Dear Editor,
In March of 2005, when the residents of Kwakwani protested because of the poor state of the roads in the community, the management of the bauxite company offered the community $100,000 per month to assist with development.
An offer was also made for a group to engage the management in discussions to further assist the community.
These meetings are held on a regular basis but if you ask the average resident what is asked for or what is given on behalf of the community, no one will be able to give a positive answer.
I, like a host of other residents (some of whom are afraid to speak out) believe it is time these un- elected representatives come out and say how the $100,000 that is given to assist with the community’s development is being accessed and spent, and what type of representations are being made.
From April 2005 to the present, according to calculations, nearly $3 million would have been given to the Kwakwani group. Based upon investigations $503,000 was wasted trying to fix the community swimming pool without a plan and over $500,000 was spent on private and useless projects.
It is time the residents of Kwakwani (especially our youth) start to benefit from the financial assistance given towards Kwakwani’s development. The wasting of scarce financial re-sources must stop.
Since this money was/is passed through the Kwakwani Neighbourhood Democratic Counci’s bank account, the office of Regional Executive Officer should investigate to find out how $500,000 was spent on a project without a proper plan and make the findings public, and help to put a system in place for residents to fully benefit from this assistance.
Yours faithfully,
Jocelyn A Morian
