Johany Ebanks has already announced he will be standing in North Side for election to the Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly in 2021 just a few month after the last election.

In a release to Cayman’s media he has sent us two emails.

The first is a list of questions he is asking North Side’s long serving MLA and Leader of the Opposition Ezzard Miller:

“The MLA for North Side has recently called for more expenses for an opposition office.

“As the chairman of accountability in the PAC perhaps this should begin at home. The MLA for North Side should provide the electorate of North Side with full disclosure as to how he has spent his annual grant of CI$28,500 for an MLA office in North Side in the following circumstances:

“1. Where has the MLA office been located and for what periods in the last several years to include funds actually spent.

“2. What efforts to include public advertisement has he made to notify the electorate of his office location, for what periods and the published mechanism for members of the electorate to obtain an appointment especially on the third Monday of each month.

“3. No published annual report on details of the expenditure of CI$28,500

“The MLA from North Side may also wish to advise his electorate if he is the member of a masonic lodge in Jamaica and whether he regularly attends meetings in that foreign country.

“The Auditor-General should also enquire into a situation whereby elected members receive large sums of expense money, in one case nearly CI$100,000 with no oversight.

“Perhaps the Premier can direct this as part of his enquiry into non-performing programs.

“Jay Ebanks
“MLA Candidate for North Side 2021”

The second is a FOI request concerning the Cayman Turtle Centre:

FOI Request

1. Total cost of attendance of three members of the Cayman Turtle Centre between the 12 and the 17th March 2017

2. Salary range of the farm manager of the Cayman Turtle Centre

3. Retirement age of the farm manager of the Cayman Turtle Centre

4. Travel or transportation allowance for farm manager of Cayman Turtle Centre

5. Succession planning for replacement of farm manager

6. Retirement age of Cayman Turtle Centre employees

7. Employees of the Cayman Turtle Centre who are parent and child, brothers, nephews and uncles or aunts.

END

The FOI Office replied:

Dear Mr. Ebanks,

Thank you for your FOI request of 26th May 2017, received by us on the same day via email.

I have been working on responses to your questions, however, due to some unforeseen delays, I have not been able to acquire all of the records you have requested. Therefore, I will have to extend the period for final response by a further thirty (30) days, i.e. the response date now being 25th July 2017.

My sincere apologies for this delay, and thank you for understanding.

Kindest regards,

Katherine D. Jackson, Cert. Hon.
Office Manager
Freedom of Information Manager

END

Ebanks answered back:

Thank you

Also would like to add to the list when was the last time the farm manager had a drug test.

END

RESPONSE TO FOI REQUEST # — JOHANY EBANKS, NORTH SIDE

1. Total cost of attendance of three members of the Cayman Turtle Centre between the 12 and the 17th March 2017
.
Response: Please specify exactly what you are asking about.

2. Salary range of the farm manager of the Cayman Turtle Centre
Response: The annual salary range for the Farm Manager of Cayman Turtle Centre is:
G/PT-1to G/PT-9
$43,695 $44,796 $45,920 $47,055 $48,234 $49,446 $50,681 $51,938 $53,239

3. Retirement age of the farm manager of the Cayman Turtle Centre
Response: We cannot release this information as it involves the unreasonable disclosure of personal information. See FOI Law, Sect. 23 (1) and (3).

4. Travel or transportation allowance for farm manager of Cayman Turtle Centre
Response: While we cannot speak specifically to transportation allowance for the Farm Manager, (see FOI Law, Sect. 23 (1) and (3), CTC does provide such allowance to eight (8) individuals and it ranges from CI$75.00 to CI$150.00 per month.
CTC’s per-diem travel policy is consistent with Government’s Official Travel Policy, 2014.

5. Succession planning for replacement of farm manager
Response: From our Crew Members’ Handbook – 18th March 2013:
Caymanians First – Cayman Turtle Farm prides itself on its embracement of the immigration laws of the Cayman Islands; for all roles at all levels we give preference to hiring Caymanians and status holders. We believe in putting local people first whenever possible, so we help with the advancement of our people and their skills. It is not always possible to find the skills locally but we endeavor to source local skills, provide local employment, and develop our Crew Members. When we hire Crew Members outside of Grand Cayman we implement succession planning strategy for that position so as to train a Caymanian in the role for future development.

6. Retirement age of Cayman Turtle Centre employees
Response: There is no specific mandatory retirement age for CTC employees. Criteria for retirement would be a management decision making best judgments on factors such as an employee’s duties; employee’s health, physical and mental abilities in performing those duties safely and competently; PSPB rules and regulations pertaining to retirement (or early retirement) at the employee’s age; and (if applicable) employee’s request for retirement.

7. Employees of the Cayman Turtle Centre who are parent and child, brothers, nephews and uncles or aunts.
Response: We do not hold such records. Nonetheless, we would not be able to release this information even so as it involves the unreasonable disclosure of personal information of persons,living or dead. FOILaw,Sect.23(1)and(3).

8. When was the last time the farm manager had a drug test.
Response: We cannot release this information about any particular individual as it involves the unreasonable disclosure of personal information. See FOI Law, Sect. 23 (1) and (3).

“Upon providing this information, we have now closed this FOI request.

Katherine D. Jackson, Cert. Hon.
Office Manager
Freedom of Information Manager

END

I look forward to receiving more from Mr Johany Ebanks. I’m sure I will.