Canal clearing controversy…
– Workers accuse Freddy of being ‘wicked, mischievous and dangerous’
DRAINAGE and irrigation (D&I) workers yesterday said they were shocked and extremely disturbed over the accusation made against them, by newspaper columnist Freddie Kissoon, that they, deliberately, did not clean the section of the canal in front his Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara house.
One of them, Debbie Tappin told the Guyana Chronicle that various teams are assigned to clear the waterway, with each being responsible for two house lots at a time.
She, Michelle Fraser, Samantha David, Yonnette Todd, Royston Greaves and Ramesh Jaikaran were directly responsible for clearing the part outside Kissoon’s home.
All six of them, who spoke to this newspaper, emphatically denied that Kissoon talked to any one of them, contrary to his claim in the Kaieteur News yesterday.
Obviously riled while attempting to explain herself, Tappin said they would, usually, cease work at 14:00 h daily and did so on Wednesday, leaving the section complained about for yesterday.
“I don’t even know his name,” she said of Kissoon, pointing to a small, flat, blue and white house opposite Kissoon’s, where they left their tools Wednesday, intending to complete their part of the job yesterday.
“We didn’t even know this man lives here,” David confessed.
She said, if they knew it was Kissoon, they would have done the work in front of his residence first, to avoid his allegation.
David concurred that they stop working as soon as eight hours expire, as they all have families to care for and cannot afford to work extra hours.
“We have to work with a time span,” she said, adding it is for that reason they left the clearing in front of Kissoon for yesterday.
Tappin rejoined that they felt very embarrassed at seeing the report in the Kaieteur News, knowing that it was not as Kissoon claimed. “It was a coincidence,” she offered.
When the Guyana Chronicle went to the location just after 10:00 h yesterday, the job was almost done and other teams were working a short distance away from where Kissoon lives.

BREATHING SPACE

Kaieteur News published a map in support of Kissoon’s accusation but Tappin criticised what she called Kissoon’s impulsive attitude, noting that he did not afford the team “breathing space” to determine if they would return to clear the area.
Her group said if the columnist had waited at least until yesterday, he would have been in a better position to determine whether or not there was a deliberate decision by them not to clean in front of his house.
They concluded that Kissoon was “very disrespectful” to involve President Bharrat Jagdeo and the Government, as well, in his tirade.
Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) Coordinator Tullaram Jairam expressed the view that no sensible person would clean the canal and leave a single spot undone.
He said Kissoon cast a bad name on the workers and wants to create political mischief.
“The workers are not happy about this. They are earning an honest living. But this deters them from working,” Jairam informed.
Team foreman Charles Fortune called on Kissoon, whom he described as “wicked, mischievous and dangerous,” to apologise to the workers.
He said they could have lost their jobs because Kaieteur News reported them as saying they were ordered not to clear the vegetation.
Fortune said the workers were astonished after reading the report, as none of them knew where Kissoon lived prior to the publication.
“This made me feel like never reading the Kaieteur News again. I’ve already advised my workers not to buy that paper anymore. At least, he should have found out from us first,” Fortune said, referring to Kissoon.