-says first NDC chairman

By Navendra Seoraj in Lethem

THE now renowned border town of Guyana, Lethem, was not always a hub for commerce and trade but, was only transformed after the establishment of a Neighborhood Democratic Council (NDC) in the community.

At least, this was the belief of the man who headed the first NDC of Lethem in 1994, 66-year-old Terrence Boston.
Boston, who now enjoys his days as a farmer, said Lethem is one of the fastest growing areas in Guyana and the catalyst of that growth was the NDC.

“After I became chairman in 1994, my council and I started to do things and things started happening…Lethem moved from what was called Lethem compound which had the houses of district commissioners and other officers, to a community that was ready to be a town,” he said, during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, adding that during his 16 years of service as chairman, he was able to spearhead a number of the projects that led to the growth.

One of the first steps towards development was the establishment of a garbage disposal system, after the council had bought its first tractor and trailer to conduct the disposal exercise. The then council, Boston said, kept up the pace and started to consult with the community to find out the needs and issues so that they could be addressed efficiently.
Among the needs that were satisfied, was the establishment of a library which still exists and serves as a research centre for students and even adults in Lethem. “We started doing a lot. The roads were upgraded and we even opened a few leisure parks,” said the former chairman.

The leaders at the local government level eventually started to earn the trust of the residents so more work was completed at a faster rate.
Public trust grew even more when the NDC was able to assist in the establishment of two housing schemes in Lethem, Culvertcity and Beverly Hills. Lethem has since been on the right track, a developmental track which does not show any signs of slowing down soon, said Boston.

He believes that if a NDC was established sooner, Lethem would have received township status earlier than 2015. Although there is no longer a NDC, the responsibilities bestowed on the mayor and councillors are the same as then so it is important for persons to support the leaders at the local government level.

Persons would be able to do so by exercising their democratic right during the Local Government Elections (LGE). “Those who are elected need to know that providing services to the residents is the number one priority,” said the former NDC chairman.

He advised the council to look at ways to improve the generation of revenue so that more services could be provided. “There are still things that need to be implemented, like for instance the collection of rates and taxes…this is something we need to do and I advise them to advocate for that,” said Boston, adding that population in Lethem is growing and those in authority would have to find ways of satisfying the growing demands as well.