RICHARD PATTERSON
RICHARD PATTERSON, son of Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, who quit the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) last Friday, has defended his record at the agency following criticisms contained in a recent report by the Contractor General.
The report was prepared on the request of Local Government Minister Portia Simpson Miller in March following allegations of $2 billion of over-expenditure as well as cronyism at the solid waste agency.
Reacting to media reports, Richard Patterson, in a statement dated July 31, denied the agency employed him as an information technology consultant based on his family connections.
He said that he is "confident that my job performance whilst at NSWMA can stand-up to any scrutiny". Referring to his academic background and work experience, Mr. Patterson said he was lauded by many for his performance.
He also hit out at apparent criticisms in the Contractor General's report, which said that he was hired as an information technology consultant although there was clear vacancy for an information technology manager. The report said filling this vacancy would have cost the Government less.
Richard Patterson was reportedly paid just over $2.8 million per year. One of his priority duties was to hire an IT manager but according to the report, this was not done. In addition, the report said Patterson's contract was renewed although he completed 60 per cent of the objectives required in his first contract.
STINGING RESPONSE
In a stinging response, Mr. Patterson said, "... Not once was I interviewed by any officer of the Contractor General's office, to afford any explanation as to why some of the elements of my terms of reference would need to be modified in an IT environment where the number of staff, departments and responsibility grow." He said it became apparent that the Authority could benefit from technological tools in areas beyond the first year's scope of his terms of reference and so the former board of directors renewed his contract.
"Since all the responsibility of the IT manager formed part of what I was doing, it became unnecessary to hire an IT manager," he explained. He said he has taken on additional duties not outlined in his contract. "... I provided to NSWMA, at no additional cost, services and consultation in other areas that pertained to scientific and/or technical matters, as well as in other areas ... The entire communication needs of the authority eventually fell directly under my portfolio although it was not in my original terms of reference," he said.
