Just a quick update to this post on Lutfur Rahman’s campaign manager, Ohid Ahmed.
According to the switchboard at Camden Council, Ohid’s job title is Interim Camden Working Contracts and Performance Manager in the Culture and Environment department. His responsibilities are likely to include assessing and recommending any bids for contract work within that directorate, which covers highways, environmental health, planning and regeneration.
Posts classified as “interim” are temporary and can command higher salaries. Recruitment is often done through agencies and not through public advertisements.
According to this biography of him (you need to search his name), Ohid holds an MBA, but he is only a junior part-qualified Certified Accountant (the ACCA body). I’d imagine that he has experience to do the job, but did he have more than anybody else who went for it?
UPDATE – 4.30pm
I’ve just spoken to Ohid, who tells me that when he left the council cabinet in May 2010, he lost the annual allowance of £14,000 that he’d been used to for a few years as a lead councillor. “I needed to find some work, so I signed on with Badenoch and Clark recruitment consultancy. They suggested the job with the council and I went for the interview. I didn’t even tell Nasim [Ali, the leader of Camden Council] about it. He didn’t even know that I got the job.”
As for the Eurostar ticket, he said it was former Tower Hamlets Assistant Chief Executive Sara Williams who approached him with the tickets because some had become available to the council. He said a few others also took them.
I’m happy to set the record straight.
Trial by Jeory 
The stories are getting smaller and smaller.
So, on the basis of a phone call to the Camden switchboard which elicits a job title, and evidence of qualifications which you say would enable him to do the job, you add enough speculation and insinuation to amount to character assasination. This is gutter journalism of the worst sort.
Standards really are slipping Ted.
This post was unnecessary Ted. Don’t really care what he does, more interested in what he is planning to do with whichever portfolio he gets…
Great that you’ve set the record straight. An apology would have been better!
I’m certain they shall all now be propping up their allowances to huge salaries. Or will Lutfur now only demand the £22K cap he himself put a motion in favour of?
Time will tell just how genuine he is???