ASSUMING responsibility for the rehabilitation of the over-due Stabroek Market wharf, City Engineer, Culvern Venture on Tuesday refused to comment on the progress made, advising that comments should be directed to the acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba. Initially, works were said to commence on the Stabroek Market wharf on February 9, but this failed to materialise.

When contacted the same week, the town clerk sought to explain that some difficulties had been experienced and as such the work could not commence as was scheduled. She however assured this publication that the same week, these works were expected to start and that the City Engineer was responsible for the project.
In pursuance, this publication then contacted Sooba on Tuesday, February 17 for an update on the works. The town clerk however directed that the comments be made by Venture since he was the person responsible for the execution of the project. The acting town clerk also added that she was not in a position to comment, since he [Venture] had not updated her on any progress and as such she was not in a position to comment.
As such, a call was made to the engineer who refused to comment on whether any progress had been made. “Ask the Town Clerk… I briefed her yesterday… She knows what is going on,” Venture said to this newspaper.
However, when contacted for a second time, Sooba related that Venture had been “lying” and that he had not met with her neither did he update her on the progress of the project.
She further explained that advice was given to him to seek assistance from the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development since it was presumed that he [Venture] was not capable of executing the job.
According to Sooba, there had been limitations in the project but assistance has always been an option for City Hall through the Local Government and Public Works Ministries.
To this extent, she said that Venture was also advised that he should draft a list of needed materials for the project and the Public Works Ministry would have assisted by lending some of the resources for the successful completion of the project. However, this was not done.

(By Ravin Singh)