The PPP/C is not starving the M&CC of funds
–as Mayor Green would have us believe

IF THE PPP/C was starving the M&CC of resources as Mayor Green contends, why did the late Cecil Griffith plead with the Government to stop ‘doling’ our money to City Hall until they get their house in order?Don’t expect the eternal Mayor of Georgetown and one-time International Ambassador of Peace, Hamilton Green, to stop attacking the PPP/C Government and blaming it for the state of the Capital City during his tenure at the helm of the M&CC.

Old Kai documented the constant conflict and mismanagement by the opposition-dominated Council during this series, and what has emerged is that Mayor Green has blamed everyone but himself for the current predicament of our Municipality. He has consistently blamed staff at the M&CC; he has blamed the PNC/R for undermining him; he has blamed some of his own members of the GGG of sabotaging him; he has now returned to the fold of the PNC/R, and in turn is blaming the PPP/C for starving him of the necessary resources to do his job effectively.

Not once has the Mayor ever accepted responsibility for what has transpired under him.

This penchant for always attempting to shift blame came to a boil in August 1999 when, during a Statutory Meeting, the Mayor was rebuked by Councillor Rameshwar Ramsaroop, who was quoted in a Cecil Griffith column in the Stabroek News as saying, “I am shocked by what you said on the GTV One on One programme. You were very abusive to us… we want an apology”. The councillor continued, “You have eaten the bread of ingratitude….”

Councillor Ramsaroop concluded by telling the mayor, “I will not tolerate it….”

The mayor knows that he is virtually at the end of his political career, and is aware that he has basically run out of excuses, expect that he will stick to attacking the PPP/C in order to do damage control to his legacy.

However, he of all people should know that we live in the age of information; he can run, but he cannot hide from what has transpired at City Hall under his watch.

Now the writings of Mr. Cecil Griffith (God rest his soul), late veteran journalist of the Stabroek News, who was very knowledgeable in the affairs of the M&CC, have returned to haunt and expose Mayor Green.

In his City Hall Round Up column on August 30, 1999, Mr. Griffith explicitly warned the PPP/C Government against its penchant of providing money to City Hall to improve Georgetown, because the money was being misused.

Old Kai will quote a specific section of Griffith’s article to illustrate his contention, “…Again I warn the Head of State… be very careful in doling out funds from the national treasury to City Hall, unless a proper and workable plan is in place, and competent people from outside the council are brought in to carry out the works.”
By stressing on ‘again’, Mr. Griffith made it clear that this was not the first time he was warning the PPP/C Government to stop providing financial assistance to City Hall until it brought in competent people from outside of the Council to do the work.

Mr. Griffith was not making reference to the staff at City Hall, he was referring explicitly to the ‘Council’, of which Mayor Green is the head, and in which the opposition has an overwhelming majority over the PPP/C.

It is clear that the late journalist had no confidence in the ability of the leadership of the Council to manage the resources provided by Central Government in a responsible manner. Further, the recent plan by Government to clean up the capital city without channelling the sum of some half a billion dollars through the Council is a clear example of the administration heeding the warning of Mr. Griffith.

Mayor Green did not jump up and attack Cecil Griffith when he made this suggestion in 1999, but when the Government acts along this line today, he is quick to accuse the PPP/C of trying to undermine the Council.

What we do know is that, 15 years ago, this veteran journalist had already come to the conclusion that Mayor Green and his opposition councillors had already done enough to undermine themselves, and what the PPP/C was consistently trying to do was to assist the council, even with all its limitations, simply so that the citizens of Georgetown can be provided with improved services and infrastructure.

This is the reality which Mayor Green and his allies want to keep away from citizens, and they will stop at nothing to do so. Old Kai will, however, encourage our people to carefully consider the facts to determine who really has their interests at heart.