Dear Editor,
The recent visit by the two Ministers of Local Government to Sub-Region 2 of Region 8 was appreciated. However, in my opinion it was not of much benefit to the residents, if any at all. They may have achieved their objectives, but the issues affecting the residents remain the same.
I learnt that the Junior Minister visited Princeville, Tumatumari and Micobie and had meetings with the residents there; Senior Minister Ganga Persaud held meetings with the residents of Mahdia and Campbelltown. The Regional Democratic Council (Chairman and Councillors) was not informed or invited to these meetings. The Regional Chairman received a letter one day before the team arrived, inviting him to the opening of the Princeville Health Post, and another letter informing him that Minister Ganga Persaud will be meeting with the Regional Chairman and Councillors in the boardroom.
I learnt of Minister Whittaker’s meetings to these areas through GINA in a May 16, 2013, release, and Minister Ganga’s meetings on the road the evening before the meeting. This is just another instance of the disrespect that is shown to the Regional Chairman and Council of Region 8 by this government. I did not get to attend the opening of the Princeville Health Post because it was raining and no enclosed transportation was made available to me to take me there. I attended the meeting at Mahdia. However, I refused to sit at the head table with the Minister because I saw it as being very disrespectful to the RDC not informing them of the meeting or inviting them to the meeting in the Region.
Coming back to the Minister’s visit, while it is important to listen to all the problems affecting the residents, it was rather unfortunate that so much taxpayers’ money was spent for that outreach and it only dealt with small issues affecting the residents here.
Here are some of the issues I would have expected them to address:
1. Bartica/Potaro Road This road from Bartica to Mahdia has been abandoned for years now. This road is of great benefit to the residents of this sub-Region.
2. Landfill site in Mahdia Over a year ago Minister Whittaker ordered the present dump to be closed. And rightly so, since the present dumpsite is approximately 300 ft from the Mahdia Airstrip. It is also very close to the housing scheme and residents. Minister Whittaker had promised me that by December 2012 the landfill site would be set up in Mahdia. Since we are five months past that deadline, I would have expected him to meet with the RDC to discuss the landfill site.
3. I would have expected them to tell the residents in Mahdia when the inner roads there will be asphalted, and also when the Ministry of Public Works will be repairing the Tiger Creek bridge.
4. I would have expected them to tell the residents about the government’s long-term plan to solve the electricity problems in that Sub-Region. We would have liked to know whether government will be assisting the developers of the Tumatumari Hydro, since not only can the Hydro supply all of those areas with electricity, it is also the only long-term solution to the electricity problem there.
5. I was expecting them to tell the residents of Campbelltown and Mahdia what assistance would the Ministry of Local Government give to alleviate the water woes there. At present only a few homes can access water from the Salbura Water System.
Since the government is collecting revenue from this Region, I believe that a percentage should be set aside every year and given back to the Region for developmental works. Had that been the case, we would have able to access monies to refurbish the Tumatumari Hydro and many other things, like a technical institute, which we really need in Region 8. A technical institute would cost approximately US$1million to set up. Had we had that system in place we could have built a technical institute.
I would just like to advise the two learned Ministers that in future when they are coming back to the Region, they spend their time dealing with major issues affecting the residents in the Region. They were actually majoring on minor issues.
As I said earlier the Ministers may have achieved their objective, but my humble opinion is that the Ministers’ real mission there was to criticize the opposition. I learned that they were going around telling the residents that the opposition cut the budget and that will cause great suffering to the residents. They are trying to blame the opposition for their shortcomings. As a matter of fact, there was a certain Minister who was travelling from village to village in the North Pakaraimas campaigning, telling the residents there that the opposition had cut the budget in 2012 for solars to the Ameriandian communities, but that the PPP/C Government had to take money from its own pocket to buy the solars that were given to them, and they must tell the PPP/C thanks by voting for them. The people were even told that they must not read the Stabroek News or the Kaieteur News.
However, the residents in Region 8 trust the judgment of the 33 combined opposition members of parliament who they know are very responsible and thoughtful.
What I would like the Ministers to tell the people when they go there, is why they are not depositing NICIL funds in the Consolidated Fund.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Crawford
Regional Chairman
Region 8
