Dear Editor,
Since 2010 I have been very vocal in publicly highlighting the plight of the Paradise Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society by offering constructive suggestions through letters, and exhausting all official and quasi-official avenues to get remedies. However, I now wish to state that cooperatives as a vehicle for development in Guyana is so much hogwash as those who matter pay lip services to the concept and eat at the trough of convenience. For the education of those who are unaware of this issue please allow me to recount briefly my efforts to date. Since March 2012 the Minister of Labour, Hon. Nanda Gopaul promised an audit of the affairs of the Paradise Multi Purpose Cooperative Society (PMCS). We were advised that an order to this effect was made during April but to date the Chief Cooperatives Development Officer, Mr. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who has been intimately involved in the running of the Society’s affairs since December 15, 2003 has showed a marked reluctance to commission an audit of the financial affairs using a variety of excuses. In other words he is expected to determine when the audit is done and who conducts it when he has been involved in managing the Society for nearly nine years. This is a clear conflict of interest in that Mr. Abdul-Jabbar has in six of the eight years that he has been in control (by virtue of Order 56 (2) made by the former CCDO Mr. Clive Nurse) is also reporting to himself in his capacity of CCDO. A limited scope audit will not do justice towards ascertaining why the Society and – by extension the community have remained largely underdeveloped for nearly nine years. Mr. Christopher Ram refused to be a party to such farce. Mr. Abdul-Jabbar has not seen it fit to introduce any development initiative for the benefit of the residents of the housing scheme. There is need for a community recreational centre but Mr. Abdul-Jabbar’s response to our demands has been that the all residents may not desire a community space to plan community development and social activities. There is no place where our children can go to interact with each other. Our adults and our youths have no where to discuss community development interventions and Mr. Abdul-Jabbar has the temerity to say that he does not live in Paradise but at Eccles.
During early 2011 former President Jagdeo gave a commitment to provide computers to the community once we established the appropriate space as well as a nursery school. What has obtained over the years has been the wholesale selling and transfers of the Society’s house lots with no intention of looking at other aspects of what a multipurpose cooperative is all about. The CCDO refuses to advertise in the media for persons who were allotted house lots over ten years ago to come forward and express continued interest in constructing their homes. Many residents are still without GWI water connections having being told that they must pay for their Titles before they can access potable water which is a basic and inalienable human right. This does not happen in any other part of this country and is a clear indication of an abuse of public office. By way of an August 13, 2012 petition to the Minister of Labour with responsibility for cooperatives fifty-two members expressed loss of confidence in Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and requested that he recuse himself or be removed from intimate involvement in the affairs of the PMCS. Our petition also requested that an inquiry be held to examine twenty-eight points with a view to resolving several burning issues not least of which is the state of the Society’s finances, bank account and other assets disposable or otherwise. Editor, I am approached very often by residents asking about community development but I can only respond that the CCDO is covered by the latitude provided under the Cooperative Societies Act which can only be modified by a willful principal if there is no objection from the House of Assembly. We seem to have no such person.
Editor I have expended a lot of energy on this and even on community security-related issues so much so that it has created a degree of friction in my relationships. In this regard I wish to unequivocally state herewith that I will no longer be involved in the public (or private) advocacy for the community development of Paradise Housing Scheme through the Paradise Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society or any other entity. I am currently the Secretary of the Paradise Housing Scheme Community Policing Group – a position for which I will not be seeking re-election. Furthermore, if my presence is considered in any way obstructive I will resign from that position before the next annual general meeting. When I look at the happenings these days I am convinced that justice will be served no matter what I do or say.
Yours faithfully,
Patrick E. Mentore
