Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo says he never requested after he came into office that the street on which he is living in North Sophia be repaired.
Nagamootoo in a statement today noted was responding to a report in the Guyana Times of June 14. He said that he had made repeated representations to the former Minister of Works Robeson Benn for the bridge and street to be repaired but that this had not happened. The street was recently repaired but it is unclear on whose instruction.
A release from the Office of the Prime Minister follows:
The Office of the Prime Minister has responded to what it described as a mischievous article appearing in the Guyana Times (2015-06-14) about repairs to a street in North Sophia, Georgetown.
OPM reminded that upon his assumption to office as Guyana’s Prime Minister and First Vice-President, Mr. Moses Nagamootoo had opted to live in his own house in North Sophia, as the Prime Minister’s Official Residence is uninhabitable in its present state.
Mr. Nagamootoo and his family have lived in their personal Sophia home since 1985 and continued to do so even after he became for many continuous years, under four past presidents, a Senior Government Minister.
The street outside his house was previously known as “Sand Road” and, at times, became almost impassable.
Many prominent citizens also used this street, including the Director of Public Prosecutions, a personal aide of the former Attorney General, a high ranking Guyana Defence Force officer and the vice-president of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association.
Mr. Nagamootoo had made repeated representation to former Works Minister, Mr. Robeson Benn and had submitted a residents’ petition to him for repairs to the bridge and the street. Last year, the bridge was renovated and workmen had started to repair the street. But upon learning that Mr. Nagamootoo lived there, the workmen dug up the street and left hurriedly. They never came back.
Mr. Nagamootoo complained to Minister Benn and had invited him to visit his street, which he did. Mr. Benn had personally assured that completion of the works would be done as soon as the rains held up.
On several occasions Mr. Nagamootoo sent photographs to Minister Benn showing that the condition of the street had deteriorated. He also protested against the spite and vindictiveness of the former regime in damaging the street just outside his home. The street was left in its deplorable condition even after Mr. Nagamootoo became Prime Minister and had started to use his home as the Official Residence of the Prime Minister of Guyana. He never once requested that the repairs be completed after he became Prime Minister.
The Office of the Prime Minister condemns the Guyana Times report as mean, dirty and unwarranted, and a blatant attempt at tarnishing the image of the Prime Minister.
