Residents of Kwakwani, Region 10 have expressed alarm that despite millions spent twice on the same road in the community not only did it crumble each time, but the authorities are moving to do another section without ensuring value-for-money.
“It is very surprising that after wasting millions of dollars on a paved road, work is in progress to do another stretch of paved road,” resident Jocelyn Morian said in a letter published in the Stabroek News. He recalled that Kwakwani was promised paved roads for the first time after the 2011 regional and general elections and subsequently, a stretch of road was constructed and destroyed within six months. That same stretch was redone and also lasted for just over six months, he said. “Now with the rainy season here, the community is getting a clear picture of the exceedingly poor quality of work and waste of money,” he added.
Morian told Stabroek News that his fellow residents are equally disturbed by the Local Government Ministry not ensuring that they get value-for-money on the road projects.
Echoing his views were his cousin, Member of Parliament Renis Morian who said that while he was not surprised at the actions of the Ministry of Local Government, he is concerned about the waste of taxpayers’ money on shoddy works.
“Man it’s what is happening here and must be everywhere with these roads that build today and gone tomorrow,” he said.
The Morians are urging the authorities, especially the elected representatives of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Ten to look into their complaints.
“I would have been ashamed to be an elected representative of my community or a government minister who visits Kwakwani on a regular basis, preaches about value-for-money at a national level, and yet gives a no-objection for a road project in Kwakwani that lasts for less than a year,” Jocelyn said in his letter.
He reiterated his views on the project. “I am not against development and I am not saying that monies are not spent on developmental work within my community, but the only people benefiting from these projects and monies are the contractors. Why spend so much money on a road and it only lasts for six months,” he questioned.
Jocelyn said that the road’s lifespan is also short because inferior materials are being used. He showed this newspaper hydraulic oil that he said was being substituted for tar to pave the roads. The man said that residents, using money given as subventions to the community for a labour-intensive work programme, did a better job at patching potholes on their roads than the contractors building new roads.
He said that they are not asking much of government, just that if projects are to be executed in the community, it must be aptly supervised so as to ensure quality work.
If there is not enough money to complete “proper roads” he said, then “give the community the money and let us do them to our satisfaction.”
