Senate Inquiry is Not Reflection of Current Immigration Department, Say Unionists

Eldrid Neal

Even with the promotion matter now cooled down, there is context – the ongoing public hearings of the Senate Special Select Committee on Immigration. While only current and former senior officers have so far been called, we questioned whether the timing of this issue coming up had any effect. Both Willoughby and Neal rushed to defend their public service colleagues, insisting that the goings-on in Belmopan, which addresses alleged infractions that took place as many as six or seven years ago, are hardly a reflection on the work of the Department now – or the worthiness of its staff to be promoted.

Eldrid Neal, President, Public Service Union

“I’ll want to believe the Senate inquiry is of its own making and the Department, in fact, I believe, is in capable hands and the officers are functioning and working and doing the job they are tasked to do. We hope the inquiry addresses what it should, but we don’t want to think the office is under [scrutiny], or any matter of that sort.”

Jacqueline Willoughby

Jacqueline Willoughby, I.L.O. Trustee, Public Service Union

“The insinuations of the media is unacceptable. These officers that you see walking out of this room today are officers who have served in this Department for upwards of ten years. If they are there for ten years, it must mean that there is something they are capable of doing. You and I know how Senate Selects go. It is good for the purpose of looking in for the perspective of seeing what may be wrong and what can be righted; but that is with any organization. Isn’t it so?”

We’ll have more on the Senate inquiry later in the newscast when the chairman of the Belize Progressive Party comments on where the inquiry should go.