Dear Editor,
The area from Naarstigheid to Plantation Profit on the West Coast of Berbice, comprising three Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) has been without a Justice of the Peace or Commissioner of Oaths and Affidavits for several years. There were three Justices of Peace serving these three NDCs, however, two died years ago and the other is incapacitated due to age and failing health.
There has been no new appointment of a Justice of Peace for over five years, particularly in the Rising Sun/Profit and Tempie/Seafield NDCs. I am aware that applications have been made for this office. One year ago, I spearheaded an initiative whereby over two hundred and forty residents in our community signed a petition to the former President of Guyana in support of an applicant, whose application has been pending for five years, but there was no response.
We need JPs in our NDCs. There are times when residents in our community travel as far as Georgetown or New Amsterdam where they are certain to find a JP, instead of searching the length of West Coast Berbice, hoping to find one. This is very frustrating to our community.
At this particular point in time, a number of parents with children at the CSEC level need the services of JPs to complete and sign forms for subsidies for their children. With no JPs in our community one can only imagine the inconvenience parents have to go through to have these forms filled and signed.
I can only hope that with this missive, the new administration would see the need to urgently appoint Justices of Peace and Commissioners of Oaths and Affidavits in our NDCs.
Yours faithfully,
J E McLaren
