Better Hope/LBI NDC not discharging its responsibilities

Dear Editor,

The National Democratic Council (NDC) of Better Hope/LBI, if one is allowed to proffer an opinion, must be the most inefficient local government administration in Guyana.
One area of its responsibilities would suffice to note here, ie, the responsibility of protecting its ratepayers’ properties from roaming and marauding animals, which are cows, pigs, goats and horses, and even wild rabid dogs.

Just approximately six miles east from our garden city of Georgetown, it tolerates and turns a Nelson’s eye to marauding animals that roam and destroy on a daily basis taxpayers’ properties from LBI to Better Hope, but principally in the Success village area, where several friends of some unethical councillors of the NDC rear pigs unchallenged by the law. Pigs which are not controlled by their owner have destroyed taxpayers’ fences and gardens. In addition it is known that certain members of the NDC office give carte blanche to some of their friends and families to have large stinking chicken/hen houses/pens.

At one brief period the animal-catcher team came around and impounded some animals, but that operation no longer functions, as we were informed by an official of the Ministry of Home Affairs recently. A young child on her way to school was recently knocked down and butted by a wild cow in Success village.

Taxpayers who usually cultivate small kitchen gardens to supplement their meagre earnings, no longer can do so peacefully, because roaming cattle knock down the fences too often. Taxpayers have made several reports to the NDC office at Better Hope and all kinds of excuses are given to appease the taxpayers to get rid of them, but pragmatic remedies are not forthcoming. In addition, the NDC has given permission or is turning a blind eye to over a dozen large stinking hen houses to operate to the annoyance of peaceful taxpayers.

We understand that a sanitary health inspector has an office at the Better Hope village office but that officer appears not to be available in the office during working hours these days and does not respond to messages left with the secretary.

It seems to most taxpayers that democracy in its full understanding is far removed from the understanding of the National Democratic Council of LBI/ Better Hope and some of its senior members and officials.

And finally, Editor, the roads/streets are already damaged, despite the fact were recently built/repaired. The reason is that they were cheaply constructed. The drainage system too is very poor as it is not maintained and becomes blocked, and it has caused irreparable structural damage to some buildings already. For reasons unknown to taxpayers it had been rumoured that some officials of the NDC had to be removed, but it seems they are still involved in the everyday operations of this inefficient uncaring council.

It was reported that while Rome was burning Nero it’s then Emperor was found fiddling; however, we hope our Neros and Caesars are not plugging their ears with their fingers.

We trust that the Minister of Local Government and the President are taking note and becoming cognisant of the numerous complaints and genuine grievances of the beleaguered resident of these neglected communities. The NDC of LBI/Better Hope, it appears, is shortchanging its long-suffering ratepayers in relation to its constitutional duties and responsibilities to them.

We call on the ‘busy’ Minister of Local Government to investigate this matter and we hope that at the Lusignan rally this weekend this ‘vex’ matter would be addressed!

Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)