President’s Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Board of Investment Hemasri Fernando got his third high-profile government assignment as the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence.
Fernando was among the new Ministry Secretaries announced by the President’s Media Division today, following the swearing-in ceremony of the new ministers.
Sources close to Fernando said it was his “dream job” and the job he “desperately wanted” from the government.
Fernando is a retired Navy officer and a senior administrator. He has worked as the Chairman of the National Olympic Committee, the People’s Bank and the Independent Television Network (ITN).
Meanwhile, UNP MP Dunesh Gankanda also took oaths as the State Minister of Environment, before President Maithripala Sirisena.
Gankanda is the fifth UNP MP to switch sides after former President Mahinda Rajapaksa took oaths as the Prime Minister.
BSP / October 30, 2018
Don’t we have young capable and honest people for these posts? Same bunch is posted everywhere.
/
Rajash / October 30, 2018
he has 3 dream jobs all celebratory titles that comes with fat pay and little work of his brain..
/
Fathima / October 31, 2018
Just because president appoints him, you should not insult him, because we don’t know him capability yet. You can find 100’s of young candidates for the post, but how many can you find with such a passion for the post? It is not the age that makes people perform better, it is the devotion created by the passion in them..
/
Buramphisincho / October 31, 2018
These men are on sale these days.
They are so cheap. In Europe senior men have brain. But in SL, just for perks they would even sell themselves that cheap. We talk about high morals.
Your question is so valid. There are many that stay unemplyoed in many areas. I mean good graduates or ones that would dream of collecting exp.
Gone were the days, those good statesmen provided the good jobs with young men and women.
Today the country is fallen to all depths in terms of morals and values.
President alone forgets for what purpose he is elected and get married to his enemies he himself louded as ones who looted the state. And even FCID investgations were held to serve the justice, but how would the estranged president see the eyes of the ones within those 6.2 millions of voters. ?
Now he goes around the country but attacking the hand he was fed with. How could these people ever be buddhists ?
/
sirimal / October 31, 2018
My dear friends,
I read the constitution on the paras regading the removal of PM. Now I have no doubt about that at all.
I T IS TOTALLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
I also listen to several senior experts. You may also do the same.
So mine became even more CLEARER and I am so pleased about that.
Sacking is unconstitutional. And President will have to face the consequences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WhBUe24paE
http://slembassyusa.org/country_information_update/19th-amendment-to-the-constitution-of-sri-lanka/
Please pass this to anyone who is interested in knwoing the truths.
Prorogation is illegal… such 2 months long prorogations can only be for vacation or any special occassions.
Please take this serious and be aware, we need to BRING a Impeachment against President Sirisena. That we we can get rid of him sooner than ever thought.
/
Hamlet / October 31, 2018
BSP your Statement:-
“Don’t we have young capable and honest people for these posts”?
If You were Young, Capable and Honest, would you join this Bunch of Clowns?
/
Noor Nizam / October 30, 2018
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/
/
Burt / October 30, 2018
How familiar is he with white vans?
/
Siri / October 31, 2018
No place here for the young and bright but only for old discarded bughers. That’s the reason the young ones are leaving in droves, and making huge contributions for others countries and they are getting the best out of them. It’s time for the young ones to raise up and chase out these no good old bughers. Leaders of France, Canada, Austria, New Zealand etc young and below their forties. It’s the young ones who should salvage this country. These old bughers are destroying and ruining it, owing it to their power and money greed.
/
Lankan 4 / October 31, 2018
For how many days ?
May be for a week ?
Shame on you to pick up a post at expenses of democratic tradition ?
Treason????
/
kolla / October 31, 2018
He was chairman Olympic Commission for about 10 years. During this period he visited about 100 countries on Olympic money ( money allocated for athletic development).
Last month we took part in the Asian Games. Sri Lanka did not win a single medal , not even a bronze !
He is an operator who gets close to politicians.
For the Peoples bank and Defense Ministry-the game has begun !
/
LANKA Nitizen / October 31, 2018
Thank you Dear Rasool, Sonali and team for the Late edition Face The Nation, and Rasool it was very admirable how you intervened to correct one of your team members, this is what you call gentlemen journalism.
Hope you and Sonali reads this, am Sure Sonali knows who is commenting & am. Sure is aware of my sincerity.
