–following mysterious barring of City Hall doors
DURING a statutory meeting on Monday of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown (M&CC), Councillor Victor Sobers interrupted the day’s proceedings to express concerns over security arrangements for the historic City Hall.
In brief remarks, the Councillor professed that the building is not only an inherited building, but is a prized structure of the City. Sobers bemoaned that “this building was bolted up, nailed down, and all sorts of things.”
The City Councillor was referring to the recent incident in which the Office of the Town Clerk, occupied by Acting Town Clerk, Carol Sooba, was mysteriously barred up.
While the Mayor questioned the urgency of the matter being raised, the Councillor stood his ground, declaring: “I would like that if we have a ‘Constab’ in here and no one knows what goes on, we should have the national police to protect this building or to protect this site.”
He further expounded that if “no one knows who barred it up,” the matter is a cause for concern. He went as far as to stress a possible alternative that “the same people who barred up the doors could have burned it down.”
In response to the concern raised by the Councillor, Mayor Hamilton Green said, “We praise the irradiate wisdom of Councillor Sobers”. He added that the Council has no difficulty with the suggestion.
The Mayor subsequently called for a round of applause for the Councillor’s foresight in the “understanding of the arrangements of City Hall.”
The City Constabulary, which is housed in the compound, has not brought to light who the culprits were. The barring incident followed a Motion by the Mayor & Councillors for the reason of sending the Acting Town Clerk on administrative leave.
When the incident first occurred, the Town Clerk had made contact with Chief Constable, Andrew Foo, but this had proved futile. Sooba had then requested her security officers to remove the locks and allow her entry into the office.
Sooba had said that she had been advised by senior staff of the City Constabulary that the perpetrators had committed an illegal act, since no one is authorised to enter any section within City Hall after working hours without an escort of constabulary officer.
In his concluding remarks, Councillor Sobers restated his position clearly, to have the national police “protect this national heritage site.”
(By Derwayne Wills)
