Dear Editor

I HAVE noted with grave concern Mr. Holder’s constant attack on the Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson and Mr. Rawlston Adams’ credibility over the New Demerara Harbour Bridge Feasibility Contract.

Over the years, I have had great admiration for Mr. Holder and his contributions towards the engineering profession in Guyana. However, over the weeks I have noted quite sadly that this scholarly gentleman’s mental capacity seems to be on the decline.

Mr. Editor, we all yearn for the day when this dear land of ours can move from a developing to a developed nation and Mr. Holder’s reluctance to put the best interest of this country first is quite startling. What one can conclude once we look beyond the obvious is that Mr. Holder, despite his apparent patriotism, is placing the preservation of what he considers as his legacy i.e. Modular Bridge above country.

His Facebook page is inundated with joems/poems and article about why the existing structure should remain but, are we Mr. Editor, to continue to invest in a structure which has outlived its usefulness. One just has to question the residents of Region Three who can testify to the daily hassle to get to and from work or visit the Commissioner of Information Office to have a look at the cost of maintenance of the current structure. The high cost of maintenance in my opinion is money that could be more wisely spent to promote development in other areas. Thus, one now has to question Mr. Holder’s sincerity pertaining to the welfare of the workers.

You see, Mr. Holder, when the great visionary, the late LFS Burnham gave the bridge a 30-year life span, he was not only thinking about the physical structure but its capacity to accommodate the volume of traffic. Your articles clearly show that you didn’t understand that in 1978, neither do you some 40 years after.

Mr. Editor, several questions come to mind that I would like Mr. Holder to address:
1. How is it only now that you recognised that the current GM’s contract has expired since 2016?
2. Were you not a Director attending Board meetings at which Mr. Adams was present in the capacity of GM?
3. Were not all your enquiries directed to the said gentleman during the period you were acting in the capacity as Chairman?
4. When was the last time you visited the bridge to observe the current state and the daily maintenance struggles of the staff?
5.Is Mr. Holder aware that with development comes changes and that the staff can be retrained?
I would strongly advice the government of the day to be more selective when they are choosing directors and have all directors sign non-disclosure agreements so that confidential information would not be leaked by person(s) who seem to have a hidden agenda.

Instead of raising his concerns with the relevant authority, Mr. Holder comes across as someone who is petty and wants to stymie the development of the country. Also, his actions seem to be directed to tarnishing the reputation of these two gentlemen.
Companies now need to be very careful with the information directors are privy to, hence as in the case of Joe Holder, can be used against them.

It is my hope that many other like-minded professional Guyanese lend their support towards the future development of this great nation.
Mr. Holder, your name will forever be associated with the Demerara Harbour Bridge; however, it has outlived its usefulness.

Minister David Paterson and Mr. Rawlston Adams, let no detractor derail your valiant efforts [to] let development continue. Keep up the excellent work you are doing. Let development continue.

Concerned Citizen