deal with directives from the advisory board since that body at present had no authority in law or policy to issue any such directive.
Crucial
At the time of the scheduled second meeting of the advisory board on September 23, I was required to attend a crucial planning meeting for the Salute to Our Beijing Heroes celebration activities, resulting I was advised in the cancellation of the board meeting.
Since September 2007, I have made myself available to assist the minister in appreciating points of policy governing the operation of the JIS that predates her fairly recent re-entry into Government, and with which points of policy I might have some working knowledge through my most recent or previous employment in the public sector.
I continue to wish the minister, the advisory board, the JIS and Government well on future plans for the agency.
