REGION Four Regional Democratic Council’s Regional Executive Officer (REO) Pauline Lucas has declared that the halted Supply Health Centre project has failed, owing to the results of independent tests that were conducted on the foundation. As such, the contractor would be tasked with redoing the project.

This was the declaration of REO Lucas as she addressed several regional councillors in response to questions and concerns asked about the project, the Region Four RDC said in a release.

REO Lucas told the regional councillors that she had sought help from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure regarding testing of the foundation, as she wanted to be certain and therefore sought a second body. This, she said, resulted in her requesting the University of Guyana to conduct a test, which they did; however, the findings by the University of Guyana were completely different from those of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.

Lucas, who was evidently upset with the contractor and his actions, revealed that the first test which was conducted by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, had given the green light for the foundation. She said that a second test was done by the University of Guyana which showed that the foundation had not met the required PSI mark. “[The]Ministry of Public Infrastructure test showed that it was just above the PSI, which is 3500. However, I would have also been engaging the University of Guyana. It’s not that I don’t have confidence in the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, but I think that we need to have other organisations’ results so that we can be extremely sure,” she said.

She noted that because of the disparity in the two sets of results, it warranted another test so as to be exceptionally sure as to the way forward. This time she opted for a joint test involving both the University of Guyana and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, along with a representative of the contractor. She however said that the contractor did not send a representative.

She continued, “Again, that test showed that [regarding] the Ministry of Public Infrastructure tests, two of them were below the level and the other two while they passed were less that what the first test said.” Expressing concern over the financial resources which have to be expended on conducting test after test, the REO told the regional councillors that the region will not continue along this trend, but rather a decision is being taken for the contractor to redo the entire foundation and column. “I do not think that we have the time and money to do another test and in my opinion, we would have to make a decision on the matter,” she said.

Meanwhile, REO Lucas informed councillors that her immediate course of action would be to write the contractor, after which legal action would follow. She stressed that she had no intention of accepting any sloppy or poor quality work, declaring: “I will be writing the contractor shortly indicating that in our view the project has failed and he would have to redo the foundation and column again at his own expense, failing which I would seek other legal actions to be taken against the contractor.”

Adding their voices to the condemnation of the contractor’s actions, several councillors expressed openly their support of the actions taken by the REO. Councillor Ali Majeed told his colleagues that he visited the site of the project and is concerned over the conduct and state of the compound, questioning whether the contractor has any prior experience with similar or such large projects. “I am truly disappointed in how these guys have had the place as this is certainly bothering me, because in my view they don’t have a sense of responsibility in executing such projects,” Majeed said.