By Alva Solomon

RESIDENTS of Karrau, Mazaruni, are upset at the Village Council’s management style, including its recent investment in a well.They made their discontent known when Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Vice President Sydney Allicock, visited the community on Friday to obtain a first-hand look at a nearby contaminated creek, among other issues.

According to the residents, the opening of the 9-month-old Village Council leaves much to be desired.

The community, located some five miles from Bartica, has been affected in recent months by the contaminated Karrau Creek, which passes through the Region Seven village. A senior village leader was accused of holding rights to mining claims, and this was said to be the cause of the creek’s contamination.

Reports are that while the Government officials pledged to assist the village in finding solutions to curb the contamination issue, the residents are pointing fingers at the Village Council’s laid-back approach regarding its handling of the situation.

Reports are that the village leader allegedly paid a sum of $500,000 to persons as part of a payment to construct a well in the community.
Residents are clueless regarding the scope of works to be undertaken, who are the contracted persons who will build the well, and what amount of money is in the council’s coffers. Attempts to contact Toshao Bertille Thomas on Sunday were futile, since his phone was turned-off.

A resident told this newspaper that the villagers are upset, since there appears to be no transparency regarding sums of money expended by the Council, the latest being the transaction related to the well.

The money for the well was allegedly paid over to persons unknown to the community, on Saturday, one day after Minister Allicock and other Government officials had visited Karrau. The team also included personnel from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

WORK TOGETHER
Minister Allicock, while addressing residents at the community’s pavilion on Friday, encouraged the villagers to put aside their differences and work together towards the development of the village.

A legal representative of the Ministry was also on hand, and he related various aspects of the Amerindian Act to residents gathered for the meeting.

The residents later had opportunity to raise matters of concern.
“Accountability and transparency was a major one,” one resident stated. It was noted that persons at the meeting accused the Village Council of not working in their best interest.

“They are undertaking projects that the villagers and some of the Council members don’t know about,” the residents said.

Other issues included unauthorised spending by the Village Council, and persons pointed to a perceived conflict-of-interest situation regarding a senior village leader as regards mining activities in the community. The residents told the team that the toshao and treasurer continue to make decisions on matters discussed only between the two.

Another resident noted that there are instances when the Amerindian Act is breached within the community. “They are also still doing things contrary to the Amerindian Act,” the resident said.

Following the meeting, Minister Allicock visited the community’s primary school and handed over a quantity of sports gear to the village. He then led the team to the backdam area, to visit the Three Mile area.

Upset residents had last month blocked a roadway which passes through the community as they protested the silence of the authorities on the contaminated creek. A stand-off between the residents and police ensued, as no one claimed ownership of a truck which was placed across the roadway leading from a landing at Karrau into the Mazaruni, where several mining operations are located, including one at Blue Mountain. The truck was later moved from the area, and residents have since noted that the condition of the creek has improved. They pledged to continue monitoring the situation.