News
‘SLT board fired me from chairman’s post in mighty hurry’: Rohan Fernando
One of two dissenting govt. board members appointed new Chairman
by Sanath Nanayakkare
Rohan Fernando was removed from the post of Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom yesterday. A few hours after his removal, Fernando called a press conference and said: “I called a meeting of the SLT Director Board at 9 am to discuss usual business. And then I was surprised at the proposal of a motion at the very outset, which was not on the agenda. A situation had arisen where the Malaysian investors of SLT or rather the investors of Global Telecommunications Holdings (GTH) wanted to replace me.
“What surprised me was that a few months ago when there were newspaper reports that SLT chairman would be replaced, those directors wrote a letter denying such a situation and went on to say that it was a decision to be taken by the government being the major shareholder of SLT, and the board of directors had said that they wouldn’t get involved in such a move. That is why I said I was surprised.”
“Clause 105 of the SLT statute says that Directors may appoint and remove the chairman of the board at their respective meetings and may determine the period for which he or she is to hold office. There are ambiguities in the clause though. When the vote came up, two directors who represent the government voted to support my expulsion, which was approved by the Board on a majority consensus.
Reyaz Mihular, a newly appointed director by the government was one of them who voted to expel me and he was appointed as new SLT chairman at the same meeting. SLT has ten directors. Six of them represent the government shares of SLT (about 51%) and other four represent the shares of GTH (about 49%) which has a Malaysian origin. So, when two directors from the government representation voted with the other party, the move was clearly passed. The appointments and the composition of the Board are made through the secretary of the Finance Ministry.
But the Ministry of Finance hadn’t initiated such a replacement move. That’s another reason that makes me surprised at this development. I see it as a boardroom manipulation because this could have been amicably settled through discussion. I thought I should clarify this matter in the interest of SLT and the people of the country. Still I am not sure whether the procedure to expel me was correct or not. I will seek legal advice regarding the matter. I have a letter from the appointing agent which is the Treasury Secretary, therefore, I will get it clarified from the Treasury also.”
“As chairman of SLT, I brought in four main principles to root out corruption, improve efficiency, minimise waste and encourage participatory administration. With these principles. We made a successful and progressive journey. Of course, the Board and the shareholders have a right to fire a chairperson if an organization is performing poorly. But SLT is performing well financially, so it arouses my curiosity how such a thing could have happened without manipulation.”
Fernando said that he had refused to take a salary from SLT and didn’t use a fleet of vehicles or take any house rents. I only accepted a director fee for attending the Board meetings. That is the only perk I had taken. This expulsion is not a loss for me but it came as a shock to me,” he said.
When The Island asked him whether the current Board would have wanted to take SLT in a new direction under a new leader, he replied “If that was the intention, it should have been spelled out at the meeting.”
SLT officially informed the Colombo Stock Exchange yesterday that in terms of the articles of association of the Company, Reyaz Mihular, Independent non-executive director had been appointed as the Non-Executive Chairman of the SLT Board with effect from 20 July, 2023, and Rohan Fernando would continue to be an independent non-executive director of the Board.
Rohan Fernnado was appointed by former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in January 2020.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
