Dear Editor,
At a campaign meeting in Kwakwani on Saturday 25th April, Minister Juan Edghill was the main speaker. I made it my duty to listen, so I could hear for myself what would be the new promises to my community. To say I was disappointed and surprised is just to put it mildly.
Permit me to comment on some of what the Minister said. “The Kwakwani-Linden road will be fixed, toll booths will be installed and the minimum time for that journey can be one hour, forty-five minutes”. In the late 1980s on to the mid-1990s, this stretch of road was in the state where a Land Rover could have taken one hour to complete this distance, some drivers took less. Why are they prepared to create more hardship on the lives of residents by increasing the cost by installing toll booths? Are there toll booths on any other road in Guyana? I just want the Minister to know some of us, for the love of our community will participate in any activity to better it. At a forum with the Prime Minister a few years ago, he said that to do one mile of this road, it will cost $5 Million. It was suggested to him, if a programme is properly implemented we will be comfortable using budgeted amounts to fix the worst areas properly to gradually get it done. Maybe that was done on only one area between Aroaima Junction and Kwakwani, as that area is almost perfect on to now.
I would like to let the Minister know that this road is similar to a dam, and a Guyanese proverb says” Wan wan dutty build dam”. Let us build the road. To have the equipment from the Ministry of Public Works constantly grading will turn it into a trench.
The Minister said that it is not central government who was responsible for our internal roads not being done properly. It was the regional administration specifically the Vice Chairman. I am aware that this Minister’s portfolio is to ensure taxpayers get value for money. Am I to conclude that this minister cannot carry out this function? There is substandard road work throughout the length and breadth of Guyana.
I was shocked when the Minister used the word democracy, I don’t expect any government official to talk about democracy in my community. Especially this Minister who taught me at a community workshop “how to resolve conflict”. Where is the compromise Mr Edghill? The opposition cut the budget, we are hearing the Government side on television but when is time to hear from the opposition it is either station identification or commercials. Can anyone properly judge a budget debate without hearing all sides?
Unlike most other communities, Kwakwani is hungry for democracy and eager to work in unity to make our community better.
As a regular visitor, Mr Edghill can take a walk to the pavilion and see first-hand what the $1.2 million that was given did for our youths in my community. From the Coordinator Carl Liverpool’s report about this project “the personnel from administration were very surprised about the amount of work done from that amount of money”
Was there a promise to work with the residents of Kwakwani, who know what they want and how to get it done? For the duration of that meeting, though I listened keenly, I did not hear any.
Yours faithfully,
Jocelyn Morian
