Clarification on CMU Council membership and resignation

THE EDITOR, Madam:

THERE HAS been much public discussion regarding the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) and the responsibility of the council to ensure proper governance at the institution. I commend The Gleaner for its continuing service to the nation in providing timely information and for clarifying issues for the Jamaican public.

I therefore wish to use this medium to clarify what seems to be a misunderstanding within the public space that all council members have contributed to the challenges that have been reported at the CMU. Some council members, such as myself, joined the council after the breaches occurred and came in to assist in correcting the problems. The records will show that my first meeting was in April 2019, when certain issues were already in the public space.

It has been reported in Parliament that there have been significant improvements in the governance arrangements since that time. This is where my contribution has been, and I believe the public should be made aware of this.

I tendered my resignation in order to facilitate any restructuring that the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information might wish to carry out at this time.

My resignation was not an attempt to run away from the problems that I went to the CMU in order to help to fix; neither was it for the purpose of taking responsibility for failures that took place before I went there.

I therefore ask that the matter be clarified for the benefit of the public and in keeping with The Gleaner’s tradition of fair and balanced reporting.

PROFESSOR COLIN GYLES PhD