Chairman of the Social security Board Doug Singh has abruptly resigned as chairman of the Social Security Board, the Elections and Boundaries Commission and as a Director of BTL. It happened just a few minutes ago in a letter to the Prime Minister.
In it he writes, quote, "I will not allow the greater purpose of your national efforts in this crisis to be undermined by any personal expressions made by me." End quote
And here's what he's talking about. Singh granted journalist for Belize Breaking News Aaron Humes an interview earlier today about the COVID-19 Unemployment Relief Program. The 19 minute interview was riddled with expletives and characterised many unemployed who were applying for relief as entitled and undeserving freeloaders.
Singh was recorded without his consent - and has requested that the interview not air on the news, which is legally within his right. In it he seems to be giving Humes background - but it clearly demonstrates strong biases and gross characterisations of persons in need who have been told by the government to apply. He said of them, in creole and we're translating, quote, "yeah they are desperate, but is' not like they were earning any money, so a lot of them that hogging weren't entitled to anything!" End quote.
Humes said he had not intended for the interview to get out, but it seems he sent it to his newsroom - and someone there disseminated it.
The remarks are so objectionable that Singh had no options and wasted no time. He resigned within an hour of it going viral. But, the damage has been done, and government now has a lot of making up to do with this program that has received 62,706 applications and has processed 7,247 applications for payment. Approximately 7,500 additional applications are currently being processed and should be ready for approval, in stages, between this afternoon and tomorrow morning.
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