WEDNESDAY’S collapse of a dilapidated section of the roof of the iconic Stabroek Market should serve as an eye-opener to all.That area did not deteriorate and become an eyesore overnight.

What occurred was undoubtedly the result of neglect by the PNC/APNU-controlled City Council and this should no longer be ignored.
Fingers must be pointed at those responsible for the poor state of the market and they must be held accountable for an incident that could have had deadly consequences.

For far too long, this nation has allowed the PNC/APNU-controlled City Council to get off easily. Downtown Georgetown is a mess. Our municipal markets have a shantytown-like appearance and are smelly and disorderly.
All this is proof that the council is unable to effectively manage the city and this was rightly pointed out by President Dr. Irfaan Ali when he visited the site of the collapse to make his own assessment and to see the damage firsthand.

The riot act needs to be read to the City Council as it has clearly lost control of the management of this infrastructure, which is one of the most prominent landmarks in Guyana. The poor state of this particular market is just one of many things on a long list of problems facing the city.

President Ali after looking at the pile of rubble, mainly comprising rotten pieces of wood and rusty zinc sheets, pointed out the lack of leadership and management of the city’s infrastructure.

Here is a portion of what he said: “The mayor needs to work closer with the councillors in a collective way, because, from a leadership perspective, there is no capacity to manage some of these key infrastructure and investment in the city.”

The President spoke bluntly as he criticised the Mayor and City Council’s leadership, citing their inability to manage such a critical infrastructure, which was left derelict for years. He pointed out too that the city is not in a position technically and from a management perspective, to deal with the after effects of the collapse. As a result, central government will step in to help clear the collapsed site and remedy the situation.

While some may think that President Ali’s comments are harsh, in the circumstances they are absolutely necessary as they reflect the frustration the vendors, government and Guyanese as a whole, must be feeling.

It has since been publicised that the collapsed section was condemned and a notice had been placed nearby warning persons of the repercussions of its occupancy and use. However, against better judgement and this warning, vendors, fishermen and vagrants continued to utilise the facility. This raises several questions and the City Council owes the nation honest answers.

Why were people allowed to disobey the order and the stated consequences not enforced? Did City Council staff visit regularly to ascertain what was happening there? What delayed its rehabilitation? Did anyone report the violations to City Hall? These are among the questions that are being asked.

The other matter of concern is the central government’s continuous bailout of City Hall. It must be noted that City Hall and by extension the council has a mandate, a list of responsibilities. For too long central government has been coming forward to save the day.

Gone are the days of excuses such as City Hall is being starved of resources and people are not paying their taxes. City Hall must get its house in order and execute its mandate without fail.

The citizens of this city must no longer accept the excuses, but, must instead hold the officials accountable and demand that they do what they are mandated to do.
The dire state of downtown Georgetown and the repeated failures of the PNC/APNU-led council highlight the importance of local government and the election and selection of the right persons to lead.