Dear Editor,
People complain that I am long-winded and verbose. I try to be concise. The articles on the Linden Town Council and refutation by Mr Horace James on its implications were noted (‘Mis-statements in Linden news reports’ SN, July 16).
- Council in May 2015 voted on a number of burning issues with the two most urgent being the reopening of the toll booth at Kara Kara and the removal of NICIL from the collection and disbursing of moneys collected at the bridge as per Cap 51:04. All the issues were documented and submitted promptly to the Minister of Communities.
- In a meeting between the Minister of Finance and major stakeholders of Linden the opportunity was presented to raise the issue of the bridge. Minister Winston Jordan was adamant that the law should be followed and the parties must work out their own arrangements for its management.
- Discussions ensued between council and Linmine Secretariat on the new arrangements for minimum disruption, enhanced collections, ensuring the status quo for bridge employees, an acceptable monthly operations cost, MOU /contract, distribution of net revenue, ensuring that a maintenance fund is established and providing accounts for distribution of the various amounts of funds. So this is no wishy-washy arrangement. The meeting SN reported on was the opportunity provided for the Linmine Secretariat to present the report of historical and up-to-date information on the bridge finances in order for council to make a decision.
I had written to Mr Brassington over a month earlier on the council’s decision to have NICIL central removed from the bridge finances. There has been no official response to date. We are being pushed to a brawl. That is not the bad part. The bad part is that if this happens NICIL central thrives on the locals going at each other ‒ a divide and rule tactic.
Mr James and the reporter need not get into any struggle between themselves. The issue is that NICIL’s head needs to quickly acquiesce to the council’s decision and Cap 51:04.
Yours faithfully,
Orrin Gordon
