“There is also every reason for him [Ogumoro] not to be a part of the organization,” the lt. governor said in an interview yesterday.
Three grievances have been filed against Ogumoro since July, Inos noted. “How would you justify that?”
DPS personnel, he added, are “crying for help so they can continue doing a good job for the community.”
Their grievances cannot be swept under the rug, he said.
“How can we tell the public that we have a professional public safety team when we know that we have issues with the people managing it?” Inos asked.
He said these were the legitimate concerns that he considered when he concurred with the decision not to renew Ogumoro’s contract on Nov. 18.
Inos was the acting governor when DPS Commissioner Santiago Tudela relieved Ogumoro from his post as deputy commissioner.
Ogumoro was also relieved from his duties by Tudela and Inos in May. In July, however, Fitial reinstated Ogumoro.
This prompted Inos’ daughter Kaye, who was in-charge of the DPS fiscal affairs section, to resign.
The governor on Friday said he would again renew Ogumoro’s contract.
Inos said despite the differences between him and the governor regarding Ogumoro’s reinstatement, “I try to do my best every day. I focus on what I do. I know why the people elected me and I have to abide by that as there are so many challenges the NMI people are experiencing right now.”
He added, “We made a promise. For my part, I’m doing my best.”
Inos said he was surprised that the governor implied that his daughter Kaye was the reason for his decision to concur with the nonrenewal of Ogumoro’s contract.
“It’s a low blow in my belief,” Inos said. “It kind of surprised me that it would come to that.”
De facto commissioner
Inos also wonders why the DPS needed a “de facto commissioner,” referring to Ogumoro.
DPS, he said, has to be cohesive and its people have to be able to work together.
“But how can you have a close relationship within your unit when there’s a division within the rank and file?” he asked.
If the governor does not think that this is a concern, Inos said, “I have a different view.”
Maybe Ogumoro believed he was doing the right thing, Inos added. “But this is not a military operation.”
Ogumoro is a former U.S. Marine.
Inos said the grievances against Ogumoro should be a major concern because “we rely on our police force to protect our community and we cannot do that if we have a dysfunctional DPS.”
An administration official told Variety yesterday that despite their differences, the governor and the lt. governor remain cordial with each other.
Variety learned that Fitial still relies on Inos, his former finance secretary, in addressing the government’s financial issues.
Another official who also declined to be identified said Fitial still wants Inos, his long-time associate, to be his successor.
An ally of the governor, who also declined to be identified, said Fitial believed that the staunch support of the Ogumoro family helped ensure his reelection last year.
