Dear Editor
GREETINGS! I refer to an article in the Guyana Times, captioned ‘‘NDC pays $1.6M to clean Soesdyke trenches… but residents say no work done…Drainage works reek of Corruption – Councillors’’, and respond hereunder.

First, I will wish to condemn the unprofessional way in which Guyana Times went about making this publication. I am of the very strong view that allegations and lies such as those published should first be clarified before making a press release. The behaviour pattern by this media house is as though it is the ‘‘MOUTHPIECE’’ of the PPP.

The six-million-dollar expenditure to which it referred includes five million two hundred and fifty thousand dollars that was paid for the purchase of three and a half acres of land for the purpose of establishing a COMMUNITY PLAYGROUND, that will benefit the entire community.

The drains to which it referred were cleaned six weeks prior to the day when the photographs were taken. It must be made known that the grass in these drains is a grass named antelope which was cultivated for the feeding of cattle and it grows at a very fast rate. Further, the person who was contracted or hired to clean these drains is a member of the PPP/C and never had any conversation with Dave Singh, the former chairman, as was reported in the release. This was confirmed with the contractor.

The citizen must be advised, that Aaron Grant-Stuart is the current vice-chairman of the council, and the Works Committee chairman; as such, all works done were reported by him as done to the satisfaction of the council, before the vouchers were prepared by the overseer for payment and as the chairman you sign off payment for works based on the recommendation of the Works Committee, the chairman of which makes such recommendations.

The road repairs that were done at Grant Sand Road was done in collaboration with a resident Mr. Slyvester Andrews a businessman. Mr. Andrews undertook to offset the expenses for a bobcat to do the work, while the council provided the materials – sand ,loam and crusher run — and transporting of same to the site of work.

I wish to make it clear to the residents of Soesdyke that under the chairmanship of APNU, much development can be seen, paramount of which is the acquisition of a COMMUNITY PLAYGROUND; this the community has never had and which was made available to council at a lesser cost under the chairmanship of the PPP/C, who blatantly refused same. At the time they had the majority of councillors, so they voted against the acquisition of same. It is clear that they are thirsty for leadership, that they have no VISION. The roads that are being serviced were all in a deplorable state from since the PPP/C had the chairmanship; nothing was done to same, as a matter of fact, one of their own councillors, who resides in the back road area had to speak against the then chairman’s attitude, when the chairman was refusing to repair two roads leading to the No. 2 Nursery School. These are things the public needs to know.

In conclusion, I challenge Dave Singh the former chairman to show what accomplishments have been made under his chairmanship, other than being scandalous to the overseer by making unsubstantiated allegations that he alone was given a box of food that contained poison which he fed to his dog and the dog died. When in actual fact as was disclosed at an enquiry that he never even left the office with the food, as he gave it to a regional councillor who had arrived late for the meeting. They speak of corruption – but they should also tell the public that Mr. Raghunandand Singh, who was a former overseer at the Craig/Caledonia NDC was dismissed under The PPP/C- lead government, for raising people’s property taxes by 300 percent and not accounting for the taxpayers’ money at the said NDC. They are all now running for positions at this NDC.

It is my sincere hope that my response is published in the very way the allegations were published. For any further information, I can be contacted on the number listed

Regards
Leslie Glasgow
Chairman