Dear Editor,
I WISH to respond and to bring clarity on a letter written by Mr. Abel Seetaram which was published in the Guyana Chronicle and the Kaieteur News and captioned “PPP Region No.5 Chairman admits that he stalled the RDC meetings in 2017”.

Mr. Editor, the statements by this APNU/AFC Councillor is totally misleading, since at no time had the Chairman of the RDC said that he will investigate the alleged misuse of the NDIA excavator in the Bath/Woodley Park NDC.

The RDC is guided by Parliamentary Practices and in such case the Council needs to launch an investigation and not the Regional Chairman. I have maintained this position from the first day this matter came before the Council. This was always my position on the matter for the council to investigate the alleged misuse. However, Mr. Seetaram nor his colleagues from the APNU/AFC found favour in doing so.

At the Statutory Meeting for the month of December,2017, I mentioned that to date no investigation has been launched into the alleged misuse of the excavator and implored on Councillors not to allow the said issue to unfold in 2018 and so, the Council should move forward in the best interest of the people of Region No.5. The APNU/AFC Councillors prevented the Council from holding a successful meeting for over seven months during 2017 and scrutiny of the spending of tax payers’ monies could not have been possible and the APNU/AFC Councillors were very comfortable and never attempted to put the matter to rest so [that] the people of Region No.5 can properly benefit from the services the RDC offers.

I want readers to understand that the breaking up of RDC Region No.5 Statutory meetings was conveniently done by APNU/AFC Councillors and they have signalled their intention to do so again if they do not get things done their way. There is something sinister about this move. Region No.5 and the entire Country needs to pay close attention.

Regards
Vickchand Ramphal
Regional Chairman
Region No.5