Mustapha tears into WIN MP Panday for below-par performance at GuySuCo
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on WIN Member of Parliament Vishnu Panday during the Budget Debate, accusing him of incompetence and a “below-par” record during his tenure at GuySuCo.
Addressing the National Assembly, Mustapha told the House that Panday was removed from the state-owned sugar corporation because of poor performance, and said documentary evidence would be laid before Parliament.
“Because of his below-par performance, the Honorable Member was dismissed from GuySuCo because of poor performance. This is his dismissal letter. I will lay it over to the House,” Mustapha said. “This is his dismissal letter that when he was dismissed by the corporation, Mister Speaker.”
Mustapha said that after the PPP/C returned to office, Panday was placed in charge of agriculture at the Skeldon Estate and was tasked with crafting a plan to reopen the estate, but failed to do so.
“He was asked by the corporation to craft a plan to reopen the Skeldon Estate. He failed. He failed, and when he was asked to account for the plan, he resigned. Mister Speaker, he resigned,” the minister said.
At that point, Panday rose on a point of order, disputing the minister’s claims.
“I want to make very clear in this house, sir, I Vishnu Panday was never, ever, dismissed from GuySuCo,” Panday said.
Mustapha brushed aside the objection, describing it as “useless,” and continued his criticism, accusing Panday of failing to execute basic agricultural directives at Skeldon.
According to the minister, while there were 5,000 hectares of mechanised land available at the estate, Panday failed to adequately plant cane after being instructed to do so.
“He was instructed as the agriculture director to plant the cane, and he failed again. Only less than 1,000 hectares of cane was planted. He failed,” Mustapha told the House.
The minister further criticised Panday’s technical performance, claiming that cane yields under his management were the lowest at the estate.
“When you plant cane, the plant cane, tons cane per hectare does be higher than any other cane in the estate. Mister Panday… when he planted that cane, he had the lowest tons cane per hectare; 66 tons cane instead of 70 and more. That is his legacy,” Mustapha said.
Mustapha also disclosed that Panday received a letter from GuySuCo in December 2024 informing him that his contract would not be renewed due to ineffective performance.
“Because of his incompetence, because of his below-par performance, he received a letter from GuySuCo in December of 2024 informing him that his contract will not be renewed by the corporation, because he’s ineffective and he’s performing below par,” the minister said. “And he coming here to lecture us.”
The agriculture minister further claimed that after his contract was not renewed, Panday approached him seeking intervention, but was told by the GuySuCo board that he could not continue.
“When I find out from the board, the board said that he cannot continue because he’s not an effective agriculture director, and he has failed the corporation. And that is his legacy,” Mustapha said.
He also accused Panday of crossing over to the opposition out of spite.
“When his contract was not renewed, he said he want to take revenge, and he gone over the opposition party. That’s the man,” Mustapha added.
Turning to Panday’s contribution to the budget debate, Mustapha said he was unimpressed by the MP’s presentation on agriculture.
“When I heard that Mr. Vishnu Panday… will speak on agriculture, I expect this man know everything about agriculture,” Mustapha said. “He spoke about three things. He spoke about coffee a little, rice a little, sugar all the time, and a little DNI.”
Despite speaking extensively on sugar, Mustapha maintained that Panday could not justify his own record in the industry.
“Although he spoke at length on sugar, he cannot defend his record in the sugar industry. He cannot defend his record,” the minister told the House.
