Benn ‘looking at a document’

Minister of Transport Robeson Benn yesterday hinted that his ministry was yet to give permission to City Hall for the construction of the Cubana Air Disaster Monument.

Contacted yesterday on whether his ministry had given City Hall the go-ahead, Benn said, “I am currently looking at a document.” He added that he would not comment on whether permission had been given and advised this newspaper to contact him today. On Wednesday last, the minister stopped the ongoing construction of the monument which is being built at the junction of Camp and Lamaha streets. Mayor Hamilton Green held a press briefing the following day in which he berated the minister for being a bully. Green also said that he intended to continue the construction despite the dictates of Benn.

According to Green, the area had been identified since 2006 for the building of the commemorative monument. He said that former foreign minister Rudy Insanally attended the commissioning of the site as the venue for the monument and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds performing the functions of President, had participated in a memorial event at the same site last year.

In response, Benn told this newspaper that at the time he stopped the construction, he was unaware of what was being built. He said too when he contacted Minister of Local Government Kellewan Lall he too was oblivious to what was being constructed.
According to Benn such a project would have had to fall under the purview of both ministries.
Benn said that he was only informed about the nature of the monument when he was contacted by a financial donor of the project. The minister said once the dimensions of the monument were reviewed and approved, the contractors will be allowed to continue building. He said too his main concern was whether construction would impede traffic and cause other complications, particularly since that area had recently undergone rehabilitation work.

The monument is being built to honour 11 Guyanese who died on October 6, 1976 when Cubana Flight CU 455 en route to Cuba from Guyana, exploded off the Coast of Barbados shortly after take-off. All 73 persons onboard perished.