Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed new governors for the island's nine provinces, according to a communique from the Presidential Media Division. Nagalingam Vethanayagam has been named as the Governor of the Northern Province, while Professor Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera has been appointed as the Governor of the Eastern Province.
Nagalingam Vethanayagam assuming duties as the Northern Province Governor
Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed new governors for the island's nine provinces, according to a communique from the Presidential Media Division. Nagalingam Vethanayagam has been named as the Governor of the Northern Province, while Professor Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera has been appointed as the Governor of the Eastern Province.
Nagalingam Vethanayagam – Northern Province Governor
Nagalingam Vethanayagam, a seasoned public servant, is known for his long-standing service as a government agent. Vethanayagam joined the Sri Lanka Administrative Service in 1991 and served throughout the armed conflict in the North-East Province. He has previously servied in roles such as the District Secretary of Kilinochchi.
After the conflict ended in 2009, Vethanayagam was arrested by the security forces under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Vethanayagam continued to serve in Jaffna, where he remained a public servant.
During the time Gotabaya Rajapaksa was president, Vethanayagam was forced into retirement although he had three months to go before he formally retired. It was reportedly due to government interference that he was forced into early retirement.
Earlier this week, he assumed duties as the Northern Province governor. Speaking at the ceremony, Vethanayagam praised Dissanayake, stating he was given this position only because the president 'was aware of his character' and 'no other president would have given him such an opportunity to serve his people'.
Professor Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera – Eastern Province Governor
Meanwhile, the newly appointed Governor for the Eastern Province, Professor Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera, comes from an academic background. Prior to this appointment, he was serving as the Vice Chancellor of Uva Wellassa University, a position he has held since 2017.
His academic journey began at Agrabodhi Vidyalaya in Kanthale, followed by secondary education at Nalanda College, Colombo. He graduated with honors in Chemistry from People’s Friendship University in Moscow in 1988 and earned his PhD in Chemistry from the same institution in 1993. Other Alumni from the Russian university include Rohana Wijeweera, the founder of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).
Professor Ratnasekera joined Rajarata University as a Senior Lecturer in 1996 and was promoted to Professor of Chemistry in 2018. His leadership roles included serving as Head of the Department of Physical Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences. He has been involved in several World Bank-funded education projects and received the Presidential Award for Scientific Publications in 2016 and the National Research Council Merit Award in 2017.
