~ Amendments sent to COM on Monday.~
PHILIPSBURG: --- The Ministry of VSA is presently seeking legal advice on the amendments made to the articles of incorporation of the National Institute of Professional Advancement (NIPA). Minister of VSA Omar Ottley confirmed on Wednesday during the Council of Ministers press briefing that his ministry did not receive the amendments and he was only made aware late last year that the VSA representative term was up.
The Minister said he did not reappoint the VSA representative Peggy Ann Dros Richardson. Asked if the Ministry intends to replace the VSA representative on the NIPA board. Ottley said at the time when he found out that the VSA representative term was up he communicated with the Minister of ECYS to see what were the next steps but since the amendments were made and he was not informed it kind of eliminated the opportunity or responsibility of the Minister of VSA to actually to take any actions. “I am not saying that my task was to remove or to keep Peggy Ann Dros Richardson as the VSA representative. But the amendments now allow the board to decide as such the Ministry of VSA has sent the amendments made by the board to see if it's legal or has standing. I can say here that the Ministry of VSA did not receive the amendments and a meeting was held where the request was made to NIPA to send the original articles of incorporation and the amendments made in March 2021 and December 2022.” Ottley said.
Dros Richardson has since said that an email was sent to the Ministry ECYS on Saturday, February 26th, 2022 and 10:26 pm with the amendments and other related documents when the request for NIPA’s subsidy was made.
Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs in response to the questions said that Dros Richardson in an email sent on Monday and Wednesday indicated that the amendments to the Articles of Association (AOA) were sent to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports (ECYS) and not to the Council of Ministers or Secretariat as indicated by Dros Richardson to the media on Monday, January 16th, 2023.
Jacobs said since she only recently received the amendments the Council of Ministers will hold further discussions with the Minister of ECYS Rodolphe Samuel when he returns to the island.
In the meantime, Minister Samuel said that he was not sure if the amendments were sent to his Ministry as this was since 2021. He said staff members of ECYS are busy combing through their emails to ensure that the amendments were sent. Samuel has since reserved the right not to comment further since he is currently off the island, and his staff has not yet submitted a report to him.
