Rep. Shaun Vaa informed the House of Representatives Thursday that some security guards at the airport have been removed from their jobs after working for three years.
He said the reason given is because they did not pass the Academy.
Rep Vaa said these employees were in the process of being transitioned to career service status but their employment has suddenly been terminated. “How are these people going to earn a living?” he asked.
Rep Va’a called for a hearing with the directors of Port Administration and of Human Resources to answer questions about the demise of these employees.
The Chairman of the Transportation Committee, Rep Malaeoletalu Melesio Gurr has set a hearing on this matter for next Tuesday. He said the Port Director would also be questioned about a lease signed with ATLAS Space Operations for a new satellite station at Pago Pago International Airport.
Gurr had raised questions about the lease in a letter to Port Director Barney Sene.
He queried why the director never informed the House about this lease during a recent House hearing about plans for the development of airports and ports. Yet it was reported by Yahoo Finance News the day before his House testimony, and there hasn’t been an ASG a press release about it.
Malaeoletalu posed several questions in his letter to Sene:
What role did the Office of Procurement and Department of Treasury play in securing the lease agreement and what processes were followed?
Was the lease or contract reviewed and approved by the Attorney General?
What are the full terms and conditions of the lease agreement?
When was the agreement signed? Was it signed in person or signed virtually?
The faipule also asked the director to provide meeting minutes or any official records of the lease agreement, as well as a copy of the lease agreement.
