OVER the last 40 years, there has been much talk about restoring Georgetown to its former glory. Some bold plans and visions were placed in the public domain for consumption about the benefits that residents of the city, and by extension Guyana, would accrue.
Then, the local powers that be enlisted the support of the citizens and the private sector to make the restoration efforts possible. The monuments, sites, historical places and buildings, flora and fauna would come alive again once Georgetown was restored.
Somewhere along the line, the restoration efforts became lazy and were crawling on their knees. Nobody wanted to be seen as associated with them because by 1996, there was a shift in culture and focus of the management of the Georgetown City Council, headed by former prime minister Hamilton Green.
Green would dominate the council, turning its focus to national politics. Municipal politics took a back seat to the selfish, self-centred, partisan and wicked ways of local politicians, which created an even bigger and longer-lasting crisis for Georgetown. They were not concerned about the residents’ needs in the Green era.
City Hall was then seen as a fortress for the People’s National Congress, Green and racist politics. After all, the residents were treated as collateral damage. Businesses were forced to suffer with garbage not collected for weeks and months. Both commercial and residential residents were burdened by steep taxes imposed by the successive local municipalities in Georgetown.
Then, the public was told Georgetown needed a bailout of millions of dollars from the central government. It continued facing severe shortages, strikes, work stoppages, a lack of new technical and professional human resources, drainage issues, and mismanagement.
PNC and Green made a mess of City Hall, effectively locking the PPP out and keeping the residents in mental bondage so that they could vote for them. They were hell-bent on changing the narrative from 2011 to 2018. They were alleging that the PPP was to be blamed for starving the city of resources.
They were using the poor and unfortunate vendors to fight their battles, throwing in the political shots and hiding behind their backs. The vendors are not without blame, as many of them saw the destruction caused by the parking meter scandal and the Durban Park saga over the years, but still rallied to the call of PNC.
Many of them played wrong and strong, insisting they were squatting to make ends meet. They were the new line of defence of the political bigwigs in the PNC. And then Georgetown Mayors Chase-Green and Ubraj Narine encouraged the squatting, which spread like wildfire over the years.
Now, Mayor Alfred Mentore had inherited the same old crookish ways of operating. He did absolutely nothing to deal with squatting in the capital over the years.
He sat with the new Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand, and other local officials, lauded the plans discussed at the Housing Ministry with a smile on his face, but backstabbed the entire process, showing discomfort and shock at the ministry’s attempt to turn a new leaf with Georgetown.
This is worrying not only for the trust and future negotiations on the restoration of Georgetown, but also considering the crass nature of politics. Firstly, restore Georgetown and do it fast. Do it alone, if needs be. The city is a mess. Its drainage and sewage apparatus are in a deplorable state and crying out for urgent attention. Similarly, the weeds, overgrown grass, and other debris must be addressed.
The physical aspects of the city which the Georgetown Restoration Plan will change are indeed bold and visionary. They require focus and renewed energy. The city’s restoration is not an event. It is a process. The central government can ill-afford to make a U-turn on its bold promise to revitalise and remodel Georgetown.
The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development must stick to its plan and go ahead, firing on all cylinders. It will get all of the Georgetown Residents who are non-political, rational and objective on board with its hallmark and revolutionary programme.
Secondly, the city’s management must stop playing both sides of the field. Mayor Mentore disappointed the government when he walked back on his stance that Georgetown needs this change. He and other councillors were present when the first segment of the plan was discussed.
Maybe the old, wicked ‘green’ spirit that haunts the city council has awoken and decided to clog Mentore’s consciousness, removing objectivity and the bigger picture from his sight.
Shamefully, Mayor Mentore allowed himself to be concerned by the cries of a small group of confused vendors. The old PNC ways started to kick in. He caved and started as if he were campaigning. Soon, whispers engulfed the Stabroek Market Square, the town. The whispers spoke of betrayal and political treachery. They alleged the vendors were victims of some ‘plot’.
It is a lie. It is misinformation and disinformation. The political opposition, the PNC and WIN, is in the business of practising opportunistic politics. They are fearmongering and getting the vendors worked past exhaustion. These are the desperate politics of desperate men and women who do not have any real issues to complain about.
The PPP/C government will not displace a single person. Not a single person will be forced to beg bread. The government has plans to develop, restore and remodel Stabroek Square and many other areas in Georgetown. If there are plans to move the vendors squatting illegally on private property, the government will consult and will find an alternative location where vendors can ply their trade.
Mentore, the PNC and the WIN party must be condemned. They are damaged spikes in the wheel of Georgetown’s development and forward movement. Thirdly, the government must realise the need to recruit a PR for the restoration initiative who will interface with the public on matters such as these.
Minister Manickchand and her ministerial colleagues cannot be reasonably expected to do it alone. They need urgent help in framing the narrative and setting the tone, or else this project could succumb to harsh public criticisms from political leeches and desperate political elements like WIN.
Thirdly, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s vision of a restored Georgetown will only be realised if the plan is allowed to work. So, it requires a culture shift and change. Citizens must feel pride and responsibility for their environment. They must practise cleanliness and end the lawlessness of dumping garbage.
The old buildings, open spaces, parks, monuments, and architecture of Georgetown need a modern touch if we are to restore Georgetown. Therefore, citizens must adopt a behavioural change to improve the area. And the change starts with every Guyanese household and community.
Finally, for far too long, the residents and businesses in Georgetown have had to suffer. They are tired of bearing the consequences of poor management, lack of vision, and oversight at the Georgetown City Council level.
Essential services are under attack, and workers are facing discomfort. It’s time for Georgetown to undergo surgery to correct its faults if it is willing to breathe and look good ahead. Break the cycle of desperate politics at the city council so that Georgetown could break free and be completely restored to its former glory.
The president has outlined his broad and overreaching vision. Now, Georgetown has some of the most talented professionals, engineers and labourers that can help make this dream of a restored city a reality. Will you be on the side batting for change and a reformed, modernised, and responsible culture that sees all residents enjoying a restored Georgetown?
Or, will you be an opposition obstruction to change and progress, like the WIN and PNC, and live life in a cesspool of dirt, flirt, and deplorable conditions? Decisions, decisions….
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.