I can never say that change is always in the best interest of those it is being imparted on, but it is inevitable that we view change as an instance of divine intervention to guide us along our journeys. I have read an article in Stabroek News on Monday July 23, 2012. The headline states “Bartica NDC members move to court over dissolution of council” and the accusations being wielded by the former NDC.
This is the grumbling of spoilt children whose lunch money has been banned because of bad behaviour. It is with no regret that I, being a citizen of Bartica and attended meetings conducted by the NDC which were few and far from regular, say to you that not once in over 19 years have the NDC been able to justify their actions in accountability of state funds that were being used at the discretion of the members of the former Council and staff of the NDC. These meetings which should be of public notice are supposed to be instances to interact with members in the community were not held because they were afraid of the questions that would be raised.
Why we cannot see the misappropriation of funds by the previous NDC has been engaged in? These funds were easily accessed loans for various council members to venture in lucrative livelihoods that they can fall back on now. I would hereby make mention of a senior member of council who operates a taxi service in Bartica and cannot produce a receipt for the purchase of gas for this vehicle, since he has started operating his service in this community as the council was responsible for his gas allowance.
The council has owned a number of valuable equipment to help with the duties assigned to officers, one such equipment is a motorcycle that is unaccounted for with no inventory by staff on how many are working and non-working equipment belongs to the NDC?
Other members have aimed higher on their ladder of success and ventured in to interior shops and dredges etc., justifying that this has been the product of hard work and her salary. My point is that to start a small dredging operation presently is approximately $31M (an excavator costs $25M, for claim licence, personnel and other equipment costs to start $5M and ration for the time costs about $1M). This raises questions as to how much is the salary of the highest officer in the NDC? Where the initial funds to start such a venture would be garnered from? How someone within that council could be deemed an untouchable to society and not be put under scrutiny or audit? Why was the community market deprived of electricity because the NDC owed a bill of $412,000 and still collects rent from stall owners? Why is it that the Sand Pit Royalty amounting to $2.4M is unaccounted for? Why no landing fee for the market is being submitted to the accountability report for the NDC?
It is because of this and many other shortcomings of the NDC that the intervention of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, hence the present Minister Hon. Ganga Persaud to enforce the laws governing the Local Government Act, Chapter 28:02 in electing an IMC for the NDC on May 25, 2012 after the legal publication in the Official Gazette indicating that such action would have been taken.
This intervention was not a wake up in the morning, spur of the moment epiphany. It came at the insistence of a letter of petition from residents and taxpayers in the community writing and endorsing a letter to the President of Guyana. Whereby an investigation was carried out with findings according to protocol dictating NDCs, they should not have in excess of $25,000 on hand, deposits should be made daily and payment should be done by writing cheques instead of cash to effectively track spending records. They were also found discrepancies with monies collected by the abattoir and other agencies under their control.
In addition, there were contracts that were awarded for cleaning of the garbage dumpsite but if you see the garbage site used by residents it would interest you to find out if such a contract ever existed. The pavement of crusher run of the dumpsite roadway is another such project. Where is the road when you have garbage on the road as a nuisance to traffic? No fence or security in the area. There is a man residing in the dumpsite and animals dragging carcasses and other waste on to the roadway. Who manages this facility?
Another phantom project is the clearing of bushes and debris from the sandpit at Five-Mile, Bartica/Potaro Road. If there was any control of the sand pit, it would not be less than 10 feet from the road. It’s a hazard to lives if the pit caves in when traffic is passing, where were the relevant persons to be managing this resource?
I would just ask that the facts be taken into consideration and for those who are calling for an election, let that due process be given and for them to continue on that finite path that the Good Lord has for them and to give others a chance to do their duty to this community.