Former prime minister Basdeo Panday has called on his successor, Prime Minister Kamla Persad- Bissessar, to explain what Sasha Mohammed's job as the Prime Minister's Events Adviser is all about.Panday raised the query after Mohammed's job description appeared recently in connection with the furore concerning shortlived SIA/SSA head Reshmi Ramnarine.Panday said: "What exactly is this post of 'Adviser on Events' about? It sounds like something that can be done by a secretariat or other administrative staff. It sounds like a waste of taxpayers' money.
"If the PP has made so many promises about transparency and accountability, the Prime Minister should readily explain publicly what this special post is and how much Mohammed is being paid for it."The public voted against this sort of waste of taxpayers money, they have a right to know what these positions are and the cost."He said: "This Government cannot continue to do the same things the PNM did because change is what the people voted for.
"Roodal Moonilal said the most stupid thing when asked about the SIA issue recently. He said nobody knew who the SIA head was under the PNM. But he misses the point that the PP won on the basis of change and has to operate differently to the PNM."Panday said Persad-Bissessar's praising of him-as former UNC leader-at Monday's UNC celebration was "a red herring.""The administration knows it is unpopular and that I have been outspoken, so any praise of me might have been seen as a diversion that could redound to their benefit."
"I'm also curious about the praise since she has not spoken to me since she became Prime Minister. I had called her home to congratulate her when she won. A man answered and gave me a number to call but when I called there was no answer and I left a congratulatory message with him to give her. I never heard from her although she claims she called me. That's not true.
"More important is how much Monday night's celebration cost, whether it was paid for by Government funds or private and if so by whom.""Instead of praising me, she should get her Government to perform - while the PP was celebrating there were 34 murders in 24 days for 2011 and they say crime is on the decrease," Panday added.