Please maintain neutrality as you have always done News first. Thank. You
/
LANKA Nitizen / October 31, 2018
John The Baptist in. The making
–++++++++++++++——-
Mr. Help. Fernando is only doing the job similar of John the Baptist.
But we don’t know exactly for whom, however the Ex-Sec of Def, did not mince his words, he said he needs to wait and see if there will be a public mandate government in the future to decide.
That is something to be be appreciated, he was clear about respecting the peoples rights.
Only time will tell.
Let’s see how The new Pm and finance minister boost the economy, I am. Not convinced with the display of Stocks, it’s an illusional trade, can and most of the time manipulated.
What to see how he generate revenue
Content…
/
LANKA Nitizen / October 31, 2018
JTB
Cont.
What we need to see happening to. Confirm the sincerity of The new PM&Gov
Is to see if he can first bring in. 100% transparency which I believe has always been absent in.Sri Lanka when it comes to government employment, Tenders, Custom levies, import freedom and control, protection of tourism and visiting guests, supporting self employed, who must be protected and respected for not being a burden on the country.
The aged men and women who struggle to live with dignity should be supported without favor or prejudice, based on race or religion.
The foreign investment can be looked into later no need to rush head on and get ourselves enslaved to other nations.
We have very good young talent among all races and religious ethnics,
Our young are our best wealth, but due to fear mongering goons we have lost most of our brilliant young men and women aming all ethnicities , you can see them engaged in developing other nations while we struggle lacking experts
I doubt with the freeing of the members who operated openly under foreign NGOS funding now free on the road. will give any credibility of security to the Minorities, because people who were victims of a crime they were not guilty are taking the message of freeing the leader of this dangerous group as message of an open threat by the new PM&Gov, though it may not be so, but fear is the most powerful key of politics in every country, not just Sri Lanka.
This is one of the greatest challenges for The new PM&Gov, will they be able to guarantee the minority of all groups, not just religious alone, today there are new groups who are govern by democratic freedom and their rights must be safeguarded , it’s a tough road ahead.
If The PM&Gov can not fulfill the above demands then it is back to the same square, only different pawns.
/
LANKA Nitizen / October 31, 2018
A strong and very important message to all the citizens, always bear in. Mind.
The virtual Temple that protects all citizens is The Media, even though some may be bias, we can not survive without the media, our Shepard are the Journalists and Social activists who risk their lives and some have given up theirs under most gruesome circumstances.
It’s time the citizens learn to show gratitude towards these great shepherd of the people and in future rally around them to protect them, if not we will be the losers .
Saudi Journalist Jamal’s death should be seen as the death of all journalists and a threat to citizens of the entire world and a lesson for us to protect our journalists, no. Matter even if some are biased, they are only human, it’s the duty of all citizens to stand by them in the future starting from today.
My eternal gratitude to Colombo Telegraph,You have become the most powerful voice among many a Sri Lankan locally & overseas, even Mr. Rajapakshe had begun to share his stories with CT, great news.
/
nalmen / October 31, 2018
the rot started with senior advisors to ministies
ther are hundreds of them and senior is the key word
paskaralingam and bradman are good examples and there are many others
it is high time the newspapers published the names with their perks since so much public money is spent on them
/
IC / October 31, 2018
Congratulations and best wishes
/
MirakRajBanda / November 1, 2018
He’s the teacher of Gotabya Rajapkse ranging from white van abduction, extortion, indimidation, corruption, ethnic violence to murder, so he’s up to his dream job and he will be ‘assited’ by the former student.
/
citizen / November 1, 2018
Intimidation wakes up people to do what is expected. GR firmly established KDU MBBS but professorial appointments are slow with students having to sleep at home. We appeal to Defence Secretary to hasten the arrangements and release these stagnating students to move on to KDU units, Colombo South, Sri Jayawardenapura or other professorial units to be made available fast to complete their long drawn out medical education as promoted by H.E so we could all be grateful to all who help us on our journey..
/
K.Pillai / November 2, 2018
Dream job? Doing what Gota orders him to?
/
Ajay / November 3, 2018
Defence Secretaries like Hemasiri Fernando are only glorified security guards to protect the corrupt and murderous rulers of this country. Sometimes they cannot accomplish even that, and depend on assistance by the underworld.
/