Dear Editor,
At the opening of mining week in August of last year a top level delegation from the mining sector including the chairman of GGDMA, the Chairman of GGMC and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE) who were there on behalf of the Minister Robert Persaud, visited Mahdia for the opening of Mining Week and had a meeting with the residents here. We were given the commitments from these guys that they will repair the inner Mahdia roads, the Salbura Water System and will desilt the Anna and the Boyse Creeks.
We were told by the Permanent Secretary that all they are waiting on is the bills of quantities from the regional administration to start repairing the roads. It must be noted that we were promised over two years ago by MNRE that they would repair those roads, and after two years they still did not get the bills of quantities, which is rather disturbing. I found it rather difficult to comprehend why preparing bills of quantities for less than five miles is taking so long. However, the big question is when they will start repairing the roads, if indeed they will. Recently, a top government official here (the REO) said in January 10, Stabroek News that the regional administration and residents along with myself, eagerly awaited the funding from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE), for the two major projects which will see the construction of roads in Mahdia and the construction of a new water system. He also said that these projects are expected to commence shortly. Bills of quantities for both projects were prepared by the Public Works Department and submitted.
Editor, it must be noted that the repair to the inner roads here and the water system is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment. The Ministry of Local Government is responsible for the inner roads and the Ministry of Housing and Water is responsible for the water system. In our Regional 2014 budget submission we included monies to repair the roads and the water system; however, no money was granted by the Ministry of Finance, and as a matter of fact, when our Regional Chairman spoke about the roads early last year what the Minister (within) the Ministry of Local Government said was that the Regional Chairman should ask the miners here to repair the roads via self-help. I believe that the subject ministries should take their full responsibility for these projects as happens in the other regions of Guyana.
I believe that giving the responsibility to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment for these two projects and not the subject ministries is a carefully orchestrated plan by the government to frustrate the residents here. Every time the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment is asked when work will commence they would quickly remind us that they are not the subject ministry responsible for these projects; they are only assisting with them, and they are in order.
It is a shame to know that in this twenty-first century people can be treated in such an inhumane manner because of politics. I believe that the time has come for this government to be more politically mature and responsible and stop playing petty politics with the wellbeing of the citizens here.
To get a sense of what I am trying to say one only has to visit any area where the government supporters live and see the quality of roads they have as compared with the roads in areas where opposition supporters live.
At present the inner roads in Mahdia are beyond deplorable and are worse than a war zone, but all we are getting from government is promises, promises and promises.
When the residents protested this unacceptable behaviour by government in August last year what the government did instead of utilizating the service of a construction company that was 20 miles away to do some repairs to the roads, they sent in the riot police with big guns from over 220 miles away. Well if this is how this government is prepared to address issues that are affecting residents, we are in a really sad state. To send riot police instead of sending construction equipment is saying to the residents here, shut up and take what you get or you will get what the people of Linden got. Not only is this act a clear case of intimidation it is also a provocative one. I am once again appealing to the government to behave in a more politically mature and responsible way, let good sense prevail and repair these roads as early as possible.
Yours faithfully,
Naieem Gafoor
Regional Democratic Councillor
Region Eight
