IT seems as though many public officials on the island of Wakenaam are not aware that there is a change of Government. Leading the list of public officials are the Wakenaam Neighbourhood Democratic Council Chairman and the NDIA Field Foreman. These individuals continue to carry out their duties with favoritism, affection and ill will. To solidify my conclusion, permit me to outline some of the many misdemeanours these individuals are guilty of committing.
To begin with, the Chairman, Mr. Zakir Khan would authoritatively and single-handedly purchase whatever he believes is needed at the Council. Proper practice would entail that quotations be submitted and the finance committee approves the purchasing. This man is a one-man-show.
Also, there is no committee set up to do the awarding of contract or jobs. He selects his own cronies to do ‘slap-dash’ work. Many times councillors from the APNU side would raise this matter with the Chairman, and he brushes it aside as if it is no big deal. My assumption is that he gets a ‘draw-back’.
Notwithstanding the above, there is an excavator on the island which belongs to the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA). This excavator is stationed on the island for the benefit of farmers. It is controlled by the NDIA.
I communicated with the NDIA engineer, who told me that a yearly work schedule for the excavator would normally be prepared by the Wakenaam NDC, and be submitted to NDIA. The NDIA would then approve, and the work would go ahead. This has not been happening. Instead, the Chairman would submit the schedule unknowing to the full Council, and work would be done for selective areas.
Recently, the excavator was en route to a place called Moor Farm, and would have dug trenches on its way in predominant Indian communities, and did not dig trenches in the Afro communities. I informed the engineer, who was totally shocked to learn that the excavator bypassed those communities. He telephoned me ten minutes after our first conversation to say that the Field Foreman said weather was the reason.
Editor, that excuse is old and outdated. The weather was sunny on the day that excavator bypassed those villages; and it was sunny for at least five days after. A small shower of rain fell, and then it was all sun again. They lied to the engineer.
There is a public perception that the excavator spends time doing private work worth millions of dollars, and that the Chairman and Field Foreman benefit directly; however, I cannot substantiate this claim, for I have no evidence to prove it. But if it is true, it is wrong. I therefore call on the Minister of Agriculture to investigate the work of this excavator; and I would further recommend that a three-man committee direct the operations of this excavator on the island.
The NDIA is wasting resources to send an engineer to see which trench should be dug, and which should not. Complicating the matter is the fact that the engineer is not known to the people who would gladly like to express their grievances over the way this excavator operates. At no time should the NDC control the operations of the excavator, because it will be like running from the jumbie and bumping up with the coffin.
Let it be known that this Government will not condone skulduggery or bribery. It is a Government for the people, elected by the people to clean up corrupt people.
Let it be further known to the Wakenaam NDC Chairman and NDIA Field Foreman that there is a change of Government.

GANESH MAHIPAUL