Dear Editor,
I refer to a letter from Mr Alfred King, the PS, Ministry of Sport captioned ‘Ministry disturbed by procedure used to sensationalize apparent sloth in progress at synthetic track‘ (SN, February 4). Apparent sloth? Isn’t this a real case of definite and certain sloth which is an impediment to the athletic community of Guyana and more particularly the residents of Region 3?
In the PPP 2006 manifesto the people were promised that between 2006 and 2011, the necessary sports facilities would be developed, with special consideration given to a synthetic track for athletics, a velodrome for cycling and an Olympic-size swimming pool.
Let me remind Mr King, this is the year 2012 and 2011 has long gone, but what I can say is that the legacy of Bharrat Jagdeo is there for all to see: a graveyard of many promises with very little delivered. Yes, there is an Olympic-size pool and I am excited by that achievement. However, in 2012 it is still not open to the public and does not have a warm-up pool, so that project would not score an A, but more realistically a C plus.
Then there is the case of the synthetic track that was supposed to be developed in three phases. The evidence reveals that Phase One remains incomplete in 2012, even though Phase Three was promised in 2006. Pictures do not speak untruths; human beings do. I remain concerned that we were led to believe in October 2011 that Phase One was completed but the picture evidence in 2012 tells a different story resulting in the truth finally coming out. Mr King admitted that there had been some unwelcome delays, resulting in punitive damages being levied on the contractor, Courtney Benn. The journalist who exposed this lapse must be congratulated. This project scores a D minus.
I do not even want to talk about the velodrome – no location, no contract, no contractor, no plans, no velodrome, no vision! Need I say more? This project scores an F.
Failure to execute, is the gap between what the leadership wants and the ability of the organization to deliver it. It is not rocket science, it is just a simple system of getting things done through questioning, analyzing and follow-through. Execution on any project that comes under the purview of the Ministry of Sport is not for the engineering supervisor only, but for those who sit in the boardroom at the ministry, including the Minister. Does the ministry have an operation plan for 2012 and what does it say about this athletic track? Is it a copy and paste job from last year‘s plans brought forward to 2012 or was it developed by calling a meeting with the financiers, the contractor, the Athletics Association and other stakeholders on the worksite to develop the 2012 plan, share out the actionable duties and take personal responsibility to monitor the execution?
What improvements can Mr King and his team offer to their people in 2012 that they could not in 2011? It is time to bring the typical over-used excuses to an end and switch into a yes mode and give the people what they were long promised and justly deserve.
As to that comment that a journalist must seek an agency’s permission to take a photograph, I will leave that where it belongs, in the archives of public relations foolishness. How does the ministry feel after a progressive journalist still got the picture, still got the story and now they are more exposed than ever before?
Let us cut to the chase, Guyana was supposed to have changed for the better after November 28? In this new dispensation leaders who cannot execute will not get a free run any more, compliments of the 10th Parliament. I trust that President Donald Ramotar will light a fire under delinquent officials.
Yours faithfully,
Sasenarine Singh
