-vendors disappointed with APNU-controlled City Council, call for new leadership

AS the Opposition-run City Council continues to be on its high horse and plays the blame game during statutory meetings, Georgetown has been left to crumble and rot.

Stabroek market is the largest market in Georgetown and it is supposed to be a tourist attraction; however, the massive, stagnant puddles of water, heaps of garbage and the foul odour have turned this landmark into an unsightly area.

The Guyana Chronicle visited the market on Tuesday and upon arriving, the cries of dozens of vendors, who expressed much disappointment with the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) controlled Mayor and City Council (M&CC), were louder than those drivers in traffic blasting their horns.

Concerned citizens have continuously highlighted issues such as land pollution, poor drainage, irregular garbage collection, and the deplorable conditions in the markets, as the most prevalent issues in the once-revered Garden City. Overall, they have emphasised the neglect of Georgetown.
People have also complained that although they are paying their taxes to City Hall, they still have to take money out of their own pockets to maintain their business environment and even communities.

Dinesh Persaud, a vendor told this publication that he is “fed up” with the Opposition-run council and has grown wary of complaining about the garbage and drainage and irrigation issues that are hindering his business’ daily operations.

Persaud who has been operating within the Stabroek Market for 13 years is repulsed with how the City Council is being run and has called for a new leadership.

“If you’re not getting improvements with the old ones, then new ones need to come,” he firmly stated.

Another stall owner stated that he moved from the “bazaar” because it was riddled with faeces and urine and he along with other vendors were forced to clean the area which has been neglected by the M&CC.
“The bazaar where I used to sell, they had garbage at the back. [There was] urine and faeces every morning [and] you have to come and clean right before you open your business,” he said.

With the pungent odour discouraging consumers from supporting small businesses, vendors are forced to clean up the neglected market area because they have no confidence in the APNU-controlled M&CC.

Adding to this, he spotlighted the poor drainage and irrigation within the market and even stated that the lavatory is covered in human excretions.

However, it seems as though vendors have grown accustomed to the M&CC’s behaviour which leaves them vulnerable in a repulsive environment that is plagued with security issues.

On the topic of security, the lack of the city constabulary’s presence was evident.

The Georgetown City Constabulary has strayed away from its duties of restoring and maintaining law and order in the city as the APNU-controlled City Council has lost its grip on the department, according to People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) City Councillor Jai Narine Singh Jr, well known as Don Singh.

In an invited comment, Singh related to the Guyana Chronicle that the City Constabulary and the APNU-controlled City Council are basically divorced and thus, this has brought a mountain of challenges.

According to Singh: “We did a few site visits around the place to the constabulary outposts and checkpoints, and the City Constabulary is in very bad shape, ill trained, very little discipline, turning up in their street clothes to work.”

He said that there needs to be cooperation between the joint services and the department in order for there to be improvements.

“We need to coordinate with an authority or force that has discipline and has the level of training that would be needed going forward, because right now what we have with the city constab is just absolute chaos,” the PPP/C Councillor stated.

What was also highlighted is the lack of respect that the City Constabulary holds for the M&CC.
“There’s a huge disconnect between the council and the administrative staff…. as naturally with any business or any organisation, when the head is disconnected from the body, the body will do what it wants,” Singh added.