Weeding contract in question was not for Rose Hall Town Monument site

Dear Editor,

I refer to a letter dated Saturday 8th October in SN `A forensic audit should be done on emergency works in the 52-74 NDC’, that was written by one Lakram Singh, Councillor and Vice Chairman of the No 52-74 NDC Works Committee. Mr. Singh wrote that the Region 6 Chairman refused to pay $150,000 towards the weeding of the area around the Monument at the Arch Square in Rose Hall Town. He claimed that the work was some “emergency work done for the Town Day Celebration”.

As Secretary/CEO of the RHTY&SC, M.S. who spearheaded the hosting of the 46th anniversary celebration of our small township, I would like to state quite clearly that the Region 6 RDC did not undertake any weeding or cleaning of the Rose Hall Town Monument site. All cleaning of that area for the Town Week celebration was undertaken by the RHTY&SC and the Rose Hall Town Mayor and Town Council.

Just to verify that I was not mistaken, I phoned Regional Chairman Mr. David Armogan to enquire about the accusation that a contractor was seeking $150,000 for weeding the area around the Rose Hall Town Monument. The Regional Chairman was shocked at the allegation and stated that the area was actually the Monument in East Canje, Rose Hall Estate. That Monument was erected by the Guyana Government in honour of the sugar workers who died over a century ago, during a struggle for betterment in the sugar industry.

Residents of Rose Hall Town are left to wonder how Mr. Singh in his wisdom can involve our township and its Town Day celebration in this scandal. Was he misinformed or was he not paying attention to what was said. Either way, he owes us an apology and acknowledgement that he was wrong. Public officials should always be careful with facts and get their information correct before rushing to the media.

Yours faithfully,
Hilbert Foster
Secretary/CEO