Quartz Stone raid underlines many problems besetting mines commission

Dear Editor,

As a Guyanese and as someone who has been a part of the mining industry for over 20 years I’m deeply saddened by the present state of affairs at the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission. Long gone are the glory days where the commission was well run by stalwarts such as former commissioner Woolford, Kampta Persaud, Derrick Babb etc. Visionary leaders who always put the health of the commission first, generated revenue and championed the causes of workers creating a safe and adequate work environment.

Based on all reports, at present there is an ineffective leadership structure. Staff members have lost confidence in management’s ability to make the right decisions to the point where nothing really comes as much of a surprise anymore. This is the present state of affairs that is being allowed to flourish at one of our most important national institutions.

At the very top, the commissioner seems very reactive in leadership style. There is always a delayed response to every issue presented and no attempt at taking the bull by the horns. As a result of this, the commissioner is always preoccupied with putting out fires only to have another sprout in a different location. As if this isn’t bad enough, the commissioner is also a graduate of the Neville Chamberlain school of appeasement. This can be an effective strategy when used correctly but in this case it just results in the creation of insubordinate managers and constant internal conflicts.

The deputy commissioner (DC) technical is not effective. There have been many complaints from stakeholders about the time the DC’s office takes to get work done. Together the commissioner and deputy commissioner form a team that is simply incapable of guiding the commission into the future.

The issues only get worse at the managerial level. Recently the former Geological services manager was removed from office and replaced by two subordinates. The many matters are well known and were previously chronicled, these will not be revisited here. This action was badly needed and the board should be commended for making a difficult decision.

On the other hand, this action is simply not enough. There is dire need for much more if the boat is to be steadied. From the looks of things, it appears as though arrogance, pettiness and poor communication skills are the prerequisites to become a manager in today’s GGMC. A person’s ability to lead and mental fortitude should always be taken into account. It puzzles the mind as to why the geo services manager would be removed but the acting mines manager is allowed to hold office.

The recent “bust up” at Quartz Stone where a GGMC operation forcibly dismantled shops and burnt the shopkeeper’s property can only be regarded as a disgrace.  The debacle at Quartz stone points to an ill-conceived and poorly planned operation. The laws of Guyana must be upheld but care and compassion for our fellow human beings must also be at the forefront. There are also procedures and protocols for such activities which also preserve the rights afforded to all by the constitution. There is nothing in the mining regulations that permits GGMC to burn private property, this borders on the criminal to do such. These hard working Guyanese who had their property incinerated should be compensated or seek legal representation. The Ministry of Natural Resources indicated that they were not involved and condemnation by key stakeholders is welcomed but the government needs to go further.

The officers involved should have refused any order to carry out the directions and face the consequences. There should be no effort to scapegoat these officers, instead blame should be laid squarely on the mines management who holds the responsibility for all compliance related activities. As per normal practice, the operation was approved by the mines management who would have been briefed on the itinerary and actions to be undertaken giving the go ahead. Such an infraction cannot go unpunished; this would send the wrong message to citizens. The government through the ministry must take control to avoid another embarrassing and politically damaging episode during an election year.

The mines management routinely make bad decisions which affect the entire industry. One example is the frequent unjust “benching” of mining engineers. A visit to the commission will show that mining engineers have not been going into the field on a regular basis to execute the jobs they were hired to do. Some engineers rarely ever engage in fieldwork. These are all activities which would have been budgeted for at the start of the year

The importance of this point is hammered home when one considers the ripple effects. During the present manager’s brief tenure (less than two years) there have been no less than 21 deaths from pit collapses, this is unprecedented. We may not be able to predict the future but it is logical that having the engineers in the field more often providing technical assistance and directives could have helped maybe even resulted in less fatalities. It therefore is an absolute absurdity to argue a case for these unofficial “benchings”. This is a clear case of poor decision making.

Other departments are suffering the same fate as well. Indications are that the division’s mineral unit has been totally sidelined largely due to micromanagement and interference of ego. There is even a high tech laboratory and testing facility at Linden that is rarely used. This facility would have cost the commission hundreds of millions of dollars and is presently being used as a glorified storage area. This shows ineptness and wanton waste. These many transgressions and more would simply not be tolerated in any well run democratic society.

Yours faithfully,

(Name and address supplied)