-call for REO’s sacking
Residents of Mahdia yesterday put their daily activities on hold as they “shut down the town,” taking to the streets to protest the lack of water and facilities in the community and schools and their dissatisfaction with the work of Region Eight Regional Exe-cutive Officer (REO) Ronald Harsawack.
“This is stupidness we protest because we vex man. The primary school overcrowded and there is no running water, the children going to school without water, the roads ain’t good, no development and it seems government stifling the mining town because the REO deh like he just don’t care,” protester Patsy De Santos told Stabroek News via phone.
Residents stated that it was a collective decision to stage the protest in front of the REO’s office as he is the person put in charge to overlook the region and implement development strategies. They said he is not doing enough. “Just as how the opposition have no confidence in (Home Affairs Minister Clement) Rohee, we don’t have confidence in this REO… we want the president to know this, if you look at the persons protesting his removal, you will see shopkeepers, miners, bus owners and drivers, everybody. We don’t mind one day of losing money if he goes because we know many good days will come,” another resident said.
Harsawack, when contacted by Stabroek News, said that while he was aware of the protest he was not sure of the details. As a result, he said an in-depth investigation into the grievances of the residents will be done today when he returns to the region. “Yes there was a protest but I don’t have much details…I know it began sometime around 9 and ended around 12. I am not sure of what the issues were because everyone is giving a different version of the events …when I go in tomorrow I will investigate and give you a feedback,” he said.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Local Government condemned the protest, according to the Government Informa-tion Agency.
“It is unfortunate that we continue to mislead people under the banner of party politics and respond with aggression against Government Officials who are seeking to bring solutions to the problems,’ Minister of Local Government, Ganga Persaud, said a press conference, according to GINA.
Persaud called on the residents not to be “misled into fighting the Opposition’s political war”, as they are fully cognisant of the works which have commenced.
Permanent Secretary, Collin Croal said that the situation which has seen residents experiencing low water pressure has been tackled, GINA reported. The short-term solution would see shallow wells being drilled and submersible pumps installed. A truck transporting the requisite equipment and a technician left the city (Wednesday), and works are expected to commence today, to return normalcy to the community, he said, according to GINA.“We are calling on the citizens of Mahdia to bear with us…we understand the situation of not being with potable water, but a short- term solution has been sought…we expect by tomorrow the technical people will commence working in this regard,” he said.
GINA further said that a contract has been awarded to Mekdeci Mining Company for the rehabilitation of internal roads in Mahdia.
Work has already commenced and despite that, residents still opted to stage protest action in the community, GINA stated.
It added that the affairs of the region are expected to drastically improve as the Regional Chairman, Region Eight, Mark Crawford and the Regional Executive Officer, Harsawack have opted to strengthen their work relationship.
This agreement would see the representatives holding meetings every Monday with the aim of
In July, a no-confidence motion against Harsawack was approved by a majority of region’s councillors, but Local Government Minister Persaud has taken no action.
Regional Chairman Crawford, who has had a fractious relationship with Harsawack, said that he found the protest “in full swing” and it came as no surprise to him given that there have been numerous complaints by the residents and he knew it was only time before “they can take more.”
Via cell phone, residents took turns in venting their frustration. There were loud chants of “Who must go? REO!” and “What Mahdia need?” which they answered with replies such as “water” and “roads” and “proper education.”
There was no school either as parents kept their children at home, while some took them out to also protest. They walked though the community with placards continuing their chants and gathered in front of the REO’s office, where they continued their protest until it was dismissed sometime around 3pm.
“We miners leave here to go to town with bags of money and return with just passage and this is how government want to treat us? People in town depend on the money and gold we make here so just as how they are treated we want to be too. We using out money to develop Georgetown and nobody cares about we,” a miner stated.
One of the regional councilors, who asked to be called “Councilor Gafoor,” expressed his frustration and anger at the lack of infrastructural development in the region. “We make so much money here from gold mining and still we are shunned,” he said. Gafoor noted that to the councilors of the region, it seems as if they were being spited since self help efforts are stopped by the REO.
“The road bad no tale and we got a resident who has a grader, to grade down the road. One person gave ½ drum of diesel another one 2, however they can afford and we began to fix it up but the REO stopped the work, saying we couldn’t because its government property and we have to get permission. How fair is that? ” he said.
The residents plan to continue to publicly protest until their demands are met. “The president ain’t fed up? Everything people want in Guyana now is like you have to protest. This never happen in Mahdia before. Why we must have to come to this? …For basic things like water, proper garbage, proper road and school? Jeez! But if this will help we will have one every week,” a father of three said.
