Region Four also wants a say

The contretemps over the monument to the Cubana bombing victims grew even more confused yesterday with the Region Four administration declaring that it should also have been involved in the planning and the Minister of Finance saying that the government will fund the project.

A Region Four statement yesterday said that City Hall is duty bound to coordinate it plans with the Regional Democratic Council of Region 4. Regional chairman Clement Corlette’s statement said that the leaders of City Hall need to be reminded that the city is “duty bound to co-ordinate its development plans with the RDC of Region Four.” Corlette said that he has some difficulty with the City Council proceeding with such an important project and not consulting with Region Four.

The regional chairman also said that the Public Works Ministry should have chosen a “more professional approach” to reduce the conflict and anxiety over the situation.

City Mayor Hamilton Green and Public Works Minister Robeson Benn have clashed over the monument. Benn last week halted work on the monument near to the Camp Road and Lamaha street junction because of its likely impact on traffic while Green is insisting that it be constructed there, noting that senior government functionaries including Prime Minister Sam Hinds had attended the launching ceremony.
When contacted for a comment on the Region Four chairman’s statement, Green only said that “he has made a point there,” but declined to elaborate.

Yesterday afternoon, Finance Minister Ashni Singh was quoted in a Government Information Agency (GINA) statement as saying that President Bharrat Jagdeo had directed that the government will fully finance the construction of the monument to the 1976 disaster in which 73 persons including 11 Guyanese died.

Meanwhile no further work has been done at the site at Camp Road and Lamaha Street since it was halted by Minister Benn Last Wednesday. Benn told Stabroek News yesterday that the work already done will have to be removed.

Having halted work at the site Benn has since said that his reason is that the size of the monument makes it unsafe for the area. He had said that he cannot allow a structure of the specified dimensions to be at an area with such a heavy flow of traffic.

Green had countered saying the arguments of the monument being an impediment at the junction is an absurdity. He said the monument would be some 30 feet away from the intersection, and that both carriageways of Camp Road are very wide.

The University of Guyana, the National Park and the Botanical Gardens have been listed as potential sites for relocation of the monument.

Observers have questioned the motive behind the flurry of activity over the monument since 32 years have elapsed without one being constructed.