Was Cecil Jenkins’ Termination Due to Political Plans?
Like his fellow employees, Jenkins, who had been at City Hall for twelve years, has no idea why he was in the firing line. But he suspects a particular reason – that someone got wind of his plans to run for the United Democratic Party in the Lake Independence constituency. Lake Independence’s area representative Cordel Hyde is deputy leader of the People’s United Party and another brother-in-law of Bernard Wagner; he was responsible for recruiting the victorious P.U.P. CitCo team and managing its campaign. Jenkins had not gone beyond his making an application, but even if that were the case, he says it would have had no impact on his ability to provide service to the Old Capital. He says he will pursue his rights to the fullest extent.
Cecil Jenkins, Terminated
“I had applied to the United Democratic Party – I sent in my letter of application to vie for the area, to be the next standard bearer in Lake Independence. I am not even elected yet; I am nobody, but somebody. So if you see me as nobody which di try be somebody, you di knock down my democratic rights – my rights at a person that I am entitled to. But even if that is the case, I was still employed as a staff of the Belize City Council. They never saw me jumping out there yet, because nothing had come up yet; nothing mi call yet; and I was still deciding in my mind as to what to do. And if it has to take me one everyday; if I have to go protest and walk front of the Council every day, I’m telling you guys: you will be here just like you are today interviewing me, because I won’t stop. I won’t because I was [unjustifiably] terminated from my job. I am a professional person; I done nobody wrong.”